Is NaNoWriMo a good idea?

Is NaNoWriMo a good idea?

For those of you who don’t know, “NaNoWriMo” is shorthand for the “National Novel Writing Month,” in which aspiring novelists attempt to write a novel of at least 50,000 words during the month of November. That’s 30 days, or 1,666.66 words per day (pro tip #1: don’t try to write exactly 1,666.66 words per day. That 0.66^th of a word is rather tricky).

So is the National Novel Writing Month a good idea? Is it worth the challenge?

First, a little more about the challenge. The website (nanowrimo.org) provides lots of tools to help writers along, including tips, workshops, and tracking and planning software. If you complete the challenge, you get discounts and deals on more workshops, printing services, and editing services. There’s also a forum for writers to chat about their progress and their goals, and some writers even set up times to meet up at a coffee shop and writer together.

So why take on this crazy challenge of writing an entire novel in one month?

1. NaNoWriMo is motivating

 

The biggest challenge for writers is setting goals and then sticking to them. How many times have you put writing a novel on your bucket list, and then said “I’m too busy right now. Maybe next year”? How many times have you started a novel, gotten frustrated, and put it aside for “later,” knowing in the back of your mind that later may never happen?

If you promise yourself you’ll finish a novel by the end of November, you finally have a deadline that you have to meet. Even if you’re accountable only to yourself, that is a huge motivator.

2. NaNoWriMo helps you relax

 

As I’ve noted in this space before, one of the first steps in learning to write is learning to relax. You need to let the words flow on their own, without worrying about the finished product during the first draft.

If you’ve committed to finishing a novel in 30 days, you don’t have time to nitpick. You don’t have time to worry. You’re only goal is chasing that elusive 1,666.66^th word of the day.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. “The Mystery of the Masked Marauder” (my upcoming debut novel) was written as part of NaNoWriMo. I started late, and had only 21 days to finish the whole thing (that’s 2,381 words per day). Instead of letting myself get stressed over this new goal, I decided I would relax. It’s no coincidence that the first time I learned to relax was the first time I produced a novel that I was actually proud of.

A lot of people ask me “How do you not get writer’s block?” My response? “I do. But then I keep on writing.”

When you’re on a tight deadline like this, you have to get something on the page. Can’t think of anything good? That’s okay. Right now, you’re trying to put something down, not something perfect.

My goal this time wasn’t to craft a perfect novel on the first try. That’s an insane amount of pressure. My goal was simply to finish something by the 30 day deadline.

And that is truly freeing.

3. NaNoWriMo is fun

NaNoWriMo isn’t just a way for you to relax about your writing. If you let it, NaNoWriMo can be a lot of fun. Instead of writing to please others, it’s a chance to write for yourself. It’s a chance to explore your own imagination, a chance to see what you’re capable of.

It's also a rush. Challenging yourself like this can be intense, but that's a big part of the fun.

Again, it’s no coincidence that my NaNoWriMo novel became the first novel I chose to publish. I had so much fun writing it that I felt other people would have fun reading it. I highly recommend you give it a shot yourself. Even if you don’t make it to the end, you will have learned a lot about yourself and your writing. It’s a chance to practice. And if you do finish, you may end up with something you’re really proud of.

So how do you do it? How do you manage to write an entire novel in under a month? In the next post, I’ll give you some pointers I’ve learned through the experience to help you tackle NaNoWriMo yourself.