A very underrated tool in the NanoWriMo toolkit is sleep. If your body does not get enough sleep, your brain will not be able to focus on what you’re writing. You will become grumpy and annoyed with your project. In other words, a lack of sleep is an open invitation to writer’s block. This is usually the point where the blogger starts talking about all-night writing sessions fueled by coffee, tea or the caffeinated beverages of their choice.

I don’t drink caffeine anymore. A couple of years back, I notice that I had trouble focusing on what I was writing during NanoWriMo when I drank even a single can of caffeinated soda. So I stopped drinking it, and since I didn’t like the taste of coffee or tea, I didn’t drink either of those instead. I’m not going to say that you shouldn’t drink caffeine, because I know it works for some people, and it is definitely too close to NanoWriMo to try quitting caffeine, because it’s no fun to trying to write with the “caffeine withdrawal” headache. But please try to remember that it is no substitute for a good night’s sleep.