Eleven days until National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
I've participated in NaNoWriMo every year since 2003. I eagerly await November and gather a stash of Halloween candy beside the computer. It doesn't lose its thrill year after year. It's a wild romance I have once a year with my muse where we let loose and anything goes. Oh, sometimes we have our moments during the year, but November, it's the time set aside for complete creative immersion. I really need it this year after all the editing and revising I've been doing.
Writers usually hate or love NaNoWriMo. I don't understand the hate. I recently listened to one trash not only the whole idea of NaNoWriMo but the acronym as well. What's wrong with the acronym? He's a notorious nitpicker, though.
Here's what the naysayers argue:
- NaNoWriMo promotes quantity over quality. (And it does. It encourages you to stop stressing the details. Leave the editing for later and just write.)
- If you're serious about being a writer, you don't need it.
- November is a bad month for it with the American Thanksgiving and the holidays approaching.
- The stress is too much with such an unrealistic goal.
- Family, friends, work, and everything else suffer while the writer is trying to reach their goal.
Yet those arguments should not deter you. There are so many great things about NaNoWriMo:
- The community. This is the number one reason. The forums, online groups and real life regional groups are fantastic. There's so much support and love. There are write-ins and parties, and motivational emails by famous authors. It gives you great motivation.
- It motivates you to write without worrying about quality. While the naysayers say it's a bad thing, I believe it to be a good thing. No first draft is perfect. It's important you get the story out there first. You can make it pretty later.
- It gives you a clear goal. 50,000 words might seem daunting, but it's not impossible. You can do it. You might surprise yourself with the ease of which you can do it.
- It allows you to let your creative juices run wild. It's such a creative rush! Plus, it gives you a break from the tediousness of editing and revising.
- People have published the books they wrote during NaNoWriMo. Great stories do come out of the frenzy.
I'll be doing it again this year. Every year except last year, I managed to make the 50,000 word count. (Babies take up so much time!) My fastest year was ten days. I'll be happy just to make 1700 words a day this time around. November is National Napping Month for toddlers, right? I'm going to create a general outline for my novel. I don't know if I'll stick to it, but since I have limited time, I'm hoping it will help me keep on track. I'll be writing a paranormal romance with the working title of Sorrow Phage.
If you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, good luck! You can do it. I'll be with you every step of the way. Once the buddy tool is fixed on their site, feel free to add me as a buddy. I'm Kalligenia. Leave me your NaNo name in the comments below too, please.
