Do You NaNo?

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNo) is only a week away! If you’re not familiar with NaNo, the objective is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I did my first NaNo in 2016, when I had just started writing. I did it for two reasons: first, to build a fire under myself to finish my first book; and second, to see if I could write 1,667 words every day for a month.

I found out a few things during that month. I learned that I could write a novel in a month. I even exceeded the goal, finishing my book in 25 days at 55,000 words. I found out that I’m not crazy because I have conversations with my characters.

But more importantly, I discovered the writing community. NaNo was my first step outside my writer’s den, where I would type away in isolation from everything and everyone. The NaNo community is very welcoming, encouraging, and supporting. In 2016 NaNo offered a discounted subscription to Scribophile, a critiquing site, and I found another community there. I made connections and I found new resources, including RMFW.

If you’re a new writer, or an Elder Scribe who’s in a slump, I encourage you to give NaNo a try. Even if you don’t plan to publish your NaNo project, and even if you don’t hit the finish line, it’s a great way to get in the habit of writing every day.

Here’s a bonus if you’re planning to do NaNo, or even if you’re not. StoryBundle is a site that offers collections of curated e-books at a discounted price. They’ve done science fiction, thrillers, steampunk, romance, and other fiction genres.

Every year they offer a “NaNo Tools Bundle” with 12 to 15 books on the writing craft. This year the bundle includes a discount coupon for the Jutoh e-book editing application. This is a great way to stock your writing bookshelf. And remember, reading about writing counts as writing time, even if it doesn’t add to your word count!