Storyteller's Journey

NaNoWriMo Memories

The National Novel Writing Month is not for the faint of heart. Each November writers attempt to pen 50,000 words in thirty days. My first attempt was in 2011, thankfully I was successful!

After 2011, I didn't participate in NaNowriMo again until 2019.  Again, I was successful; having an actual outline for a novel was key for me. It took all of my focus once again; I skipped most of my normal activities until Thanksgiving that year.

By 2020, I had a system that worked well for me. I not only worked off of an outline, but each day I wrote 2,000 words - which worked out to about 25 days to reach my goal. That year I'd written 50,000 words by Thanksgiving and could really enjoy the holiday.

I've not participated in NaNoWriMo since 2020. I haven't needed to; the writing muscles it took to complete the challenge have now become part of me. I've continued a similar system of writing each day, with the exception that I take weekends off.

I'll always be grateful for the lessons I learned during those challenging days. For anyone participating in NaNoWriMo this year, hats off to you! Keep going, even if you miss a day or don't reach your intended word count. You're building your writer's muscle. Like forming any habit, it takes discipline and perseverance. In the last fourteen years I've had six children's books published. I know I couldn't have accomplished that without the discipline I developed during NaNoWriMo!