National Novel Writing Month

It's already November 5th and I haven't talked about NaNoWriMo. But it's not too late! Pick up those pens and pencils (or quills) and start scribbling away. Although the premise of NaNoWriMo is to have you complete a novel in 30 days, I think you can use this time to write as much as you possibly can regardless if it turns into a novel or not. 1000 words a day is not a lot to get on paper and by the end of the month, you'll have 30,000 words (minus the four days you may not have known about this), and that's a huge start to any major project!

The first rule of writing.... write! You can't edit a blank page, but you can edit words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages as long as you get something, anything on paper. 

The second rule of writing.... read! Of course, every writer should be reading as much as he or she can anyway, but it's never more important to read while you're in the middle of a project to get out of your own head and into someone else's. This way you can still enjoy words without the pressure and you'll be honing your craft. 

And lastly, you need a tribe. The community at NaNoWriMo provides just that. You'll be able to post some of your writing to receive feedback and support and that's a critical step in the process. Writing may be a solitary practice, but it doesn't have to be done all alone. 

P.S. You may also like these posts: 1000 Words.

Photo: Ray Sadler