Already? It seems like the July Camp NaNoWriMo ended yesterday. Since then, I found a new day job that takes most of my time. Does that mean I won't be participating in this year's NaNoWriMo?
Not necessarily.
If time allows, I can work on Book 3 of the Joel Brent series which I started some time back. Or I can "participate" (meaning I'll be ineligible for any NaNoWriMo awards) and edit Book 2 of the series, Lake Ramsey. Anything's possible.
If you've never tried it, you're missing out. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a fun, nerve wracking, sometimes frustrating, and always rewarding experience. You can write whatever kind of story you want. The choice is 100% yours. The only catch is your novel must also be a minimum of 50,000 words.
If you're a first timer, the next question is how do you make that goal? The thing to remember is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. If you write an average of 1,667 words per day, you'll achieve your goal. When I was a first timer, I thought that was a lot to write per day, but now I know it isn't. To give you an idea, this post is 423 words and I wrote it in less than twenty minutes. Hence, the average is not as big as it appears. My goal is to write a minimum of 2,000 words per day during NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo. Some days are more successful than others, but I've always hit the goal by the end of the month. When you finish, you'll have the first draft of your novel. Even if you don't finish, if you reach out, you'll make some friends.
How?
This is something you can do right now. If you haven't done so, click the link and sign up on the NaNoWriMo website. Once you finish your profile, click the Regions tab and click Find a Region. Once you find your region, make it your home region and connect with the people there. I'm in the Louisiana:New Orleans region.
The locals in some of the regions get together and write during NaNoWriMo. I had a good time writing with and talking to my fellow authors.
It's been a few years since I participated in NaNoWriMo and I miss it. Though my day job takes up so much time, I'll find a way to participate, even if it means writing more short stories.
And so should you. As an old commercial once professed, "Try it. You'll like it."
