Come on and Get your NaNo on

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month (otherwise known as NaNo). The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Now I know it's pretty late to be starting now (you'd need to write more than two thousand words a day), but why not aim to write 10,000, 5,000, or 1,000 words in your own mini "novel" this month? 1,000 words is only a page and a half to two pages single spaced depending on dialogue/how often you indent. Don't worry about the quality of it right off the bat. Strive for the quantity first, and brign the quality later. That what those of us going all the way out for fifty thousand have to do, so why not pretend you're writing a novel?
Here's some tips for getting your word count:

1. Just write
The word goal will never come if the paper stays blank or you keep deleting. Let it all out, then go back and fix your whirl wind.

2. Set time line goals
Since I started three days late, I'm aiming for 2,000 word per day. At some points, it can be really hard to get that next hundred words, but then another 300 hundred will just fly off your fingers out of no where. If you want to get 10,000 by the end of this month you'd only have to write 450 words a day, 5,000 you'd need 210 per day, and 1000 you'd need a measly 50 words per day.
The paragraph above is eighty words and took me less than two minutes to write, you can definitely have time to write a 1,000 word story this month.

3. Hold your story with an open hand
Have a general idea for the plot, but don't hold yourself rigidly to your preconceived notions and let the story lead you where it will. You may surprised, and may very be pleased with the results.

4. Stretch your word count
This will apply more to 10,000+ stories, but there are little things you can do to extend your word counts. Write out contractions (not so much in dialogue), instead of saying "them" or "they" say "Sara and Tom" or "my brothers", write out numbers. 147 counts as one word, but one hundred (and) forty seven is 4 (or 5) words.

5. Show don't tell!
"I was nervous" is three words, but "I chewed on my nails, and tried to act relaxed, but I felt ready to spring at a moments notice" is eighteen.

Try your hand at some creative writing this month, and good lock with your artistic endeavors!