If your plan is to totally crush it at NaNoWriMo or NaNonFiWriMo(National Non-Fiction Writing Month) you have got to have a plan. There is no other way that you can maintain your focus and energy for such an intense challenge without one and your productivity will not be at its best. The checklist I have for you will help you come up with a winning strategy that will ensure your mindset stays positive and your enthusiasm remains high during the event, regardless of what else might happen in November – life has a funny way of throwing things at you when you least expect them!

Step One – Be clear about your goals and project

Before you start the event, you need to be very clear about your project:

Subject – what is your book about?

Market – who are you writing for? Do you have an ideal reader in mind?

Benefits – what will your book provide readers?

Angle – how are you going to make sure that your ideal readers are targeted and that they get the benefits you want? And how are you going to do this while making sure your novel is different from similar books?

Structure – how is your book going to be structured? What will be in the table of contents? What about the sequence of chapters and subchapters? Is it logical? And how is your book going to be broken down into chapters?

Story – what direction is your story taking? What points in the story do things change? How will your character progress and change from the first chapter to the last?

Scope – how many words will you have written when its all over? How much do you need to write each day or each week to meet the target?

This is quite possibly the toughest part of the preparation and will take the longest time.

Step Two – Determine your research

This is one area where many writers get side-tracked. They come to a point in their writing where they need to stop and do some research. Instead of sitting down to write for two hours, you find yourself doing the research and your writing time gets away from you. Stop this by doing all your research upfront – get everything you need to start writing BEFORE you start writing!

Step Three – Commit to a daily writing schedule

Before NaNoWriMo starts, get your calendar and block out a set amount of time per day in November – this will be your writing time. Think hard about any sacrifices you may need to make to find the time to write for longer than you normally would. Make this a firm commitment every single day – a daily appointment in your diary that cannot be canceled.

Make sure you block out enough time to meet your quotas, be they daily or weekly, and don’t forget to add in some extra time just in case you get behind for one reason or another. And don’t forget to let your family and friends know you won't be quite so available in November.

Step Four – Clean your workspace

This is important – the day before the event starts, clear your workspace and organize it so that you have everything to hand. There is nothing worse than a cluttered desk, not being able to find what you need – it all wastes precious time.

Step Five – Keep your focus

To get through NaNoWriMo, your attention must be focused all the time. Think about any distractions you might face and work out how you can eliminate them or reduce them. You have a set time to write in – your focus cannot wander.