The cool breeze, pumpkin spice everything, hot chocolate and cider, carving pumpkins, the changing leaves, Mosquitoes die in the cold pits of—oh there I go again getting away from myself.
It's fall! *canned cheering*
Which can only mean one thing for writer-ly types: NaNoWriMo approaches!!
This year will be the fourth time I have competed in the challenge and the second time I plan on writing two novels in 30 days. I have also participated in their summer program Camp NaNoWriMo several times.
There are so many positive aspects to this program, not the least is providing materials and support to schools and libraries across the USA. They have turned the month of November into a celebration of literary abandonment and the joy that is writing.
The concept is simple: write a brand new novel that totals 50, 000 words in the 30 days of November. So if you break that down, the daily goal is 1,667 words every day. Something that's a little more "bite sized", but at the end of the month you either have a completed novel, or at the very least, the start of one.
I will, of course link their website at the end of this post for curious clicking.
Below are just a few of the reasons that I really love, and support this program.
1.) It is a month completely dedicated to literary events that center around writing. It is one month out of the year that can give people the excuse to say "Not right now, I'm writing". Finding the time to work on your writing can be difficult for many people from many different walks of life. From the college/HS student, to the workaholic, to the stay at home parent. Finding even 30 minutes to yourself can be hard to find. But just once a year, telling your loved ones that you're concentrating on hitting a goal as lofty as writing a novel in a month gives credit to your efforts, and gives you a concrete timeframe.
2.) The challenge is fantastic for learning how to set a big goal, and break it down into smaller bite sized pieces. Most people, if not all, know that in order to attain a larger goal you should break it down into smaller steps. NaNo does that for people. It can be a stepping stone to working on other projects, both writing and non-writing related. You just wrote a book in a month, why not start that walking routine? Or saving money? Or eating just one more serving of fruits/veggies instead of the french fries? NaNo can be a spring board for other great habits, both with intangible and tangible rewards.
3.) NaNo brings together people in a way that I have yet to experience elsewhere. The site has the option to make a "region" your home location. Within that region there is a forum where people, anyone in the region, can start a "thread" or conversation. Other members can comment and even set up public meetings called "write ins". Usually Write Ins are held at coffee shops or libraries. They are events where the writers come, get food, drink, socialize, and best of all write! Writing can be such an isolating activity, NaNo combats that with the forums and local write ins. Writers now have a "built" in community of people who understand the ups and downs of writing. I met my entire writing group through NaNo, and they are honestly my best friends, mentors, and editors.
4.) One of the fantastic aspects to NaNo that I love is that it promotes writing to EVERYONE. Not just people who have been writing for years, or even went to school for it. But EVERYONE. That cashier at the local CVS? She has a story to tell. Your pastor? He has a story too. The Barrista at the local coffee place? The same. Creativity is not limited to people who have always been writing, it is for ANYONE who has ever had the thought "I could/should write a book." Writing is one of those activities where it doesn't matter your age when you start, unlike say Football. If you have a story in your mind, write it. NaNo encourages that.
5.) At the end of the month, whether you've written the 50,000 or 5,000 you have the feeling of accomplishment. You've attempted, or met a goal that not many people actually try to do. If you hit the 50k you'll feel like a winner. If not, even if you wrote 2,000 words you've still written 2,000 words that you hadn't before. No matter what happens during the 30 days, everyone who participates, who tries for this large goal, everyone can feel proud of themselves.
If you are a more serious writer, of course you could and should write throughout the rest of the year. But why not participate in something that is so exciting and brings so many different people together using the one thing they all love?
I for one plan on participating every year unless serious life events challenge that. But even then I'll probably still find a way to write extra during November.
NaNoWriMo site: http://nanowrimo.org/
