November is the official “NaNoWriMo” month. There’s no flexibility of choosing your word count like the Camp NaNo months. If you’re in it, you’re into write 50,000 words. No more, no less. (Well, technically you can write more or less, but that’s beside the point…)
During Camp NaNo you can write 10,000 words if you choose. Then you have to write about 334 words a day. That’s a pretty big difference compared to writing 1,667 words a day for a 50,000-word goal.
That difference can make it easy to get behind in your word count.
November is a busy month. We just get over Halloween, then there’s Thanksgiving (where I am), then begins the various Winter holidays. Everyone has either work or school (or both) during November. It’s just an all-around busy time of the year.
That’s why I’m here to tell you to write more than your daily goal.
I try to write 2,000 words a day for three reasons: One, because I like even numbers and two, because I think 2,000 words is a good length for one chapter.
The third reason is that I like to get a little ahead of the game. 2,000 words compared to 1,667 is an extra 333 words. It’s not much, but it’s something.
There will be days when you feel like you can’t write anymore. There will be days when you’re so busy that you write less than 1,667 words or you don’t write at all.
Allow yourself to write that little bit extra each day, even if it’s only 50 or 100 words. If you write a little extra each day, it’ll add up. You’ll finish earlier and you’ll be able to allow yourself some cheat days here and there if you need it.
It’s easier said than done, but if you get yourself into the mentality of writing 1,800 words as opposed to 1,667, it should come easier with each day. Even if you add an extra 50 words one day and then able to add an extra 75 words the next day.
Giving yourself that extra nudge will really pay off in the long run, especially if you’re on a roll with your writing.
This may not make sense to everyone, but it works for me and I think it’s a great way to get a little ahead, especially in the first week. Because we all know that second week of NaNo is the hardest.
Do you typically write the standard 1,667 words? Or do you try to go a little above and beyond when you can? Let me know in the comments below and we’ll chat!
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