Incentives For Writing

There comes a point in November, usually around the middle of the month, where you start to question your sanity at the time you signed up for NaNoWriMo.

You may have reached a point where you're so far behind, 50,000 words isn't just past the horizon, it's off the edge of the world.

Maybe you have to get up at 5:30 AM to do your writing, like I do, and you're beginning to feel really worn out.

Maybe you can't just see yourself continuing this.

Maybe your characters are completely rebelling.

Who knows?

Either way, it feels like this is pointless. All you get afterward is carpal tunnel syndrome, right? Oh yeah, and a sloppy, rushed, sorry excuse of a novel. (Just kidding about that last part. ;)

Or maybe you're not like me, and all throughout NaNo you're filled with ecstatic joy and love for your book, your plot, your computer, and your characters. But I'm assuming that you're like me.

Here are some tips on how to keep yourself writing:

1. Don't start speculating what will happen if you don't finish. Start thinking about what you'll do when you do finish.

2. Read a book that is just completely awful and realize that if this book could be published, yours could.

3. Fall in love with your characters. Interview them. Have tea parties with them. Etc.

4. Write something totally exciting and easy. I love dream sequences, because they can be so weird and unconnected. (Although they do get cliche sometimes)

5. Have a brainstorm session, and ask yourself how to spice your writing up some.

6. Set up a reward system--like, every time you reach your daily word count goal, you get a piece of candy. I like this system. ;)