Pressure Cooker Novels | Honest Thoughts About NaNoWriMo 2021
I don’t remember how many times I’ve “failed” NaNoWriMo.
I’ve lost track of how many conversations I’ve had with other writers who share the same sentiment.
If you’re not sure what that means—if you don’t have a writer friend about to spontaneously combust—November is National Novel Writing Month. Encouraged by the folks over at nanowrimo.org, writers everywhere take the month to focus on writing an entire novel (50,000 words, to be exact) in one month. That’s roughly 1,667 words every day. Sounds easy, right?
Not exactly.
If NaNoWriMo were the only thing we had to focus on in November, it would be a piece of cake. But often, we find ourselves overwhelmed by adding this goal into our already busy lives. Most of us don’t write full time. We have a day job. We have responsibilities. Personally, I have a few loads of laundry I still haven’t folded and put away.
Prioritizing time to write is a good idea. It’s a great idea, really. I mean, it’s the dream. It’s what every writer wants and actually needs to do.
Then why is reaching 50,000 words in one month so dang hard for so many of us?
I don’t hold all the secrets to the universe, so I can’t exactly answer that question completely. But I do have a theory.
My theory is that as writers, we put too much pressure on ourselves.
NaNoWriMo is essentially an Instant Pot for a novel. It might get the job done, but a slow roasted story Crock Pot is just as good.
NaNoWriMo can work, but it’s not our only choice for writing a novel.
In past years and fleeting Novembers, I’ve given so much power to NaNoWriMo which resulted in me placing so much shame on myself. If I can’t write a book the way so many others have, will I ever? Am I a fraud? A failure? I must be, if I can’t even participate in the national month of my craft correctly.
I’ve since come to realize that YEARS HAVE 11 OTHER MONTHS TOO. I know, pretty wild.
I have an abundance of opportunity to write. I don’t have to wait for a specific time of the year. I don’t have to give up if it takes longer than a month to finish my story.
NaNoWriMo is a great motivator to write. It’s a great structure to follow if that’s what works best for you. But this year, I’m not going to give it the power to send me into shame spirals.
This year, I’m participating in NaNoWriMo on my own terms. I’ll track my word count, sure. I’ll follow the typical advice, do some writing sprints, and set aside some extra time that I usually don’t to work on my project. But if I don’t make it to 50,000 words, that’s okay.
I’m using NaNoWriMo to get myself started on a new project and work on building routines that support my writing goals. I’m using it to set up practices I can carry with me throughout the year.
If NaNoWriMo has always stressed you out, or maybe you “succeeded” last year and are intimidated to top that this year, I’d encourage you to take a look at your mindset for the challenge. Are you participating because you want to or because you think you’re supposed to?
To each and every writer reading this, whether you’re joining in NaNoWriMo or not, just remember you don’t always have to pressure yourself to work on your novels within a certain structure. Take elements of NaNoWriMo and just use what works for you. Let the pressure go.
After all, we’re writers because we love writing. We love telling stories. So let’s tell our stories on our own terms!
If you have a past or present completed NaNoWriMo project and you’re not sure what to do with it next, I’m so glad you’re here! I’d love to work with you during the editing process. Let’s chat about your novel and how I can help.