On this side of November, word counts may become significantly smaller. For those who don’t know, I spent the month of November participating in National Novel Writing Month. This is a global endeavor made by hundreds of thousands of writers, who all attempt to write 50,000 words during November. This can be a difficult challenge, but it’s also an exhilarating one, and by the end of it you have a 50,000-word first draft. A problem arises, however, when the support group you had in November dissipates and suddenly all you want to do is eat Christmas chocolate and lounge around watching Netflix.
Every year, I experience this writing slump when November is finished. And every year I make a vow for things to be different. Unfortunately, I generally end up succumbing to holiday sweets and sedentary activities. If you want to try continuing the writing flow that you had during November, or if you just want to achieve that same writing flow all year-round, Chuck Wendig has some really fantastic tips for you.
In this blog post, Chuck Wendig discusses how he manages to write almost 50,000 words every month, not just November. Wendig has some really great tips in this post, and I suggest reading the entire thing. He talks about using an outline, avoiding editing (an important part of National Novel Writing Month), writing notes for the next day of writing, and even taking breaks. One of the things that really helps me during November is having a schedule. And Wendig talks about this too. He says:
I endeavor to write five days a week, and then don’t write on weekends. I need that break. Every day that I do write, I write regardless of how I’m feeling — I write through illness, anxiety, life trouble. This is not saying you need to do that. (What did I tell you about comparing yourself?) You have to find your pace. Maybe you write all your weekly count on Monday at 2:15. Do what’s best for you. The good news is, for the most part, routines are valuable. Establish the routine and stick to it and after a couple weeks, you’re good.
I think this is a great idea. Everyone needs a break, and you can get a lot done by writing five days in a row. If you manage to write every weekday, why not take the weekend off? If you’re writing on weekday evenings after working your day job, you doubly deserve to take weekends off. This can also be great motivation. If you know you’ll get to do whatever you want on the weekend, you’re more likely to push through and write on weekdays rather than turn to Netflix.
Again, I encourage you to check out Chuck Wendig’s full post. If you find something useful there, you just might find yourself a more productive writer by the time the new year rolls around. Happy writing!
— Jet Fuel Blog Editor, Mary Egan
