What is Preptober? 5 tips for getting NaNoWriMo ready

October is here, and for many writers that means Preptober is here. If you’ve seen the phrase about recently, you might be wondering what it is. Preptober is essentially the lead up to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a worldwide event that takes place every November and encourages writers to write 50,000 of a novel in a month. To make sure you’re ready to take on the challenge, Preptober is your chance to get what you need in order. As such, I’m sharing five tips for getting NaNoWriMo ready

Assess your goals, your time, and get signed up
It’s important first of all to work out if you’ve got time to take part. 50,000 words a month breaks down to around 1,666 words a day. That is a manageable chunk in many ways, but it might be too much depending on your other commitments. Writing should be fun and if you think you’re going to get stressed doing it then it might not be for you. On the flipside, assess your goals. If you’ve been meaning to start writing that novel for years, now might be a great time to just dive in and get started. To commit yourself, sign up to the NaNoWriMo website (it’s free!) and follow their guidance, tips and advice.

Consider the premise of your book
Plotter or panster, you need to consider at least the premise of the book your writing. What sort of genre is it, what is a basic idea of the plot? If you are a plotter, then Preptober is a vital opportunity to get down that outline. If you’re a panster (someone who writes as they go with no plan) you should still fill your mind with the essence of your idea, so you feel connected to your project and ready to go.

Create mood boards and playlists
Getting in the mood to write every day can be tough at times. So make sure you can surround yourself with aesthetics to get you motivated and inspired. Use Pintrest to create mood boards that match settings or characters, and create playlists of songs and music that suits the tone of your story. Browsing these mood boards and listening to the music can help settle you into the right frame of mind. This is also a fun thing to do, so any excuse is a good one!

Write down everything
Sure, the actual writing doesn’t start until 1st November, but you should still write down any great ideas you get. Be it a moment of dialogue, a description, or a plot point. With the best will in the world, your chances of remembering these are small, so write down everything that could be useful to refer back to when the real writing starts.

Connect with other writers
You can buddy with writers on the NaNoWriMo site, and also connect with writers via social media and blogs. This can give you the encouragement to keep going during NaNo, and allow you to bounce ideas off each other.

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I don’t think I’m going to take part in NaNo this year, as I’m working on an ongoing project, but I wish everyone who is the best of luck. Are you? Comment below.

Until then,
Keep prepping,
M
x

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