NanowriNO

I’m not doing Nanowrimo this year.   This is because I am already steadily working on something, my solarpunk novella, and I’d be a fool to dump that just in order to write a random NaNovel I’m not really into, because it’s November.

Some people use Nanowrimo to push themselves to work on something they already have on deck.  That’s fine, and I’ve done that before, too.  But I don’t feel the need to push myself to do 1667 words a day on the novella.  I am happy with the 500 words a day I am currently doing. Besides (please god!) there aren’t 50,000 words left in the novella, so I wouldn’t be able to “win” Nanowrimo anyway, and that’s always a letdown.  I’ve done it six times, and won it three times, so I don’t want to pull my average down less than 50 percent!

I do feel a little sad and nostalgic that I’m not doing it.  I have a fondness for Nanowrimo after all.  Daughter of Atlas was my first NaNovel, way back in the day.  I miss the crazy camaraderie that comes from it, online and IRL. The past couple years I have run a series of Nanowrimo programs at my library, write-ins and pep talks, in which I would join the attendees in NaNoveling.  That was fun.  But there’s so much going on at my branch this November, other programs, major programs, and an election (my library is a polling place.)  I can’t really wedge the write-ins in there, so that dampened my enthusiasm for the project too.  A couple people in my writing workshop are first-timers and asked me if I was doing it too, and I’m sorry I can’t be there to help them.

But the fact is, the solarpunk is going well and I shouldn’t try to tamper with what’s currently working in order to meet an abstract ideal of “doing Nanowrimo.”  That’s missing the point completely.  Besides, there’s always next year.

So, good luck, those that are doing it.  You can always message me if you have any questions or need advice.  I’ll join you next year.