NaNo Prep: A Space of Your Own: Creating solace in a time of chaos.

 

 

If you have a place where you consistently write, your brain will know to get into gear and go. This will–of course–take some  training, but you’ll catch on in no time. 

 

A workspace can be anywhere you can sit down and focus on what you’re doing on a consistent basis. If you do well with a lot of background noise and want to go to a coffee shop, that works! If you want to make a room in your house an office, or claim a little nook as your very own–these work as well. The point is to work at the same location to train your brain to work and focus once you’re there. 

 

It will benefit you to let people know not to bother you while you’re in your “space”. When you sit down and start to write in your little nook, your family, friends, roommates, etc will know this is your time and to hopefully leave you in your zone.  

 

In creating your own space, you’ll be able to write much more in less time, stay focused, generally write things you’re pleased with, and most likely feel less stressed/frustrated. This is something  that I have heard from many people and in books, and you know what–it works. 

 

So now that you’ve selected a place to become your space, let’s talk about some things that can help “make it yours”. The reason you make it your own, is to help you feel good about coming to sit down and work. You’re comfortable, more relaxed, and should feel good about what you’re going to accomplish for the day. 

 

This is where you’re going to work, so take to mind that you should do what works for you. My husbands office is very different from my own. I enjoy walls with framed artwork, items from around the world, books, and figures from video games displayed on a shelf. My husband has every inch of his room covered with posters from games and movies, as well as figurines and video game boxes placed on shelves. Very different, but each method works. I get distracted easily like a dog spotting a squirrel and he has the focus of a male penguin protecting his egg. 

 

So! Let’s talk about little touches that can help make it your space. 

 

Candles. I love candles. They’re so calming and beautiful to look at, while at the same time they release a wonderful relaxing scent. I have five or six candles ready for this years NaNo. In fact, you can also use the scent of candles to help train your brain. Find a scent you like, and light it every day when you write. The smell will also get your brain into gear. You can also use incense which is wonderful as well! 

 

Figurines. If you have a favorite figurine or find one that seems peaceful to you, use it. When you feel stressed with trying to make a word count, go ahead and let your eyes glance over the figurine. It’s something that can help relax you as well as add your own personal touch to the area. 

 

Flowers or Plants. Fresh flowers or plants are good for you! They’re refreshingly beautiful and plants bring oxygen into the room while removing pollutants–an added plus! 

 

Photos. Family, friends, inspirational, your favorite author, etc–these can help like the figurines do. 

 

 

Here are some things I’ve found helpful over the years with NaNo. 

 

Planner/Track Sheet. I love having everything planned out and organized so I know what I need to do each day. Keep a record of your world count and what chapters you’ve gone over each day. It helps to see your progress over time. 

 

There are some great spreadsheets that can help you keep track of your word counts. I personally recommend this one for a digital version. 

 

Book Bible. This is where you’d keep all your information regarding your characters, outline, world, reference, etc. If you like to go somewhere for your writing space this comes in handy. You will always have it with you for easy and quick reference. Even though you can keep this information digitally, I like to have a physical copy as well–just in case it gets lost amongst the many files and folders. Believe me, this has happened to me more than once. 

NaNo Jar. I just started this for this years NaNo. I’m pretty excited to use it and it will hopefully be of good use. You basically have 30 different prompts for the month and you do one each day. More information on it here! 

 

Sticky Notes and/or Notecards. I cannot stress this enough. Have lots and lots of them so you can write down your random ideas that pop in your head while you write. This way you can continue writing and then review them that night once you’re done. Any good ideas you can then start to implement into your story or save for a later day! 

 

 

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