By WB Intern Ashley Rummel
If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you may have seen the word NaNoWriMo floating around. But…what is it? And why is everyone suddenly obsessed with word counts? In this post, we’ll explore just what NaNoWriMo is and why it’s helped so many authors write their books.
What is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a non-profit organization, mostly known for the main event they host every November that encourages participants to write 50,000 words (theoretically, the number of words in a novel) in 30 days. Through its website, NaNoWriMo provides writers community, word count trackers, and more to help reach their goal.
By simply creating a free account, authors can make their book dreams a reality. The only catch…is the work.
50,000 words in one month is no easy feat (about 1,667 words or 6.66 pages a day), but writers around the world band together to churn out novels through the month of November. If you’ve been trying to write a book, but just can’t seem to stick it out, this may be the challenge for you.
Why It Works
NaNoWriMo’s community is filled with success stories, just look at Marissa Meyer, author of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series or Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants. But what makes NaNoWriMo work? Let’s start with some of the major hang-ups that keep writers from finishing their novels. Then, we’ll explore how NaNoWriMo addresses them.
1. You just can’t stop editing.
We all have an inner critic. One that peers over our shoulder when we sit down at the keyboard and tells us we can’t possibly start on something new when what we wrote yesterday is so horrendous. But as Jodi Picoult kindly reminds us: “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
And you’ll never get a new page (even a bad one), if you don’t stop editing the old one.
That’s where NaNoWriMo comes in. With the steep goal of writing so many words a day, it forces you to start. Any time spent editing means time spent away from writing, and goodness knows you can’t afford that. With the rush to get words on the page, that inner editor is forced to take a backseat. It gives you one goal: get the words on the page. You can edit later.
2. Losing (or lacking) discipline/habit.
Whether we like it or not, a novel can’t be written in a day. It’s also very hard to complete it if we only wait for our muse to strike. As Peter De Vries says, “I only write when I’m inspired, so I see to it that I’m inspired every morning at nine o’clock.”
To get to 50,000 words in a month, NaNoWriMo forces you to create a writing habit. Throughout the month, there will be days when the words flow easily and days when they…don’t. Despite that, each day you write you sit down, you develop discipline, which eventually forms a writing habit.
3. Writing Gremlins (aka perfectionism and imposter syndrome).
Oh, pesky perfectionism and imposter syndrome. Even the best writers experience these feelings when they begin writing a novel. Just as NaNoWriMo forces your inner editor to take a backseat, the goal to just write (good or bad) often leaves imposter syndrome and perfectionism at the door. That doesn’t mean you won’t experience them during the month, but if you do, you’re forced to just keep going, despite any obstacles.
4. Going at it alone.
Writing might be a solitary task, but it doesn’t mean you’re alone. There are hundreds of writers out there – just look at our community at the Writing Barn! – that are going through the same process. NaNoWriMo fosters a sense of community with the same goal. Help cheer each other on to the finish line!
Convinced?
It’s not too late to start. Check out NaNoWriMo’s official page to learn more!
About the Author
Ashley Rummel is a writer and a senior at the University of Texas at Austin studying Nutrition and Creative Writing. Originally from Dripping Springs, Texas, she has worked as a personal trainer, a softball coach, an undergraduate researcher, and a marketing manager for a local fitness startup. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, reading, cooking, and exploring hiking trails around Austin. Ashley is currently working on a YA historical fiction novel which she hopes to publish in the near future.