We are smack dab in the middle of it. The 30 day stretch where many aspiring novelists commit to the big 50k. It’s like an annual writing marathon. 50,000 words written in a single month! Fingernails will be worn down to the nubs. And maybe, just maybe, a myriad of writers will find they have become authors.
It’s called NaNoWriMo.
National Novel Writing Month
This yearly event is inspiring and motivating. It’s a tool that helps you commit to writing an entire work of fiction. Every last word. And while you write alone, you’re not alone. There’s a community of dedicated and enthusiastic people all sharing the same goal.
But it’s no small commitment; I myself wouldn’t want to attempt it without serious determination and plans to complete all 50,000 words. This year I considered joining NaNoWriMo, but I just didn’t think I was up for it.
Heck, I don’t want to submit to writing a 500 word blog post daily for a month. (Not even if it’s February!) Let’s be realistic here. In 30 days, that’d be a mere 15,000 words, not even half the goal of NaNoWriMo! Yet I write.
It’s satisfying to tap away my fingertips on the keyboard, summoning bits of language into prose worth reading. Despite little success, I enjoy my brain’s propensity for word-smithing. Failed attempts and all.
I’ve tried my hand at writing both fiction and non-fiction. I once completed several chapters of a Sci-Fi novella. And earlier this year, I got up super early each morning for over a month with one intention: writing words. Lots of them.
There comes a state of word-flow where your inner-editor takes a back seat. A handful of paragraphs later you look up; an hour flew by! I often typed over 1,000 words in a session. The accomplishment felt like butter melting thoroughly on a steamy baked potato.
I’ve also read a book about writing (sorry, no spoilers), authored by one of the most prolific fiction novelists of our time, Stephen King. And I’ve kinda geeked out reading blogs and websites all about creative story-telling.
NaNoWriMo is a real chance to take the dream of writing a book and make it into a reality, like a fairy tale coming to life. It compels talented people to go from “once upon a time” to “happily ever after” and fill out all the details in between! Who knows? Maybe they’ll even be published.
Right now, many are typing. One could be your co-worker moonlighting as a novelist. They’re honing their craft, penning scenarios, developing characters, and plotting out climaxes. At this moment, an aspiring author is plugging away to the-ultimate-plot-twist!
I get that. I wish that. And until I gather up the gumption to write 50-grand in words, I will continue to admire those studious Scrivener and Ulysses aficionados.
So are you a fellow-novel-dreamer, brimming with hope to write long-form? Have you read captivating stories and felt yourself pining away with notions of your own bookish adventures bubbling from your imagination? Take a moment to leave a comment.
Take care!