There are 52 days until NaNoWriMo begins (but who’s counting). Before I go any further though, let me explain what NaNoWriMo is. Basically, it’s a challenge to yourself to complete a 50k first draft of a novel. The strange name is an acronym of sorts; it stands for NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. You can register for an account for free to track your progress. The goal is 1667 words each day of November so that you reach 50k by the end of the month. Of course, it’s challenging to get 1667 words each day (after all, Thanksgiving is in November!), so the days often end up being up and down, and the end is a bit of a crunch. It’s a chaotic month, but it’s tons of fun.
So why am I writing about this now? It’s September! Well, there’s been a September NaNo challenge floating around my writing groups (I’ve added the challenge photo to this post). Each day there is a task of some kind to move you along your planning prep. The first few days are easy, but then the challenges ramp up in difficulty. As fun as it sounded to begin, I just couldn’t see myself following through for the rest of the month. I’m currently editing my first novel (a NaNo novel!), blogging, and writing/editing to submit to different contests/anthologies (and that’s not to mention running my etsy store and being a wife and mom!). I don’t have time to figure out what my main character has in his pocket or what his theme song is. With my history, I’m lucky if I have a vague idea of what I’m going to do before November even starts. And I have more than just a vague idea this time – I’ve actually got a very rough outline! I’m looking forward to November and hoping I’ll be motivated to finish this round of editing on my Zombie Love book. The clock is ticking…
P.S. Anyone want to join me? Start planning now and we can start a FB group come November. 🙂