10 Ways to Enjoy National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo)

Photo by Artem Kniaz on Unsplash

Writing Ideas for November

 

Fall swept in along with National Novel Writing Month.  Nanowrimo, a nonprofit organization, encourages writers to write 50,000 words in 30 days. 

As I blog, millions of fingers are tapping thousands of keyboards. I imagine people are typing like mad at their desks, on their sofas, or in their recliners. Some of them are sitting in coffee shops or in the park.  

What if you want to participate, but you feel like you

missed the boat? No worries. I have 10 ways to make 

this month productive.

1. Start writing late. Don’t worry about hitting the 50K word count. Consider 1,667 words a day, which is 50,000 divided by 30. Your word count will fall short of the Nanowrimo goal, but hey, you put in the effort. Here is the official Nanowrimo link if you want to check them out. https://nanowrimo.org/come-write-in 

2. Finish an old manuscript. Once upon a time, you loved the project. Maybe you can rekindle the desire.

3.  Go to a conference or take an online writing course. If money is tight, binge on free YouTube videos.

4. Research writing contests and prepare an entry.

5.  Start a new blog or prepare a post for an existing one.

6.  Revise an old manuscript that didn’t make the cut. Sometimes a rewrite does the trick.

7.  Write a nonfiction book on a topic dear to your heart.

8.  Write short stories or poetry 6 days a week. Spend 1 day a week submitting them to magazines.

9.   Spend November reading craft books or a novel that’s collecting dust on its jacket.

10.   Give your brain a rest and let it percolate. By December, your mind will brew a fresh story. Down time prevents burnout. If writing isn’t fun, you need a break.