November is here which means I am now seven days into this year's NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). My goal this year is to write 50,000 words of the first draft of Book 2 in the Cat Tales series, tentatively titled All in the Furry Family.
This is my third time doing NaNo. It's a fun, motivating, supportive, and very large group (about half a million writers worldwide take part) that comes together every November to write our hearts out. Some folks have even been known to write an entire novel in that one month! At least a first draft, anyway. I have no delusions about accomplishing that feat, but I do depend on it to get a huge chunk of the first draft done.
Each day participants log the number of words written and the site keeps track of the total, marking important milestones along the way. For me, it's a great way to hold myself accountable and track my progress.
There are ways to connect with other writers (the ever-important networking!) for inspiration and a little cheerleading. Joining the postcard group gets the month kicked off right by sending and receiving encouraging postcards to and from other participants. There are also ways to connect with other participants online.
I've even found out that there will be some in-person write-ins happening at a library in a nearby town. Perhaps I will try joining in to meet some other local writers and soak up the writerly vibe. Or maybe, I'll see if my own town's library would like to become a write-in location.
You don't have to go anywhere, though. Writing from home or where ever is fine. It's all about the writing. Getting words down on paper or up on the screen is what counts. This isn't the time to finesse. That's for later after the first draft is done. But what a huge step it is in the process from idea to finished book.
I am hoping to get the second Cat Tales book out before the end of 2024, so fingers crossed that NaNoWriMo gives me a huge boost in making that happen.
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Good luck with this event, Eileen. I did it once, and wrote a lot, but didn't like what I wrote, so I won't do it again. I guess, it doesn't fit my personal process. I like to let my characters mature and change over time as I write, and the finished product is never what I first envisioned. But I know many authors who get a lot done in a short time with Nanowrimo, and get great results. Thanks for sharing.
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