Let’s Talk About NaNoWriMo!
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
If you’re on social media and follow anything book related, you likely have seen the acronym NaNoWriMo kicking around this month of November. But what is this thing writers are talking about? Rising Action is here to explain!
What is It?
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It began all the way back in 1999. It’s not a complicated idea but can be a bit of a challenge to complete. All you need to do is write 50,000-words of a new novel in thirty days. For seasoned writers of serial novels, this is a snap, but for those just starting out or those who struggle with writer’s block or making time for their writing, this is a worthy goal.
NaNoWriMo is hosted by NaNoWriMo.org, a website where you can track your progress.
What do you get?
You mean, on top of the satisfaction of completing? If you track your word count on the official website you do win something tangible. You get a badge you can put on your website as well as various discounts to writer-related tools and courses.
The community aspect is also a major part of NaNoWriMo. Not only on the webpage itself but a lot of #WritingCommunity on Twitter post updates about their #NaNoWriMo goals and success. They ask for inspiration, complain about frustration, and help one another out. If you haven’t checked it out, the writing community on Twitter is quite a friendly place.
How Hard is it?
I will admit, there was a time when I was employed as a ghostwriter for Romance novels. I wrote 50,000-words in three weeks (twice, then I quit). Was it hard? Yes and No. It wasn’t too difficult in the sense that while I did care about the mechanics of the narrative, it wasn’t a story born in the depths of my soul. I find it much harder to write 50,000-words of a novel I care about more than one that gives a pay cheque.
While I would love to participate, I am not doing NaNoWriMo this year. I’m in the middle of a novel right now and would rather focus on it than a new project. And with a toddler and an infant at home, and Rising Action projects, I don’t have the time on weekends or evenings to get through that many words. Is this an excuse? Maybe.
If you’re looking to start a NaNoWriMo project, check out the website and the hashtag on Twitter. You’ll find tons of inspiration. Good luck! Let us know if you succeed!