Most NaNoWriMo participants plan months in ahead to prepare for November.  This means outlines, character profiles and other aids that will help them complete the task of writing 50,000 or more words in one month.  For some writers, they dive right in blind and just start writing.  As long as you average roughly 1,666 words a day, you will hit the word count minimum regardless of what you are writing.  Starting National Novel Writing Month is a challenge in of itself and being prepared for the grind ahead is the best way to stay afloat through the month and not find yourself drowning in words trying to make it to the end goal.

The easiest way to get started with National Novel Writing Month is to visit its official web site. Once there, you can register and account, begin to input details of your novel if you have them and interact with other writers who are taking up the same challenge. This community is your key base of support for 30 days and these writers, especially the ones who have completed the challenge in past years, can offer support, encouragement and tips to keep you motivated from start to finish. Having the right support team for NaNoWriMo is a surefire way to keep you going when the going gets tough during the month. At the end of November, you can upload your novel to the web site and it gets verified for word count showing others – but most importantly yourself – that you beat the challenge.

By supporting National Novel Writing Month, you help keep the community and idea alive for the future.  Since NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organization, they do accept donations to keep afloat.  You can donate money to help key the web site and community running at your discretion or you can purchase merchandise from NaNoWriMo to show your support as well as spread the word as you go about your day-to-day life.