3 Day Novel Kick-off - Are you READY?

Sep 03, 2021

photo: A. Whitmore

Here we are, some few hours to go before the official start of the 3 Day Novel Contest.

You may be furiously outlining what you are about to work on to bring to “complete novel/la” state.

Or you may be grinding fresh coffee beans, or creating a giant fruit salad to keep you awake. Baking chocolate brownies…

You are about to embark on a most amazing time. A time of emotional swings—from euphoria to doldrums to moments of something resembling balance, as you sit writing, your mind humming. You will experience a year of novel writing crushed into 72 hours.

Think about that for a moment: No small thing. Go lightly with your self!

Food

Eat with optimal brain activity as the goal. Don’t eat foods that make you feel sluggish. For me, that’s anything with flour or sugar.

Then again, I remember making a batch of home-made, veg-infused spaghetti, the first time I did the 3 Day weekend, and even though it took my body and brain some time to digest for a bit of time after each nightly feast, it seemed worth it, because I was well sated for hours.

Nuts are a funny thing. I know we think of them as healthy, but they are work to digest. (And when your body is working to digest, your mind is not as sharp as you might need.) Likewise any form of snack—so long as you nibble, you are keeping your gut working and your brain engaged with the process and work of digestion.

What is it that satisfies but keeps you alert? What is it that makes you sleepy… I find a good bowl of old style oatmeal lulls me. Trust me: when you are in the midst of the marathon, and NEED to sleep, without your brain racing, you might find yourself wanting a bowl of old-time porridge.

But if you want to be wakeful and bright, consider setting aside any snacking, and give your body a break. You know your body: what does it need? Snacking or breaks? Heavy food or light?

There’s nothing like the 3 Day Novel to put you into the mental space of an athlete (yes, jocks can go ahead and laugh at that statement, but it’s true!)

Have some fruit handy. Grapefruit, Granny Smith apples and berries all have the lowest sugar—something to consider.

If your stomach is a bit churny from lack of sleep, anxiety, just all the Wondering that goes into this time, put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a pint glass of water and sip. Seriously.

Anything that can be made ahead of time, do that. OR you may use cooking as a “creative break” time. How do you think you work best? Remember: the weekend is a crash course in coming to understand how you work as a writer.)

Try to think ahead a bit: this weekend is like a hike, so make yourself a thick rich sandwich, so that when you’ve reached the “summit” and are exhausted, something is waiting for you (and that’s the end of your first day… )

Some items to add to your shopping list

avocado — great brain food (canned salmon, if you can’t get or cook fresh, too)

oatmeal — throw in some blueberries

coffee/tea/hot chocolate — faves and maybe try something new—treat yourself—to shake it up a bit; also decaf, if you need, and whatever you take in it—honey, milk, whatever. You do NOT want to run out of these essentials

watermelon — so refreshing. Pre-cut and throw it all in the fridge, ready to go

do buy a couple of treats—or “motivators” — something you don’t usually purchase

Drink

Ah, the enduring myth of the writer in the garret and the glass of… what… scotch?

That said, bring on the winter months, and there’s nothing I like better than a mug of hot lemon ginger tea with buckwheat honey AND a wee bit of, yes, whiskey to sip on the side. That’s evening writing for me, after a productive day. Something of a reward.

But we’re talking 72 hours here, not all long winter months, and if you start to drink… well, the 72 might just pass you by. If you are going to have a glass of something, keep it for the end of the day. I’m guessing that coffee/tea/hot chocolate (how many writers do I know who LOVE their hot chocolate!) is on your list. Time caffeine for optimum advantage.

Ginger beer? A certain juice? Sparkly water? Plain water, but cold?

Keep hydrated.

It is amazing how physically exhausting writing can be.

Sleep

Seriously, make your bed with fresh sheets now, before it all begins. My experience with this weekend: I remember feeling absolutely DONE, and then the minute my head was on the pillow, my mind opened with Thoughts! Way too many of them. (Which is a great reason to have many short naps—I’ll post about that tomorrow!)

But you want to sleep well—at least for a few hours. Then you can get up and continue on. Fresh sheets, favourite pillows. Low music might help turn off the thoughts.

Once in bed, you don’t want to have to get up if An Idea comes your way! Leave a notebook and pen by your bed as well as some means of light—enough to jot notes, but not enough to wake you up. Resist looking at a screen; it really does mess with sleep.

Music

You have a playlist? I see that the 3 Day Novel folks have tweeted playlists—check out—or make up your own now. I generally choose music without words, but it depends. A student of mine once chose a song for each character! And then working through scenes that featured that character, would work accordingly

You might choose tunes according to the setting or mood you’re working with in that section of the novel. If the season in your story is not the current season outside your door, choose music to get you into that space. What is the mental/emotional space you need to be in?

Clothing

Get comfortable. Who knows what the weather will be. You might need a fan or a fave sweater. Get out your fave writing socks.

Desk or table or…

Where do you write? Might you need a change of scene? (Something to think about.)

Pillow on your chair? More than one chair handy?

Lighting?

What about some freshly cut flowers? Some encouraging pieces posted on your bulletin board? A candle for evening work?

Remember the June post about writing and mental health? When I spoke about “ritual?” What ritual might you need around this?

My middle son used to play goal in hockey, and he had a ritual he did after a puck made it past him: he would—literally—shake it off, and then with his stick he would touch the goal posts from one side to the other. I always had the feeling that the motion was like having cat whiskers, and gave him both a sense of placing himself in the pipes of the net, and also “cleaning the slate”—back to square one.

Not getting rattled by the number up on the screen!

When a goal was scored, and I did not see him doing the ritual, I worried; I knew it was getting to him.

What do you need to do, as a writer, to shake off self-doubt or that Thing of not being able to come up with an idea… seemingly. (Of course you can come up with something!)

Think about it: write it down. Post it in front of you.

I’ll post again on Saturday and Sunday. How to come up with more of those ideas! Sleep! Exercise! Taking a fruitful break!

3 Day Novel discussion thread

Throughout the weekend, please post any questions/thoughts/brainstorming in the discussion thread. I will be checking in with frequently!

All right then—off you go!