by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales

November is quickly approaching! As we focus on pulling out our sweaters and boots, drinking all the pumpkin spice lattes we can handle, and photographing the changing of the leaves, several writers will be gearing up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). For the month of November, we’ll be shooting for daily word counts and the completion of a rough draft of a new novel.

The benefits of participating in NaNoWriMo:

1. You’ll know you’re not alone. Hiding away in our writing caves, pounding out words day in and day out, can be a lonely venture. This is a chance to come out of our caves and embrace a tribe of others just like us. Those who get us. Unlike some of the “normals” we live with.

2. Find a critique group. Check the NaNoWriMo page to find a Come Write In near you. (Scroll to the bottom of the page.) It’s a chance to get out of the house and write alongside others who are participating. Maybe you’ll find that critique group you’ve been looking for! If you don’t, at least you’ll have met other writers from your area. Can’t find a Come Write In place near you? That page will also provide you with information on how to request your local library or coffee shop become one.

3. Accountability partners in abundance. NaNoWriMo allows you to find your friends on the site and meet new authors. Use the buddy system, and find yourself an accountability partner. If you’re both participating, you both likely want to make your goal of 50,000 words. This is a great way to have someone hold you accountable and find success!

4. Practice meeting a daily word count … all while racing against a 30-day clock. That’s 1,667 words a day. In the midst of the start of the busy holiday season. While the kids have at least a few days off from school. How much fun is that?! If you want to know what the pressure of a deadline feels like, this is one way to experience it!

5. Try a new technique. We’ve all heard the debate between Plotters and Pansters. This is a great opportunity to learn how to write organically. Unless, of course, you start plotting now… or you have a quick way to plot. And if you’re naturally a Panster, you may need to consider plotting ahead of time so you can write faster. Sometimes knowing where you’re going helps speed up the journey.

6. Protect your writing time. If you’re anything like me, life throws all sorts of distractions and emergencies at you that take away your writing time. This is a great opportunity to learn how to protect that time and train your family to understand that when you’re writing, you’re not to be interrupted. It’s also a great opportunity to train yourself to avoid the distractions of social media and email.

7. Get those characters out of your head and onto the page. Have your imaginary friends been keeping you up at night with their antics? Has that plotline been racing around your brain while you’ve been trying to focus on other things? NaNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity to get them from your head to the page.

8. Start your writing career. Maybe you’ve never written a book before but have been pondering doing so. Or maybe you’re a career writer who’s wanted to try out a new genre. Or maybe you’ve claimed to be a writer but have instead mastered the art of procrastination. Maybe you’ve been spooked by the idea of being creative with words. Don’t let those things stop you anymore. Now’s the time to sit down and get it done.

9. Have a book ready to pitch/publish in 2018. This is the ultimate reason we participate in NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write 50,000 words (a rough draft – or at least the start of one) in November. When you’ve “won” at NaNoWriMo, you’ll have a first draft of a novel you can then work at revising for pitching and publication. What could be better than that?

My goal is to write a YA novel by participating in NaNoWriMo 2017. I’m hoping to take the month of December off from “work” and then pick the novel back up in January and revise it. Maybe by the middle of 2018, I’ll have my first book contract. Who’s going to join me?

If you’re considering NaNoWriMo and want to plan ahead, feel free to check out my post, Your 6-Week Prep Plan for NaNoWriMo. It’ll help you get started and explains how to find a buddy.

Alycia W. Morales is an award-winning freelance editor and author. Her clients have won the Selah Award, BRMCWC Director’s Choice Award, and many others. Her writing has been published in Thriving Family magazine, Splickety Love, and several compilation books. She is a member of ACFW, the president of Cross n’ Pens critique group, and a BRMCWC Conference Assistant.
Alycia blogs at The Write Editing and Life. Inspired.
When she isn’t busy writing, editing, and reading, Alycia enjoys spending time with her husband and four children taking hikes in Upstate SC and NC, creating various crafts, coloring in adult coloring books, and watching TV.