[ OT ] SatChat : How do you get into the writing zone ?

So `` hi'' I guess, I'm Kendrick! I've been subscribed to this sub for slightly over a year now, and I've been using the time away from classes and exams during Thanksgiving break to get back in the swing of writing. College takes a lot outta ya. 
 
 I'm just a guy from the great state of New York, from a tiny town in the upstate. Fun fact: the population of my town can fit comfortably inside less than half of Mackey Arena ( capacity of 14,000+ ), my University's basketball stadium. 
 
 I've been writing seriously since my sophomore year of high school, and writing creatively since the tender age of ten, with a seven-page doorstopper of a volume that was essentially a rip of the plot from a Snoopy-themed flight sim. Hence my username. 
 
 I literally learned about NaNo this morning, and I do n't think I have enough time to bang out 50k words at an also-recently-learned typing speed of 45 wpm. I use Google Docs to write, mostly because I can access it from anywhere and it saves instantly. 
 
 I do n't have anything to promote, as I've never finished anything long-term that I've written. I *do* have one novel at about 47 % and 80-90k words, but it's still not there. If I was to promote something, I'd like to give a shoutout to /r/shutupandwrite if you have n't heard of them, a place for you to give and get critique on sections of your work. Really great sub, and an underutilized tool IMO. 
 
 To get into the writing zone, I wait for inspiration to strike. Then I find a quiet place, and hammer it out. I *have* to work on pieces in short bursts of focus, because I ca n't devote only a chunk of my attention to it, or the quality takes a nosedive. Music relevant to the subject matter often helps. 
 
 I guess I'd like to know more about NaNoWriMo, what's the prize, rules, etc? I might want to commit to one the month of December, seeing as I have a wonderful story idea that I'd like to try to put to paper.
