For some, November is the month of Thanksgiving, pumpkin spice lattes, and putting up Christmas decorations way too early. For writers, though, it's the month of NaNoWriMo! NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it's essentially a challenge where writers are enlisted with the task of writing 50,000 words within the span of one month.
With October nearing its close, what better time than now to inspire my fellow writers to give NaNoWriMo a try? Here are five reasons I highly recommend participating in NaNoWriMo to any aspiring novelists out there.
1. It's good practice for scheduling your time for writing.
As a college student, it's slowly becoming more and more difficult for me to find time to sit down and write. With that in mind, since NaNoWriMo is such a big-time investment, scheduling is crucial. NaNoWriMo is your opportunity to get your first taste of scheduling your time the way a professional writer would. The key is to find a schedule that works for you, whether that means writing in small bursts daily or large chunks weekly. If you're pursuing a career in writing, participating in NaNoWriMo is a great way to practice your time management.
2. You learn to write without overthinking every word.
One problem that I and plenty of other writers have is overthinking. I can't count on one hand the number of times I hit backspace while writing a scene. When it comes to NaNoWriMo, it's not about producing a polished final product. It's about pouring as much of your thoughts and ideas onto the page as you can within the span of a month, so there's no need to worry about whether or not it's a masterpiece just yet. NaNoWriMo teaches writers to keep moving forward, which is a lesson that will benefit you even outside of NaNo.
3. It's the perfect excuse to finally get the ball rolling on a W.I.P..
All writers have that one project they've had on the backburner for, like, ever but never gotten around to starting. Sure, you've got a lot of it outlined, but you just haven't had the time or the motivation to sit down and start writing it for real. Well, have no fear, because NaNoWriMo is the perfect time to dust off that old work-in-progress and let it finally see the light of day! There's nothing that feels quite as good as finally capping off the first chapter of a story you've been wanting to write for ages, and NaNoWriMo gives you the chance to go even further beyond that!
4. Its website is home to a community of writers just like you!
My favorite part of NaNoWriMo is the community that awaits me on the website. There, you can find forums with a vast selection of topics ranging from advice for where to take your story after a certain plot point to adoptable characters you can add to your own NaNo novel to casual discussions about your favorite books. You can even find a writing buddy who can offer you encouragement throughout the month, or read pep talks from well-known authors! Having a community of fellow writers to support and be supported by makes NaNoWriMo all the more worthwhile.
5. Setting and reaching milestones provides a feeling of accomplishment.
Some shy away from NaNoWriMo because the goal of 50,000 words seems a bit daunting. Fear not, because you're free to set your own goals for yourself! Even if it's a smaller goal, such as 5,000 words, it's still a feat to write in any capacity. So long as you're doing any writing at all, you're exactly where you're meant to be. After all, NaNoWriMo isn't about the word count. It's about pushing yourself to reach new heights in your writing. It's an opportunity, so take advantage of it however you see fit.
If you're interested in participating in NaNoWriMo, sign up here! Set up your profile, create a schedule, peruse the forums, and get ready for the month ahead. NaNoWriMo is a daring but oh-so-rewarding adventure that I can guarantee you won't regret embarking on.
- Every Writer Should Try National Novel Writing Month ›
- NaNoWriMo Is A Great Writing Opportunity ›
- NaNoWriMo Taught Me Perseverance ›
- 14 Tips On How To Survive NaNoWriMo ›
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