Here's my list of preparations:

http://stefanm.blogspot.com/2010/10/nanowrimo-is-coming.html

*Coffee, coffee and more coffee.

*If you have a laptop, prep your flash drive and stake out a comfy seat at the local coffee bar. PLant your butt mark on it so that when you arrive, people know it's yours.

*Don't re-read what you've written except to pick up the thread from the previous day. Do not edit.

*Have snacks and drinks handy at your writing station.

*Prep your favorite writing music, make playlists. Load your Mp3 or media player, or both. Do whatever you need to do to hit play and ignore. You can have an action scene playlist, and a comedic one, and a soft one, but have them ready.

*Don't sweat if you don't make your word count one day. You can make it up the next.

*Have your opening scene in your head. You can sketch out a practice version to make sure it feels like you're starting in the right place. A good start always helps.

*Make notes where you leave off as to what you're supposed to write next. Less backtracking. Consider putting these notes in a different color for ease of identification.

*Make a space at the end of your document for edited scenes. Sometimes you have to cut things but those words still count. Copy and paste them at the end so they'll be out of the way but contribute to your overall wordcount. I also suggest putting your edited scenes in a different color - something pale.

*Keep a good sense of humor. It's just a game.

And for those who didn't go to a Nano meeting, there's a writer's block rock you can get. An inch or two size rock with something painted on it. If you have writer's block you can try different tricks with it. Like rubbing it three times. Put it in your shoe and walk around.

* I wrote Chapter One in October. No, that chapter doesn't count towards word count, but I put enough hooks in there that I wanted to come back and write chapter two. Last year it took me an hour to get a good first sentence. Did I say I don't like pressure?

* Add a hook whenever you want to stop. This will keep you going, and also help for the next day.

* Picture the next scene, but don't block out what happens after that. Follow your inspiration.

* Pretend no one will ever read it. Not your mom, not your friends from High School. Not your husband. Just write what feels true. Write only for yourself.

* Children's television. Video games. And my favorite, Naptime.