Dearest ghouls, ghosts, and gruesome ghasts,

Here we are once more, facing another beautiful autumn with its vibrant colors, harvest smells, and hearty foods. October for many of us is preparation time for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For those of you planning your exciting new projects here are a few words of advice.

• Stay true to you—if aren’t an outliner, don’t feel pressured to become one. If you are one, go for it! Now’s the best time to plan out something new and awesome. Aren’t sure what you are? This is a perfect time to experiment on a different way to plan your next project. You’ll never know what works best for you unless you try different strategies.

• Pace yourself—it’s easy to get carried away with planning. Remember, the big push is in November and you don’t want to be tired of your project before the start date rolls around. Part of your planning needs to include something practical, figuring out how long it will take you to meet your daily goal. Take a few timed tests so you have a good idea of how long you’ll need to schedule for each writing day in November.  Often it isn’t as long as you think.

• Reward yourself—sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. Think of things that you will work for and stock up. These can include treats, favorite drinks, favorite songs, you name it. For me, it’s Jellie Bellies, hot cocoa, Pentatonix, pedicures, and Doctor Who.

• Last of all—don’t stress it.  Stress is the mind killer. The more you worry about writing, the less you will actually write. Make it fun, make it enjoyable, and most of all enjoy the process. I hope to hear amazing things come the end of November.

Yours in the craft,
Jodi