Harness the Power of NaNoWriMo:
 How Timed Writing Sessions Can Make You More Productive 

©  Cheryl C. Malandrinos
- All Rights Reserved. 

Unless you live in a box you’ve probably heard of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which takes place every November. In 2007, over 100,000 writers flew by the seat of their pants in an attempt to draft a 50,000-word novel between November 1^st and November 30^th.

With attendance growing every year, writers from all walks of life should take the principles learned in NaNoWriMo and apply them to their daily writing to increase productivity. 

When reviewing your weekly to-do list, it might be intimidating and overwhelming to see that you have three article deadlines, in addition to, the two chapters of your novel you’ve committed to writing. 

Feeling intimidated and overwhelmed often leads to procrastination. So, how can you stop procrastination before it starts? 

Use timed writing sessions to get you from start to finish, just 15 minutes at a time.

Since participants have a limited window of opportunity to complete the necessary word count to win NaNoWriMo, the focus is placed on output, not content.  As their website states, “Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap.”

Doesn’t that seem counterproductive?  It’s not, when you consider that getting from beginning to end can be such a challenge at times. 

Timed writing sessions work for several reasons:

• It’s easier to write in shorter spurts.

• The sudden pressure forces you to focus on writing.

• It’s spontaneous. 

• It tames that nagging self-editor who wants you to rewrite and revise as you go.

• It’s easier to get started when you know there’s an end in sight.

Even writers having schedules packed with other work and family commitments can find 15 minutes a day to write.  You can use part of your lunch hour, those minutes waiting in the doctor’s office, or even a portion of your child’s naptime.

Whether or not you decide to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, use the valuable lessons writers have learned from this approach since 1999, and use timed writing sessions to churn out more material than ever before.

About the Author: Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelancer who specializes in helping writers increase productivity through time management and organization. She has also written articles on everyday life in the 1800’s, gardening, parenting, and women’s health issues. Cheryl is also a virtual book tour coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion. You can find out more about Cheryl by visiting her website.