Want to write a novel? You’re not alone.
Each year, on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin their novel. They are participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Begun in 1999, the NaNoWriMo challenge is straightforward: write 50,000 words of a brand-new novel in thirty days.
NaNoWriMo officially became a nonprofit organization in 2006. And its programs support writing fluency and education. The NaNoWriMo website hosts more than a million writers, serving as a social network with author profiles, personal project libraries, and writing buddies. NaNoWriMo “tracks words for writers like Fitbit tracks steps,” the organization writes on its website. Also, NaNoWriMo “hosts real-world writing events in cities from Mexico City, to Seoul, to Milwaukee with the help of 900+ volunteers in thousands of partnering libraries and community centers.”
Enough with the background. Let’s get started.
For the entire month of November, ginagreenlee.com blog posts will focus on novel writing. Yes, I will be spending the next four weeks writing a novel. It is one I started in 2015. So, technically, it’s not a “brand-new” novel. At the same time, I didn’t get far and haven’t looked at it in six years so, new enough.
Before I leave you to get started on your novel (and me on mine), here are some thoughts for your journey:
Have fun! Play! For the love of all that’s holy, don’t take yourself seriously. Let it rip.
WRITE. Don’t worry about whether “this is publishable.” Or “how can I get an agent?” Writing and publishing are separate acts. One is about craft, the other about business.
Putting your work out in the marketplace is not a big deal. The bigger deal, this month, is getting 50,000 words worth of story on the page.
People tell me all the time that they want to publish a book, yet they’ve not written one. You can’t publish anything you’ve not written.
So many independent digital publishing platforms are available for you to publish with a few clicks or swipes from the comfort of your digital device. If that’s something you’d like to try, then go for it.
AFTER you’ve finished writing your novel.
Do this for you. Write whatever comes up, what wishes to be told. Follow its flow. Water ski behind your story rather than drag it like a barge.
No judging it, either. That includes investing zero energy in what your mother, brother, spouse, teacher or coworkers will think. You don’t have to show this to anyone. Neither need you tell anyone what you’re up to.