Are you participating in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge? If so, congratulations. NaNoWriMo’s emphasis on getting as many words down as possible, as quickly as possible, is a good one. NaNoWriMo’s reminder, “You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing” is spot on. NaNoWriMo can be exactly what many writers need to break through writing blocks, perfectionism, and procrastination--and it should be fun above all.
However, despite their best intentions, some NaNoWriMo participants do get bogged down in perfectionism and procrastination. How can you be one of the ones who stays on track and finishes? Here are four common NaNoWriMo struggles and tips on how to deal with them:
Read about how to get past the NaNoWriMo danger zone, and "murky middles"in general, here:
Solutions to procrastination
Solutions to perfectionism
How to get past the NaNoWriMo danger zone
What to do if you are stuck in the middle of a project
Here are some tools to help you increase your writing productivity and get you closer to your NaNoWriMo goal:
Using the writercopter to boost your writing productivity
How to use authenticity to catalyze productivity
How to use speed to overcome writer's block
Why pondering = procrastination, and how to get over it
Invisibility is a key strategy of, and goal of, procrastination and perfectionism.
How to deal with situational perfectionism
To get more writing done, show your work early and often
How to cope with clueless, annoying, and challenging comments and questions