Saying No to NaNoWriMo

This is Days 25, 26 and 27 of a 31 Day Challenge. Catch up on all the previous posts here.

In less than a week, the 31 Day Challenge will have been completed and NaNoWriMo will charge onto the stage. NaNoWriMo, a.k.a. National Novel Writing Month, occurs every November as a challenge to create a 50,000 word novel by day 30. This boils down to about 1600 words a day culminating in a rough (a very rough) first draft. This is an awesome opportunity to pour onto the page a story that has been running you ragged, or to exercise your writing skills while engaging in the writing community. I encourage you to join the revelry if this intrigues you.

But if you're like me-- a bit weary from the current challenge and little hesitant of engaging in yet another-- you can be a cheerleader on the sidelines, encouraging others to meet their goal while quietly writing at your own pace.

I know. You must be thinking, "But you just introduced an amazing opportunity to do what you've wanted: To write your novel!" And you would be right, except that it's not yet time. I desperately want it to be time to drive into the lands of my imagination and bunker down in my own tent in the company of those amazing writers as they soldier their way through blank pages and crippling writer's block. But I'm being told to wait, to rest, and to move slowly.

With my new job, I'm having to give more time to creating a writer's workshop at school and continuing to establish my footing, which is requiring a lot of learning. I'm loving every minute, but the extra time and research have cut into my time during this challenge. I do not want to set myself up for a stressful month.  Besides, this is my first November in two years where I haven't been working retail and I want to be available this month to fully enjoy the beginning of the holiday season.

So I plan to join the ranks, unofficially, in the quiet of my home and share some of my journey with you here. I may not be able to punch out 1600 words a day, but I will be working each day to progress my story forward. Plus, I will be polishing my writing samples for my graduate application and getting the details of that put together. While it might not be the exact system of NaNoWriMo, it's in the same vein.

If you want to participate officially, head on over to their website here. If you can't participate, but would still like to support the cause, you may give a donation in support of writers participating. Donations help support creating international writing workshops.