Nanowrimo

Nanowrimo is an acronym, for National Novel Writing Month. I found out about it a day or two before it began last year, and participated by writing the second novel in my East Aurora series. The idea is to write 50,000 words during the month of November. Keep in mind, novels need to be closer to 90,000 or 100,000 words, so in essence it is write half a novel month. The point is, it is a prompt to get writers to do the thing they struggle with the most . . . write.

What I love about it is the collaboration that comes along with participating. There are minute by minute Facebook posts, and probably Twitter as well, although I wasn't an active tweeter last year so I'm not sure what that looks like.

There are sprints, write as fast as you can for a certain length of time, say fifteen minutes, and then either report or don't, how far you got. They are fantastic exercises for breaking through writer's block. I suppose anyone can do a sprint anytime they want to, but it's so much more fun to know that others are doing it with you.

I've had plot issues, character name issues, idea issues, that I've posted questions about on the Facebook page, only to have fifty answers within a few minutes. Usually it shows me that I know the answer myself, I just needed that push to break me out of the cement block I had allowed to build around myself.

A few weeks ago, outside of Nanowrimo, I posted a question about a plot issue I was having in AND THEN YOU FALL. In minutes, as usual, I had countless answers. They ranged from the silly . . . an alien takes over your MFC's body and . . . you get the idea. To the profound: ask your character what they'd do. And what the kind commenter meant was go to a place of silence and talk to your character in your head. The answer will come to you. And it did.

This year I'm ready-ish for participation. Many do a tremendous amount of research upfront, or start downloading music to write to, or stock up on coffee and chocolate, or outline their book. My preparation is mainly mental. I'm not certain yet what book I'll write, or work on. I have an idea, but I haven't decided. What I do know is that I will participate and for me, that's often enough preparation.

I have so much writing to do I'm in analysis paralysis. Analyzing what I need to do rather than just doing it. It is a common affliction amongst anyone creative, or anyone. Nike added to (some may even say built) their brand around it . . . just do it.

And that's what Nanowrimo forces you to do. Set a time limit, be accountable to your goal and for God's sake . . . just do it. Quit thinking about it, just do it.