I hope you're having as much fun with NaNoWriMo as I am! Everyone is doing such an amazing job so far. I had my typical slower start, while getting to know my characters and story better. Now, I hit the stage where the words are flying onto my computer. What an incredible feeling!

Here are a few more NaNoWriMo tips I hope will help on your journey toward a 50,000 word novel by November 30th.

1. If you’re typing a little slower than you’d like, try to remember that this is a first draft—it’s not meant to be perfect. In fact, I think it’s impossible to make it perfect. So get plenty of BIC time (butt in chair), and write, write, write. Let the words flow, and try not to edit them too much. There’s plenty of time to revise later. This fast-paced writing will probably add many wonderful surprises, like humorous scenes your internal editor might have nixed, and plot twists you never would have considered until they magically appeared in your manuscript.

2. Think about your story and characters during the day…when you’re driving, in the shower, before you go to bed. And keep paper nearby, because I have a feeling you’ll keep discovering new things about your characters and their story, even when you’re away from your computer.

3. Did an unexpected character pop up? If you want to quickly find a great, current name for your characters, check out this social security site: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/names2000s.html

4. If you haven’t started NaNoWriMo yet, don’t be afraid to jump in at any time. I was revising a novel when I participated for the first time in 2006, and didn’t think I’d be able to take the plunge. (Okay, maybe I was a little scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it, too). But on November 7, I was thinking about my synopsis while getting ready for a party, when a brand new novel idea hit me. I ran downstairs to create a file of notes, and couldn’t stop typing. (Yes, I was late to the party. Very late! But it was worth it.) I ended up writing 60,000 words from November 7 through the 30th that year. So sit down, and write, write, write. I love NaNoWriMo because it forces us to set aside more writing time than usual—so even if we don’t hit that 50,000 word goal, we’ll still have more accomplished by the end of the month than we would without the NaNo push. Which makes us all winners!

Here is one of my favorite tips. Don’t forget to celebrate each milestone! So many of you have written over 10,000 words in the past six days. When I first started writing, I only wrote picture books…until one idea sprouted wings and surprised me. I kept typing and typing, not sure what I was creating…until I hit 10,000 words and realized that I was actually writing my first middle grade novel. I jumped out of my chair and danced around the room. Now, I do a happy dance for every 10,000 word milestone. You can also do something special for yourself—get a massage (which feels amazing after hunching over your computer all those hours), take a hot bubble bath, buy a favorite treat, get a manicure, eat lunch out with friends…whatever works for you.

I’m sending lots of good (and fast) writing vibes your way, and can’t wait to hear more about your NaNoWriMo novels!