For decades, November has become known among writers as the month to buckle-down and finish writing your book. Many writers challenge themselves to write a novel in 30 days (or at least 50,000 words), while others commit to finishing their first draft, however many words that takes, by the end of the month. Whether you participate with the official National Novel Writing Month organization or in another writing challenge – or do it on your own – there’s no better time than now to start preparing.
Why Take the Challenge of Writing a Novel in 30 Days?
Writing a novel in a month may sound easy to some and crazy to others, but there is a reason behind the madness. Millions of people every year say they want to write a book, and fewer millions actually start, but only thousands ever finish. So a handful of writers first began the challenge as a way to prioritize and commit to their writing practice. To write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, you need to average 1,667 words a day. The idea is to make this commitment to write every day for a long enough time to create a lasting habit.
Making it a challenge with other writers provides accountability, as well as camaraderie and support. Hundreds of online groups have formed to give a place for writers to virtually gather and cheer each other on. There are also in-person meet-ups and write-in events at local libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops. While writing is generally a solitary practice, these challenges provide a way for writers to connect and know they’re not alone. There’s something inspiring and motivating when you know others are pounding away on their keyboards or scribbling in their notebooks at the same time you are.
Whether the finished novel is any good or not depends on a number of factors – but doesn’t really matter. Some seasoned authors do this every month and produce high quality books. November is just another month for them, and they may participate simply for the fun of engaging with other writers. For those who take longer and for newer writers, the challenge is not about being great and certainly not being perfect – there are more months to come for revising and editing. The challenge is about creating a habit and/or finishing the dang book. It’s about honoring a commitment to yourself.
Preparing to Write a Novel in 30 Days
While the premise to these challenges is to write a novel in 30 days, you have the power to set your own goal. Make it challenging enough to push you beyond your normal limits, yet don’t set yourself up for failure by making it too far-fetched. Whether you plan to do the challenge in November or another month, here are some tips for what to do the weeks leading up to the kickoff:
Start gathering and organizing your ideas – If you’re a detailed plotter, now is the time to plot the story. If you’re more of a pantser (someone who writes by the seat of their pants), at least start formulating your general story idea and major plot points or scenes you know you want to happen. Create your character sheets, make a mood board, start making story notes, and organize your ideas. The more pre-writing you can do now, the more you can get your head into the story and get to know your characters, making the actual writing come easier when it’s time to begin.
Prepare your writing space(s) – Set up a special place at home that is dedicated as your writing space, even if it’s just for the one month. Gather all your tools and add special items that will make it inviting so you want to sit down there and write. If writing at home doesn’t work for you or if you know there will be some days you need or want to write elsewhere, make a list of good spots as a note in your phone. These may be the library, coffee shops, a quiet corner in your office building, etc. By starting this list now and having it on your phone, when you find some time to write while you’re out of the home, you already know where you can go to snag even fifteen extra minutes.
Notify the people in your life – You are making a commitment to yourself, and it’s a challenging one. To write a novel in 30 days means prioritizing writing over almost every other thing – and people – in your life. It’s only fair that you let them know what you’re doing, how important it is to you, what it means to them, and how you can best prepare them for your “absence.” Some friends and loved ones may push back for many reasons, and it’s up to you to hold your boundaries. The more you can prepare them and ensure they know they are still important to you ahead of time, the more supportive they may be.
Make arrangements for your “absence” at home (and work, if it applies) – While you likely won’t technically be leaving to go anywhere, your mind, at the very least, may not be fully present in real life because it’s lost in the world you are writing. And for more time than usual, you won’t be physically available, either. Now is the time to make meal plans, stock up the fridge and pantry, and arrange for someone to fill in for any household and family duties you normally do. Create pickup and carpool schedules, offering to do more than your share in the month before and/or after so you can have extra time off during the challenge month. Try to clear as many projects off your work calendar as possible for the month to eliminate extra stress. Attempting to write a novel in 30 days can be a challenge even when you have no other responsibilities, so clear off as many as you possibly can.
Create a writing plan and schedule – You know yourself better than anyone, including the best and worst times for writing and creative work and how you self-sabotage. Create a schedule now that enables you to sit down to write at your peak times and formulate a plan to avoid getting in your own way. This may mean removing distractions and temptations and/or creating a reward system for when you hit certain word count milestones or write a set many days in a row. Make sure your home is clean, laundry is done, meals are premade, and your favorite writing snacks are on hand to eliminate those excuses for not writing. Prepare a writing playlist and a routine that signals to your brain and body that it’s time to write. Whatever it is that you know works for you – and what works against you – prepare for it now, before it’s time to write.
Taking the challenge to push your writing boundaries for a month can be a fun and rewarding way to build a solid writing habit and ongoing practice. You will find support and inspiration from other writers while offering your own to them, creating lasting friendships. With some foresight and preparation – and a commitment to yourself – you can write a novel in 30 days…or accomplish whatever writing goal you want to set for yourself. In the end, the true winner is yourself and your book.