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Your Novel November Success Toolkit
Updated: Oct 9
Taking on NovNov this November? Whether you're a plotter, a pantser, or somewhere in between, this psychology-backed toolkit will help you prepare your brain, protect your creativity, beat the mid-month crash, and keep your story alive all the way to 50,000 words.
National Novel Writing Month (affectionately nicknamed NaNoWriMo) is dead. Muerto. RIP.
For newer writers who may not be familiar with NaNo (the affectionate nickname's nickname), this annual online event, which started in 1999, challenged writers to complete a full novel (or 50,000 words) during the month of November. Over two decades later—in response to a comment-fueled scandal, well chronicled by Creamer (2025)—the official website shut down, disappointing veterans and first-timers (this writer included) who never got to take part, and leaving a major gap in the global writing community.
The good news? Not only was that gap filled, but the challenge itself evolved across its various new homes. The basic concept—50,000 words written in or around November—lives on through countless online websites, apps, and communities (Writers’ HQ, Rough Draft, TrackBear, to name a few). Others have stepped up the game:
Order of The Written Word sells limited-edition T-shirts to commemorate their challenge every year.
AutoCrit’s Novel 90, running from October to December, offers specialized support and a cash-prize competition.
Reedsy’s Novel Sprint runs a similar competition, with winners also entitled to networking opportunities in the industry to help get them published.
ProWritingAid's Novel November (my preferred platform for the challenge) offers free online workshops, events, sprints, and the best logging dashboard ever (imo).
Okay, enough backstory. More important than knowing where you’re going to write the 50k words this November is figuring out how, because that number is ... a lot. And unless you want to be totally humbled (like I was my first time), you’d better start preparing yourself.
Like—right now.
And because I love you, here are shortcuts to each tool:
For simplicity, this toolkit will reference Novel November (affectionate nickname: NovNov), and though I do personally endorse ProWritingAid's forum, these tools work for any writing challenge you choose to take in November. Or January. Or ever.
For newcomers to the term, Preptober is a portmanteau of (you guessed it) "prep" and "October", named for those crucial 31 days leading up to NovNov Day 1. And pantsers—yes, I see you starting to scroll—this tool isn't about drafting pages-long story outlines and hardcore character profiles. Preptober, to me, is mapping the journey—not just the one your characters will take, but the one you're about to take. Why do I need to do that, you ask? Because whether you write by the seat of your pants or gather enough backstory to fill a prequel trilogy before writing a single sentence, Novel November is a marathon, not a sprint. And Preptober is how you train to make it across the 50k finish line.
Now, it's entirely possible to wake up on November 1st, open up a blank document, and start writing. And hey, maybe you'll make it to 50k. Or maybe blank page syndrome will hit in all its intimidating glory, and you'll struggle to write one word, let alone a thousand+. Yup—you read that correctly. In order to make the 50k, the daily target works out to about 1,667 words. In theory, this is doable. Until unexpected work comes up. Or you catch a bad cold. Or your great aunt arrives unexpectedly from overseas. Life lifes, and every delay bumps that daily word count up a notch. That's what happened to me (and trust me, I'm the prequel trilogy-drafting type). In practice, this challenge isn't just creative—it's mental. Don't think of Preptober as merely a tool to plan your story. It's also a tool to prepare yourself for the mental task of averaging 1,667 words ... every. Single. Day.
Psychologically (and logically) speaking, planning reduces decision fatigue. Pignatiello et al. (2018) define this concept as the slow decline of a person's self-control and decision-making ability with every choice made, no matter how small, throughout the day. Utilizing Preptober as a means to line up a month's worth of writing tasks in advance, even at a macro level, may prevent wasting precious mental energy that could be spent on writing.
For pantsers, an example of this could be mapping out the "vibe" of your story and breaking that down into little scene sparks: bits of dialogue between characters, general themes, even a word or two to get you started. For my fellow planners, this framework could also be applied, and nothing's stopping you from diving into the details here. Either way, even if your muse coaxes you in a different direction (and you should probably follow her), having thirty different starting points is better than thirty blank pages, right?
Your Tool: Outside of planning the story itself, every other tool to follow can be tied into this one. It's a biggie, and that's why it's Tool 1. During my first NovNov, I had every playlist curated, knew my characters inside out, could recite the plot points in order by heart ... but in the end, it wasn't the story that blindsided me; it was myself, and the mountain I wasn't properly equipped to climb. I know now, in hindsight, that mentally prepping yourself for the task ahead is just as important as prepping your story.
And if you're reading this on October 31, don't panic—Tools 2 through 8 got you covered.
This challenge isn't just creative—it's mental.
Not, like, in your story. In real life. Take one: interior, a bedroom with a desk. An ambitious writer walks in to take a seat ... and gets distracted by their phone.
Whether you write at a desk in your room or a sun lounger on a private beach in Jamaica (lucky duck), it's vital that your space works for you, not against you. And before you beat yourself up for relating to that intro about the phone, don't. We're all human, and modern technology is psychologically designed to hack the human brain.
Mukherjee (2025) explains how our attention spans are considered literal commodities in the economy, crediting Herbert A. Simon with this undeniable reality: "when information becomes abundant, human attention becomes a scarce resource" (p. 387). Doom and gloom aside, the inversion of this concept means that we as writers can implement those same psychological techniques used by corporations to hack our own brains for our own purposes. If information overload lessens our attention spans, then the key to overcoming that may be cutting out anything that pulls our focus away from writing. This doesn't mean you need to throw your phone away, but letting it sit there next to your computer ... daring you to just, like, check the time maybe ... isn't helping that attention span.
Out of sight, out of mind. And your phone is only one part of setting the scene.
All righty, so you've put the phone in another room? Cool. (If you really need it close by, it's on silent, sitting on your bedside table—or the other sun lounger.) What's next? Well, here's where Preptober comes in. You've already picked a dedicated writing space that you use every day (spatial cues that signal to your brain that it's writing time), all your notes are set up with your favorite pen, and your mood playlist is on pause and ready for you to start. Sipping on a steaming cup of whatever gets your juices flowing, you switch on your trusty lava lamp, sit down and take a nice, deep breath, maybe close your eyes for a tiny meditation while a candle burns nearby, filling the room with woodsy cinnamon or baking cookies or bottled bookshop.
Your Tool: When it comes to focus, you don't need more willpower. You need better cues from your environment. Whatever works for you and your particular brand of inspiration—a home office, your favorite coffee shop, a bench in the park—try to notice what things randomly trigger your motivation to write and incorporate them into the specific places where your creativity most easily flows. Set the right scene (in advance, if you can), and your energy shifts from focusing on the task to actually doing the task.
(The trusty lava lamp thing is my trigger, btw.)
When it comes to focus, you don't need more willpower. You need better cues from your environment.
Have you ever set a time to write, hyped yourself up for it all day, and you're buzzing to get those words down right until the very last second, and as soon as you're in the chair ... zip. Energy (and motivation) gone.
Trying to write when your brain isn't cognitively primed is a total muse killer. May et al. (2023) explain that everyone has a chronotype: a natural inclination towards being more alert and active at a certain time of day. According to the authors, the synchrony effect is the tendency for people to perform certain cognitive tasks better when they perform those tasks at a time that aligns with their chronotype. Meaning your brain may be better equipped for certain kinds of mental work (like, say, writing) at some times of day than others. And your chronotype isn't entirely static, either. The authors note a higher inclination towards evening times in adolescents versus higher morning inclinations for older adults. Most importantly, what do the authors list as potential consequences of pushing yourself outside of your natural window? Impaired concentration and higher distractibility. Gasp—a writer's kryptonite.
Hence, from night owls to early birds and every other fowl in between, figuring out your energy's peak time is how you maximize your creative output. As a lifelong self-identifying night owl, I was surprised to discover during the inaugural NovNov that I actually get a lot of writing done by waking up early and stealing that hour before jumping into the daily get-ready grind. And that's not to say that your current power hour is wrong, but it is worth trying to write at different times of the day to figure out which slot in your day is the most productive (in terms of the way you feel as well as the actual quality of the writing). Who knows? You may prove yourself right, or you may discover something new about yourself. Either way, it's about working with your brain instead of against it.
This one can be a little tricky, especially if you already have a zillion other responsibilities demanding your attention throughout the day. This isn't about ignoring those responsibilities, but rather penciling writing time into your ideal window—and maybe, ahem, swapping out some less important pastimes to make it happen. Scrolling? Out. Writing? In. (Save the phone for those slots that don't align with your natural chronotype, when you can give yourself permission to sink into that dopamine rush and refill your creative cup.)
Your Tool: Experiment with writing at different times until you figure out your POWER HOUR, whether that's a coffee with a quick session before the morning rush, a lunch-break sprint, or a late-night lock-in. Then, try to schedule your writing at that same time to trigger the same levels of energy and motivation (a bit like the previous tool, but instead of something physical in your environment, it's a temporal cue).
Work with your brain instead of against it.
No man is an island, and no writer is a hermit. (Okay, actually a lot of us are.)
For the most part, writing is a solo journey, with many of us preferring (or even needing) isolation to get words onto the page. And while there are benefits to a one-person show, it's also really easy to slip into the downsides: social isolation, lack of accountability, and lack of perspective. I used to be the lonerest of loners when it came to my writing, but last year I joined Abbie Emmons's Patreon community, and I've e-met so many other writers who support me as much as I support them. For indie writers, where you are often literally the only person on your publishing team, it's even more important to find and nurture your community. I mean, we're all in this (alone) together, right?
Psychology supports these concepts, too. In 2022, Tan et al. did an online experiment to measure creativity levels, specifically in the realms of divergent thinking and "fluency, flexibility, and originality" (p. 1), after participants were exposed to either a social-support condition or a control condition. Not only did the authors in the experimental group show higher creativity scores than those in the control group, but the findings also provide experimental evidence for a causal relationship between perceived social support and creative performance—suggesting that just the feeling that you are socially supported can enhance your creativity.
Adding to this thread, Breitenstein (2021) discusses the practical benefits of writing accountability groups (or WAGs, how cute) and even provides a step-by-step on how to form these groups. However, one of the most important takeaways from this article for me was that, at its core, the group's mere existence may be a factor in the practical benefits of setting and achieving your goals. Even if your goals aren't 100% accomplished, the author explains that participation in a WAG, whether virtual or in person, ultimately helps in getting words on a page—and that's all there is to it, right?
And for a challenge like NovNov, where the goal isn't to write something perfect but to write something, the social aspect is an important tool. Not to toot the ProWritingAid horn again, but one of the reasons I like their NovNov space is because this social aspect is integrated into the platform. From the beginning of Preptober and even into December, PWA hosts tons of free writing sprints, workshops, and networking events from industry experts and best-selling authors who know their stuff and are happy to share their knowledge. They've even got writing circles for different genres that you can join—perfect for finding your community. If you're keen to join the Novel November challenge, it's totally free and you can sign up here.
Other places you can find your community are on social media, Discord servers (that Sprinto app thing is life), Reddit, your local bookstore or library, writing workshops, and even author newsletters. (Hint-hint, nudge-nudge.)
Your Tool: Find a writing community! In person or online, there's a group somewhere out there that's gonna click with you, and that will give you sprinting partners, fill your social cup, and keep you accountable to your goals. Go on. Put yourself out there! Find your people! Get their opinions on your work! Do group hugs! (Virtual ones count, too.)
We're all in this (alone) together, right?
There's a time and place for nit-picking your work, and Novel November is not it. (Unless your goal this NovNov is to edit your manuscript. In that case, feel free to skip this one, since you'll probably be using the pro-perfectionism side of your brain.)
Some writers call this tool writing ugly. Personally, I like the concept of writing recklessly. Whatever you wanna call this method, it's not about trying to write bad prose, but rather about getting words on a page, no matter what shape (or order) they're in. Whether you're a pantser taking the story's lead as it reveals itself on the page, or a plotter filtering intricate plans down to the scene level, to meet those word count goals, it's important to keep your own momentum. That means no spellcheck, no touching up the grammar, no oh, what's that word again ... If you find yourself stuck on a transition, but an upcoming story beat is literally playing in your head like a movie scene, then write. That. Scene. For first drafts, it doesn't matter that you don't know how your characters got from A to B, as long as you've written A and B. Transitions are just the glue, and if you let them superglue your focus to a single page, you'll never finish anything.
A practical way to do this is the elephant method: write "[elephant]" between two scenes that you're not sure how to stitch together. (And if your story actually does feature an elephant, pick another ridiculous, easily searchable word that you can use to find and fix those transitions later.) If something sparks along the way, by all means, allow yourself to go back and stitch those scenes together. And if the idea of doing this makes your skin crawl, congratulations. You're probably a perfectionist. As one myself, I really struggle with this approach, but as the saying goes, you can't edit a blank page. Approaching the drafting process with the intention of ending up with something ready to publish is unrealistic, and that mindset can even prevent you from reaching your goal.
Pollock and Bono (2013) identify perfectionism as a gatekeeper to completing a first draft, noting that a writer's "worst critic is the perfectionist in the mirror" (p. 632). Though the authors specifically discuss scholarly writing, they emphasize using a narrative approach like that used in fiction and list three practical techniques to get through the drafting process: turning off the inner critic, setting yourself bite-sized assignments, and keeping consistent with them. The first one is easier said than done, but that's where the writing badly (ugly, recklessly, whatever you call it) comes in. The second is simple math: your overall target word count divided by the number of days you need to write it equals your daily word count (already done). And the third, for consistency, skip to the parts of your story you're most excited to write (the elephant method).
Your Tool: If you're planning to hit that 50k mark, shift your focus from quality to quantity. Perfectionism kills momentum, so take off the editor's hat and set a doable daily target that you can realistically manage—and if you miss the mark, readjust and try again tomorrow. Don't let transitions hold you back from getting the meat of the story onto the page. As long as it keeps your momentum moving forward, write the story in any order your inspiration directs you.
For a challenge like NovNov, the goal isn't to write something perfect but to write something.
On my first NovNov, instead of writing a new story from scratch, I decided to edit my debut novel Troubled, and because I'm also an editor, I assumed getting through 50k would be cake. For a while, I stayed way ahead of the 1,667 daily word count. But after missing a few days, the daily goal turned into 3,334 ... which turned into 6,668 ... until I was staring down the barrel of a 10k deadline on the last day of November. Obviously, I didn't make 50k. In fact, I burnt out so badly that I didn't (ahem, couldn't) edit or write anything again until, like, January. Writing every single day, even for just a month, is sort of like playing with matches: it can spark a slow-burning firework of inspiration ... or you can set yourself on fire.
So, how do you, writer, avoid spontaneous combustion?
Well, for starters, let's state the obvious. You need to sleep. Every night. (Even the night-owl chronotypes.) Sacrificing even just a few hours of sleep to push yourself through a scene may seem like a good idea, but like we've already established, NovNov is a marathon. One all-nighter can negatively impact your creative ability the following day. Vartanian et al. (2014) compare the effects of sleep deprivation to a "reversible functional lesion" (p. 1) in the brain that, while obviously not permanent, can diminish your access to working memory, out-of-the-box thinking, executive functioning—and, in turn, your creative performance. More recently, Lim et al. (2025) also contradict the assumption that burning the midnight oil is all part of the process, linking the so-called benefits of sleep deprivation to "poor sleep quality or insomnia that is disproportionally found in creative individuals" (p. 720).
Put simply, writers are really tired, and you should probably go to bed (after finishing this article, of course).
But avoiding creative burnout requires more than just getting the recommended eight hours of shuteye. It also requires downtime. Moments during the day when you're not working. And if you do happen to burn the midnight oil ... take the next day off. Trust me—one day off to recuperate is better than forcing yourself to write every day until you're too mentally fatigued to make the last five. As I learned the hard way, if you don’t take a day for rest, your body will take one (or five) for you.
Your Tool: Keep the needs of your body above the needs of your manuscript. Schedule rest. Literally. Pencil in one day a week where you don't write. Or, if you really want to try writing every day of November, make use of time managers like the Pomodoro Technique to sneak in little breaks for your brain. Most importantly, don't sacrifice sleep for a late-night burst if you plan to write the next day. Remind yourself that you are a human, not a robot, and protect your cognitive energy like it's gold. Because it is.
Remember: if you don’t take a day for rest, your body will take one for you.
Just like any good story, Novel November has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And just like how a lot of people struggle to actually finish writing a book, making it through the climax of this writing challenge is not a given. One of the hardest moments is the day you have to push yourself to keep going when looking at your laptop makes you want to puke, and the only thing you feel capable of is grabbing the remote, a pair of pajamas, and rewatching The Mentalist for the zillionth time (I'm on season 5 again, btw).
The point is: beware the mid-month crash. (Uh-huh.) Getting through it requires more than just grit, tenacity, steadfastness, lifelong hopes and dreams, and even all the other tools we've just outlined. It requires dopamine.
Hear me out.
You can do everything right, have all the tools in place, literally ooze determination from your eyeballs ... and you'd probably still have one of these moments. More than one, I'd bet. And it's perfectly normal. A good way to get ahead of it is to start off using positive reinforcement from day one. Yes, that's the stuff they use to train animals, and it can work just as well on people. At first, you probably won't even need it. The novelty of (heh) NovNov will probably carry you through week one. Maybe even a bit of week two. But like all novelties, it's going to wear off, and that's when Patrick Jane starts calling you to the couch (seriously, I can't remember who Red John is, and we're this close to catching him). Whatever is pulling your attention away from your story—convert it into leverage. That's your reward. That's what you're gonna use to hack your own brain. Bribery and corruption, baby ... except this is for a good cause, and it's totally legal.
Whether it's an old TV show, a new one, a good book, or even an hour of uninterrupted reel scrolling, you're not a bad writer for choosing these things over writing. Maybe you've decided to treat yourself to a little road trip if you finish NovNov. Great! Sounds amazing. But what about day one? Or the end of week one? Or the mid-month crash?
A good framework for this is laid out by Weiten (2022), who simplifies the behavioral psychology principles à la B. F. Skinner into practical study methods for students (and it can be applied to writing, too). According to the author, staying motivated to study (or, in this case, to write) on a consistent basis can be so difficult because "the rewards often lie in the distant future" (p. 34). So, while that road trip sounds epic, it's not going to help you much at the beginning. Weiten (2022) suggests using smaller rewards, like designated social media and TV time, and even a good ol' snack, as bite-sized (heh) rewards, and this approach is supported by Woolley and Fishbach (2017).
So, instead of relying solely on that distant promise of a grand prize patiently waiting for you at the finish line, consistent little commemorations like these are more likely to keep you on track for the whole journey.
Your Tool: Celebrate the small achievements, right from the start! Hit your word count for the day? Let yourself brain rot a little on Instagram (or catch an episode of The Mentalist). Finished a chapter that's been bugging you all week? Buy yourself some flowers! (Or unpause The Mentalist.) You made it through the mid-month crash? ARE YOU KIDDING? GO GET SOME TRIPLE CHOCOLATE WAFFLES! (WHILE WATCHING THE MENTALIST, MAYBE!)
Whatever is pulling your attention away from your story—convert it into leverage.
Last one. And it's a little different than the others. No psychological mumbo jumbo this time.
Picture it. That moment you first got the idea for your story: driving in your car, sitting in class, hanging up laundry, just going about your day when ... BAM. Eyes wide, jaw dropped. A gasp and maybe even a little happy dance. Your story's birthday! (Well, more like conception day. If that's a thing.) Whenever you forget why you're still writing, hold onto that memory. Let it grab you by the gut and keep tugging, keep reminding you why this story needs to exist. The simplest reason being: if you don't write it, no one else will.
I know, I know. Easier said than done. Especially on those low days when you don't feel good enough. Worthy enough. But you don't need qualification or even permission to play with your own idea. And that's what this tool is: play. Be excited. That's the important part. This is something you love, and it brings you joy, and sometimes the best way to stay connected to your story is by helping it exist beyond the page.
If you can't write it, listen to it. Compose a playlist for its movie soundtrack. What's the intro song? What plays during the inciting incident? The middle montage? Add the track that was somehow made for your ship. Listen to the story in order, and let the music guide your inspiration onto the page. (I can personally vouch for this method. My Spotify playlist for Troubled helped shape plot points in real time.)
If you can't write it, picture it. Start a Pinterest board. Your story's an urban fantasy about overcoming the hero's fear of public speaking? Or a dark comedy about finding love after being widowed at 50? Maybe a post-apocalyptic slice of life about finding laundry detergent? Whatever your story's vibe, type those words into the search bar. You'll be surprised at how accurate the results are—and how they show different angles on the vision in your mind. (I can personally vouch for this one, too.) Bonus tip: brainstorm ideas for the cover, just for fun. If you're not artistically inclined, look up covers in the same genre. Which brings me to ...
If you can't write it, watch it. Comp titles are awesome motivators because they're already so similar to your idea that it almost makes you mad, makes you fidget onto the edge of your seat as you think, "I want to watch my story." Search for fandom edits with similar characters and vibes, or better yet: make an edit for your story. Analyze blurbs on books that remind you of your story, and figure out why you love those books. What makes you so excited to read them, and what makes you excited to write your own story?
This tool is a balancing act. Too much, and you move too far away from actual writing. Too little, and writing becomes a chore. Story glimmers, anchors—whatever you want to call them—keep the story alive while you're its only fan. When it's you and your main character and nothing but that endless blank page. Fiction writers are microphones. Let your characters speak through you. Experience them. Trust them. Help them come alive.
Your Tool: Make your story real before it exists. Go off-book (and off-page) and use your senses. Listen to your story's playlist on your daily commute. Print or cut out aesthetic pictures that remind you of your story and stick them on the wall above your laptop. Keep a notebook on you at all times (or an app on your phone) for those moments when life and art inspire a scene, a piece of dialogue, a chapter title. Catch yourself smiling as you daydream about your characters. On those days when you don't have it in you to write even one stupid word, remind yourself that writing isn't the only way to craft a story, and that Novel November isn't just a 50k benchmark. Stay connected to your story, and the words will come. Be excited in the meantime. Play.
If you don't write it, no one else will.
Well? What are you waiting for? I assume you already have the basic equipment, since you're reading this on a computer or a phone. But a pen and paper work, too.
Ready ... set ... WRITE!
References
Breitenstein, S. M. (2021). Why and how to start a writing accountability group. Nurse Author & Editor, 31(3–4): 54–57. https://doi.org/10.1111/nae2.26
Creamer, E. (2025, April 2). Scandal-hit creative writing website NaNoWriMo to close after 20 years. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/apr/02/creative-writing-nanowrimo-to-close-after-20-years
Lim, A. R., Williams, B. J., & Bullock, B. (2025). The effect of sleep deprivation on creative cognition: a systematic review of experiment-based research. Creativity Research Journal, 37(4), 712–722. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2024.2343508
May, C. P., Hasher, L., & Healey, K. (2023). For whom (and when) the time bell tolls: Chronotypes and the synchrony effect. Perspectives on Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 18(6), 1520–1536. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231178553
Mukherjee, S. (2025). The psychology of attention economy. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 13(4), 387–397. https://up.ijip.co.in/index.php/ijip/article/view/1266
Pignatiello, G. A., Martin, R. J., & Hickman, R. L. Jr. (2018). Decision fatigue: A conceptual analysis. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(1), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105318763510
Pollock, T. G., & Bono, J. E. (2013). Being Scheherazade: The importance of storytelling in academic writing. Academy of Management Journal, 56(3), 629–634. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2013.4003
Tan, C. S., Chin, X. Y., Chng, S. T., Lee, J., & Ooi, C. S. (2022). Perceived social support increases creativity: Experimental evidence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(18), 11841. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811841
Weiten, W. (2022). Psychology themes and variations: A South African perspective (4th ed.). Cengage Learning EMEA.
Woolley, K., & Fishbach, A. (2017). Immediate rewards predict adherence to long-term goals. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(2), 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167216676480
Vartanian, O., Bouak, F., Caldwell, J. L., Cheung, B., Cupchik, G., Jobidon, M. E., Quan, L., Nakashima, A., Paul, M., Peng, H., Silvia, P. J., & Smith, I. (2014). The effects of a single night of sleep deprivation on fluency and prefrontal cortex function during divergent thinking. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 214. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00214
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