Nanowrimo and other writing challenges

November is known for its many challenges, including No Shave November and National Novel Writing Month, more commonly known as Nanowrimo. This November, I am participating in neither of these quasi-official challenges, though I have written a fair few November novels in the past.

Nanowrimo was something I participated in for the first time in 2012 when I was just eighteen years old. The novel that I wrote was basically atrocious and it's really embarrassing to think about it now. The other novels that I wrote during the challenge were probably equally as bad. But I will say this, even if they all sucked, there was something very satisfying and rewarding about simply finishing them.

I would say that the most critical aspect to actually accomplishing the goal of writing 50,000 words in a single month is to have an idea beforehand and a very basic skeleton or outline of the story you want to tell. That way, when you sit down each day to write, you don't stare at your screen for forever, wondering where to begin.

But to be honest, I think that there are really just two types of people in the world: those who can do Nanowrimo, and those who can't. I'm the kind that can. I'm goal-oriented and I hate not following through. I will leave projects half-finished, but if I write down or vocalize an intention to finish something, then there's a very good chance I will do it. And Nanowrimo.org has tracking capabilities and charts and daily word count goals. It's all designed to tap into the human desire to see numbers go up, to watch meters get filled, to make the happy little checks in the neat little boxes. It's incentive enough for me to see myself get closer and closer to my goal. That's just the way I am.

But not everyone is like that. Some people are freer. For them, just trying is enough. For those people, the journey is more important than the destination. They might value fun over routine. They feel writing should be a joy, not a chore or an obligation. Their outlook is not a good thing or a bad thing inherently, but it's definitely a perspective that I personally don't really relate to.

Either way, I think that creating and expressing yourself is the main point, and whether you finish your story or not, you've put something out into the world that only you could. It's a beautiful thing to let the insides of your brain spill out onto the page. It's a great exercise for anyone; it's a deeply human thing to want to tell stories, to want to make art.

This year, I have decided that instead of doing Nanowrimo, I would write a one-shot fanfiction every day. I didn't have an idea for a full length novel and I'm not really the kind of person to pull a whole concept or plot out of thin air. But I can create little scenes, vignettes, conversations, moments. Especially for characters that I don't have to invent. This writing challenge is a lot more lax than Nano, since I'm not striving for a specific word count every day. It's been a good balance of freedom and routine. I like the challenge, but I also enjoy the ability to go my own pace. I can write as long or as short of a one-shot as I please. I also enjoy the sort of instant feedback. Unlike with Nanowrimo, which kind of leads you to complete your novel before sharing it, I can publish fanfiction and get comments and kudos every day. Sharing is what really makes writing rewarding, in my opinion, and I like the near-immediate gratification of hitting "post" on AO3.

I think that if you like writing, but Nanowrimo is too intimidating or daunting for you, you should just invent your own challenge with your own rules. Whatever you think is attainable for you, you should push yourself and strive for it! You'll always stay where you are if you never try new things and get out of your comfort zone! Of course, that's my own personality and my own opinion, but with how much enjoyment I get out of this, I can't help but think I'm right!