How I Write 2K a Day (and maybe you can, too!)

This is my fifth official NaNoWriMo, and although I’ve only won three times, I think I can finally confidently say, “I’ve got this.”

I write about 2K words per day over the course of an hour, and that’s it! I work full time, we have a 10-week-old puppy, and my husband is also extra busy. In other words, I realize I have a limited set of writing hours per day.

Here are a few writing tips you may find helpful.

1. Know the Road Ahead. This tip has single-handedly helped me make great strides in my writing. Although I want to be a “pantser,” I know realistically that I have to know the plot points I intend to cover, or I’ll wander, meaningless, through dozens of pages without going in the direction I ought.
2. Turn Off Spell Check. Took some Googling to figure out how to do it, but I no longer have squiggly lines under my words. Yes, there are lots of typos, but spell check can still find them later. For now, the goal is forward movement; I’ll revise in the future.
3. Writing Sprints. Yes, my third-grade self could have written a better sentence, but I can’t stop! Do really boost word count, forsake all rules about adverbs and word choice. This is your time to make this part of your dream a reality! Even if you’re cranking out really sloppy content, for goodness sake, you’re writing and that’s what counts during NaNo. I write 1K in 25 minutes. So I sprint, take a 10 minute break, sprint again, and then carry on with my life.
4. Everyone has a little rebellion in them. Don’t be afraid to make NaNoWriMo whatever you need it to be. Maybe you can only tackle 1K a day. That’s still 30K words that never existed before this November! Or maybe you just need a creative outlet, and never intend to publish. Write for you! This year, I need another 10-20K words on my current novel draft, but I’ve been stuck. So I started writing something fun and silly on the side- a “Choose-Your-Own-Adventure” style interactive fiction steampunk romp. Will I ever publish it? Who knows? But has it served it’s purpose of getting the creative juices flowing again? Absolutely!
5. Its all uphill from here. No matter how much or how little you accomplish, remember this: you are beginning a creative process that will take you places you never imagined you’d go. Even if you don’t reach the big 50K, be kind to yourself, and celebrate your little victories.

For more writing tips, visit my sister post, 5 Things SeptNoWriMo taught me about NaNoWriMo.

In the meantime… how do you boost your word count? Let us know in the comments!

Happy writing!!