When people think of what it means to be a writer, they often think of old-fashioned typewriters, bestsellers, book tours and guest spots on Oprah. But being a writer doesn't mean becoming famous for what you've written, it just means that you wrote it. You created something out of only words and willpower.
National Novel Writing Month is pretty much a novel writing marathon. To be honest, the rigor of this thing would necessitate clearing the schedule every evening in November...and we're already a couple days late. NaNoWiMo, as it is known, is quantity-centric—50,000 words in one month. The quality is a non-issue. The novel doesn't have to be brilliant and it probably won't be. It just has to be really long. On their website you can get tips for overcoming writer's block, keep track of your progress over the month and read other NaNoWiMo stories to keep you motivated daily.
As someone who believes she will write a novel someday, I get in my own way a lot. I started to write some fiction about six months ago, ideas flowed for two days and then I topped out at 1,400 words (roughly three pages) and haven't looked at it since. I write all day but it's for work so I have to do it or I'll lose my job. I have a meager amount of discipline when it comes to personal creative projects that take longer than one day to complete—I can't threaten to fire myself. National Novel Writing Month is a great way to get wannabe writers out of their heads and onto their computers, typewriters, legal pads or whatever the preferred wordsmithing medium is.
Everyone has a story to tell. It might not be pretty or get you on Oprah, but it's there. Let's set it to ink, shall we?
