Every year, thousands of authors across the world are getting ready to write a novel in just one month during November. National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo as it is known, is a collective marathon in self-discipline where people around the world aim to write a novel of at least 50,000 words before the month is out.
Once you’ve hit that 50k, you can upload your novel to the NaNoWriMo website where you can verify your word count, confirm yourself as a winner, and get banners and certificates.
NaNoWriMo is the ideal starting point for many writers since it will encourage you to turn your ideas, plots, and characters from your imagination’s figments into real words on paper. You’ll have little time to think or create the storyline from scratch. Nanowrimo is about getting a first rough (potentially very rough) draft down. But if you achieve this, even falling short of 50k, you’ll have the bare bones of your book ready to flesh out.
Unconvinced? Here are Five Reasons to Participate in NaNoWriMo
Motivation to write
NaNoWriMo challenges writers to write 1667 words a day for 30 days. The more you achieve and clock up those words, the easier it is to sit in your chair and write.
Set your writing routine
Create a routine if you can. Find a place where you can focus on that daily word count. If you’re on the move a lot, don’t forget you can type into your phone, use audio to text apps, and use the good old notepad and pen.
Conquer the Block of the Writer
“Writer’s block” is a term many author writers use to explain a variety of questions, including resistance, creative burnout, and developmental disorders. The challenge of NaNoWriMo ensures that you don’t blame “writers blocks” when these issues arise. Just push through the wall and write, even if it makes no sense at the time.
Get serious while working on the project.
The whole experience should help you take your writing time more seriously. If you write 50k, then you have a strong chance of moving to the next stage of polishing and cleaning it up. Most writers who give up don’t complete the first draft.
Increasing Creative Faith
The accomplishment of writing (up to) 50,000 words in a month will boost your confidence no end, even if it needs a lot more work. You have a chance to develop creative trust in yourself when you finish NaNoWriMo and will be well on the road to becoming an author.
