National Novel Writing Month, abbreviated to NaNoWriMo, is an annual creative writing event that happens every November. The event is fully virtual this year, but in years past, the event makers have hosted in-person writing events where writers can work and motivate each other to keep writing. The goal of the event is to write a 50,000 word manuscript over the course of the month. There’s no real winning or losing — but if you win, you get access to exclusive deals and sales, cool downloadable banners, and of course, bragging rights.
I learned about NaNoWriMo when I was 13 years old from an author whom I adored. I had begged my grandmother to drive me two hours to one of her book signings and it was there where I learned about this event. I was smitten from the first time I viewed the website. I had been writing stories for as long as I could remember, and now, I had access to a whole community of writers that could encourage me to be the best story teller I could be. It was only a few months before November, but I was determined to give it my best shot.
In 2013, I attempted the challenge for the first time. I was determined to complete it, but it was far more grueling than I had thought. I had set a goal of writing approximately 1,700 words per day. There were some days where I hit that goal easily and some days where I could only manage 100 words and had to play catch-up. Before November began, I had planned the story out as much as I could, taking advantage of planners and storyboards that the NaNoWriMo community provided me with.
As the month came to an end, I did it. I wrote a short story that was 50,019 words titled “Lies Best Kept.” It was an adventure romance story and it had just as much teen angst as you can imagine a 13 year old including. I even had one of my friends from school design a book cover for me. Even if the story was mediocre at best, over the course of the month, I had made new friends, connections and took initiative for myself to complete a goal that I had set for myself. It was a taste of independence and adulthood. I was hooked.
Of course, in 2014, I challenged myself again. I had grown a whole year and had far more stories to tell. I was determined to set more challenges for myself than just the word count.
I didn’t let myself start planning before Nov. 1. I wanted to write what came to me on a whim and see what I could create. Inspired by author Jodi Picoult, who I had just discovered that year and whose stories I had fallen in love with, I wrote a romance murder mystery titled “She Said He Said.” This story clocked in at 50,541 words and had even been set up for a sequel.
While I did start NaNoWriMo the following year, I wasn’t able to manage completing it as I was starting my second year of high school. Even so, completing NaNoWriMo two years in a row and being a part of that community was so beneficial as a young writer. It helped me not only make connections and establish good writing habits for myself, but it also motivated me to work hard for the goals I wanted to accomplish, even if they didn’t have to do with school or work. NaNoWriMo has grown a lot since it was established in 2006 and I still remember it fondly.
