Hey friends!
I’d like to announce a special project that I’m taking part in this November called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and I’d be honored if you would join me!
“What is it exactly?”
I’m glad you asked.
November is National Novel Writing Month, when many writers get together to reach their writing goals and encourage each other to reach a specific word count (usually 50,000 words, but you can do more or less, depending on your specific goals). Starting on November 1st, you write a little each day to meet your word goal for the month (more on that in a bit).
The novel I’m working on will remain a secret for now, but I’m going to share my daily word count with you every day on Instagram @c.g.eppinette. If you want to join me, please share your progress in the comments or post your progress and tag me on Instagram.
“Where should I start?”
Great question!
You don’t have to have any writing experience under your belt to participate in NaNoWriMo. Just grab a pen or pencil and some paper (or, if you prefer, open a new Word document). Choose your writing medium of choice and write what comes to mind. It doesn’t even have to be a novel; it can be nonfiction if you like!
“What if nothing comes to mind?”
If you’re like me, you have to have some form of inspiration before you start a project. Maybe you have a project you’re already working on and could use NaNoWriMo to get ahead in your work. If not, maybe you have a notebook somewhere, or an idea in your head that won’t leave you alone. Feel free to explore your options. Maybe there’s an experience you’ve always wanted to have. Write about what you think it would be like. Skydiving? Sailing? A trek through the woods? You decide. Just write. Characters, setting, plot, etc. will come to you along the way.
“But 50,000 words seems like a lot!”
Yes it does! But don’t focus on that. Once you start writing, you should forget all about the number of words. Write now, count later. If it helps, I’ve already broken down the math. There are 30 days in November. If you divide 50,000 by 30, you get 1,667 words a day. If you want to take weekends off, there are 22 weekdays this November, so you divide 50,000 by 22 and get 2,273 words per day. Personally, I plan on writing weekdays and Saturdays and taking Sundays off, which gives me a goal of about 2,000 words per day, something I know I can manage in my spare time. And remember, you can alter your total word count goal based on what you feel comfortable with, but try to push yourself and stick to your monthly goal once you’ve created it.
SIDE NOTE: Your words don’t have to be perfect. You won’t be graded on them. They can be absolute nonsense! The point is to create/nurture a habit and to encourage your writing goals. And you never know, there could be some literary gold in that nonsense! It doesn’t hurt to try.
See you Monday! Happy writing and best of luck!
C. G. Eppinette 