Preparing for a month of writing

November is National Novel Writing Month, and this year, I'm diving headfirst into the challenge by aiming to complete ten short stories. I’ll focus on 10 short stories of around 5,000 words each, for a total of 50,000 words in a month. Each short story will be a horror story focused on a holiday! Sound ambitious? It is! But with a bit of planning and a lot of determination, it's entirely doable.

This is my fifth year participating in a month of writing, and I’ve met my goal twice before! I’m always excited to give it a go and have learned a few things from previous years.

Here are a few candid tips to help you crush your writing goals in just 30 days.

First things first, set realistic daily targets. It's easy to get swept up in the excitement and overcommit yourself. Instead, break down your total word count into manageable daily chunks. This way, you won't feel overwhelmed and can enjoy daily small victories. It’s common to aim for 1500-2000 words a day but if that seems like too much to fit into your work week maybe aim for smaller amounts on those days and plan for more words on the weekends. Also don’t stress if you miss a day or don’t hit your word count, you can always make it up somewhere else and resting is also an important part of the process.

Next up, embrace the messiness of first drafts. Perfectionism is your enemy this month—just let the words flow without worrying about grammar or plot holes. You can fix those later; for now, focus on getting your ideas down on paper. The goal is to walk away with a first draft, not a final draft. So don’t get bogged down in the desire to make it perfect. Words on the page is the goal!

Find your writing tribe or go solo—whatever works best for you! Some writers thrive in community settings where they can share progress and commiserate over challenges. Others prefer solitude to maintain their creative flow. Figure out what keeps you motivated and stick with it. I love doing writing sprints on YouTube with other writers, it keeps me motivated and focused. I also like to write alone but around other people, so going to a cafe or a bookstore and writing for a few hours is a great way to mix up your environment and get some work done.

Create an outline. I know some writers shudder at the thought of planning their stories in advance, but trust me on this one—it saves time when you're knee-deep in week three and struggling to remember where you wanted your plot to go. I am not a planner when it comes to writing but for a month of short stories I’ve plotted each story so I can easily roll from one to the other without getting lost.

Finally, remember that life happens! There will be days when writing feels impossible due to work commitments or personal obligations. Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day; just get back on track as soon as possible.

So grab that coffee mug (or two), settle into your favorite writing nook, and embrace the chaos that is National Novel Writing Month! You've got this!