It’s not long now. Regardless of whether we’re ready or not, NaNoWriMo is less than a week away. It might be a bit late – you might already have your project, novel or otherwise, all planned out.

But for those who still have room to sneak in a little extra planning time before NaNo, here’s a challenge from me to you.

This year, for NaNo, I challenge you to do something you’ve never done before.

The good thing about NaNoWriMo is that it’s relatively self-contained. Thirty days and that’s all you get. It’s great for testing out new ways of doing things, because it doesn’t feel like it has to be forever. Your brain is better at trying new things if it doesn’t feel like the change has to be permanent.

This year, I’m trying a new outlining technique, and I’ve got my worldbuilding notes in a different format. You can pick whatever you like – something as dramatic as writing from a different POV than usual (for example, first person if you usually write in third), or trying to write in the mornings instead of the evenings. Or it can be as simple as trying to set wordcount or time goals between Internet breaks, so you have a bit of structure.

Good luck, don’t forget to stock up on your NaNo essentials, and may the words be ever in your favour.