You’ve got 30 days to write 50,000 words. Today is day fourteen of NaNoWriMo 2017, which means that you should be somewhere around 25,000 words if you want to be on track to hit 50,000 words by the end of the month. While hitting the mid-point of NaNoWriMo is cause for celebration, I’m here to talk about what no one wants to really admit, and that’s the fact that you’ve come down with mid-book syndrome. If you’ve been watching my videos for a while you know that mid-book syndrome if what I call when you’ve hit the middle of your book and you’re just not feeling it anymore. Sound familiar? Let’s look at the symptoms:

  • Loss of inspiration
  • Telling yourself your novel is hopeless
  • Beginning to contemplate giving up on your novel
  • Staring at a blank Word document
  • Avoiding your novel
  • Writing really boring scenes/chapters

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then it’s time to find a cure!

I usually break down the cure into two options.

1- The first option is to just push through your writing. Just keep putting words down on the paper. It doesn’t matter if they’re good or not because as you keep writing you’ll find your groove again. You can fix your bad writing after NaNoWriMo is over and you’ve finished your first draft.

2- The second option is a dangerous one to explore during NaNoWriMo, but it may be useful none the less and that’s to walk away from your writing. Under normal circumstances, I would say to walk away from the rest of the day or more, but in the case of NaNoWriMo, maybe just give yourself a short, timed break. If you walk away from your novel for a day, it may grow into multiple days, and then you’ve caught writer’s block and now you’re way behind in NaNoWriMo. When it comes to taking a break, don’t take a break for more than an hour. Start off by setting a timer on your phone and taking a break for just fifteen minutes. When the timer goes off, time to try writing again.

Here are some things you should try during your short break to help get some inspiration:

  • Watch some AuthorTube videos 
  • Visit my Instagram page where I’ve been acting as a writing coach
  • Listen to my podcast, Basics of Writing a Novel, to get into the writing mood!
  • Create a board on Pinterest of anything that may inspire you to your novel/writing
  • Have a snack
  • Go for a walk
  • Read your favorite book to remind yourself what good writing looks like

These are just some of the things I like to do to keep myself inspired when I have mid-book syndrome.

Let me know in the comments below what you do when you’re stuck or have writer’s block!