Start prewriting now – Whatever your prewriting methodology is, be it a detailed outline or a general concept, the more you know about your story prior to word one, the less time you’ll spend in November asking yourself “What next?”

Brad’s Advice – Know your three act structure, determine where you want to be the end of each act and the general themes you want each act to cover. Creating smaller goals and deadlines will make 50,000 seem less ominous.

Forget spell check – The mindset of many successful NaNoWriMo-ers is that you’re not writing a novel so much as a first draft. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be longer than 50,000 words. The less time you devote to editing while writing, the more time you have to pound the keys.

Brad’s Advice – I love distraction-free word processors. My personal favorite is RubyRoom, but there are free versions available for pretty much every operating system. No red underlines for typos, no grammar checks, just text on screen and a word count.

Take a look at your writing habits – Whether you’ve been writing for years or you’re new to the craft, chances are you’ve already got your personal writing habits. Take a look at which ones work and which ones tend to get in the way. You’ve got ten days to really figure this out and a lifetime to take advantage of it.

Brad’s Advice – Tell your family and friends you plan on competing in NaNoWriMo. Pick a block of time you can devote on a daily basis and “go dark” during that time. Close the door, turn off the IM, email, Twitter et al., After you’ve met you daily goal, power everything back up and let your friends and family know you met your goal.

Connect with other contestants – NaNoWriMo is not easy. There is a very real reason it has an 80% failure rate. And even though the event is described as a competition, you’re not competing against other writers, but rather a word count. Make the most of the shared experience and converse with your fellow contestants. Doing so will allow you to form a support structure with others who understand exactly what you’re going through.

Brad’s Advice – In the age of the real-time web and a million social networks, the NaNoWriMo message board might seem old school, but it’s probably the largest single location to find other contestants. Sign up, it’s free, and start making friends now.

Enjoy the experience – Yes, Orwell says it’s a horrible struggle, and Hemingway has some rather choice things to say about writing a book. But, sometimes you have to thumb your nose at the advice of your elders and just enjoy the ride. Remember, you’re writing this book for you, so have fun with it. Enjoying what you’re writing is perhaps the best method to avoid writer’s block.

Brad’s Advice – Bourbon. Eagle Rare is a 10 year old, single barrel bourbon which usually retails for about $26 a bottle. A couple drinks and most things are enjoyable.