So you’re sitting there worrying about NaNoWriMo; worried that your plot is all wrong, your characters too thin. Then there’s the task of actually writing 50,000 words. And behind it all is maybe a secret wish that one day, many drafts later, this story will turn into a ‘proper’ book. So much pressure, it’s enough to put you off from even starting.
Stop.
Breathe.

Go write the book only you will love. Don’t worry about market trends or what your friends think is cool. This book, the one you are about to write, is for you and you only!
Try not to cheapen it with word count gimmicks such as listing everything your POV character saw, or irrelevant flashbacks. Write this book for you to love.
And if you start to fall behind don’t worry too much about word count. It’s OK if your book takes you more than 30 days, providing you are continually working on it.
Remember what NaNo is. It’s training on how to do your first draft. It’s to get you into the habit of writing every day. If you don’t reach 50k, that doesn’t mean it will have been a wasted experience. That said, if you follow my advice and write for yourself, I reckon most of you will be over the 50k word target come the end of the November.
Dare yourself to do something different, dare yourself to fail and don’t beat yourself up if you do.
At the end of the day, you are the only thing standing between you and your dreams. But if you want it – truly want it – you’re gonna have to step up your game. Nobody can make you do this but you.
Think big. Become a dreamer but know that dreams are built not by luck or success, but that ability to pick yourself up when you fall and carry on walking.
You can do this. Seriously, you can.
Good luck to all taking part in NaNoWriMo