I’ve managed to stay above par all week, although not much above. (I was two words over it when I went to bed last night.) Things are starting to pick up some now though (I’ve written over a thousand words so far this morning) so I’m hoping to get that much-need cushion built up before I go back to work.
(I have no idea when “back to work” is going to be now, as it’s looking like the kiddo might not be discharged tomorrow as planned, but I hope to have more information by the end of the day today, or at the latest some time tomorrow.)
It really helps to have accountability partners. There’s a thread in my local NaNo FB group for it, and another friend and I are posting excerpts from what we’ve written each day, even if it’s crap (which most of mine is).
Another help is to have a reward system. I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about being a jigsaw puzzle addict and that I can spend far too much time on JigZone. Well, the new rule is that I can’t do the puzzle of the day until I hit par. And I can’t do a second puzzle unless I’m at least one thousand words over par. (For every thousand words over par I get to do one extra puzzle.) (So far I haven’t done any extra puzzles.)
My current problem – if you could call it that – is that I really like this minor character that I’m working with now, and, unfortunately, he’ll soon be out of the story and he’s not in the series. I don’t have enough to give him a spin-off and I’m not sure I can use him elsewhere in a different guise.
Oh, and Zin, one of my main characters, still doesn’t have a full first name and his son still has no name at all and now there’s a possible character rebellion brewing further down the line involving Zin’s wife and his Warder.
*sigh*
Gotta love NaNoWriMo…
Novel Notes 
At least you can manage to hold yourself to a reward system. I can’t. Someone else is trying to hold me to one this NaNo.
I’m not happy with my reward system. I set it up as if I had money, which I don’t. I’m still above par because I’ve got deadlines to meet, but the rewards aren’t motivating me.
What’s working is having sprints with two newbies who’ve never attempted NaNo before. They used to write in high school all the time but haven’t since. Ten plus years. That and livestream write-ins with people all over the world.
It sounds like you’ve gotten a good rhythm going…congrats!
Warning…Quartz is eyeing your minor soon to be ex-character as a possible guest visitor for Secondary Characters Speak Out. (His blog, which he insists on running at the Forbidden Cauldron and my Facebook Author Page). :)
I think you should give Quartz his own blog.
He’s got Secondary Characters Speak Out. That is his monthly blog, although he’s always sulking, stomping, and demanding more. :)