If you’ve been around the creative writing community for long enough, you know many writers participate in something in November called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The goal is to write 50,000 in 30 days (if you’re doing the math, that’s about 1,700 words/day). There are so many reasons why this kind of challenge can be good for your writing routine, not the least of which is how a writing sprint like this can silence your inner critic.

Today, though, I want to share some thoughts on “Prep-tober”: the practice of using the month of October to gear up for NaNoWriMo so that when it’s time to hit the ground writing on Day 1, you’re actually ready to write.

The beautiful thing about Preptober and NaNoWriMo is that they give you a reason to commit to habits that you know are good for your creative life. However, you can use this Prep-tober process whenever you need a creative jumpstart year-round so that you're always working, improving, and taking your writing to the next level.

Here are three things you need to have a successful Prep-tober and creative routine year-round...

Gather Your Supplies

Some authors have really elaborate methods of story planning. They use color-coded notecards and coordinating highlighters and stickers and washi tape and pens of every sort and don’t forget the Sharpies! To be honest, highlighters, pens, and stickers are kind of my love language, so I totally celebrate these writers who can make a system like this work.

Other authors have a similarly elaborate setup, but it’s all digitally managed in Scrivener or in Final Draft. Then others are minimalists. All they need is a word processor or a pen and notebook.

The point here is to follow the ancient Greek wisdom and “know thyself.” Wherever you fall on the writing supplies spectrum, use what works… and make sure you have it organized ahead of time so that you’re not wasting precious time hunting for supplies or trying to set up your word processor or beat board while you’re supposed to be writing.

I want to say a word here about setting up your environment for success. Ask yourself, what kinds of things help you to do deep, focused work? Do you need distraction-minimizing controls on your laptop and phone? Do you need an old-fashioned timer? A scented candle? Do you need headphones that actually work? A new keyboard? Lighting? Ambiance? A new playlist? Or do you need to decorate your space with encouraging sticky notes with mantras like, “The world needs my story” or (my personal favorite) “trust emergence”?

This isn’t self-indulgent artist behavior, my creative friends. It’s actually smoothing your path so that those little things (like that darn “n” key on your keyboard that sticks all the time) stop costing you precious time and killing your focus. It’s amazing how tiny frustrations and micro-annoyances can lead to procrastination, especially when you’re already battling resistance because you’re doing something bold and brave with your creative energy. Don’t give yourself any excuses to get out of doing the work. Anticipate your own needs and provide for them. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Plan Your Prep

We often think about the stages of writing: first draft, second draft, more drafts, and final draft. But have you ever stopped to think about the different stages of the prewriting process? As I’ve worked through stages of development more formally over the last two years, I’ve started to appreciate just how much each of these different stages sets me up for success. If you’re going to use Preptober to prepare to write something new in November, I encourage you to work through each of these steps this month.

Step one: logline or premise line. I will be honest this step used to give me hives. Sometimes you might see writing coaches or programs that have very specific formulas for the logline/premise line, and I think that these are all valuable approaches. But here’s the most important thing to remember. At this initial stage, this is a tool, not a line of sacred scripture. It is changeable, and it absolutely will evolve as your story evolves. Make sure the premise line captures the main character, the antagonist, and the core conflict–the promise of the story. I like to add a single word or short phrase of description for each character that suggests their internal conflicts as well. Reading loglines of familiar stories can be a great way to help you develop your ear for what works and what doesn’t. Try to have fun with this part of the process!

Step two: character outlines. I love this stage. This part of the prewriting process is actually hugely important because, ultimately, the character drives the plot. This is where you get to fall in love with the people who will inhabit your story world – and with whom you’ll be spending a lot of time over the next few weeks. So take as much time as you need to really get to know your story people. Check out this post for more information on outlining or consider taking a webinar or even an intensive lab for a more hands-on approach.

Step three: brainstorm the narrative. This is not the beat sheet yet. This is an opportunity for you to write out whatever you think might happen in this story. Just write everything down that comes into your head. Play the “what if?” game. Think about possible major story moments and flesh out the conflicts between the characters. Where are some places that you could take what the audience might expect and surprise them with a twist? Take the logline you developed in step one and start building out the structure and the shape. I like freewriting by hand for this part of the process, but if you want to keep everything digital, use your preferred story software.

Step four: the beat sheet. Use whatever format you like for this, but this is the place where you start making some choices about the structure of the story. This is also the place where you discover whether the bones of the story actually work. I like laying out the story ahead of time to try to work out story tangles before they become a hopeless knot. If you’re a discovery writer, you might want to skip this step and head straight from your free-write into the story – and that’s fine too. Again, do what works for you – but don’t be afraid to try something new if you think it would help your process.

Step five: research. This is my other favorite part of the prewriting process. You’ve probably been dabbling in research all along, but this is where you can really invest in the raw materials that will undergird your story and give it that wonderful richness and texture. (I’ve got a post on research too if you’re keen to level up on this skill heading into your new project. Read it here.)

Plan Your Writing Routine

One of the advantages of something like NaNoWriMo is that the challenge helps to silence the inner critic. But one of the other great advantages is that the accountability and the goal with a deadline help us, to borrow Steven Pressfield’s inimitable phrase, “put our asses where our hearts want to be.”

I listened to a podcast interview with Steven Pressfield just this past week, and he went through some eye-popping math. If you committed an hour a day to your craft, that’s 365 hours a year – the equivalent of nine 40-hour work weeks per year. Here are a few other calculations you might like to meditate on. 1,000 words per day is 365,000 words per year. That’s three novels drafted without breaking a sweat. One script page per day is 365 pages per year. That’s six pilot scripts or three features and a pilot. Break it down however you wish, it’s a lot of pages. Even if you cut that number in half – because we have to do rewrites and planning and all the things – it’s still massive production.

So what’s stopping us from making this our daily practice? How can we use Prep-tober and NaNoWriMo to set a new intention and form a new habit that prioritizes our creativity? Can you imagine heading into 2023 with a solid daily practice of showing up consistently and putting in the time? What might this do for your career?

If meditating on what that routine might mean for your creative life results in summoning up the nasty voice of Resistance – that voice that says it won’t matter, or that it’s not worth it, or that you’re a failure before you even start – then I invite you to join me back here next month as I talk about my experience with Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way. But in the meantime, I find that one of the best remedies for Resistance is taking some small action toward your goals. So let’s get this Prep-tober underway!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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