by Joe Bunting
Today is the first of November. For many writers, that means one thing: National Novel Writing Month has begun.
Maybe you’ve been planning your NaNoWriMo novel for weeks, even months. You’ve got your plot laid out, you’ve written sketches of all your characters, you’ve done a heap of research, and you’ve been raring at the bit to start writing.
Maybe you were recently inspired to write, and you decided to commit to writing a book this month just a few days ago. You have some ideas of what your book will be, and you’re excited to “pants” your way through thirty days of writing dangerously.
Or maybe you haven’t decided to write a book this month. You’ve seen the hype and you’ve wondered whether it’s worth it, but now, on day one, you’re still on the fence, not quite ready to take on this challenge.
One thing’s for sure: writing 50,000 words in 30 days takes a lot—a lot of dedication, of imagination, of perseverance. It’s important to know why you’re writing at all.
Focusing on that reason for starting will help you power through when the writing gets hard and you’re tempted to quit.
Why Write a Book in a Month?
There are hundreds of reasons to write a book in just thirty days. Today, though, I’ll focus on just one: practice.
Let’s take a look at some of the things you’ll practice by writing a book in thirty days.
Writing every day
In order to tackle this audacious writing goal, you’ll have to write every single day. We’ve written before about why developing a daily writing habit is an essential part of becoming a writer.
There’s no better way to ensure you’ll start—and maintain—that habit when you have the looming prospect of an impending deadline creeping closer and closer.
Writing without editing
It’s difficult to let your imagination run wild when your inner editor wants to polish every sentence as you put it on the page. Here’s the paradox of writing well: if you want to write something worthwhile, you have to let go of perfectionism and give yourself permission to write poorly first.
When you write a book in thirty days, there’s simply no time to edit. Remember those impending deadlines? They’ll help you shut that inner editor down so you can finally finish a first draft.
Writing through writer’s block
No matter what writing project you tackle, at some point you’ll probably find yourself stuck. You’ll hit a wall, you’ll stare at that blank page, and you’ll wonder why every good idea you had has dried up and disappeared.
It’s all too easy to let that blocked feeling grind your writing to a halt. But with an audacious goal and a community holding you accountable, you’ll have the motivation and support you need to write your way through the block and rediscover inspiration on the other side.
Writing a book
This may sound like a no-brainer, but hear me out. When you write a book in thirty days, you’ll practice the process of writing an entire story from beginning to end.
You’ll practice structuring a book, crafting a compelling plot, and developing believable characters. You’ll work on writing realistic dialogue, vibrant description, and vivid action. You’ll get better at setting up a story with essential exposition, raising the stakes, building up to the climax, and wrapping it all up with a satisfying resolution.
When you finish, your book won’t be perfect, and that’s okay. It will be written—and better yet, you will be a better writer.
This Is No Easy Task
It’s all well and good to talk about the great results of writing a book in thirty days. But we all know this is no small thing.
It is not easy to write 1,666 words every day, to get up and put words on the page even when you just want to quit, to get inspired when you’re stuck in the ugly middle, to persevere when every sentence you write seems terrible.
You know this, and we know this. That’s why we’ve put together a program to give you the support, training, and accountability you need to make it through those rough patches and reach “The End” by November 30.
We’ll send you weekly lessons with the training you need to write a good book, as well as daily emails to inspire your writing time. We’ll hold you accountable to weekly deadlines, with consequences to give you the motivation you need to meet them.
And we’ll connect you with our community of NaNo-ers, other writers who will support you when the writing gets rough, inspire you when your ideas run dry, and celebrate with you when you breeze past your word count goals.
Sound interesting? Get all the details and join us here »
Challenge Yourself to Practice
Writing a novel in thirty days isn’t for everyone, it’s true. Still, I encourage you to consider whether it’s for you.
Is this the month for you to finally write your book?
If it is, why don’t you come write with us?
Even if it’s not, don’t let yourself off the hook just yet. What writing challenge will you set yourself? How will you practice writing?
That’s a question that’s always worth asking.
How are you practicing writing this month? Let us know in the comments!
PRACTICE
Today, let’s practice writing without editing. Here’s your prompt: someone wants to enter a marathon, but something’s holding them back.
Write for fifteen minutes without stopping to edit. Just let your imagination run wild!
When you’re done, share your writing in the comments, and don’t forget to leave feedback on your fellow writers’ pieces!
The post One Reason to Write a Book in a Month appeared first on The Write Practice.
from The Write Practice http://ift.tt/2frQlTJ
No comments:
Post a Comment