November marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo, otherwise known as, National Novel Writing Month. It is thirty days and nights of literary abandon. During NaNoWriMo 300,000 writers commit to writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Sound crazy? It is and it isn’t.
If you are a writer or an aspiring writer I challenge you to choose a camp: Camp Crazy Focus or Camp I Can’t.
Crazy Camp Focus
- 50,000 words equals ONLY 1666.7 words per day.
- Better to try and fail, than not try at all.
- Doing crazy things with others is more fun, motivating and inspiring. Sounds like a party!
- I can join NaNoWriMo and write any sort of book I want including: Adventure, Chick-lit, Fiction, Supernatural, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, and so much more including “Other.”
- Deadlines Rock!
Camp I Can’t
- It is 50,000 words!
- I might fail and others will witness it.
- I can’t_______. (Fill in the blank because any excuse will work)
- I see the word novel and it paralyzes me.
- Deadlines scare me.
I pick Camp Crazy Focus and this challenge is only to those who have a dream of someday writing a book. Why not today? Why not at least take NaNoWriMo as a jumping off point. You don’t have to come out of November with a edited and polished book. I challenge you to get the words out of your head and onto paper. A writer’s group or editor can’t help you if the words are still locked up inside your head.
So start writing. Write with abandon. Don’t edit yourself as you go. No red pens allowed during your writing time. Join me and 300,000 other writers in a race to fill the pages. Sign up, join a forum, look for me to add as your writing buddy, find your region and get some local connections and start writing.
Focus on this: 1667 words is only 3 pages in Word Calibri (Body) style, 11 font, 1.15 spacing per day.
Trust me, you can do it….it just takes focus on the right things. I am going to be writing Puffy & Blue in November. What are you going to write?
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