Nanowrimo How to Schedule Your Time

Make Time!

I know, I’m totally repeating myself. But this is important. I’m going to help you really analyze this thing we call November.

And here’s the other thing, Scheduling your Time for nanowrimo, is just as much about Scheduling your Time not to write. You have to take time off. You can’t go in to this and just divide the project by the month. 50,000 words/ 30 days (fyi 1667/day). Don’t do it. Take time off, have a weekend at least one day.

You’ve got Thanksgiving Thursday the 27th – you’re taking that day off or some one’s likely to get pissed at you. Just do it, eat some turkey or tofurkey or turducken… whatever just subtract it from your 30 days.

Take a day off each week, a day to celebrate your accomplishments so far and to detox from the inevitable stress.

By a stroke of unforeseen luck, my current job actually ends Oct 31st. So I’ve got the whole month to use. BUT I’m taking off Saturdays, I have a class so I really don’t need even more to do.

So that and Thanksgiving, I’m gonna say 6 days off (many of you will take 5 off, many possibly more).

50,000 words / 24 days = 2083 words/day

I’m gonna take a leasurly assumption of 1200 words per hour and tuck away 2 hours a day.

I’m not a morning person, I’m naturally one to let the circadian cycle run and stay up till the sun comes up. but I’ve been doing the normal man’s work hours for a while, so I’m gonna call it 8am everyday. That’s my two hours. That way I can start the day with knowing I’ve got it under my belt and everything else is a celebration.

Anyone in LA, especially the Hollywood area, you’ll find me most days writting at Solar De Cahuenga, if you want to have some moral support. Or some competition to pace yourself against.

I know somewhere out there there’s going to be the weekend warrior. You’ve got a tough road ahead of you, you have 5 weekends, 10 days to pull 50,000 words. I tried this last year, and for the most part I came real damn close to pulling it off. I hit 30,000 words and then life toppled in on me and I had no more time.

So what are you going to do? 5000 words a day? It’s not impossible. But don’t sit down a 5 hour stint and just write. I know you’re like “hey if it’s fucking working, I’m gonna do it”. Schedule the day in two parts… or make yourself take breaks. Every hour take 15 minutes to walk around, stretch, snack, piss whatever. But do it. or you’ll find yourself come back to your project one weekend looking at it like you’re willing entering the torture chamber.

TAKE BREAKS!

So what do you think gang, how many days are you scheduling?

Tags: nanowrimo, poll, scheduling your time, time management