Your NaNoWriMo Care Package

[Day 1, and the NaNoWriMo site is so slammed with participants and excitement that it crashed! Here are some off-site things to help you procrastinate.]

If we lived in a perfect world, this post would hand you a bag of chocolate and your favorite brand of coffee. But since I can't transmit that via the internet, here is my best attempt at getting you (and me) a collection of necessities and comforts for the NaNoWriMo experience, all in one place. Enjoy, and best of luck with your 50K words!

1. The NaNoWriMo Song

If this doesn't get you jazzed to write, I don't know what will. Take it away, Kristina and Luke...



2. An answer to the question Why?

The reason given by the Office of Letters and Light staff is the standard "Because you can't revise a blank page." True. In addition to their perfectly good reason, I submit that you can revise the heck out of the first 25 pages of a planned novel, but that still doesn't really count as writing a book. And that is more my problem.

NaNoWriMo is like having Linus Larrabee staring me in the face, after shooting up a television with a pistol, saying "You're a grown man, David. Finish something."

(P.S. No, my name's not David, and I'm not a man. The above simile is brought to you by the movie Sabrina, and contains a direct quote.)

3. A reference for where your word count should be, approximately, on any given day of the month

Courtesy of my husband:

November 1: 1667
November 2: 3334
November 3: 5001
November 4: 6668
November 5: 8335
November 6: 10002
November 7: 11669
November 8: 13336
November 9: 15003
November 10: 16670
November 11: 18337
November 12: 20004
November 13: 21671
November 14: 23338
November 15: 25005
November 16: 26672
November 17: 28339
November 18: 30006
November 19: 31673
November 20: 33340
November 21: 35007
November 22: 36674
November 23: 38341
November 24: 40008
November 25: 41675
November 26: 43342
November 27: 45009
November 28: 46676
November 29: 48343
November 30: 50000

4. Exercises and tips for avoiding carpal tunnel syndrome

Courtesy of TheHealthPages.com: Carpal Tunnel wrist exercises and tips for the workplace

5. Something to show that person who loves you when they complain that they never see you in November

A Grammar's list of the difficulties involved in dating a writer. Number 16 is my favorite... but be forewarned, there's strong language. :)

6. A writing buddy

I like buddies, so if you need or want one, feel free to add me. :) I'll do my best to add you back (leave me a comment if I don't; I probably just missed the notification.)

7. A little bit of NaNoWriMo boot camp. It's not too late...

Courtesy of Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent:

Choosing the Right Idea

Goals and Obstacles (i.e., giving them to your protagonist)

Editing as You Go

8. An excuse to give the doubters (including the little voice in your head)

There's a real value in the simple act of challenging yourself. That is worthwhile even if you don't come up with something that makes it to the bestseller list (even after proper revision). It is worthwhile even if being a writer isn't your lifelong goal. It is worthwhile even if you don't make 50,000—and let's face it, not all of us can every November. Sometimes life gets in the way. But pushing yourself to do things that seem difficult or impossible can build your strength to do better things in life.

9. Best wishes

You have mine! Now go write your book. :)