(*NOTE* I'm linking a lot of things in this article. Hover over the words and click your little heart away)

As I'm getting myself ready for NaNoWriMo this year, I'm realizing that timers are magic. And I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Have you ever noticed how many productivity methods recommend timers? Sure, NaNoWriMo has atimer, but you can also set up word sprints days in advance! If you're going to be home at 9am (EST) on November 1st, click the button below and sprint with me. Let's give this group sprint thing a try.

Not a fan of the NaNoWriMo website? You can try Discord, searching for Twitter for #wordsprint, #NaNoWriMo, or #1k1hr, or even send me a message on Facebook, and I'll drop you into my handy dandy NaNo group "Roxy's NaNoWriMo 2018 Rockstars". 

Those are just the various places I'll be hanging out getting some writing done. And I'll be doing it 15-30 minutes at a time. There is something fantastic about using a timer that makes the whole shebang seem more vital. It's a race against the clock to battle back the blank page with tons of words. 

Did you know that timers have the same magic outside of your WIP? It took tons of self-help and productivity guides spewing the same stuff at me for me to take the timer outside of my writing time. But seriously. It's brilliant.

Know who else uses timers? People who practice the Pomodoro technique, which is simply setting a timer to get any task done, and then taking a brief break. According Wikipedia, it was a technique developed in the 80's, but I have a feeling people have been doing this for a lot longer than that. 

Why are people talking about setting a timer and using it to get shit done? 

Because it works. Period. Dot. End of story.

I don't know why, and I don't know how. I'm sure there is some kind of chemical in our brains that makes us work harder when we're put up against a hard deadline. Probably something to do with our inherent survival instinct that I don't have the background to talk about. But I can tell you, this timer shit works. 

​I've been using the Forest App, I talked about a couple blogs ago. Holy shit, is this app amazingly helpful. Know why? It stops you from picking up your phone. If you go to check a notification and leave the app, you'll kill your "tree" or "bush". Anyone ever cried during The Lorax? *raises hand* This app will guilt you into doing your shit and putting the social media aside for later. 

I challenge you to set a timer for something you've been putting off today. It's after 3pm my time, so I set a timer to get this blog done. And I'm going to have a happy little tree to add to my forrest in my app in another 8 minutes. Because that's the beauty of the timer, for me. I accomplish more in less time. If I have 6 hours to do something, it will take me 6 hours. If I only have thirty minutes...well, I'll bet I get more done in those thirty minutes than I would have if I hadn't set the timer. 

Do you use timers? If you do, tell me what you use. I'm always down for another gadget. If you don't use timers, are you thinking about snagging one now? I'd love to hear about it.

​~Roxy

This is a repost from a blog I did a few years back. It popped up in my memories and sadly, I realized the blog was no more. 

So I wanted to share it, because I think it's a darn good blog, even if I do say so myself. Although I am giving plotting (in the most basic of forms) a try for this year's NaNoWriMo, I am a pantser at heart. Every story I've started has come from a main character and a "Wouldn't it be cool if..." statement. And that's it. So although I'm dipping my toe into the plotter pool, I'm probably diving back into the pantser lifestyle soon after.

Without further ado...Here's a post about NaNo and my Top 4 NaNoWriMo Prep Tips for Pantsers.

For anyone who isn’t familiar, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an online gathering of people who are all trying to score fifty thousand words in just thirty days. There are forums, and regional meetups, and really cool little graphs to help get you to those two magical words… “The End.”

I am that writer who loves the blank page. I adore starting stories. Those first few thousand words are my favorites. When the characters are just starting to dance across your brain cells, it’s exciting and new and the possibilities of where their tales will go are endless.

Starting stories was always easy for me. I had notebooks full of plot ideas, thumb drives stuffed with story starters, and hundreds of thousands of words that I had to get out of my head.

Unfortunately, up until a few years ago, I didn’t have a single finished novel.

Then I found NaNoWriMo. I created a profile and signed up. Seeing all of these seasoned authors sprinting along with me was amazing. We were all there for the same reason…to create a story. It didn’t matter what we were writing, we all had to get words on the page.

This is a series about how to prepare for NaNoWriMo. But I’m going to let you in on a secret…

Not all of us plan. Like…at all. Not even a little bit.

NaNoWriMo taught me a new term. “Pantser”.

A “Pantser” is someone who does no or very little preparation before they start. They turn on their computer and write.

My name is Roxy Mews, and I am a pantser.

I open Word, and I go. Sure, I don’t write the neatest first drafts. (I owe my CPs and editors some serious chocolate.) Sometimes my characters change attitude, hair color, and eye color, or even name.

Preptober about NaNoWriMo prep, so let me give you some ways to prep if you too are in the Pantser Camp.

#1 Get acquainted with the “Review” tab in Word.
When I am writing and I know I need to research something for a plot point, or I am putting in a crucial tidbit where a character needs to act differently, I make a note. I click that lovely “New Comment” box in the Review tab, and remind myself what I need to do.

Killing someone with a gun? Google model descriptions later.

Have to find a regional food? Ask the twitterverse when that part of the world is awake.

Need to see if humans can bend that way while getting intimately acquainted? Just make sure your safe search is off, and the internet will reveal all.

Make your notes and move forward. NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor and finishing the story.
 
#2 Stock up on a stash of bribe items.
There are days when you won’t want to write. The dreaded week 2 blahs strike many of us hard. Pick your favorite treat and keep them under lock and key until you put your butt in front of the computer.

You only get that piece of chocolate when you reach your word count goal.

That fancy coffee you love to treat yourself with? Only order it when you have your first ten thousand words under your belt. (I highly recommend Death Wish Coffee for this bribe)

You can also arm yourself with a special playlist, or a great smelling candle. They don’t have to be pricey or full of calories, but chocolate and caffeine tend to be what keeps me moving forward.
 
#3 Easy meal prep
The most exciting part about being a Pantser is when the muse sits on your shoulder and starts screaming the story in your ear. Those moments are not ones you want to stop in the middle of. If your muse is anything like mine, you can’t get her to start again when you’re ready.

Have easy meals ready to go.

Put the local pizza delivery place on notice, and let them know when you call them grunting into the phone it means you want a large bacon and pineapple. Tell them you’ll leave the money on the porch when you sprint for the bathroom break you’ve been putting off all afternoon.

I suppose you could cook things ahead of time too, but you’re about to write 50k in a month. If you’re anything like me, you don’t have time for that kind of thing.
 
#4 Get a buddy
One of the best things about the NaNoWriMo website is the buddies feature. You can add buddies to your page and the NaNo site will let you peek into their word count. You can see when they’re slacking and guess what…they can see when you are.

Having that accountability is one hell of a motivator.  Find a buddy. Find a group of them, and push each other. When I see I am only a hundred words from topping one of my buddies for the day, I always get another cup of coffee and push ahead.

If you want to be my buddy, you can find me HERE.
 
At the end of the day, if you are a Plotter or a Pantser, we all start with zero words on our boards. We all start with nothing and work to create a complete story. It’s not meant to be perfect, it’s not meant to be pretty, it’s meant to be finished.

If you’re waffling on joining up, and think you missed your time to prepare, you’re wrong. You don’t need a perfected outline. You don’t need character charts. You just need to write. Why not do it with millions of other people? 
 
Are you a Plotter or a Pantser? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

I've been chatting about NaNoWriMo over here a lot, and heads up, there will be a lot more, because this will consume my life for the next month. If it's not your bag...I'll see you in December. 

But I do think even if you're not a WriMo, there are still tons of things you can get out of the content that becomes prolific during the month of November.

One of my favorite types of content is what people like to call their "Survival Kits". Many NaNoWriMo participants hoard adorable coffee mugs, cute pens, fancy gadgets and software in preparation for November. And there are a million and one of these videos that are prevalent on authortube. I'll drop two of my fav's from this year below.

Some of you might look at these Pinterest-Worthy moments and say, "Yeah. All well and good, Roxy. But I'm flat ass broke."

You know what? Me too. So I thought I'd share some of the bribes I'm using this year in my NaNoWriMo survival kit. (I chat about bribes in a blog post from last year if you want to check it out HERE.)

Here are 5 TOTALLY FREE bribes you can use for your NaNoWriMo survival kit.

1. Reading Time

Head to your local library and grab a great new book you're dying to read, or an old favorite. I've been known to use a book I haven't read since I was a kid to set next to me and motivate me to get my work done. Don't have the time to go out? Download Overdrive on your phone and borrow e-books and audio books from your library FOR FREE. Then reward yourself after a certain number of words. Maybe you can get ahead by writing a little more than goal each day, and once you are 1667 words ahead, you get a day off to read. Adjust it to work for you.

2. Binge Time

In the days of Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, we all have services that allow us to watch episodic content to excess. Hold off on all this until your writing is done. Or better yet, give a particularly cruel buddy your login, and make them change it until your words are on the page. Just like the books, set a goal. Make it just a little challenging, but totally doable, and reward yourself when you get there. 

Give yourself a visual list of all the good things you can watch, then you can check them off as you accumulate all those beautiful new words.

3. Hygiene

Okay...stay with me here. We tend to devolve a little on this as the month goes on. Many of us (me included) have a particular chair where we always write. And sometimes we get lost in our story and time and space, and showering get away from us. Make it your reward. Do you have a fancy shower-gel or soap you were gifted in that lame secret Santa party last year? Dig it out! Bath bomb you never have the time to use? As women, we tend to accumulate these things from co-workers and distant family when they have no idea what to buy us. Use them as your bribes. And if you don't have one of these stashes, treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure at the end of a long writing day. We have all these self-care items we tend to save for "special occasions", but it's time to break them out.

4. Candles

This is another of those things gifted and re-gifted to women constantly. So I'm assuming you have at least a few candles hanging around. Grab a candle for each 500 or 1,000 words you want to write for the day. Every time you hit that goal, light that baby up! It's helpful to see the visual reminder of what you're accomplishing, and you'll have the perfect atmosphere to keep going into the dark and stormy night. 

If you don't have candles, but do have a stationary stash of stickers, maybe you can toss a cute sticker in your planner or in a notebook for every 500 or 1,000 words. Use what you have, but make it visible. 

5. New App for your phone or computer

There are a ton of free apps out there, and they can be things as goofy as puzzle games or useful like the Forest app mentioned in Rachael Stephen's video above. I'm actually using the Forest app to write this blog now. I'm two bushes in. ;) But seriously, get yourself something you're wanting to try, but don't download it until you've hit goal for the day. Or maybe you want to spread it out, and use the apps for 10k, 20k, 30k, etc. Just find great ones you like that are FREE.



You don't have to drop hundreds of dollars on adorable things to do well in NaNoWriMo. You just have to write. And if you're reading this blog, you likely are doing it on a computer or phone, so you have all the tools you need, right there. Books have been written on phones. I have Microsoft Office 365 so my phone, but Google Docs is a free download for Android. (And I'm sure if you're on iOS there's something comparable.)

We're less than a week away from November 1st! Let's get ready to write like the wind!

~Roxy

Halloween is just a week away, and that means the first day of NaNoWriMo is just 8 days away! 

Even with me planning out what I'm going to write and plotting out my story, I still feel unprepared. And I do this every damn year. 

I think I'm going to prep blogs, and prep daily posts, and prep ideas for group involvement. And each year I procrastinate and wing it. It still works out pretty darn well considering I'm currently at five wins in a row and about to make it six. (Yes. Humblebrag. Although, writing really quickly one month out of the entire year is not something to brag about. LOL.)

So while I have a small stash of memes and previous years posts to pull from, I'm going to be chatting over in my Facebook Group and here on my blog about whatever strikes my fancy on the day of. 

I've found that while not everyone hits the same speedbumps at the same time, we all tend to deal with similar struggles as the month wears on.

So I figured I'd give you, my fabu blog readers, a head start, and chat about some hurdles you should prep for during the month of writing with abandon.

​1. Eye Strain

If you're writing your novel on a computer, and you're not used to the extra screen time, it can wear on your eyes. Cut back on some time you'd usually spend on your phone, to make up for it. Or you could try out some of the blue light blocking glasses. 

2. Food

You might just be cooking for yourself, or for a family, but there will come a point where you are lost in your work and realize you need to eat! I have alarms set on my phone to give me a thirty minute warning before it's time to eat. It let's me wrap up what I'm doing and take care of myself by cooking real food. But before NaNo, I make sure to have at least two or three "quick" meals on hand. Something that cooks up in minutes, and allows me to keep rushing through the work if I'm on a roll.

I usually keep tortellini and sauce on hand because I can keep it in the cupboard and it won't spoil. I also love the frozen veggie packets with stir-fry veggies. All I have to do is grab a pouch of 90 second rice, cook up the veggies, and top it with some pre-cooked chicken strips or leftover meat from another meal. It's a fast and slightly more healthy meal than the tortellini.

3. Routine

If you are someone like me, who needs to have a strong routine in place to function in life, unless you're writing like a fiend on the regular, NaNo is going to fuck up your day. So before November 1st sit down with your calendar. Figure out when you can write in your day, and what you're going to pull from your schedule to make it the habit it needs to be. (I wrote a blog about coming up with your "real" word count that goes with this idea if you're ready to do some serious planning.)

But figure out where in your day you're going to squeeze in enough time for your words. And that could be different based on Evil Day Jobs, family obligations, and general appointments that pop up on a less regular basis. 

4. Procrastination and Overwhelm

I'm putting these two mental blocks together because I think they go hand in hand. There will be a point (likely a bunch of them) where you will feel like this is too big of a task. There will be a point where you might think, "I can't make this goal. I'll never write today/catch up/write anything worth reading. I might as well stop all together and go binge Netflix while I eat all the chocolate left over from Halloween." 

This is where you employ your buddies. Get involved with NaNoWriMo groups. Find a local write in. Get a sprinting buddy on Twitter. See if there's an online write-in on YouTube. NaNoWriMo is all about community. So take advantage of it. 

And if all that fails. Bribe yourself. I give myself a reward of my favorite expensive coffee once I hit the halfway point. It gives me a great reward for writing to the top of the hill that is usually the hardest part for me. By the time I'm in the second half of the 50k, I've got momentum on my side. But do what works for you. Do you need a reward every 10k? Every 5k? Hell...reward yourself with a cute sticker in your planner for every 500 words. Sometimes getting the first 500 is the hardest. Use whatever you have to to get started.

5. Technology 

This is where I go all NaNo-mom on you and remind you to back up your work EVERY SINGLE DAY. Something will likely go wrong at some point. Your computer might start updating in the tight scheduled writing time you have. Your word processor might run out of batteries. You might step on your USB drive. Your cat might walk across the keyboard and delete your manuscript. 

Shit happens. Tech is not always reliable. I have a cloud storage, physical storage, and emailed file of my document at least once a week on my calendar. Currently my plan is to do this dance on Sundays. Trust me. Losing your work, especially during this month is incredibly heartbreaking. 

And if you happen to lose power, make sure you have a cute notebook and non-ink-skipping pen in your stash. Writing time might not go as fast on pen and paper, but you'll still get the ideas down. Or use the time to brainstorm names, dialogue, or even mapping out your world. Have a back up plan.


Those are my top 5 hurdles that I always prepare for during NaNoWriMo. What are yours? What do you encounter as you shove your inner editor aside and work your computer to the point of wearing off the letters on the keys? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

I follow quite a few authors and writers on YouTube. I think I began following Rachael Stephen a couple years back when I was looking for inspiration for my own pretober to do's. 

I don't know that I've watched a whole lot from her, because she hasn't popped up in my recommended for a while, but this video snagged my attention on my subscription page.

It's a fantastic watch with items to do for the lead up until  NaNoWriMo. She has more details on her website (www.rachaelstephen.com/prep_tober/) and resources to take advantage of, including an email sign up.

Are you getting ready for NaNoWriMo? Do you have your book idea locked and loaded? Or are you just going to open a blank document and see where your muse takes you? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

There are a lot of #PREPTOBER blogs out there, and yes...this is another one. "Preptober" is what those of us who are old hats at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) refer to when we're talking about October. Because October is the month where we prep for a full thirty days of creating or working on refreshing our writing habits.

Many people want to get into the habit of writing every single day, and NaNoWriMo is a great time to get into that habit. Because if you can write every day in November in the United States during Thanksgiving, Daylight Savings Time, school parties and projects if you have little ones, and general overtime and extra work for those of us in the retail game, then you can write all year round.

Well...I know writing every day isn't realistic for me as my current schedule sits. I work a twelve hour shift every Sunday, and dealing with all that time on my feet and interacting with people means I come home and I know I won't be able to touch my WIP.

So part of my #Preptober every year is to find out what my actual word count goals are.

I threw together a quick calendar with the NaNoWriMo word count milestones on it. The image and the PDF file for download are available below if you need something basic too.​

But I know that those Sundays and Thanksgiving are no-word-count days for me. 

So what I do, and what I encourage you to do, is sit down with this calendar, and your planner or your digital calendar app, and figure out how many days you have where you can actually write. 

1. Cross out any days where you are traveling, working overtime, or know are not writing days. BE HONEST.
2. Count your number of days.
3. Divide 50,000 by your number of days and round up. (You can't write 2/3 of a word.)

If I write absolutely every day I can, I'll have 22 days in November where I can add to my WIP. Meaning instead of the 1667 words NaNoWriMo tells me I need to get daily, I actually need to clock in with nearly 2300 words when I sit down at my laptop. 

I'm aiming for 2500 words per day to allow myself a buffer if I have a hard writing session. Meaning IF I stick to plan, I'll hit 50k on November 28th. *fingers crossed*

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Make sure you add me as a buddy. (I'm Roxy Mews on NaNoWriMo.org) If you want in my super secret NaNoWriMo group where I'll be posting daily, send me a message on Facebook telling me to get your ass in there. I posted a link to the group, but I don't think it's able to be found, so just drop me a message and I'll invite you in. Or you can fumble around Discord with me using this invite ( https://discord.gg/ftZE94x ) and you can probably teach me a few things about that platform as I try and figure it out with out using the nearest teen to answer questions for me.

What are you doing to get ready for next month's frenzy of literary abandon? I'd love to hear about it.

~Roxy

After clicking on this link you are one of two people. One who is scouring the internet to get yourself ready for the craziness that is NaNoWriMo, or you're lost and wondering what the hell I'm talking about.

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month and takes place every year for the month of November. People from all around the world put their writing to the top of their priority pile and tell their families that yes...they really do need to sneak away from this awkward conversation to write. (Don't discount this as an awesome excuse to hide at uncomfortable family gatherings.)

To "Win" NaNoWriMo you need to write 50,000 words in 30 days. And if you're in the USA, this falls during the same month as Thanksgiving, and tends to mean family time, travel and all kinds of other distractions. The creators did this on purpose. If you can write a complete novel in November, you can do it any month of the year. 

Is it easy? Nope. But NaNoWriMo got me to my very first "The End", and after that, I was hooked. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or even Instagram, you will probably see a lot of writing related content from me next month. And pics of my animals in my office. Because they love to help me out by looking adorable next to me. 

This will be my fifth year in a row participating in NaNoWriMo as "Roxy Mews". Yes, it's a penname. No, I'm not linking my old profile. ;) I have 4 wins under Roxy's belt so far, and I plan to make it 5 with this year's novel. If you want to be my buddy, you can find me HERE. I do check my NaNoMail, but not as regularly as my gmail, so if you drop me a message give me a few days to get back to you. 
​
Intrigued? Already signed up? Keep reading for my TOP 5 NANOWRIMO TIPS.

1. Practice Butt In Chair

I'm not saying you need to write everyday, because that's not always realistic. As someone who works 12-hour shifts every Sunday, I understand this. But I do check in everyday. I look at my NaNo site graph. I look at how my buddies are doing. And I check in with my NaNoWriMo group. 

I started running a NaNo Crew for my RWA chapter, and I continue to do it because it keeps me accountable, and seeing everyone else reach their goals is just as fun as smashing my own. 

But my point is...I'm thinking about it for at least a few minutes a day. Every day. Even if my words are making a note on what happens next in my story, or a bit of dialogue that came to me while I was in the check out line at the grocery, having a moment every day to think about my novel keeps it fresh in my mind, and when I can write, I hit the ground running.

2. Get a Crew

As you can probably tell by the fact that I run a NaNo group myself, I think having people around you during this time is important. And I'm not just talking about the nice friends who will tell you "It's okay" when you don't get your word count in.

Befriend a bitch or two. Buddy up on the NaNoWriMo site with some overachievers. Some folks are in the 100k club, and I won't be able to catch their numbers anytime soon with the way my schedule is, but I follow them. Why? Because if that bitch can knock out 10k in a day, I have NO excuses not to put 250 words down. 

I have friends who write slower than me. I have friends who are weekend warriors and hit 15k in the span of a couple days. Between those two extremes, there is someone I can lift up, and someone I can chase. Find the people who you need to battle and make sure you check in with them.

3. Bribe Yourself

This is one of those things you need to figure out for yourself. What motivates you? Candy? Stationary? Netflix? What is something you can withhold until your words are on the page?

Since Halloween Candy goes on sale November 1st, I buy a couple bags. I give one to the fam and the other I hide for me. If I'm struggling, I set a reece cup in front of me, and I don't let myself dig in until the words are there. Sure, sometimes my characters will wax poetic about the way chocolate tastes melting over their tongue during this time, but hey...words are words.

I also order myself Death Wish Coffee when I hit the 25k mark. It's my favorite coffee so, I race to that milestone. There's something so damn satisfying about cresting that word count hill. 

Worried about your willpower? This is another instance when you need to befriend a bitch. Give that bitch your Netflix password, and have her change it. You only get to binge watch Supernatural after you get your words in for the day. Bitches are the best.

4. Plan Ahead

Now this isn't the plotter vs. pantser debate. (If you're not sure what that means, here's an article I love by Chuck Wendig to get the scoop. Fair warning, he's a converted pantser.)

What I'm talking about is scheduling your time. 

Are you a plotter? 
​
You need to get your ass in gear. It's almost halfway through October. Need some help? Search YouTube for "PrepTober". Here's one of my fave videos by BohoBerry. 
​

If you are of the pantser persuasion...I am in your boat. But that doesn't mean you don't need to consider a few things too. Brainstorm just a little before the clock strikes midnight on Halloween. You need at least a glimmer of an idea if you want this book to be worth anything at the end of November. And keep brainstorming. More ideas are better than not enough.

Both styles need to get what I refer to as your AWC or Adjusted Word Count.  Am I going to write after working a manual labor job for 12 hours? Nope. Am I going to really get a full writing session in after dealing with in laws on Thanksgiving? I wish.

So look at your calendar. Cross out the days you know you have something big going down. Now count the number of days and divide that into your 50k. What's your new total? I have 21 writing days in November. So.... (50,000/21 = 2,381). Meaning when I sit down on any day that doesn't have that black X on it, I need to get not 1667, but almost 2400 words. That's my AWC. One of the biggest things you can do to plan, is calculate yours. 

5.  Believe You Can Do This. Because You CAN.
 
Now before you start rolling your eyes, I'm being serious. I think I lost the first three or four NaNoWriMo attempts, because I let myself get psyched out. Then one year, I hit 40k. It struck me how close I was, and something clicked. I could do this.

Write down affirmations and read them out loud to yourself every morning. I don't care if it sounds hokey. It works. (If you need some ideas, I have a few pinned to a board on Pinterest.)

Rather than thinking what I was doing was pointless, I saw the story coming together. Rather than thinking what I wrote would be crap, I practiced my typing skills, and story technique. And most importantly... I told myself this was the year I would finish.

And I did. Now, of course, life gets in the way of any plan we put into action. ALWAYS. But there's a difference between getting into a car accident, and your kid's sleep schedule getting thrown out of whack. Unless there is something physically standing in the way of your writing, stop making excuses. Because I was where you were. 


Do you want to get your ass into the winner's circle of NaNoWriMo greatness? Do it. The only thing in your way is you. So head on over and declare your novel on the NaNoWriMo.org site. Fill out the profile and look at all the pretty badges you can earn throughout November. 

I'll be back later on in the month with some of my favorite hashtags, websites, and YouTube channels to browse. But let me know...are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? What are you doing to get ready? I have a whole folder of memes ready to unleash on my NaNo Group. And even a little bit of plot that has my pantser ass all shook up. It's going to be an awesome November.

~Roxy