It’s NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. And for the first time, I’m doing the challenge, but of course, I’m doing it a little differently.

What is NaNoWriMo?

It started as a challenge among a group of writer friends in 1999 that since has become a nonprofit organization, according to an article on Salon.com. Thousands of people compete in the challenge each November with the goal of writing at least 50,000 words – or finishing a novel.

According to the NaNoWriMo website, nearly 800,000 active novelists are registered and almost 368,000 novels have been written.

Then there’s me and others like me. I didn’t register. I don’t want or need the encouragement, the pep talks from famous authors, the endless emails I’d receive.

No, I recalled hearing about the project and so started on my own with my own goal to write 2,000 words a day on my novel. I figured at the end of 30 days, I’d have 60,000 words written, and I’d be well on toward wrapping it up.

But I also know I won’t be able to write every day. I’ll have some travel days and probably a few days when I just can’t squeeze in a couple of hours of writing. So I’m not going to bust my butt over it and get all stressed out.

Instead, I’ll write when I can and use the challenge to keep it top of mind for me.

(Of course, there are good things about doing something for 30 days in a row. That’s how you create a new habit – or quit a bad one.)

I also know people use the concept if not the actual website to write other things – non-fiction books, website content and the like.

 

Write every day

The basic premise is you write every day. You don’t worry about revisions or editing. You focus on writing a first draft. It’s a good premise if you struggle to write consistently and you are motivated by this type of challenge.

Truthfully, I don’t have a problem with writing every day, although I will be honest and tell you I’ve slacked a bit since the grandbaby arrived. Soon enough I’ll be several states away and won’t be able to spend time with him and my family, so I spend a lot of time with them now. A LOT. That’s time I would have spent writing if I wasn’t cooing over this little cutie.

As a journalist, I wrote every day. As a marketer, I wrote something every day. Now, as a freelancer, I still write every day, except it varies based on my clients as well as my personal goals.

At least once a week, I write this blog, and I’ve been compiling the writing tips I include with many of these posts into what I hope will be a book. When I was in Portugal, I finished the first draft of a nonfiction book on how to achieve your goals. (Look for it by the holidays. It’s a great read for anyone with a New Year’s resolution!) And somewhere along the line, I got an idea for a novel, so I started that, too.

 

Write a novel with NaNoWriMo

The thing is, I never thought I would write a book – let alone a novel. Any time someone would find out I was a writer, they would assume I was writing a book. Other than a couple of children’s books, I wasn’t and didn’t. Truly, I never felt l like I had an idea for a book.

Until one day, I did.

Why not write it? I thought.

Even though I always said I wouldn’t write a book, I changed my mind. My reality changed, and voila!

So, I started doing some research and figuring out a basic structure. It’s not really an outline, mainly because I have no idea where it’s going to go or how it will end. Rather, I designed my character types, and now I’m working on turning them into real people.

Do I need a special month or a writing challenge to finish it? No. I believe I have it established enough that the characters would demand to have their stories written, and I’d have to comply. But the November challenge gives me an endpoint.

I am not really competitive, but if I say I’m going to do something, I usually will. Doing the challenge keeps me accountable to reaching my goal.

 

Self-publish a book

It would please me to finish a novel. But I have no delusions of grandeur. Very few novels written by newcomers make it in traditional publishing. It’s a hard market, even for good, experienced writers. But actually writing a novel would be an accomplishment.

If I feel it’s a good book, good enough to publish, I’ll self-publish it. Because of my nonfiction book, I’ve learned a lot about marketing and ways to help gain an audience for my work.

The beauty of self-publishing today is there’s virtually no cost. Electronic books don’t cost anything to print – because they are only digital copies. You can print a hard copy for a low cost. There no longer is a need to buy thousands of copies of a book in order to have it published.

Mostly, I want to write the novel simply to do it – to finish what I started. I don’t like leaving things undone or under construction. If it’s in my control, I like to get it done.

 

Try reading and writing

Interestingly, the Salon article I mentioned actually was written to dissuade people from writing for NaNoWriMo for several reasons, but chief among them, there aren’t enough readers now for the novels being written. The author suggested instead a challenge and a nonprofit website to encourage people to be better readers.

I can’t argue with that. We should read more, and not just social media posts and blogs. Real books: fiction and non-fiction. We should read for enjoyment and to learn.

I wonder if that would be a bigger challenge to people who are inclined to write? Reading vs. writing. Hmm.

Of course, it’s possible to do both – be a writer and a reader. In fact, writers should be readers. When you read, you can see what works and what speaks to you. See how authors use words and language, how characters develop and stories arc.

But to really be a writer, you need to do it consistently. Every day is best – the best habit and tip to improve your writing. If the NaNoWriMo writing challenge this month helps you get there, I think that’s a good thing.

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How to Be a Better Writer Tip

NaNoWriMo resources

I’m not an expert at novel writing – newspapers, yes. Books, no.

There are many resources available to me (and you!) to help. The NaNoWriMo website offers a how-to course to prepare to write a book. Seriously, it looks like a good way to get organized. For example, here is the course outline with deadlines, based on writing in November:

1. Develop a story idea (Sept. 9-13)
2. Create complex characters (Sept. 16-20)
3. Constructed a detailed plot or outline (Sept. 23-27)
4. Build a strong world (Sept. 30-Oct. 4)
5. Organize your life for writing (Oct. 7-11)
6. Find and manage your time (Oct. 14-18)

When you visit the website, you can download the complete handbook and scroll through the exercises, join the threads and explore additional resources. (If you do all of that, you won’t spend nearly enough time writing, though.)

If you’ve always wanted to write a novel, the site offers a lot of information and would be a good place to start.