Is November the worst month to get anything done?
Cross-posted on my website.
Happy November! The season where we’re all trying to recover from the five Halloween parties, twelve trunk-or-treats, and the sugar high (and subsequent crash) the week before. Oh, and this year we had a time change AND a full moon right afterwards. Fun!
Now we get to prepare for an even busier holiday season, the end of the semester and, if you’re me, five family birthdays in a four-week timespan.
It has also historically been NaNoWriMo season, and while NaNo has shut down (more info here), there were at least a few people bemoaning the challenge, saying the ability to write 50,000 words in this particular month was something only those who didn’t have the extra mental load of *waves hands vaguely at the time of year* November could feasibly do.
So…is November the worst month to get anything done? And if so, what does that mean for my draft? But first…
It’s still pumpkin spice season, and I will die on that hill. Pumpkin spice isn’t a Halloween flavor. It’s a Thanksgiving flavor, thankyouverymuch. (But also, I wasn’t able to drink coffee for almost all of September, so I still have half the bottle of flavor syrup on my counter.) But my husband has officially ordered the Christmas spiced coffee, which we will start to drink as soon as the fall spiced coffee is gone. We are transitioning!
Speaking of transitions, I ordered a pink Christmas tree for my office. We moved furniture around and painted over the spring, and now I have space for holiday joy, which I believe will make me…if not happy, then motivated. And yes, my favorite color is teal, but I felt a teal Christmas tree would look strange. Also, all of my branding is pink, and I am doing this in no small part for the ’gram. Let’s be real.
For our weekly activism, I’ll update on Writers Against Hunger later in this newsletter, but if you have money to donate, I would appreciate it! $1 equates to 10 meals. TEN! So every little bit helps. You can donate to me here and see the team page here.
I have never personally participated in NaNoWriMo. Before I started writing novels, it never felt to me like writing 50,000 words in a month would be helpful. It seemed too fast, too rash, and like I’d need to do too much editing…or at least that’s what I said. The truth of it was that—again, this was before I started writing novels—I was afraid to start. Writing that many words was daunting, and I didn’t think I could do it.
But the more criticism I read about the event, the more I was on board with November being the absolutely worst time for it. YES, writing in November is hard. YES, writing that many words (1666 approximately) per day requires focus and time—something that’s a lot harder to come by if you have a job and kids during the holidays. Harder, too, in some ways for those of us on semester schedules where everything needs to be wrapped up in a nice little bow by December 15th-ish each year.
These mostly feminist takes bemoaned the privilege the creators must have had to set up this challenge during the busiest time of year, and I have to agree. (Though a big part of me also thinks you can write 50,000 words any month of the year, so it’s okay if NaNo wasn’t for you! But another big part of me knows how much easier it is to do these things when you have a community of cheerleaders around you.)
Personally, because I’m a teacher, I try to stay away from doing much of anything in the fall. I did write Pumpkin to Talk About in the fall, but that was twelve days of focus in September, which is very different than thirty days of focus in November. I also finished The Write Place in November, but I had started it beforehand and it was my debut. I didn’t even have a pen name or plans to publish it yet. I was free from social media and marketing and all the other constraints I have on me now that my career is a bit more established. (My kid also still napped in the middle of the day when I was writing those two. RIP to that phase.) I’ve never even had a fall release for this reason. My novel writing months have been June, July, and then January through March. Anything that gets written outside of that time is a bonus.
So how am I coping with drafting Not on the Same Page right now?
*laughs hysterically, a little unhinged, and screams into the void*
Sorry. I just needed to crash out for a second.
The good news for me is that, before November started, I had about 40,000 words written, which is about halfway through the book. Exposition is the hardest for me to write because I always feel like it’s so boring, no one cares, I’m a horrible writer, and most people will DNF the book in the first forty pages because it’s too slow.
Luckily, none of these things are true, and also now that that’s out of the way, the rest of the book is going to go a whole heck of a lot faster. And frankly, it doesn’t matter if November is the worst month to be writing all these words. Ya girl has a deadline, so I have to get it done! So what has been helping me? A lot of strategy, actually. If you’re in the same boat, here are some tips:
Just write. I knowwwwwww this is easier said than done. That’s literally what this whole newsletter has been musing about. But you have to carve out time to do it, even if it’s five minutes at a time.
Don’t set word counts. I mean yeah, have goals, I guess. Goals are good. But don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Twenty words are more than zero. One sentence is still forward progress. And, often, once you get one down, you can keep going.
Use your notes or dictation app. Personally, I can’t write full scenes on my notes app or while dictating, but I can outline scenes that way. I can get great ideas and allusions and pieces of dialogue down to come back to later. If you’re like me, this is really important because the busier I get, the less my brain can hold. But I was able to write a scene really quickly yesterday because I dictated the outline in my car on my way to school!
Grab a writing partner. Or an alpha reader. An accountabillibudy, if you will. Someone you trust to read as you go and demand more from you. You won’t want to disappoint them! (Bonus: They’ll provide suggestions as you go, and you’ll end your draft having at least one reader already.)
Avoid the temptation to edit. Unless you need to fix a scene to make something else make sense, keep moving forward. If you get stuck editing too much, you’ll use all your precious time doing that.
See what else can go. Sometimes, something’s gotta give. So, can you offload some social media posts to a friend or PA? Can you send fewer newsletters this month? Can you order food once or twice instead of cooking, or let go of the idea of having a perfectly clean house, or get a babysitter for a few hours of uninterrupted writing time?
Take breaks. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but rest days exist for a reason. You need to turn your brain off every once in a while in order for it to function at full capacity. So build in break time, and actually REST.
Remember, this is temporary. Your life won’t always be this busy. Your kids (if you have them) won’t always be in this phase. Try to enjoy what you can, and keep your eyes on the prize: You are going to feel so proud of this work you pieced together in stolen moments. There’s magic in writing this way!
Cover Reveals!Okay, okay. The moment you’ve been waiting for. LOOK AT THESE GORGEOUS COVERS!!! And sprayed edges!!!! OMG.
Not a Strong Enough Word is coming to ebook on November 11 (next week!) and paperback June 2, 2026. Not on the Same Page is coming to both on August 18, 2026. And you can preorder them now! (The ebook is available EVERYWHERE, including Libby!)
Aside from the sprayed edges and gorgeous new cover, Not a Strong Enough Word will also have a bonus epilogue and updated formatting. I cannot wait for you all to have these books in your hands!
Learn More (and Preorder) Here
Signing Event
I’ll be signing at Well Red Damsel in Wauwatosa, WI on November 15 from 10-12:30 for their anniversary celebration! Natasha has all kinds of awesome things planned, so you definitely should stop by if you’re in the area. I will have books for sale, and I’ll be happy to sign whatever else you bring with you. I hope to see you there!
Writers Against Hunger Update
With SNAP benefits ending for many, I’ve joined Lyssa Kay Adams and several other authors for Writers Against Hunger to raise donations and pledges for Feeding America. This is perfect timing, too, because I will be hopefully in the home stretch and finishing up a draft of Not on the Same Page this month. So, I am asking for donations to support Feeding America (and to help motivate me over the finish line)! You can donate to me here and see the team page here. I am also donating $2 for ever 1,000 words I write in November. So far, I’ve raised about $10!
Common Grounds Audiobook On SaleFor 70% off!!! If you need a new audiobook, snag this one while it’s only $7.50!
Two of my author friends have had recent releases that you definitely need to check out!
Christmas in paradise with my best friend… what could go wrong?
I spend every Christmas Eve with Mateo Sanz. It’s a decade-long tradition, but this year, his family is spending the holidays in the Dominican Republic. Did I mention it’s a destination wedding? Or that his cousin is marrying his ex-girlfriend? Oh, and I offered to fake date him to avoid the god-awful familial pity that’s no doubt following him straight to the Caribbean?
It should be an easy task, except Mateo is not only confident, charismatic, hot as sin, and the kindest man I’ve ever known. He’s also the best friend I’d never want to risk.
But the only way to convince his family this fake relationship is the real deal is through a whole lot of PDA, and when he begins whispering sweet nothings in my ear or holds my gaze even when there’s nobody around, the lines begin to blur.
One thing I forgot to mention? I, Daisy Zimmerman, have been in love with Mateo for as long as I can remember, even though there is no way he feels the same.
It would ruin more than our friendship if my secret were to slip out, and I’m not ready to lose the most important relationship in my life over a fake dating fiasco.
I only have to survive the week in the tropical paradise without letting my feelings for him be known. It should be easy, especially if we’re never alone. All we have to do is keep our hands, mouths, and hearts to ourselves.
We can follow all the rules…right?
The One Final Rule is a fake dating, friends to lovers, Christmas novella set in paradise. This is perfect for fans of Holiday family drama, the one bed trope and feel good romance like The Gift Rarely Given or Hallmark movies.
Alexis and Seth are just friends.
Alexis LeMarche only has eyes for one thing: getting into Yale’s Ph.D. program. But senior year of college is hard enough already, without the pressure from her mom to get a “ring by spring”—a distraction she doesn’t need.
While Alexis is avoiding distractions, Seth Cameronis looking for one. Despite his desire to be an actor, he’s expected to go to law school—a future that’s been planned for him since birth. So when the opportunity to be Alexis’s fake boyfriend for Thanksgiving comes up, Seth is eager to accept the role of a lifetime.
But as the lines between real and fake start to blur, Seth’s long-held feelings reach a boiling point that he can’t control. With the friendzone crumbling, Alexis clings to her grad school plan—which doesn’t include falling in love. Can Seth go from stand-in boyfriend to the leading man of Alexis’s heart?
I hope you are all having a great (if busy) November so far! If you have other tips for coping with the busy-ness of the season, let us know in the comments!
Happy reading,
Allie
