As soon as Preptober began I was on YouTube looking for any and all NaNoWriMo related videos including survival guides. Everyone preps for NaNoWriMo differently, so I thought I would share my own survival kit and tips.
Notebook
I have a problem with buying more notebooks than I actually need, especially since I'm not in school anymore. Most people probably use their phones for taking notes and write in their laptops which I use too, but writing in a notebook helps in a different way. You can write down and cross out things that you don't like anymore. Scribble notes here and there. It's a different way of working that really helps work out ideas.
Bullet Journal
I'm listing this separately from the notebook, because it's slightly different. You start out with some sort of notebook, but the way that it's set up is a little more organized than just scribbling random thoughts onto a page. I don't have mine set up as nicely as some other ones I've seen. Right now all I have are a few lists of things that I need to get ready before NaNoWriMo, a progress tracker, and a calendar. If I can get myself together before Tuesday, I'll hopefully have a list of my characters, character descriptions, and important plot points.
Pens/Markers
I feel like I'm kind of a newbie in this department, but I bought a pack of thin Sharpie markers in every color that I'll need and hopefully that's a start. I've been using this pen that my sister gave me, the 0.5 gel PaperMate InkJoy, and I love the way it writes. I want to get a few more that I've seen people using in their bullet journals like the Micron, and Staedtler pens.
Coffee/Tea/Water
Caffeinated drinks are a must during NaNoWriMo to get you through those long hours of staring at your computer screen. It's also important to remember to balance all that caffeine with a little hydration.
Snacks
I don't know exactly in which direction I'm taking this. The adult part of my brain says get mini carrot sticks, hummus, and other healthy stuff. Then there's the 5 year old in me that says get all the bag of chips, and cookies that you can find! I don't know. Maybe I'll a do a little bit of both.
Comfy Clothes
Pajama bottoms, cozy socks, and comfy sweaters are essential when writing 50,000 words in a month. I'm going to start pulling out all my comfortable clothes and keeping them upfront and center for November. This also means I'm going to have to make some time to do laundry.
Music/Playlists
This year I'm in the middle of making two playlists. I know some people don't like listening to music with lyrics when writing. I don't usually mind it, but I've been finding some good music that are both with lyrics and without, so I'm making two playlists so that I'll have one depending on my mood that day.
Sometimes I think I spend more time looking through pins than actually writing, but having a board dedicated to your novel can help during those moments when you're not feeling it. My pinterest board is fully of pictures that make me think of my characters and setting, and helps jolt the writing urge when I'm uninspired. It helps to have it ready and full of pins before November 1st, so you don't waste time looking through endless pins.
Candles
I hadn't thought about this previous NaNos, but a part of setting a great writing environment are candles. November is a great month to buy candles, because most stores still have all the fall scents and at the same time are bringing in a lot of the winter holiday scents. Those two seasons have some of the best scents in my opinion.
Laptop and Charger
This should be a given if you are going to be typing your NaNoWriMo novel (yes, there are people who write out their novels by hand). I had to order a new charger for my laptop, because I fried my last one and sometimes one of the best things to do during NaNo is to get out and go write at a coffee shop or even the library. You can't really write at a coffee shop if you don't have something portable that's charged.
I'm probably forgetting other things, but these are my top ten things that I need in order to get through November and write 50,000 words. If there's something that has worked for you during NaNoWriMo let me know. Good luck to everyone participating in NaNoWriMo this year!
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