NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow and I’ve got a few tips to help you make your daily word count goals just a little bit easier.

• The backspace/delete key is OFF LIMITS. If you write it, it stays on the page. If you don’t like it, you can write a different sentence after it, but they are words you wrote, and they count, so DON’T DELETE THEM. You can highlight them to delete later, but leave them for the month.
• Made your word count for the day, but you’re in the middle of a good scene? Good! Stop. It is scientifically easier to start writing the next day if you’re in the middle of a scene that you know where it is going than to stop when you don’t know what’s next. Stop in the middle of the chapter or scene and pick it up tomorrow and it’ll be easier to keep going afterwards.
• Scary blank page getting you down? Start with the character’s name (or “I” if writing in first person) or, my personal favorite, start with “Chapter #).

Alright, that’s my lessons done for now! Now take a deep breath, assemble your notes, and get ready to put pen to paper tonight at midnight. I’ll keep you all posted about how me and my students are doing throughout the month. Happy writing!