Set an Independent Goal
In November, we challenge you to write 50,000 words. Now, you get to challenge yourself. When setting an independent goal, consider how much time you can devote to writing, and what timeframe will be most motivating for you. You can set a goal for a new project, or add one to an existing project.
If you’re not sure what goal to set and you thrive on decrees issued from NaNo-On-High, then use our Suggested Goals as starting off points.
Finish your first draft.
Each year, about 70% of our November writers report that they’re not finished with their first draft. If this is you, then you’re in good company! It can feel even more intimidating to finish a novel than it felt to start one. Luckily, we’d love to help you pen “The End” this January and February!
Suggested Finishing Goal: write 1000 words per day for the next 30 days. That’s 30,000 words total!
Revise your novel.
So you’ve got a finished first draft—woo hoo! That might be enough for you, but if you’d like to dive into revision, you’re in the right place. Just a quick note: unless you’re some kind of revision wizard, you probably won’t revise your entire draft in one month. Revision can take a loooong time, and involve many drafts. Some authors spend years revising their novels! Think of this first goal as your jumping off point into what happens after a first draft, and your chance to practice and grow all your revision skills.
Suggested Revision Goal: revise for 60 minutes a day for the next 30 days. That’s 1,800 minutes total! (Note: there’s currently no way to select “minutes” instead of “words” on the website, so you’ll have to set your goal for 1,800 words and just know that you mean minutes instead.)
Publish your novel.
Publishing can mean many things. At its heart, it’s about sharing your work with others. These next two months, we’ll mainly be providing resources around both traditional and self-publishing pathways.
Suggested Publishing Goal: dedicate at least 60 minutes a day for the next 30 days towards publishing (researching agents, revising an excerpt, writing a query, learning about self-publishing options, etc). That’s 1,800 minutes total! (Note: there’s currently no way to select “minutes” instead of “words” on the website, so you’ll have to set your goal for 1,800 words and just know that you mean minutes instead.)
Establish a creative writing habit.
Maybe you don’t want to finish a specific project, you just want to make sure you’re devoting time towards developing your creative muscles. We love that for you (and for everyone building a more creative life)!
Suggested Creative Habit Goal: take on a “Half-NaNo,” so 834 words per day for the next 30 days. That’s 25,000 words total!
These are all just suggestions—feel free to set goals for whatever amount and timeline works best for you!
Finishing Resources
In some ways, finishing a novel is exactly the same as starting one. You write, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little, hopefully every day but maybe not, and eventually, the words add up until you’ve reached the end of the story you set out to tell. In other ways, though, they’re two very, very different beasts, no more alike than puppies and sharks. (Sidenote: Please do not put puppies and sharks together to test this theory, thank you.) That’s why we developed resources for a National Novel Finishing Month (AKA NaNoFinMo)!
A few NaNoFinMo highlights:
- Finishing tips from the NaNoWriMo Writers Board
- Finishing-focused pep talks, including ones from N. K. Jemisin, Marie Lu, and Katherine Paterson
- Finishing tips from author Aiden Thomas
- Plus this sage advice: Don’t sweat it! If you have to, just write a pretty bad last scene (or many bad last scenes) and then these magic words: The End. These final scenes will change just as much as your beginning scenes during revision, and you don’t want to spend days and days making them perfect, only for them to change completely in a later draft.
Revision Resources
Maybe you’re just dipping your littlest toe in the glorious mud puddle that is revision, or maybe you’ve been wading through the wordy muck for years and are ready to share your manuscript with the world. We hope you find something here that supports you, whether that’s a revision guide, a video, a blog post, an editor or agent event, or something else!
A few revision highlights:
- Download our “Now What?” Revision Guide!
- Revision and publishing articles in the NaNoWriMo blog, including…
– “A 7-Step Guide to Big Picture Revision”
– “4 Things to Focus On In Your First Big Rewrite”
– “Breaking Your First Draft Apart” - Check out our full playlist of videos providing revision, editing, and publishing tips!
Publishing Resources
Since NaNoWriMo is, at its heart, about writing a gloriously messy first draft, we’re still growing our library of publishing resources. Here are a few places you can get started:
- Read “No Publishing Journey Looks the Same”
- Read “Query ‘Do’s and ‘No You Didn’t’s”
- Read “How To Research the Agent That’s Best for You”
- Read “What It’s Like to Publish Your Book with a Small Press”
- Read “How To Self-Publish Without Getting Squeezed”
- Check out our full playlist of videos providing revision, editing, and publishing tips!
Time Management Resources
Whether you’re trying to write 50,000 words in a month or just find 10 minutes a day to set aside to your own creative projects, these resources can get you started. For more time management tips, check out the “How to Find and Manage Your Time” section of our NaNo Prep 101 page.
- Self-Regulation and Executive Function Resources for Writers – A mega list of resources!
- “3 Unconventional Ways to Make More Time to Write”
- “How to Balance School and Writing” – A few tips to help navigate the chaos of school and writing.
- “Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach – How to Form Writing Habits” – Author Isabel Cañas shares time-saving advice.
- For all you parents out there, explore the “parent” tag in the NaNoWriMo blog.
- YouTube playlist: Time and Writing Management
Download Graphics
Social Media Badges
“Now What?” Revision Sticker Calendar
