Non-food rewards for word count

I'm on Welfare so I can't splash out either. However, I don't think that eating "unsuitable" food for 30 days is going to lead to a major problem, just challenge yourself to a diet afterwards if you're worried!
For me, even a treat-sized bar is a reward as I normally don't buy anything like that. If you want to avoid the food treat, why not think of something you do say once a week that you like, and get an extra session of that? Or don't do any chores for a day... there are plenty of ways to mark your achievement and I'm sure plenty of ideas will be added to this thread. Good luck!

I don't really award myself with anything. To me the reward is my word count <-- sounds corny, but true .

Try rewarding yourself with some times to play on a game or something?

XX

Something else I do - and have done tonight - is to buy a good quality version of a favourite food instead of the cheap, tasteless version. Hmm, just finished a home made chicken madras...

I reward myself with guilt-free internet surfing (and AW time.) I'm getting better at setting and meeting small goals. Part of it is not breaking the 'rules' that I've put into place.

The other side of the coin is that I tell myself if I'm not going to be writing (or doing whatever else I should be doing) then I'd best go do chores. Sometimes, this leads to a clean house. But at least I'm productive in some way.

Think of things you can do or purchase to reward yourself. Surely, there are things besides food that you enjoy. It's not inherently bad to enjoy a little food indulgence... a fun-size bar for reaching 1000 words or something is fine. If it's a handful for reaching 250, that's not so good.

If I finish my work, I let myself watch TV. Or play Bejeweled. Or even go read for a while. But my biggest focus problem is the internet, so it's a good motivator to reach my goal.

Here's my thought.

You're here at AW so you are, most likely, an avid reader.

I know that my reading for pleasure has dropped off precipitously since I began this wacky NaNo thing.

If yours has too, maybe an hour spent curled up with that great book you've been avoiding, or the one in the on deck circle that you've kept yourself from cracking open, would do.

Guilt free indulgence in a treasured activity you've been trying to avoid sounds like a reward to me.

So there's my $.02.

Good luck.

I reward myself every so often but I can't tell you how. It's so disgusting I'd get myself banned.

Any reward so disgusting that even mentioning it would lead to certain bannage sounds like a winner.

Maybe you should PM scarletpeaches.

Or use your imagination (who knows, your version of disgusting might be even better...).

This year my NaNo novel is of the erotica genre.

I live on my own.

You do the math.

I read that rewarding yourself with food puts you at risk of obesity.

I just finished a word war and taking a 10 minute break. I can reward myself with a healthy PB&J sandwich

Remind me not to borrow your Neo.

scarletpeaches said:

This year my NaNo novel is of the erotica genre.

I live on my own.

You do the math.

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Go for it!
(also living alone and writing something that has steamy scenes, if not actually erotica)

The reward might depend on how often you reward yourself. If it's every 500 words you want something small and simple. If it's every 1000 or 5000, you might be able to splurge on something more elaborate. This also depends on whether you're doing a marathon 5000-word day with plenty of rewards, or 1000 words (and thus one reward) a day.

Here are some ideas:

- A bowl of fresh fruit
- A phone call to a friend or family member
- A set amount of time to do something you usually feel guilty about doing: checking AW or facebook or your favorite blog, watching tv or youtube, etc
- A walk around the block with the kids/dog/significant other (or by yourself) to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, and maybe find a little inspiration
- 5-20 minutes of whatever exercise seems fun to you: dancing, yoga, running
- A quick update of your wordcount on nanowrimo.org (or whatever counter you use) and a minute spent swooning over your beautiful progress bar and other summary stats on the nanowimo website.

My "rewards" so far this evening involved clipping my kid's fingernails and folding laundry.

I should try to write less.

I have a massage booked for later this week as my reward for break 50K -- it's a massage school, so it's only $25 for an hour

As for other little rewards, I'm always down loading new music for my Zune as mini-rewards.

I let myself take a bath and go to sleep, otherwise I am chained to the desk.

scarletpeaches said:

I reward myself every so often but I can't tell you how. It's so disgusting I'd get myself banned.

Click to expand...

Oh COME ON. Chatting with me for an hour is not disgusting. I'm glad to see that you're embarrassed of me and of our chats.

*shuffles away to cry*

scarletpeaches said:

I reward myself every so often but I can't tell you how. It's so disgusting I'd get myself banned.

Click to expand...

Is that why you also can't post any of your WIP?

Personally, I don't actually "reward" myself with food, but I do find if I'm at the keyboard for extended periods, I end up munching just to keep myself awake.

If you can call it a "reward," when I've done a certain amount of writing (usually a half hour) I reward myself with an equal amount of time away from the keyboard. I'll do some small chores, or go for a walk. This keeps the weight from ballooning more than it already is, the housework gets done, the writing gets done, and my brain gets a much needed break at regular intervals.

Yeshanu said:

Is that why you also can't post any of your WIP? ...

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I could, but it wouldn't be appropriate for the public part of the forum. It would have to go in the supersecret mods-only laser-covered, barbed wire, security coded, over-21s thread in that supersecret place which isn't even on the AW map.

Ask thethinker42, she's read it.

scarletpeaches said:

I could, but it wouldn't be appropriate for the public part of the forum. It would have to go in the supersecret mods-only laser-covered, barbed wire, security coded, over-21s thread in that supersecret place which isn't even on the AW map.

Click to expand...

It's on the map.


I don't reward myself. Once I start writing, it's not like work. If I have problems I just stop. But then again, maybe that's why I haven't written in awhile. Zero incentives aside from the finished project.

No, not that one. The even supersecreter one.

scarletpeaches said:

Ask thethinker42, she's read it.

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LIES! I would never read such FILTH!!

*e-mails Scarletpeaches the latest chapter in my own erotica-NaNo...*

See, I've started going the other way a bit this year, saying things like (as I write late at night most days, or in the morning after I get home from work) that I can't go to bed until I hit X count.

I've also become a big fan of sprints this year. I'd never tried them before, but they're word count Miracle Grow! lol I save my 'junk' snacking for breaks between sprints. Write 35 minutes, take a ten minute break & a dark chocolate cookie, that kind of thing. In between, I've taken to healthy(er) snacks instead like multi-grain crackers with cheese or peanut butter & apples. Non messy finger food that doesn't leave me feeling all sugar laden & sluggish at day's end. Try a li'l jolt of protein between sugar binges, it helps.

I can understand the lack of cash, I have the same problem. Maybe you could pick something you've wanted for a while & commit to getting it, even tho' you may have to save up a bit? That's what I'm doing. if I hit 50k, I'm getting a season of DVDs of my favorite show, which I've shied away from before as it was a bit on the spendy side. It's something that I can tuck away a bit each payday & have fairly soon after NaNo & it'll be that much cooler as I know it'll be my 'prize' & I'd never get it otherwise.

I have a NaNo friend that's gotten her friends/family to pledge prizes if she wins too. When she crosses the finish she's getting a fancy dinner out from someone, a massage from another & one person promised to pay her 'net bill for a month. Girl's got some niiiice friends, lol. Any chance you can do something like that?

Lying on the bed for a while doing absolutely nothing is what I reward myself with. Doing nothing is great, almost an art that's been forgotten in this modern world of ours, when our subconcious keeps screaming: be productive! be productive! work! produce! do something!

Meh.