Now that spooky season is soon coming to a close and November is looming, I thought this would be a good time to talk about NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Thousands of people around the world participate and try to write a full novel, or 50,000 words, in the month of November. You can actually write a novel, or use the platform as a tool to help you to write every day. Some people even use this as an opportunity to edit a piece they already have in the works.
On the organization’s website you can announce your novel, track your word count, win badges and communicate with friends about your progress. And if you win (AKA if you hit the 50,000 word goal by the end of the month), you win a bunch of prizes, most of which are discounts for fun writing software.
NaNoWriMo is a really awesome motivational tool for anyone interested in creative writing. There are a number of online tools provided by the site to help with motivation, inspiration and execution, and you can connect with other writers in your area for write-ins. The community support is really helpful to push you to achieve your goals and write your ass off, because you get to show others what you’ve accomplished, and get feedback and encouragement.
It can be daunting to think about writing a novel in a month, especially when that month is right in between midterms and exams, and it can be scary to think about the final word count and the amount of work it’s going to take to get there. However, in my opinion, it can be really motivating to write with a community. It provides accountability, inspiration, and support when you know there is a large group of people going through the same thing that you are. Plus, at the end of the month, no matter how much writing you actually get done, it’s more than you would have done if you hadn’t given NaNoWriMo a try.
October may be coming to a close soon, but there’s still time to plan out a project before November 1st. If you have ever thought about writing a novel or are looking for an opportunity to write more on a regular basis, this is your opportunity to give it a try with the support of thousands of people behind you.
I believe in you, and happy writing!
If you’re interested in participating, check out NaNoWriMo’s website: https://nanowrimo.org