Thoughts from the other end of the NaNo line

Well, I have officially been done with NaNo for four days. And like in the middle of the month I have a few insights into NaNo, things I have done, and other random thoughts.

1. Brackets are AMAZGING! If you know what has to happen but don't know how exactly it happens or really want to get to the next scene these are KEY.
2. Write-ins are not necessary. Next to none of my novel was actually written away from home, unless you count the four thousand written at my grandparents cabin in the first Week of NaNo.
3. Just turn the spell checker off. Those annoying red lines will only make your inner editor go beserk.
4. If you are in the mood to write, or have a good idea, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO YOU STOP! This happened for me where I wrote 8,000 words in five hours to finish up my novel. Yes, I am bragging just a little bit there :-)
5. If you arn't going anywhere personal hygine only needs to be taken care of to the point where you do not care. Personally I do not have to shower every day, or even every other day and since I was not going anywhere I gave up alot of shower time to write. Do not worry, that habit will not continue ;-)
6. Clementines when they are not in season are good if you roll them in sugar. After peeling of course.
7. Its better to just put one good song on repeat for hours than to come up with a complicated play-list. I went from song to song with FiveOhFirst, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Projected Twin, Hans Zimmer, and of course Owl City being my main artists.
8. Use the word sprints through twitter. These always boosted my count to where I could write 1200 words in half an hour at times.
9. DO NOT think about what others will think when they read this. I have a few scenes that I will never show the world, or anyone beyond a few VERY close friends. Thinking about this gets you off track and your inner editor comes back.
10. I have eaten over two dozen Candy Canes. They are very yummy and the peppermint is good for creativity.
11. Use a few personal experiances. I was able to incorperate the high-ropes course from my fall retreat in October into the final act of my novel and it made for a great scene!
12. Go ahead and dress like a writer on occasion, not only does it make you feel cool but you just feel like you can take a pen and create something that will be spectacular. Even if it is just a doodle. Personally I like to wear gloves with the fingers cut out, black nail polish, a black hat, and an unbuttoned, oversize black button up over a T-shirt.
13. Even when all your buddies quit, keep going! None of my writing buddies made it past the half-way mark. Yes they all fail ;-)
14. Use your support system! I would not have made it if it weren't for FB friends and of course my delightful Squirrels who were always ready with hugs and cheers.
15. I went through all of my halloween candy.
16. I had to stop and wonder a few times just how demented I was, especially when I wrote Jules (My Main Character) flashbacks.
17. I learned that it is okay to totally screw the plot that you spent a week working on the last week of October. It will work out.
18. And finally I became a novelist. I own bragging writes to writing a novel in twenty-five days and being one of the first one-hundred people done with NaNoWriMo.

Thanks to all for reading my random thoughts,
KMP

P.S. I did not win the EIP fanvideo contest. Oh well, I knew some of the winners and congrats to them!