Writing Update #13: Prepping for NaNoWriMo and September Update
After a disappointing August, I went back to the drawing board with how I wanted to approach writing my books in September. I’m very guilty of “biting off more than I can chew” and get burnt out easily. I avoided writing a lot in September, feeling like I needed to wait for the perfect aesthetic of writing. But in reality, books just need to be written. Whether it’s in a cozy office, on a couch, or next to a soccer field, the only thing that finishes a book is writing it.
I’ve mentioned in Instagram and in my Weekly Wrap Up that I ended the month with starting a new morning routine. It’s totally changed how I approach my days and has made my days incredibly more successful, which in turn has made my writing sessions way more productive.
I’m excited to keep it up in October as I prepare for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)! I’ve spent most the year preparing for NaNoWriMo and I am ready to meet the goals I’ve set.
What’s Changed:
My Mindset—While I believe in giving myself grace, I think I’ve been giving myself a bit * too * much grace. I used to think, “I don’t need to write every day, but when I do, I need to be fully immersed in it.” Okay, true. But also…the book isn’t going to write itself. So I am committing to write 1,000 words for 20 days in October. So I’ll end the month with at least an addition 20,000 words.
Concrete Goals—Giving myself attainable, concrete goals is what makes me the most productive. I’ve been choosing 3 personal tasks and 3 work tasks to focus on each day. Obviously those aren’t the only things I do, but they help me prioritize what needs to be done.
Journaling—I used to journal every day but I stopped midway through 2020 because I was so beaten down. I was definitely afraid to be alone with my thoughts or confront how I was feeling but not taking the time to “brain dump” onto paper wasn’t healthy.
Prep-tober Goals
Write 20,000 words on Project L & N (co-writing with Amber!)
Flesh out my outline for Project L & N—really get into the nitty gritty details
Edit Draft 1 of Project ADK (my solo project)
I’m going to document more of my writing on TikTok as well. I love making little videos and I hope it’s interesting or helpful to anyone who is interested the behind-the-scenes aspect of writing a book!
New Resources: