Skipping the Biggest Writing Challenge of the Year
I’m Taking this Year Off NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo emails are beginning to appear in my inbox, reminding me it’s time to sign up for my 2020 book project. To sign up and commit to a slew of 50,000 words coming out my pen or fingers at lightning speed in November. To share my views with the world.
I’ve been a NaNoWriMo participant for 4 years and carry a record of 3–1. I’ve done both the traditional novel and spent years working on blogging projects.
I’ve felt both the highs of being able to push through thousands of words per day and accomplish the goal and lows of drained energy and not wanting to look at writing until the next year. I also recall asking friends on facebook to stop me before committing again- a low point towards the end of last year.
I’m usually an advocate for the challenge and encourage every writer to try it at least once: the community is awesome and the hype is something that must be experienced to believe. Plus, it stretches your comfort zone and challenges what you thought was possible with writing.
The hard part is realizing that it’s okay to take a break from the things that we love. It’s easier to give up something that you don’t have a choice in- we’ve lived without movie theatres, without live music and without going to sporting events in 2020 because there wasn’t a choice. We missed them, but we didn’t have to make that choice. However, when it comes to what we can control it becomes more difficult.
Guilt is a common feeling whether rational or not. It feels like missing one of the biggest parts of the year or letting someone down. It might be hard to sit it out while everyone is ablaze with the joy of writing in November.
Just because you’ve done a certain project in the past does not mean that this is where your life is right now. The beauty of challenges and events is that many of them come around the next year or at a different period of time. If we sit it out this time, we can come back at a later point and give it 100%.
So, when you decide to give yourself that time back, what will you do with it? For me, I know my focus will be in finishing a few other projects on my to do in 2020 list to tie up loose ends, continuing to write a blog post (almost) daily and filling myself up with inspiration. One goal: to get back to solid ground before starting 2021.
