National Novel Writing Month—also known as NaNoWriMo—has finally come once again and thousands of writers across the globe find themselves enraptured in the highly awaited annual event! For those who do not know, NaNoWriMo happens every November and is when you write every single day in November in order to produce a draft of 50,000 words. I know it sounds insane and there are so many challenges to face along the way!

These challenges can really put a damper on your ability to write and can sap your energy pretty early on in the game. That is why I have seven strategies to use in order to keep up the excitement for NaNoWriMo this year:

1. Make a Pinterest Board

Pinterest is a person’s best friend, and it isn’t just full of quick DIY crafts or cookie recipes. Pinterest is a treasure trove of creativity and inspiration. Scrolling through pictures and prompts can really get those writerly juices flowing and it can be really exciting when you find something that sparks a new idea! I always turn to Pinterest when I’m stuck and it is a great way to weasel out of a pesky plot block, something we do not have time for during a time-crunching event like NaNoWriMo. It’s the perfect place to keep ideas organized and makes a great reference if you're writing historical fiction, fantasy, etc.

2. Talk to friends about your plot

Keeping your story in your head and all to yourself is good at first; it needs to blossom into something three-dimensional and fleshed-out first. But sometimes if you keep it inside too long, you can grow bored with it.

Telling friends about that awesome idea that has been rattling around in your noggin for years, months, weeks, days, or maybe even just hours can pump some new energy into it. If you are talking with other writer friends, they may even have suggestions for you so that you can develop your plot even further! Plus, just talking about your work-in-progress can kick up the adrenaline.

3. Spontaneity can be your best friend!

Like a lot of my writer friends, I am most definitely a planner! I always thoroughly plot my idea before I even put down the first word. However, knowing every single minuscule plot point can get boring after awhile. Don’t be afraid to trail away from your original outline! Embrace a new character that randomly pops up and you end up loving; write that adventure you didn’t originally plan for your characters to embark on; take a leap because it may surprise you in the best way possible.

I understand the struggle people may have with deviating from an outline you labored over for months and months. But if you are feeling a little iffy about your work-in-progress, a dash of unexpected surprise is a surefire way to get your heart back into the story.

4. Create aesthetic boards

I personally didn’t even know what an aesthetic board was until the end of September when one of my friends introduced me to them, and I immediately fell in love! It is when you take a series of pictures and make a collage out of them in order to reflect a character, a relationship, a settling, or the plot of your story. They are so fun to make and I’ve found myself spending more time making them than actually writing! Plus, aesthetic boards are great ways to get to know your story better visually and make a great quick reference when you don’t have time to sift through an entire Pinterest Board. I recommend Pixlr or Canva to get started!

5. Make realistic goals

Even though people are supposed to write 50,000 words in the month of November, we are all incredibly busy people, and unfortunately life doesn’t stop so we can take these 30 days to write. So whether you hit 50k, 30k, 15k, or even 5k, what matters is that you tried your hardest and had fun along the way. Yeah, it sounds cliche, but NaNoWriMo is supposed to be a fun experience as well as challenging! Getting words on the page is the true heart of this event.

6. Write with friends

Get some friends together a few times a week and write together! Bouncing energy off of one another can really help you get into the zone. Plan specific times where you and your friends plan on writing nonstop during a short span at certain points of the day. It doesn’t have to be long. Plan with a pal to write for maybe ten minutes straight once or twice in a day. You’d be amazed how much you can get done, and doing this with someone can give you the extra encouragement you may need. You don’t even need to be sitting with each other. You can be in totally different rooms, towns, states, or countries; as long as you are doing it together!

7. Don't forget why you're doing this!

And please don’t forget why you’re doing this in the first place: to have a good time! National Novel Writing Month isn’t just about getting a crap ton of words down in thirty days; it is about having a good time while doing it. Remind yourself that this is supposed to be fun and not a chore. Some days it may feel more like a chore than other days, but ultimately we do this for the thrill of the journey and the awesome feeling we will have by December 1st. So good luck everyone and Happy NaNoWriMo!