November is right around the corner and with it brings more cold weather, election day, Thanksgiving and, oh yeah, NaNoWriMo! For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for "National Novel Writing Month," the month where all your writer friends shut themselves in for hours a day to reach their goals by the end of the month. The goal is this: Write a novel in a month, about 50,000 words! No big deal right? That's only 1,667 words a day for 30 days straight.
Sounds like a lot huh? It is a serious project for anyone, young and old, student or worker, book lover or blogger. If you've ever thought about writing a novel, this may be the event thing for you. Whether you're a beginner, student, or serious writer, there are plenty of reasons why you, yes YOU, should participate in NaNoWriMo 2018, such as...
1. You'll introduce yourself to a writing habit
For those who are new to writing, this is a great way to get into the habit of writing daily. For those who need to improve, like myself, this event will do the same effect. You won't be able to say "oh I'll write this day or that," no sir, you will HAVE to write "this day or that" and every day before, after, and in between!
2. It creates great goals
Have you ever have that warm happy accomplished feeling after you finally finished a goal? This is like that but your hands may be cramping. Writing 50,000 words is a difficult goal, but it'll make you determined to meet that goal. Plus if you're a writer, deadlines are a major part of your life.
3. The community is supportive
You're not alone! In 2017, there were 402,142 participants across the world. There are forums for you to talk with others in the same boat, many areas even do meetups, and it's kinda comforting to know all 400,000+ of you are all trying to reach the same goal!
4. It will give you much-needed motivation
You won't be putting off anything anymore. There is no "next day" there is only now! NaNoWriMo really puts you in a now-not-later mindset, because if you don't do it today, you'll have to do more words tomorrow to catch up. And for those who have always wanted to bang out a novel, this is a great chance to just DO it instead of continuously putting it off.
5. It's a challenge
The point of this is to see what you can do, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad. It could be a complete mess that makes no sense. The point is that you did it, and you can always fix it. Test your limits, see what works for you, and find your style by experimenting.
6. You'll throw all of your ideas on paper
The point is to just keep going, no matter what. If it's shit, you just ignore it and keep on trucking. This also helps you avoid editing as you write, which usually takes up a lot of time and distracts you from what you're trying to write. Finish your first rough draft, then worry about everything else later.
7. You'll defeat writer's block
Writer's block can suck, but you won't have time to deal with it. In order to win and meet your deadline, you'll have to overcome writer's block, whether that means skipping the part you're stuck on and going back later or just writing whatever comes to mind first, you will overcome it.
8. You'll support a good cause
NaNoWriMo is also a nonprofit. Storytelling is important, and you can donate to help people achieve their dreams, program costs, support classrooms, fund prep talks, resources, classroom kits for educators in high-need schools around the world, support librarians, and more. A donation supports hundreds of thousands of creators, helps creators find their voice during this event, supports young students who share their stories in classrooms, and the creative gatherings in libraries, bookstores, and other community spaces.
9. It's honestly fun
It's truly a fun and creative experience. Make it that!
Check out NaNoWriMo and join the fun November 1st, 2018!
