Monday Check In

Last week:

Writing Related: I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was going to unofficially participate in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. The object is to write 50,000 words (approximately 200 pages) in the month of November. To be on track I should have about 39 pages written (not including today) by now. I had a crazy hectic week last week so I only managed to get 20 pages done. I'm hoping to pick up the extra pages I'm behind as I go along so that by November 30th, I will have those 200 pages done.

Motivational Quote:  "Failing once doesn't mean you'll fail every time. You will fail, however, if you don't learn from your mistakes." ~ Tabitha D'Umo

What I'm Reading: I'm currently reading Surrendering to Hunt by Jennifer Ryan. This is the second book in the Wyoming Wilde series. While I'm enjoying the book, I feel like there should be a trigger warning either in the front of the book or in the blurb because it does deal heavily with domestic abuse.

Random Things: I can't believe we have less than 2 months left in this year. I guess what my mom always says is true - The older you get, the faster the years go by.

Random Photo:

     My new planner for 2023. I'm old school and prefer a paper planner over a digital one.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Participants try to write a 50,000 word manuscript between November 1st and November 30th. Or they may try to do 50,000 words on a current manuscript.

I've never participated because November is a crazy hectic month for me every year. There's the Thanksgiving Holiday and all the baking and prep work that goes along with that, I have a couple of family birthday events, and we usually have out of town relatives stop in for early holiday visits.

While I'm not officially doing NaNoWriMo this year, I am setting a goal of getting about 150 pages of new material written. I say "about" because I think that's all I need to write to finish the current manuscript I'm revising and also add a few more pages to finish another manuscript. I really want to have both done by the end of November.

Getting everything written by the end of this month will allow me a bit free time in December that I can devote to making my holiday cards, baking, and working on the blanket I'm knitting (which I haven't had time to work on in a couple of months other than adding a row here and there) without stressing about how I'll get everything done.

NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo is the short form of National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every year from November 1st to November 30th. The purpose is to help foster the habit of writing every day and to help writers get past writer's block. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel within 30 days. It's not expected to be publisher ready, but the first draft where you focus on just getting the words on the page.

It was originally started by a small group of writers in 1999 as a form of motivation. It's become a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage writing and vibrant creativity around the world. In 2013, approximately 310,095 people participated.

I realize I'm a bit early in writing about this since it takes place in November, but many people who decide to participate use the month of October to get ready. Some organize their thoughts, do any research they think they may need, and to clear time in their schedules if needed to ensure they have the necessary writing time.

I have to admit, I've never participated, but have thought about doing it. What's holding me back? Up until recently I worked full time and had commitments outside of work I couldn't shirk 3 days a week. This year I'm thinking I would have the time, but I'm knee deep in revisions that I'd hoped to have finished by the end of summer. So instead of participating in NaNoWriMo, I'm focusing on revisions. I'm determined to get them completed by Thanksgiving.

If you're interested in learning more about NaNoWriMo, here's the link to their official website: National Novel Writing Month