When the clock strikes midnight on Halloween, we enter a new witching period of creation and (what can sometimes feel like) impossibility. For all of November, writers and creatives alike celebrate National Novel Writing Month, lovingly nicknamed NaNoWriMo. The challenge? Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days time.
I was in high school when I first participated in NaNoWriMo. As co-president of the Creative Writing Club, it fell on me to coordinate the annual school NaNoWriMo initiative: lining up 30 writers who would each write a ~1,667 word chapter of an ongoing book.
It was a treasured school tradition. And while it was a twist on the traditional NaNoWriMo structure, it did capture the spirit. Most importantly, it provided an accessible way to flex one’s creative writing—for all. I loved the diversity of writers the challenge brought. Freshmen, seniors, teachers. Some were active members of the Creative Writing Club, while others had never heard of NaNoWriMo before.
And being real honest here: as fun as it was, the end product was a hot mess. But what can you expect, when you have 30 different writers working on one book, with no collective vision or outline identified at the outset? Ultimately, a coherent book wasn’t the end goal. Instead, we celebrated our collective effort in achieving over 50,000 written words, world-building, and concocting quite silly character scenarios.
Did we do NaNoWriMo conventionally? No.
But did we do NaNoWriMo correctly? I’d argue yes.
In this sacred month of creation, we celebrate the release of inhibitions, and a commitment to that which seems ambitious and wildly out of reach. It’s a time to let go of the writing fears and put pen to paper, in a race against time, rather than in competition with our inner perfectionists.
NaNoWriMo has beautifully created a community and culture promoting the agency to create regardless of skill level, preparation, circumstance, or preferred creative outlet. And it particularly resonates in a professional age that finds significant value in the ability to sprint, rapid-prototype, and launch agilely.
But if writing a 50,000 word novel this month doesn’t appeal to you, no worries. (It certainly isn’t my goal this year!)
In the spirit of commitment and creativity.
Write new blog posts: Write 30 blog posts, or put an hour each day towards your blog post development, editing, and posting process.
Build your website: If you don’t have a website yet, or looking to revamp yours, this is the perfect push to get it out there already :) Dedicate your writing time to drafting your website pages, updating old posts, refining your about statement, and putting it all out there.
Read: Reading is a critical habit for better writing. And if you’re feeling behind on your reading goals, or generally unfulfilled with how much you’ve read this year, take this November to get back in the saddle.
Edit your works in progress: Already have your novel or book drafted? Great. Pull out your work in progress (or multiple pieces, if your writing is shorter form) and embark on a 30-day editing sprint.
Send query letters: 30 days, 30 letters—go! You’ll develop your query letter writing muscles, move past fear and paralysis, and start building interest for your manuscript.
Pitch your article ideas: If you’re looking to expand your guest posting reach, craft a list of target publications and start sending those pitches. Aim for one a day, or thirty in total.
Plan your next book: Start with a table of contents (especially if your book is non-fiction), write detailed outlines of a chapter each day, make a list of the research needed, write the blurb copy for your book, get your writing environment set up—the possibilities for this approach are endless.
Market your book: Did you recently launch a book? Has it reached a milestone (e.g. paperback released) or is your book particularly relevant to this time of year? Try out a 30-day book marketing boost to increase its visibility and interest.
Try a new format: Here’s an opportunity to step into the shoes of another and do something more out of your comfort zone, whether it’s poetry, fiction, non-fiction, ad copywriting, micro-blogging, songwriting, playwriting, etc.
Draft your newsletters for the year ahead: Newsletters are an increasingly popular content format, and a great way to nurture your community. Craft your editorial calendar and get a head-start for the new year.
Post on social media every day: Ok, if this isn’t a stretch for you, pass. But the introvert in me finds the idea of posting on social media daily/regularly totally out of my comfort zone! If this resonates with you, too, make this November a breakthrough month in crafting social media content and connecting, particularly on a platform that is new-ish to you and has potential for growth.
For me — I’ll be embracing what I’m calling NaNewWriMo. Newsletter writing, every day, in honor of this Substack that has been months in the making. While I won’t be posting everyday, each day I will be writing in an effort to build out my editorial calendar and create consistency.
Ok, NaNo-ers. I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing in honor of National Novel Writing Month?