Hi all,
I thought I'd share some tips for those who are thinking of writing a novel in a month or just want to get into a more active writing habit. Of course these won't work for everyone, but they might be of some use.
Have a set word count.
But, if you set yourself a goal to write x amount of words a day, you'll find as the month goes on this will become easier and easier to obtain. Even if you are just writing to your par every day. If you don't have a set word count, you may struggle to keep yourself motivated and find yourself falling short.
Take breaks.
You don't have to write everything in one go if you don't want to. I tend to split my writing into two or three sessions throughout the day. I give myself a break in between as it gives me time to clear my mind and think about what direction I want the story to go in next.
Your first draft won't be perfect.
Don't worry about writing the perfect draft, just get words on the page. You can always edit it later. Getting some bad words down is better than none.
Don't pressure yourself.
Don't force yourself to write if you really don't want to. You don't want to burn yourself out, after all. You don't need to finish the book that month if you don't want to.
Have a basic idea of the plot.
I tend not to plot my stories out too much anymore except for the bare bones stuff. I just find it easier to write whatever my mind takes my to. But make sure you have some idea of what you want to write about. Don't jump in completely blind as it might burn you out in the long run.
Reward yourself.
No matter how much writing you do, reward yourself with something. I usually watch a film, YouTube video or read a book. Sometimes I'll reward myself with biscuits! Make it a positive thing to hit your word count.
Have fun!
If you aren't having fun, it isn't worth continuing. You can write whenever you want, no-one is telling you that you have to get that book done in a certain amount of time. If it isn't working for you, then take a step back.
That's it for this week. I hope that these tips have helped! See you next week.
