NaNoWriMo – DO IT!

Yes, we’re talking another acronym. One that could change your life, writerly or not.

A Bing search puts it out there:

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which occurs in November each year. An example of NaNoWriMo is the time of the year when a young writer focuses on creating an entire novel within 30 days.

So, Bing thinks you have to be young. At least that’s the chosen adjective. And while the peeps at NaNo do have programs designed to aid the young–that’s younglings–in their creative pursuits, NaNoWriMo is for everyone.

No need to break that down. Everyone means exactly that. (Could be Bing attributes the term young to the beginning writer. But even the veteran author has that spark of youth, otherwise there’d be no sitting down to create that which is new. Young.)

The question is whether or not you want to do it. (See how empowering that is??)

A novel in a month seems daunting. A polished novel absolutely would be as writing is a process. That kind of pressure would send me screaming to the hills, or strapped down and sedated thanks to my loving family who happens to love my cheese staying put and not sliding off the proverbial cracker.

It pays to have keepers ;^)

But NaNoWriMo is a place for the bold, brave, and the why-the-heck-nots to gather and try, for 30 days, to goad, encourage and support one another toward completing a book. That’s a rough draft, people. Spewed out pages organized to the best of one’s ability. The raw material of a finished novel.

Do all get there? No. Do all get published? No. Do all like the process? I’ll let you answer that no brainer.

But like it or not, that’s okay because the idea is to try and subsequently push yourself via breaking up an otherwise freaking scary prospect—that book you say you’re going to write—into manageable pieces. Nano is good for one’s mental health, too. It’s a way for would-be writers to try. Trying lends itself to teasing out what you really want in life. What you’re willing to work for from dreams best left in the ether….if you choose.

That could’a/should’a nagging at 3:00 AM is no fun. So put a sock in it.

NaNoWriMo a great way to form friendships, too. The majority of my critique buddies were discovered via NaNo ventures. And there’s a lot more than writing that gets discussed as the years and NaNos roll by.

Buddy lists built within the program can last a lifetime. And carry you through the rough patches even if those keepers in your life aren’t as loving as they should be. Just sayin’.

Here’s my venture for November 2018:

 

Add me to your buddy list and I’ll be happy to add you to mine.

What have you got to lose? Nothing really except the fear that too often makes us give into those excuses that keep us from some day. But not this November.

Right?

Right!

Plotters and pansters welcome.

Write on!