Last month, I signed up for late nights and early mornings of frantic writing, taking part in the thrilling chaos that is National Novel Writing Month. In National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, writers challenge themselves to write fifty thousand words over the course of November. May aspiring novelists participate to complete the first draft of a novel, but NaNoWriMo motivates writers to commit to the habit of writing every day.
As a participant of NaNoWriMo in prior years, I eagerly awaited the month of November. Though the experience can be chaotic, stressful, and daunting, especially as coursework seems to increase as winter break approaches, I continue returning to NaNoWriMo because it convinces me to prioritize writing. Though classes and extracurricular activities may get in the way of writing sometimes, I always consider November as my writing month. During November, the craft takes precedence over nearly everything else, so I work to achieve my goals so I feel comfortable engaging in other activities.
Even beyond the month of November, NaNoWriMo inspires a dedication to habit. Each year, I feel more motivated to write in the weeks that follow NaNoWriMo, and writing feels easier because I have reminded myself how it feels to write consistently every day. The satisfaction of seeing all of the content written through the course of the month helps, too, and the motivation — the communal aspect of the event — brings its significance beyond the personal.
Though the individual determines whether they will participate, NaNoWriMo becomes most engaging when it connects the community. I went to local NaNoWriMo events for the first time this year, and they enriched the experience of writing, often a solitary practice, to include and embrace the community. Meeting other local authors of all ages and scheduling designated writing times with friends turned the month from a potentially solitary, distancing experience to a unifying connection to the local writing community.
Even if you are not a fiction writer, you can apply the core elements of this month of frantic writing to your own interests and goals. I continue to engage in NaNoWriMo because it motivates me to practice my craft every day and to prioritize the art of writing. Along with cultivating my personal interests, NaNoWriMo encourages me to become an active member of a community with people who enjoy the same things that I do. November reminds me to engage in my interests daily, and sometimes that extra motivation is just what you need to put the pen to the page.