The Return of NaNoWriMo and Why You Should Participate!
Have you ever thought to yourself, “Wow, I really want to start writing more, but I haven’t been given that push to kickstart that process”; or, maybe you just want to keep track of the continual progress you’re making within your own work? Well, look no further for a solution to your ponderings! This month both the English Department and the Creative Writing Club have decided to participate in “National Novel Writing Month.” You are in no way mandated to write a novel this month; we have extended it to be somewhat flexible, allowing you to write a novella, a briefer work. However, this does not require you to complete a piece, but rather acts as an intensification to get some ground covered!
This is a month dedicated to trying to push yourself to write, whether continuing your own novel or starting a new work altogether, with the intention of trying to have aspiring writers fulfill their personal writing goals. Though we have a set word count we wish to reach, currently set at 200,000 words spread out between several writers, this is subject to change as more people decide to partake! As of now, there’s a standard goal per participant of completing 50,000 words this month, though you can easily change your plan.
Now you may wonder, “How am I supposed to be keeping track of how many words I’ve written so far?” This is where the English Departments’ discord server comes in, utilizing a ‘Writer Bot’ to keep track of each participant’s goals and daily progress towards achieving them. This bot is an easy-to-use tool, providing various features meant to help writers, obviously, keep track of their goals and progress, as well as generate prompts, flip a coin, and give motivational quotes when you’re feeling down in the dumps. If you aren’t currently in the discord server, no worries—here is the link: https://discord.gg/ZtbC5e9zue. This is a worthwhile experience every aspiring writer should participate in, not just helping the discord server reach their goal but achieving personal goals that they’ve either been procrastinating or struggling to accomplish. But don’t just take my word for it—here are the testimonies of several current participants who were willing to touch on their experience so far
“NaNoWriMo is a good chance to get myself out of my writing comfort zone and work on just one project for an extended period of time. It’s frustrating, but it can also be a lot of fun, especially when you have other people doing it with you,” said one English student.
Another thought back to their previous experience with NaNoWriMo and expressed high hopes for the month ahead: “I failed to reach the 50k goal my first time a few years ago, so participating this year for the second time has been exactly what I expected, except I feel more confident with it. It feels as overwhelming as it does productive. I’ve been applying the common advice I hear from other successful writers who make it a habit to write on a regular morning schedule just as soon as they wake up.”
If you feel NaNoWriMo is for you, don’t hesitate. November is coming to a close! Everyone is welcome, even if you're not an English major. This is an opportunity to challenge yourself and push out of your own work. If this sounds like it might be up your alley, join and get started!