Writing Challenges and Mental Health-some tips
This is a gentle reminder to take care of yourself during Novel November and really through any writing challenges you may partake in throughout 2027.
I’m not a therapist or counselor. These are just tips I’ve picked up from having lived a long time and from years of writing for peer review and publication (academic writing, also very stressful).
1. Some people get anxious thinking about tracking word count. NaNoWriMo was not helpful in this regard. It was all or nothing. You either wrote 50,000 words or you did not. If word count stresses you out, it’s OK to pick a different goal, minutes a day spent writing, or number of scenes edited, or chapters outlned, or whatever goal you can work towards while not having undue anxiety.
2. Take extra good care of your physical health. We are all (probably) doing more writing than we usually do, and that can be mentally stressful. So it’s extra important to take care of our bodies. Be sure to get exercise—maybe take a long walk or get on the treadmill, or whatever works for you-partway through writing session. It’s invigorating.
Eat right. I know it’s the holidays and my temptation is to munch throughout the day. Then I feel icky in the evening. Hydrate. Now, to be honest, my drink of choice is coffee with sugar free creamer, not exactly hydrating. But I shall endeavor to also have water with me and to drink it.
Maybe the most important thing is sleep. Don’t stay up til 2:00 AM to hit your word count when you have to get up at 5:30 AM for your day job. Nothing will make a bigger difference in your attitude and stamina than getting enough sleep.
3. It’s OK to have a life in November! Although it’s wonderful if your spouse, parent, friend, etc., can help you and pick up some slack to give you more time to write, it’s OK to recognize you have obligations, and to fulfill them. I am fortunate at this stage of my life to be retired; my kids are in their mid-40’s, and I’m single. I have a few volunteer things I am committed to, but that’s about it. But many of you have a fulltime job, a family that includes minor children, and many other things we don’t know about. Nobody, I hope, is recommending you ignore these things for a month!
4. The world will not end if your goal is not met. The world may very well end, which would be great because that means I’ll be taken up to meet Jesus in the Rapture, but it won’t be because you or I didn’t hit our mark. It will be OK, I promise! My book 1 will be with alpha and beta readers until the end of the year, so if I don’t finish book 2 in Novel November, I can still write in December, when I was going to do my first editing pass anyway.
5. It’s OK if this method does not meet your motivational psyche. We’re using a pretty kind and gentle approach. Choose your own goals. Report in as you wish. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t ghost your job or family. Be kind to yourself. Make friends with the other people in the group and lift them up. A rising tide raises all boats.
This is one way to motivate people. For others, this approach is the kiss of death as far as any motivation is concerned. If you need more of a kick in the hind end to motivate you, and you are all good with that, I can say that I have heard nothing but great things about @Jonathan Shuerger’s author boot camp. My understanding is that you and Jonathan agree on your goal, finish your novel or whatever. You pay him $100, which you get back in full only if you meet your goal. You meet regularly and he is not going to tell you it’s OK that you didn’t write for two days. @Jonathan Shuerger, can you post when your next boot camp will be? Also, maybe next year, you coordinate one with Novel November and writers could choose the style they’d prefer?
5. Have a plan for the mushy middle. Around the 15th of the month, you will hit a slump. Be prepared. It will be the middle of the month, and you may be writing the middle of your novel, especially if you write straight through, chapters 1-20 in that order. Have a plan for when you start feeling discouraged and tired. When you’ve written more than you thought possible, but now you’re stuck on chapter 15 and your book stinks, and everything is an awful, horrible, and no good, lol! Have a plan.
6. If the stress is having a negative effect on your mental health, STOP
We as a social community are here to help. Talk to us in the comments or message us. Pray on it. But if it’s too much right now, it’s OK to stop or slow down. No one will judge you.
7. Remember that you love writing, and this is supposed to be fun. Take joy into the project with you!
Happy writing!