Confession: For the past four years that I’ve been writing down my annual goals, “complete a novel” has been one of the first things listed. Yet I’ve never actually completed one.

I’ve come close, sure, but I always let other projects (or work, or binge-watching Netflix) get in the way, and before long, I’ve lost all interest in the story or stopped and started so many times that the story itself is so disjointed it needs to be rewritten completely.

This year, I’m set on crossing that one off my list, and I’m inviting anyone and everyone to join me. Over the next 60 days, Aide Sierra (she wrote the Frontiers guide to Dallas) and I will be challenging ourselves to write an entire novel. That means:

• Write about 834 words per day, every day. (Or commit to just a few days per week of longer writing sessions; whatever works best for your schedule.)
• Weekly check-ins to hold each other accountable. That could be as simple as a text or Facebook message asking how the writing is coming along, and what roadblocks, if any, you could use help with.
• Accepting Facebook’s tried-and-true manta, “done is better than perfect.” With just 60 days, you don’t have time to obsess over every word. And that could be a good thing.

I’ve never been able to commit to doing NaNoWriMo, particularly in November, which always seems to be a crazy month for me, but this two-month-long time frame — during the dead of winter, when I never want to leave my apartment — seems like a good fit.

Will you take the challenge with us? If so, let us know, and I’ll add you to our regular check-ins and updates.

Photo: Sergei Zolkin/Unsplash