Storytime: Novel November mistakes I've made

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I’ve been doing some version of NaNoWriMo / Novel November for the past three or four years, and let’s just say that I’ve made a lot of mistakes – and not the happy-little-accident kind, either. Every year, I’ve burned myself out and given up well before the end of the month.

This year, I’m determined to see the challenge through all the way to the end, and I want to help you do it as well. Therefore, here are the three biggest mistakes we are going to avoid this year!

1. Trying to be a pantser*

*someone who writes “by the seat of their pants,” or with little-to-no prep work

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Okay, so this one might not apply directly to you, but hear me out. It’s not being a pantser that’s bad, but trying to be a pantser (or any type of writer) instead of doing what actually works best for you.

For me, that looks like several rounds of outlines that get progressively more detailed. I work best with a really solid framework and plan so I don’t get overwhelmed by a blank page.

There's a huge range of writing-prep styles, from sitting down with nothing but a vague idea (also known as "discovery writing"), to mapping out every single scene in so much detail that it's basically already a full draft, and everything you could possibly imagine in between.

If you don't know your writing style yet, I suggest starting with the major turning points in your story, and seeing if you're craving more detail once you start writing. Remember that trial and error are your friends!

2. Skipping multiple days in a row

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I’m a full-time university student with an hour-and-a-half commute every day, and I get chronic migraines and ADHD paralysis fairly often. There are days when I simply cannot write. On those days, I think about this quote from James Clear’s Atomic Habits:

"No matter how consistent you are with your habits, it is inevitable that life will interrupt you at some point. Perfection is not possible. Before long, an emergency will pop up – you get sick or you have to travel for work or your family needs a little more of your time. Whenever this happens to me, I try to remind myself of a simple rule: never miss twice."

This is a much more sustainable way of working through the challenge than beating yourself up if you miss at all, but it’s also strict enough to keep you moving forward.

Back to James Clear:

Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.

Take a day off if you need it, and take care of yourself so you’re ready to jump right back in tomorrow.

3. Thinking that doing something halfway is as bad as not doing it at all

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I’ve had an all-or-nothing mindset my whole life, but recently I’ve been practicing a new way of thinking: Anything worth doing is worth half-doing.

Let me explain. Imagine you wake up late, and you don't have time to take a shower. Since you can't get ready properly, there's no point in putting on deodorant or brushing your teeth, right?

It seems silly to skip deodorant if you don't have time to shower, but lots of us apply that logic to writing. Typing 100 words on your phone while you eat lunch doesn't really add that much to your word count, so what's the point?

The point is that you are a writer, and any time you spend writing reinforces that identity. Besides, if you have a week where 100 words during lunch is all the writing you can get done for the day, you still have 500 more words than if you had skipped writing altogether! The very act of making an effort is valuable.

The key takeaway from these three mistakes? Novel November's purpose is to prove to you that you are a writer, and to practice showing up every day. That's it! Do what you can to make the habit easy, and give yourself grace when you need it.

Be sure to check out my TikTok account if you're looking for a positive, realistic writing community this Novel November!