NaNoWriMo is over. Thank goodness. Annually, I participate in National Novel Writing Month alongside my local writing friends and push to get, if not an entire book, at least a chunk of one done every year. Usually, NaNoWriMo goes well for me. I plan in advance and spend the first few days writing out major scenes that I have sorted out to get a strong beginning word count. I’ve long been in the habit of writing every day, and while NaNoWriMo’s daily par of 1,667 is a bit more than I do most of the year, it is very doable.
But this year, while I did finish with 50,500 words, it was not a smooth process. I did my usual planning in advance, but this book changed in the telling with new worldbuilding creeping in to disrupt the process. Additionally, personal events involving the health of family members pulled me away from my writing routine for a week. Rather than having most of a book done, what I have done this year is ten solid chapters, some new worldbuilding for my fairy tale series, and lots of scenes that may or may be used.
Still, the pressure of NaNoWriMo and my own need to finish gave me the push to keep trying to write even while dealing with family health issues and hospital visits. This year, NaNoWriMo was valuable to me, not in pushing me to write but in requiring me to stop and take a little time for myself every day. Now I just need to finish writing the book. My goal is to wrap it up before the New Year. Fingers crossed that nothing else unexpected happens.
If you are interested in writing and have not looked into NaNoWriMo, I would strongly encourage it. The program connects you with other writers, tips, and lots of encouragement to help you build a strong writing habit. November may be over, but NaNoWriMo had a summer event as well and resources throughout the year. Check them out at https://nanowrimo.org/ and start thinking about your next November project.
