Catch up!

I'm rocking and rolling during National Novel Writing Month, averaging more than 2,000 words per day.

However, there are a few of my buddies that I chat with on Twitter that are either just getting started or haven't been able to write every single day, so they're behind the pace. For them, I thought I'd throw a few tips out there that have worked for me so far.

1. WRITE EVERY DAY: Taking a day off is unacceptable! Get in a routine where you spend at least an hour a day working on it, and you'll get to the point where you feel guilty if you skip a day. You'll be happier for it, I promise.

2. LAW OF AVERAGES: Figure out how many words you need to average per day to hit the 50,000. And then write 500 more per day. By doing that, you'll be covering your rump if you have a day where things aren't clicking and you fall behind.

3. EDITING, SCHMEDITING: Don't worry about that stuff right now. That's why the gods gave us December - so we had something to do while all that snow is on the ground. Just write and write and write some more. Get the words down now. Organize them later.

4. DON'T STOP: One day off easily turns into two, so do whatever you can to find your groove and stay in it. Keep on going, and you'll be surprised how quickly those first 200 words turn into 12,000. Your confidence will go up as that word count rises, and that will make it easier.

5. BELIEVE IN IT: Trust in what you're doing and be passionate about it. If you don't like your story, why the heck do you think anyone else will? You know how it's hard to stop reading a book you really get into? Well, plunge into your own book the same way. Make it something you don't want to stop working on, even when you have to.

Those are a few things that have helped me with my writing, and have helped me with NaNoWriMo. I hope that it helps a few others, too. If I figure out a few more tips, I'll post them along the way.

Good luck, and feel free to drop any other tips in the comments section. And then get back to your novel.