The month of November is finally here! Generally, people see November as No Shave November, also known as Movember, but for me, November means more than seeing guys growing out half-way ridiculous beards for a good cause. November means the start of National Novel Writing Month.
While women can participate in No Shave November too, I prefer to let my words stretch out over 30 days. The goal of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is to finish a draft of a novel which is 50,000 words. The mission of National Novel Writing Month is to promote creativity and promote literacy while building the local writer community.
While this is my second year participating in NaNoWriMo, this year marks my first as the region's Municipal Liaison which means that I help organize the local write-ins so people all over the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region can come together, write, talk about what we are working on, and be there as a support system.
One of the really cool things about being a part of NaNoWriMo is that you can basically write about whatever you want. Some people write to get published, and others, like me, opt for something in the area of fanfiction writing meaning that since the fandom is already under copyright, you cannot make money off of it without permission from the creator. I do not think any of us have the money for that.
Last year, I finished on day 30 writing over 6,000 words before midnight in order to reach the 50,000 mark. I wrote about a fandom crossover between "The Walking Dead" and "Supernatural." Sure, I did not finish the entire manuscript itself, but I enjoyed the process of putting together an insane amount of words in a short time frame and making something kind of work.
This year, I am still writing fanfiction, but I am writing more non-linearly than other years. It is essentially a series of long road trips, but there are flashbacks from the first-person point of view that the character does not want to share so I write in a third-person point of view element that adds the complexity. Some people want to get away from the past and move forward, but the point is that your past is only a part of who you are and it does not make up who you are as a whole.
Writing has been one of my biggest passions. Sure, I volunteer to organize and build the community of writers in our area, but writing has always been there for me through good times and bad. I write a lot of serious pieces, but to be able to create and design new worlds is quite amazing. I love being able to expand my creativity and honestly get excited each time I reach a goal. My hope is to reach 50,000 words for the second year in a row. Even if I don't, at least I was able to expand my creativity and be a part of a growing, supportive writing community. Plus, it gives me an excuse to go out and drink a hot cup of coffee.
