It’s that time of year again—National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Otherwise known as National Write Your @$$ Off Month. Now, if you’ve followed Rubber Ducky Copywriter for a while (thank you!), you know I’m a cheerleader. If you haven’t, please know I’m a cheerleader.

Your cheerleader.

I want you to do well. Write lots. Follow your dreams. All that good stuff.

That means a (hopefully) handy-dandy list of resources for those of you willing, capable and brave enough to pound out a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

National Novel Writing Month

Visit the official home page of the NaNoWriMo. Sign up, sign in, learn more, not necessarily in that order. Personally, I love seeing the word counts from all over the world on the map. Nifty.

You can also follow NaNoWrimo 2016 on its Facebook page and on Twitter @NaNoWriMo.

Also, a lot of locations have NaNoWriMo support groups that let you connect with fellow sufferers writers online and/or in person.

Getting ready

Kristen Lamb’s Blog: In It to WIN It—Preparing for NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month)

I adore Kristen’s blog. She drops pearls of wisdom that are difficult to argue with, including getting ready for the glorious marathon that is NaNoWriMo. This particular post is from last October, but it remains relevant and helpful.

They are not called “growing fluffy kitten touches.” They are called “growing PAINS!”

-Kristen Lamb

Still getting ready

27 things every first time National Novel Writing Month writer will Google

Okay, if you Google “National Novel Writing Month,” this article will likely show up on the first page of search results. Because it’s awesome. And informative. And funny.

#5 How much coffee does it take to kill you?

… Studies show you’d have to ingest about 10g of coffee before it killed you, which is the equivalent of around 50 shots of five-hour energy. So maybe don’t do that.

It also has lots of gifs, and who doesn’t like that?

Getting ready to write

How to Prepare for NaNoWriMo: To Outline or Not To Outline by Brian A. Lems

Let’s face it, a little prep can help you produce something worth editing instead of 50,000 words of word salad that could only be improved by adding E.coli dressing.

Of all the posts and online articles about preparing for this marathon of writerly madness, this is one of my favorites. It’s straightforward and non-scary.

Without prep, that would be my fate.

Tracking your word count

NaNoWriMo 2016 Word Count Calendar by Dave Seah

A downloadable calendar to track your progress and record your word count. He’s actually done NaNoWriMo. And the calendar looks pretty straightforward. I’d use it.

Getting comfortable

BunnySlipppers.com

Because slippers. If the feet aren’t comfortable, the writer isn’t comfortable. Also, they carry more styles than just bunnies.

Also also: Not a paid link. Although I order from them every year. Really, I love these slippers.

Staying motivated

Die Vampire, Die from title of show

What about those pesky voices that tell you you’re not good enough? Sure it’s nice to have your laundry done and your kitchen stocked so you can focus on writing…

But self-doubt is another beast.

Take a listen to Die Vampire, Die. Bookmark it. It might help. It’s funny, it’s true, it’s empowering. I first came across it on a post by Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess. She has some of the best stuff.

***** WARNING: CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE *****

Click image to listen via YouTube.

Ready to get started?

If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, my hat is off to you, my friend. My fingers are crossed, and I’ll be thinking of you (not in a creepy way).

Go forth.

Make your art.

Write your story.

Kick some tail.

You got this.

Okay, we’re all in this together. If you have any other helpful NaNoWriMo to share, please do. Post in the comments.

Honesty Check: I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo this year—again. More on that in my next post.