Writing an entire novel in 30 days sounded borderline impossible — or at the very least, completely insane — to me when I first heard someone mention it. And yet, tons of people accomplish that task every November, as part of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo.

The goal is to write 50,000 words over the course of the month (roughly the length of a 175-page novel). The deadline gives you a sense of urgency, making it easier for some people to discipline themselves into punching away at the keyboard, rather than putting off that story they’ve been dreaming of indefinitely. While some argue that truly great novels can’t be written in such a short time frame, at the very least, the challenge gets you to push past writer’s block, getting into the act of writing, writing, writing — no matter what. Sometimes, the hardest part is just getting the words out.

NaNoWriMo has its own website, where you can create a profile to announce the concept of your novel, track your progress and get support from other writers. It also has a Word Count tool that lets you check how far along you are — and proudly share it with the world, if you so desire.

I’ve always wanted to take part, but usually my schedule devolves into chaotic-bordering-on-psychotic in November, but I’ve been thinking of having my own NaNoWriMo-esque challenge in January, and maybe lengthening it to a three-month project with semi-obnoxious updates I post here, just to hold myself accountable.

If you’re thinking about rising to the challenge this month, don’t let the fact that it’s Nov. 2nd hold you back. Think of the topics you know best and the stories that make you lose track of time (whether they’re in books you read or great conversations with friends). The story that overlaps both of those categories is your book topic. From there, commit to writing 1,725 words per day. I know, I know — that sounds scary, but when you’re writing about something that interests you (and YOU’RE the one calling the shots as to what happens next), you’d be surprised how quickly those words fly by. And if you fall short of 50K, who cares? The progress you made — no matter how close or far you are from the end of your story — is reward enough.

If you’ve tackled NaNoWriMo before, any advice for sticking it through to the 50,000-word mark?

 

Photo: Mikhail Pavstyuk/Unsplash