Think you can write a 50,000 word novel in a month? With a fantastic network of fellow writers and a fun program like NaNoWriMo to cheer you on, it’s not as hard as it sounds!

I first heard about NaNoWriMo— National Novel Writing Month, a challenge to write 50,000 words of fiction in November–from a friend several years ago. I assumed it was a thing for high school students, maybe even college students, and promptly forgot about it.

Then, this year, I heard some of my author friends talk about it. Whaaat? Published authors use NaNoWriMo as a motivation tool for their books? I decided this was something I needed to check out.

What I found was delightful. The NaNoWriMo community is fun and engaging, with seminars, tools, and a cool website to track your progress. There are Preptober challenges in October to help writers prepare for writing as well as other tools to use year-round.

Obviously, I decided I needed to try this. And since the website offers virtual badges for both writing every day and for writing the average (1667 words) every day, I decided that what what I was going to do.

Cue the midnight writing sessions.

Even though November was an unusually busy month, I managed to finish the 50,000 word challenge a few days ago! Usually, when there’s a lot going on, fiction projects get put on hold or at least take the back burner to more urgent tasks. So I was thankful to have something that kept me writing and pushed me to keep going when I wasn’t sure what would come next in the story.

Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just thinking of dipping your toes in the waters of noveling, I highly recommend giving NaNoWriMo a go. It brings a new level of joy and satisfaction to the writing process. Hope to be your NaNo buddy in 2022!

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