In 2011, I signed up for something I had never tried before: NaNoWriMo, a.k.a. National Novel Writing Month. This ambitious challenge is what it sounds like: You commit to write an entire novel (50k words) in the month of November. As the site explains, “Writing a novel alone can be difficult, even for seasoned writers. NaNoWriMo helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel. Oh, and best of all, it’s free!”
It’s kind of a wild idea when you think about it. Writing 50,000 words in a month breaks down to roughly 2,000 words or eight double-spaced pages a day.
While I enjoyed the challenge, and I did get the first draft of my second novel out of it, life has been nonstop the past eight years (see finishing grad school, getting a job, getting married, having and raising children), and I haven’t done NaNoWriMo since. Well, this year I decided to give it another go, and I am beyond excited!
You don’t have to write a novel.
Wait, what? I mean, sure, that’s built into the challenge’s name, but I know lots of people who participate in NaNoWriMo that use it as an impetus to complete other writing projects. This go around, some wonderful online friends and I are doing it together, and the majority of the group is using it for a variety of other writing projects (dissertation, fanfiction, blogging, etc.). You also could just write in another literary genre, like a memoir or a short story collection. You’re only limited by your imagination. You don’t even have to sign up with the NaNo website (shhh, I won’t tell them). Instead, you could just commit to a writing project for the month of November and bug some friends to either join you or be your accountability buddies.
Make a Plan.
The idea behind NaNoWriMo is that you just write. You don’t stop and edit or do a lot of pondering. Much of the process is just getting the ideas on the page. I honestly don’t know how I did it in 2011 without making any plans or exploring the characters first (being a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed twenty-something might have helped…). This time, I’m doing a little more prep work. I’ve chosen a genre (YA romance), begun building my characters, mapped out a rough overview of the novel, and started plotting chapters (okay, I’m only six in so far, but I think that’s a decent head start!). Did I mention I started a Spotify playlist for my main characters? If only I were kidding…
Get your writing space ready.
My desk has been a hot mess since the spring. I’ve mostly been writing in bed, which isn’t exactly great for my back (see recently entering my late thirties). This week I’ve been decluttering my writing space, and foregrounding inspirational messages and items to help motivate me as I go. I might even open the often-closed curtains so I can gaze out the window (but not daydream too much)!
Keep Your Expectations in Check
The plan is to write every day. But thirty days is a long time, and things come up. Daylight Savings! Thanksgiving! Hello, flu season! Try to stick to your daily goals, but also be gentle with yourself. If there are a handful of days you can’t write, you can make it up on other days when you have more time and energy. The world won’t end if you have to alter your plans.
In the end, NaNoWriMo is what you make of it. If you don’t have or don’t reach a 50k goal, it’s okay! The point is to show up and create.
I’ll add updates here on the blog next month, but you can also follow my progress through my Instagram account, melunwritten. I’m under the same name on the NaNoWriMo site if you want to connect there. T minus two days until it starts!
Happy writing, Plumesters!
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