There’s one good thing about having NaNo during November: Thanksgiving. Yes, I know Thanksgiving can be a huge interruption when you’re heading down the homestretch of NaNo, especially if you’re behind on your goal, but the holiday can also provide a huge bonus…
Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday of the year in the U.S. You know what that means? Lots of vacant house and offices! No, I’m not saying to break in and loot them. I’m suggesting you take the opportunity to find a cozy place to hide out and write.
This is actually my best-kept writing secret: create your own writing retreat by house-sitting. If you think about it, it makes a whole lot of sense. The “shoulds” all around you are not your own (laundry, bills, etc.) but you have all the amenities of home (bed, shower, food, desk, comfy chair, etc.). It’s the perfect environment for cranking out the writing and reaching your NaNo goal, even if you just go over for a few hours each day to “water the plants.”
If you’re not able to house-sit, there are lots of offices vacant for the holiday. If your day-job is closed, think about writing there. You can also ask your friends, family, and neighbors if they can [legally] give you access to their empty place of business over the holiday.
If you are the one traveling, all’s not lost. Travel these days is resplendent with “down time.” Whether you’re flying, driving, busing or training it to your destination, you’re going to have a ton of waiting time and transit time to get your writing done. Bring your headphones or earplugs (and perhaps a sign to wear around your neck warning people not to bother you) and get to work! If you’re the one behind the wheel, consider bringing a tape recorder or bribing a travel companion to take notes so you can still make good use of the time.
Now all you have to do is figure out how to beg out of doing the Thanksgiving dishes. You didn’t hear it from me, but a “headache” (perhaps even a migraine!) immediately following dinner can give you the out you need to huddle up by yourself in a dark, quiet room and write. After a couple of hours you can emerge “cured” and do the dessert dishes, which will help you save face while being a lot less time-consuming.
So today take a few minutes to devise a plan for making the impending Thanksgiving interruption into bonus writing time. Try to keep it legal, and do what you gotta do to appease your family, but don’t let Thanksgiving be an excuse to take time off from your writing. Unless you get a real migraine. Then I’m afraid you’re on your own.
Delve Into NaNo 