While NaNoWriMo may sound like a bunch of gibberish, it stands for National Novel Writing Month, the annual event where writers from all over attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This event has taken place every November since 1999, and many new writers and well-known authors (including Rainbow Rowell, Marissa Meyer, Hank Green, and Erin Morgenstern) have participated.
If you’re a writer reading this sometime in October, you’re probably wondering if you should join these thousands of novelists and attempt to write a novel during NaNoWriMo. It’s a big commitment, and it can be a tough decision. So let’s take a look at the rules and weigh the pros and cons.
NaNoWriMo Rules
In order to officially win NaNoWriMo (complete the challenge), you have to play by the rules. Some writers bend these rules to fit what they’re currently working on.
- NaNoWriMo begins on November 1st at midnight (the night of Halloween) and ends at 11:59 on November 30th. Participants must write all 50,000 words during this time.
- Write the first draft of a new novel (not a new draft of a novel you’ve been working on). Continuing the first draft of a novel you’ve already been working on is also discouraged. This rule gets bent most often. Many writers would rather make progress on something they’ve already been working on than start something new.
- Be the only author of your novel.
- Don’t write the same word repeated 50,000 times.
- Outlining is allowed beforehand, and it’s generally encouraged (some people devote all of October to getting ready, dubbing it Preptober).
Along with the satisfaction of completing 50,000 words of a story, winners get a special badge and can buy the winner’s shirt from NaNoWriMo’s shop.
Pros and Cons of Participating in NaNo
Pros
Even if you don’t win, by the end of the month you will have made progress on writing your novel, something you’ve perhaps been trying to do for a long time.
NaNo is excellent at getting you to sit down and write the words. When you’re trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days (approx. 1,667 words per day), you don’t have time to rewrite the beginning 20 times or go back and edit the scene you always get stuck on or spend your whole writing session stressing about the best way to introduce a character. You only have time to actually write.
NaNo will help you establish a habit of writing consistently–something that many writers struggle with. A consistent writing habit can often be the difference between a published author and an aspiring writer.
With thousands of people participating around the world, NaNoWriMo is a great way to connect with other writers. You can often find groups of participants in your area or online.
If you’ve never managed to complete the first draft of your novel, it can be just the thing to push you over that hill and finally accomplish that goal.
Cons
Writing a novel in a month is no simple feat. It takes preparation and a lot of time. Don’t underestimate this challenge. First-time participants can often fall behind early on, and catching up can seem impossible. Many participants also think they’ll have the time for it, but realize part way through that they simply don’t.
NaNo can cut into social and family time, and it can cause stress and pressure, which can impact many different areas of your life. If you have a busy schedule, it could even impact your ability to do your day job.
The novel you end up with at the end of the month may not be the novel you were hoping for. In the chaos of trying to write so many words, quality can sometimes be sacrificed for quantity. I’ve heard of several writers who’ve participated saying they had to scrap their NaNoWriMo novel because it wasn’t salvageable. Others have had to do extensive revisions, essentially rewriting the whole book–something they may not have needed if they had taken it slower.
If you don’t finish, it can be a big hit to your self-esteem and confidence as a writer. While the event is supposed to be a fun challenge, no one likes to fail. Unexpected things can happen during the month and push you off track. It’s okay if you don’t finish, but I can’t guarantee how you’ll feel about it.
Things to Consider
- How much time do you have during November? Do you have holiday plans? Are you traveling or do you have family coming to visit? Is it a busy time for work or school? You need to determine how much time you’ll realistically have to write each day and whether that is enough time to write 1,667 words.
- Will participating in NaNo bring you closer to your current writing goals? If you’ve already written a novel and you’re working on revising it, NaNo may not be the best option for you. The prospect of a shiny new project can distract you from your goal. However, if you recently had an idea for a new story and aren’t working on anything else, then it may be the perfect time to start that project.
- How flexible are you willing to be? Some writers see NaNo as a time to refocus on writing, no matter what their goals are. It’s a great way to get momentum and feel like you’re a part of something, especially if you adapt it to your own needs. On the other hand, you may feel the need to follow all of NaNoWriMo’s rules, which means you won’t be as flexible, and NaNo will be a bigger commitment (and a bigger disappointment if you don’t win).
- Are you prepared? Have you outlined your novel, sketched out your characters, and done everything you can to get ready now? Do you still have time to prepare before November 1st? If you are a pantser, the answer to these questions may not matter as much–as long as these things won’t bog you down later!
- Are you willing to give yourself a break if you don’t finish? If you’re the kind of person who tends to be hard on themselves (as most of us are), you’ll want to prepare yourself ahead of time for this possibility. In the end, NaNo isn’t meant to be too serious, so you have to be willing to take it easy on yourself if you don’t finish.
- Do you already have a consistent writing habit? If you do, that’s awesome. Why mess with something that already works?
- Do you need encouragement from others? If you do, there’s nothing wrong with that. NaNoWriMo is a great time to get it. You’ll find everyone cheering on everyone else and celebrating both the small and the big victories.
Tips for Participating in NaNoWriMo
If you’ve never participated, you may be overwhelmed just thinking about this challenge. It’s daunting for sure, but there are things you can do to help you succeed and not stress.
Prepare–Outline, Flesh Out Characters, Research, Etc.
Normally, I’m a discovery writer (panster). I don’t plan; I just write what comes to me. But when it comes to NaNo, I see the value in having a plan. When you’re 20,000 words in, but you have no idea what comes next, that outline will come in handy. I also tend to discover my characters as I write them, but I do like to have a general idea of who they are before I start. I’d recommend figuring out their internal conflict beforehand so that you can plant those seeds throughout your story. Research can be super time-consuming too, so it is best to do it before if you can. Many people recommend doing everything you can possibly do before November 1st. That way, you can just focus on the words.
Plan When You’ll Write
Hopefully, you know what your schedule for November will look like. If you do, you know what time of day is best for writing. Dedicate that time to writing and protect it at all costs. If you don’t schedule it, it will likely get pushed to the side.
Take Breaks
Writing for 1,667 words straight can be hard, especially if you’ve never done it before. You may find yourself at 900 words for the day and already burnt out. If this happens, take a break. Go get some water or food, go for a walk, clean your room, or even just stand and stretch. Breaks where you’re moving work wonders. Something about them resets your brain so that you’re not as tired anymore. (Trust me, I was feeling tired of writing this blog post. I took a break and stretched and now I’m back and the words are flowing again.)
Get Ahead Early/Plan for No-Writing Days
Chances are there will be days that you don’t have time to write or that you don’t hit the word count goal. Sometimes it’s Thanksgiving and you’re stuffed like turkey (with turkey) and your grandma stays until 11 when she was supposed to leave hours earlier. Don’t worry. It’s normal. But you can do something to help your future self when this happens. Often early in the month, you’ll have more time and motivation to write. When this happens try to stretch your daily goal a bit–perhaps 2,000 instead of 1,667. Don’t overdo it, but take advantage of that energy and motivation. You’ll thank yourself later.
If there’s a day or several days in November that you know you’ll have no time, you can adjust the daily word count goal. Say you know you’ll have 25 days instead of 30. That’s 2,000 words a day, which isn’t too far from 1,667.
Have Fun with It
Not to be cheesy, but this one is actually important. You won’t be able to write for 30 days in a row if you don’t enjoy the story you’re writing. Play around, experiment, do whatever you need to to make it exciting. Give yourself permission to let it be bad or silly or whatever it needs to be. First drafts aren’t meant to be good anyway.
No matter what you decide, take some time to work on your writing goals in November if you can. NaNoWriMo is a great time to make progress. Good luck with all of your writing!
