This will be my fifth year participating in the world-wide novel competition, and I couldn't be more excited. NaNoWriMo- or National Novel Writing Month- is a worldwide challenge that takes place every Novemeber to write a novel, the equivalent of 50,000 words, in 30 days.
Yes, it's difficult. Yes, it's a lot of work. And yes, it will be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do for yourself.
The first time I participated in the contest was back in 2011, and the sting of not getting 50,000 words that year was so great that it led me to accomplish it the next year in only two and a half weeks. I wrote my first full (and now published!) novel during NaNo season, and this year I'm working on one that I hope to publish within the next year.
NaNo is an incredible opportunity, and I truly believe I owe much of my success to this competition. I'm always going on and on about what a great opportunity it is- and I truly believe it. So, if you've ever wanted to write a book or are just interested in pushing your mental limits, here are ten reasons why you should participate this year:
1. You will literally end with a finished novel.
Even if you don't reach the 50,000 words to qualify you as a "winner", you're still bound to come away with a pretty substantial document, one that you can always come back to rewrite and edit later.
2. It helps inspire creativity and keep you thinking.
I've tried writing novels over long periods of time, but it's never the same. I always forget minor details and places, and when I come back to writing, I spend more time refreshing myself on what's already there than actually writing new work. Not the case with NaNo- because you're rushing to get the words on the page, you get the experience of becoming fully submersed in the story. In my opinion, this makes the characters and scenes feel more realistic, because you really become a part of the work for the month.
3. The community and support.
Let me just say, the people who participate in NaNo every year are undoubtedly some of the coolest, most hardworking, and supportive people I know. The NaNo website has these cool forums (I know that sounds weird, but just trust me) where you can ask literally any question about your story and receive opinions and advice. Plot holes? They've got you. Need a name for a character? Yep. Having trouble fleshing out the details of your fantasy world? That too.
4. Some of your favorite novels started at NaNo projects.
No, it's not just for aspiring authors and creatives. Some of the biggest bestselling novels began as NaNo Projects. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, the Cinder books by Marissa Meyer- all of them began as NaNo works. So if you think your month-long project will likely never go anywhere, think again.
5. It's the best way to forget about editing.
So often when we write, we want to multitask and edit as we do it. If you want to successfully complete NaNo, this won't work. You have to get past the mentality that the work needs to be perfect and just write a draft. It won't be perfect, but it's a draft- besides, what draft is perfect?
6. The sense of self-pride.
Because this isn't a competition against other people, you really have to dig deep and push your own mental boundaries. No one else can write the draft for you; it has to come from yourself. If you didn't hit your word count that day, there's no one to blame but yourself. You have to motivate yourself and find the time to get it done. It's difficult, but it's even more rewarding when you hit 50,000 words and know you did it all for yourself.
7. The NaNo team is seriously amazing
This competition has been going on for a while, and the people who run it really do want to see you succeed. They send out emails all year long providing inspiration, they have summer camps and youth versions of the competition, and they literally have pages and pages on the website for help and inspiration. It's virtually impossible to get writer's block with all these resources at hand. Plus, they do neat mini-competitions like 30 covers in 30 days, where each day of the month they hire a professional designer to create a cover for a NaNo author's novel- and trust me when I say some of these covers are amazing.
8. It really puts writing anything else into perspective.
I started participating in NaNo when I was in high school, and let me just say, it really put writing any other assignment into perspective. 5 page paper? No problem, that's hardly more than my daily word count. Read two chapters for tomorrow? Easy. It also really makes you appreciate just how much work goes into a novel, so that next time you're reading something you may not particularly love, you'll be more willing to give it a chance.
9. It's really not as hard as it sounds.
Once you get past the initial 10,000 words, you'll be so locked into your story that you really want to write it. 1,666 words a day sounds like a lot, but as long as you pick a story you're interested in writing about, it flies by. Before you know it you'll be at the 25,000 word mark, and from there, the story has already taken shape and you just have to guide it.
10. What else do you have to do in November, anyway?
It's cold. It's raining. It might even be snowing where you are anyway. For most college students, midterms have already ended; for high school students, you probably haven't started finals yet. It's hard to do things outdoors, and there isn't much to do inside besides watch TV and hang out with friends- so why not write a novel this November?
