nanowrimo 2020 | surivival kit + rewards

November is closing in on us, fellow writers.

Like I mentioned previously, part of my prep for NaNoWriMo is setting myself up with a so-called “survival kit” and planning out some rewards to keep me motivated as I go along–because no matter how exciting it can be to write a whole-ass novel, it can also be a slog, and those rewards will for sure help to keep me going on the days I feel stuck.

Firstly, the survival kit:

• Wite-Out + Post-Its // I prefer the tape style of Wite-Out, but I’ve also got liquid on hand just in case it becomes necessary.
• My favorite pens // I am–unsurprisingly–very particular about pens. I’ve changed favorites over the years, but I do believe that the Uniball Signo Micro 207s are my new forever favorite as far as gel goes, and I’m a Pigma Micron 02 fan for a more felt tip style.
• My Passion Planner // I’ve already blocked out days that I know I won’t be able to write and adjusted my daily word count accordingly. I also plan to write down each day’s word count and total at the end of the day as I go for a nice little physical track record.
• My “story bible” // I bought this notebook at Michaels for, oh, five dollars or so one day when I first got the idea for this novel back in the spring and I honestly didn’t realize how much it would come in handy. It includes my physical mood board, character bios, various idea dumps. There’s an entire page dedicated to the idea of “New England Gothic” as far as my story ambiance goes. It’s possibly one of the most useful tools in my kit.
• Scrivener // Now, Scrivener is just as useful and it is so fancy and handy, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary. Nonetheless, I love it. I’ve had Scrivener for seven years or so. I’ve written two novels on it (writing is as far as they’ve gotten). This novel is the first time I’ve really dived deep into what Scrivener can do, and I’m still learning how to make the best of it. Subtool? YouTube. I have watched–and still watch–so many YouTube tutorials on Scrivener, and I am so glad to have it in my toolkit.
• Dropbox + a USB drive // Two copies–because better safe than sorry.
• Earbuds + music // Obviously.
• Fingerless mitts // The office likes to get coldcoldcold because our house isn’t insulated and the heating ducts only run along the first floor. Layers will be a necessity for November.

It’s still early, so I expect to come up with more things before November comes along. (In fact, I remembered my mitts after I started taking photos of my desk.)

And now, the really exciting bit: rewards! Of course, having a finished novel manuscript can be the reward in itself, but who doesn’t want a little extra motivation along the way?

• 5,000 words // A cupcake from a local bakery or cafe–because who doesn’t love a little something sweet for motivation.
• 10,000 words // A new horror DVD because who doesn’t love a little bit of inspiration when working on a horror story?
• 25,000 words // Everyday Slouchy Beanie kit by Dragon Hoard Yarn Co–I think I think I think in the “Feather Fancy” colorway kit.
• 40,000 words // A new book. Because obviously.
• 50,000 words // A whole bunch of yarn for a Bigfoot yoke sweater I recently designed with the Tin Can Knits Strange Brew pattern.

I’m also planning to have a stash of Halloween candy on hand for a piece or two every, oh, thousand words perhaps. I have Clear Correct aligners for my teeth, so it’s a bit of an event to eat nowadays, but I think if I set aside a piece at every thousand and then just eat them at the end of each day, it won’t be such a hassle.