I Won NaNoWriMo and So Can You
November doesn’t have to be the cruelest month.
Last year, I got the idea into my head to try NaNoWriMo. I am a student in Antioch University’s MFA program for Creative Writing, and I needed a way to jumpstart my work for the next project period.
For anyone not familiar with the organization, NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It is a nonprofit that poses the challenge of writing a new novel — 50,000 words — in thirty days. It is free to participate. Their goal is to foster community through creativity and help writers from all backgrounds achieve their goals. The website describes it as a “fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.”
As a NaNo novice, I went into the process not knowing what to expect, but miraculously, I completed the challenge, beginning with zero words on November 1, 2020, and writing 51,598 words by November 30. Along the way, I picked up six strategies that helped me succeed, and I would like to share them with anyone who might be considering the challenge.
1. Believe it is possible.
When I first heard about NaNo, I thought, “Yeah, right. A novel in 30 days? Impossible.” It turns out that it is quite possible. Even if you’re skeptical — or terrified, like I was — it’s best to dive in believing that you don’t…
