November: A Month-Long Writer's Holiday Of Creativity

NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. I almost titled this blog post “A Month-Long Writer’s Holiday Of Joy And Misery.” But I didn’t want to send the wrong message. Because here’s the thing:

I love National Novel Writing Month. I would not be an author without it.

I love the late-nights when the Muses don’t let me sleep. I love updating my word count and seeing myself inch closer to 50,000 words. I love connecting with other writers who are doing the same thing.

I’ve met three of my best friends through Nano. I found my critique group through Nano. And I love it so much, I signed up to be a Municipal Liaison this year.

Now, my November is going to be even more demanding. I’m organizing events, moderating forums and Discord, answering questions. I’m even going to speak to a group of 90 librarians about why Nano is so awesome.

You know, on top of freelancing and writing my own novel. About five days/nights of my week are spoken for during November. I’m stressed about getting everything done. I’m worried about not seeing my husband much and that the house will fall into disarray. I’m stressed that book three of the Scholars of Elandria is going to give me a lot of plot issues.

But I love it. I believe in NaNoWriMo. How many people have you met that have said they’ve always wanted to write a book? Nano gives people an outlet and endless support for that story they’ve been dying to tell. Most Nano winners don’t publish or even want to. But for those that do, Nano is the kick-in-the-ass to actually finish that manuscript.

I saw an author recently say that she thinks Nano is great for beginners. I’m far from a beginner at this point. I’m starting my fourth book intended for publication, and I’ve got others that won’t see the light of day. And I’m not stopping Nano any time soon.

I crave the fiery creativity of November. It’s just not sustainable for the rest of the year. But 50K words in a month? Yes!

I’ll sleep in December.