Bringing Mae Flowers

It’s time to prepare for my annual attempt (And failure) at NaNoWriMo.

Every year for about a decade I have participated in NaNoWriMo in some capacity. Some years I attempt the full 50,000 word challenge, and some years I make the modest pledge to write every day in the month of November. But every year, I fail. It’s become something of a tradition, and October through December is the prime time of year for traditions.

My approach changes every year.

Last year some friends and I created a small writing group and we tried meeting once a week for writing sprints. I figured that this was the best way to get things done, as I have proven to myself time and time again that I need external pressure to finish anything. And, it seemed to do the trick! At first. The accountability system worked well enough for the first two weeks, but we quickly fell apart as life responsibilities got in the way. Even though it failed, the group did accomplished 1 important thing: it encompassed the spirit of NaNo.

What I love about NaNoWriMo isn’t the end goal.

Yes, National Novel Writing Month is about writing novels. On the surface, it’s a call to the keyboard- an open challenge for all writers to sharpen their pens and get to work. To many people, NaNoWriMo is about finishing something (a novel). When I was younger, I thought about it that way too- a fun, challenge to push myself toward publication. But, as I got older I realized that what I loved about NaNoWriMo wasn’t the lone act of writing a novel. There’s a far more important goal;

NaNoWriMo is about building a writing community.

Writers tend to be introverts. We are comfortable sitting in our own thoughts for hours on end. That’s great for creativity, but not always great for mental health. Many writers end up feeling lonely, isolated, and misunderstood. Because writing is an activity that is easily done alone, anytime, anywhere- there’s not need for writers to go out to find places or people to practice their craft. That’s where NaNoWriMo comes in. It’s created a reason for writers to reach out to one another.

It’s created a community in several ways.

1. The designated month gives writers a season to look forward to (like football season, farmer’s market season, fashion week etc).
2. The challenge is difficult enough to interest experienced writers, but still possible for new writers to attempt.
3. The measurable goal makes progress updates easy, and fun. It’s like a game!
4. The event is almost entirely online, making it accessible for people of all ages, abilities, and nationalities.
5. The stakes are low. There is nothing to lose to this challenge but time. There’s no big financial investment, and the only potential injury you might get is carpal tunnel syndrome.

The community is why I have been participating every year.

Even before I joined online writing groups, and before I made friends in the writing community, NaNoWriMo gave me a sense of identify as a writer. Participating connects me to the writing community around the world, whether we are formally participating and tracking our progress on the NaNoWriMo website or just doing something on our own.

So, this year- I’ll be upholding the tradition.

I’ve updated my NaNoWriMo profile, and announced my participation in my writer’s group. If I finish a novel, I’ll be thrilled. But, even if I don’t- I’ll still meet my goal. I’ll still be a part of the writing community.