1. NaIgnoNaNoWriMo: Just ignore all the NaNoWriMo hoopla and hype. Pretend you didn’t read this or anything else about the writing frenzy that occurs every November. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s almost impossible to ignore NaNoWriMo anymore. But you can say you did. I promise not to tell anyone otherwise.

2. NaNanoWriMo: In the short time remaining, craft some kick-ass nano fiction. Whether it’s five words or fifty, nano fiction is an art form. Despite their extreme brevity, nano pieces should still convey, directly or by inference, the five main elements that make up a story: theme, setting, plot, character and conflict. One of my favorite examples is a six-word story I wrote for a contest a few years ago: “Relief came, then tears: ‘It’s benign.’”

3. NaY’KnoWriMo: Y’know, sprinkle the phrase ‘y’know’ liberally throughout y’know, whatever you’re, y’know, writing. You may not reach, y’know, the word count goal for, y’know, the entire month in, y’know, part of one day, but, y’know, at least you tried.

4. NaLoNaNoWriMo: National Lose National Novel Writing Month. This option—announcing that you’re going to undertake NaNoWriMo with every intention of losing, e.g., not reaching the 50,000-word goal by the end of the month—has become increasingly popular. It’s a sly way of declaring victory because you reached your goal of not reaching your goal. And the good news is, it’s not too late to state that you intended to lose NaNoWriMo all along. Let the winning commence!

5. NaWhoaWriMo: Struck by the realization that there are mere hours left of NaNo 2017, utter a strangled “whoa!” which sounds eerily reminiscent of the catchphrase from the ’90s TV series Blossom. Then spend the precious remaining time watching Blossom reruns online.

6. NaMoWriMo: Check out more options in 17 Alternatives to NaNoWriMo (linked below). Share your own ideas for dealing with NaNoWriMo in the comments. Thanks for reading!

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