Okay, okay if you are reading this and you are a writer then likely you are more than knee deep into this little thing called NaNoWriMo right now. We are either singing our victories or mourning our losses at this point.
For those of you who don’t know what NaNoWriMo is it’s basically a little event that takes place for the entire month of November where writers tackle writing that dreaded first draft and meeting a goal of 50,000 words by the 30th. But that’s not set in stone, any word count goal can be set or any other writing goal for that matter can be desired to be reached by the end of the month. Here’s the website for those interested in more information.
For this month’s discussion post I want to talk about some of the GREAT things about NaNo and some of the NOT so GREAT things. So without further ado…
PROS
(AKA The Bright Side!)
Taking Action
The whole foundation of NaNo is built on this simple concept. If you want to write a book, then write the book. No more procrastinating! No more daydreaming! Just do it already! Life is too short to not chase after your dreams and NaNo pushes you to start running.
Setting Up a Habit
Our habits become us. For real. They are the hardest things to make and the hardest things to break. To reach the traditional goal of reaching 50,000 words by the end of November that equates to about 1,667 words written per day. For me a month ago that was daunting. For me today it is still daunting. But the point of it is to get you used to making writing a daily part of your life! For all aspiring authors it’s essential 😀
Finding a Community
Other writers exist out there!! (Amazing concept, isn’t it? We are not as alone as we think lol!) And so many of them participate in NaNo!! I’ve been using Twitter and my blog a lot to document my writing/NaNo journey this year and everyone has been so kind to me!! The sense of community and support I’ve found here on WordPress has been amazing. On Twitter too I’m starting to break out of my shell there more and interact. Writers are not alone. I am not alone. You are not alone. We can do this!! Also, to anyone reading this right now who needs some inspiration and support, I’M REACHING THROUGH MY COMPUTER SCREEN AND SENDING IT TO YOU ❤
CONS
(AKA The Dark Side…)
Pressure
Oh yes, one of my favorite things. (*she types as she is, legit, crying inside*) Writing 50,000 words is not easy. When writing is not fun, it is stressful. Or usually both at the same time. Especially when you have a deadline. Everyone has a different writing speed and all writers can’t be fit into one neat little box. Artists in general, for that matter, are always OUTSIDE the box. Or making a new type of box. Or floating around and have no box. Or hanging out in a crate. Or are breaking the fourth wall. You know. WE HAVE NO LIMITS.
External Validation
Everyone is different. Every story is different. But when you’ve only written 1,000 words and your friend is banking on 15,000 you can feel a little defeated. Comparing ourselves to others in today’s technological and social media savvy world is too easy. We can get so hooked on other people’s progress that we lose our own. Remember you should go at your own pace and your story is just as important as someone else’s. Be proud of what you yourself accomplished.
Life
Life’s a bitch sometimes. Yeah, as humans we are no stranger to the universe throwing us random curveballs. We have no control over what happens to us in life, only how we react to it. It’s okay to have set backs. It’s okay to miss a few days of writing if your mental health is plunging. It’s okay to not write if your house randomly gets set on fire. Please. You will make up for it later, even if you don’t reach your goal by the end of NaNo. You win by just trying in the first place, and striving to reach the goal!
That all being said I do love NaNoWriMo for all its virtues and all its vices. I believe that this one is even going to be my best one yet. For the past three years I’ve never met my NaNo goal because life got in the way but this may be my year. Don’t want to jinx myself but fourth time might be my charm. My monthly WIP update will be coming up soon within the next week and I’ll provide all the juicy details. Till then, I want to hear about how NaNo is going for you guys!!
So tell me, what are our word counts? Are we feeling inspired or insipid?
Based on your experiences what more pros and cons would you add to the list above?
Stay strong my friends and may the muses be with us!
Sending you all the love and support you need,
Jai Lynn 
Love this post! Creating a routine and finding a community are absolutely the best parts of NaNo for me — it’s always amazing to find so many writers who are just as passionate as me and so excited about their stories and worlds and characters! But you’re absolutely right that there are some cons that make this challenge more difficult, and it’s very easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others or getting overly stressed.
I’m so glad to hear that this year has been going well for you, though, and I hope that continues through the rest of the month! good luck!!
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Aww thanks Margaret!! 😀 I’m finally (FINALLY) making my writing habit work. It took so long but so far, so good. I’m sending all the good writing vibes your way!! No matter what every step we take is still a step, no matter how small ❤
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I’ve never actually taken part in NaNoWriMo myself but it would definitely be fun to try next year!
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I highly encourage it!! Even through all the pressure the end result, the words you write and your story, are SO worth it 😀
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I will definitely go through with it! I hope the rest of the month for you goes well and that you write lots!
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Thank you so much!! ❤ I'm sending good vibes your way as well!! 😀
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Thank you! 💓
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For so long, I hated NaNo. I always thought that deadlines were arbitrary things that we shouldn’t be stemmed in by, and that writing just whenever was more productive. It’s been a few years now since I held those beliefs, and I look back on them now, and I know why I thought like that, but it was so dumb. Deadlines are a good thing. Putting structure around something you enjoy is a good thing sometimes because honestly? Not having a structure is never going to make you more productive, and things like NaNo, while definitely over the top, help to build those routines and structures that are so important to actually producing real, concrete work. I don’t think that 50k is an achievable goal all the time, but I think it’s a pretty powerful goal to hit at least once, not just because it shows that you can do it, but because it helps create a pattern. The math is always going to say that if you write consistently, you’ll get a book faster than if you just write whenever you feel like it.
I started putting a structure around my writing a few months ago, and it has been WILD. Like, really, truly the wildest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m already a bit of an insanely prolific writer, so I generally average about 30k a month (definitely not the norm), but ever since I started giving myself specific hours to write during, I’ve increased that by about 40k. In addition, not just rounding up to 40k, but, like, I’m at 70k a month now, and it’s crazy, and I didn’t think it was going to be something I could keep up consistently, but it’s actually been the best thing that’s ever happened for my writing, and I’m so excited.
Sorry, I’ve definitely rambled on. NaNo is over the top, and it is really fun to get that 50k, but I think the most important thing to take away from this month is always going to be setting some kind of structure/pattern/routine/whatever you want to call it around your writing.
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YES, Mary YES!! 100%. The reason I do NaNo every year is to get in the mindset of building a habit and having that structure and reminder in my life. If I don’t write in the morning now, I honestly feel… weird. Like really weird. I feel compelled to do it now and it took me years but this NaNo the habit is finally sticking!! I believe having that structure and routine can change your world. I’m so happy your routine is working for you and never apologize for your words. GET IT ALL OUT GIRL, lol!! Thank you so much for commenting and I’m sending all the good writing vibes your way ❤ ❤
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