There are only a couple more days until NaNoWriMo kicks off. All the hard work writers have being doing in October will be put into use as they pound out their novels during November. As this is the last post in the NaNoPrep blog series, I thought that today is the perfect time to share some last minute tips and tricks that I have found useful in my NaNoWriMo experience and that hopefully you’ll find helpful too.

Forget About Perfection: I’ve mentioned this idea several times recently, but it really is worth mentioning again. This is one of the most important things to remember as you start your novels this weekend. Your book is not going to come out perfectly, and you simply don’t have the time to edit your first page over and over again. NaNoWriMo is all about getting a rough draft down. So resist the urge to edit and press on. You can fix it in December.

Always Hit Your Word Count: Always hit your daily word count, and if you can, press on and write a little more. Some days, life will get in the way and you might not always make it to the goal. But on days you can, hit that target. Even if you’re ahead on your words, always hit the minimum 1,667 words a day. If you build up a bank of extra words and get into the habit of writing the same amount every day, you’re less likely to fall behind if you have to take a day off.

Look After Yourself: This is really important, and should come before all writing advice really. NaNoWriMo is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. It’s 30 days of gruelling work. You need to take care of yourself if you want to make it to the end alive. Make sure you get enough sleep. Take breaks while you’re writing to rest your brain and your hands. Taking care of your hands is super important. There is nothing worse than hurting your hands or wrists in the middle of NaNoWriMo and not being able to type.

Have Fun: Guys, this is what NaNoWriMo is about. Whether you’re ahead, whether you’re behind, whether the words are coming easily, or you’ve hit a mental block, have fun with it. There’s no point in doing this if you’re not going to enjoy it.

This might be the end of NaNoPrep, but there’s plenty more exciting things happening in November. We’re lucky enough to have three guest posters sharing their experiences of NaNoWriMo, and giving their best tips on how to stay motivated about your writing and make it through the next month. I’m sure they’d be thrilled if you stopped by to read their posts.

Are you prepared for NaNoWriMo? Excited? Scared? Have you done it before? Are you looking forward to meeting the guest posters?