Welcome back, writers! By now, you should be getting into the groove of fast drafting for NaNoWriMo, and hopefully you’re still pumped. This week we’ve been going over some top strategies for winning NaNoWriMo, and one of our top tips is to have fun! Wanna know how to keep stress at bay?

Here are 5 ways to have fun this NaNoWriMo:

1. Don’t go it alone

We’ve mentioned the incredible value of linking up with writing partners and communities online before. There are tons of fun writing challenges and prompts around this time of year. Look up hashtags like #NaNoWriMo and jump in when you see writer shoutouts and questions. It’s a great way to bond with your fellow writers and stay encouraged.

2. Challenge yourself

Introduce mini-challenges during your writing sessions, such as writing a scene in under 10 minutes or incorporating a random word into your text. Get creative with this! Pull an arbitrary detail from a hat or generate ideas online. Break up the monotony and enrich your creativity.

3. Document your progress

A personal journal, social media tweets/reels, or—for the bravest of us—YouTube vlogs can be an excellent way to keep yourself accountable and bond with fellow writers during NaNoWriMo. Documenting your journey could be an encouragement to others, as well as yourself. Keep a record and see how far you’ve come by December.

4. Writing sprint challenges

Introduce a friendly competition into your writing sprints by setting challenges for each session. Who can write the most words in 20 minutes or come up with the most creative plot twists? Wanna make it more interesting? Consider small rewards for winners, like choosing the next prompt or a shoutout on social media. The consequence for falling short? How about 10 push-ups?

5. Visual prompts

Make a vision or Pinterest board for your WIP. Find images that resonate with your story and use them as visual prompts to spark creativity. This could include character inspiration, settings, or key scenes. You’d be surprised what kind of ideas will germinate as you’re having fun.

Conclusion

Don’t let your NaNoWriMo challenge be a stressful event! Get creative and bond with others, and those 30 days will fly by! Looking for a few more helpful tips to stay pumped for this year’s NaNoWriMo? Check out the concluding installation of our Winning NaNoWriMo Series here.