Today we kick off the third instalment of the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and our prompt for October is ‘It’s not that time of the year without…’. Shalini, Parul and I thank you for your great response again!
Yes, it’s that time of the year. Or shall I say it’s not that time of the year without people asking: “Are you writing in November?”
What kind of question is that?
Those of you who’ve been around the block a few times know that November is associated with writing. Yes, the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it is commonly referred to, will soon be upon us.
It’s That Time Of The Year
We are in October and NaNoWriMo prep season is here.
True confession time
I’ve tried to do this challenge once. And gave up by day 3. Writing 50000 words over a 30 days period is not for me. Also, some of those who proudly announce that they’ve done it 3 and 4 times, have yet to show proof that they’ve actually written a book.
Talking of the word count, I remember one of these professed NaNoWriMoers saying something to me in a group forum. In an ever-so-putting-down-yet- pretending-to-be-nice kind of way, she said, “I don’t count the number of books I read in a year”. Since I do and was, in that particular conversation, encouraging others to take part in a reading challenge, I turned around and said, “And I don’t count the number of words I write.” Yes, I’m pretty nasty, that way! 😉
But seriously, I can do without the guilt of not completing another challenge. If there was a prize for the most number of unfinished challenges, I’d win hands down.
You can call me cynical or say that grapes are sour, but it seems I’m not the only one in the ‘NoNoWriMo’ camp. I loved reading this article this morning – Better Yet, Don’t Write That Novel. And naturally, the last part of the article made me smile. A lot.
But hey, I’m certain there are many people for who this works and more power to them.
What you can do this time of the year (and all year around!)
I’m a great believer in writing regularly. Writing daily even. This is something you can do all year around. And it’s never too late or early to start.
Do read this post 30 little ways to motivate yourself to write, RIGHT NOW and start writing!
Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.
― Jane Yolen
S-t-r-e-t-c-h those writing muscles. Give them a good work out! Challenge yourself! Write 500 words every day. You don’t have to publish them anywhere. Just write!
I wish you well in your writing journey, my friend!
I received this tag from Parul at Happiness and Food. It’s my pleasure to pass on this tag to Shalini at Kohl Eyed Me. There are 38 of us on this Blog Hop and it will be spread over 3 days – 4, 5, 6 October 2019. Do follow the #WordsMatter Blog Hop and prepare to be wowed!
On the sixteenth day of the month, I start reading the posts written by my fellow bloggers for #wordsmatter and I start with your post. I started NaNowrimo once but gave up after five days. It is not my cup of tea.
I am not very fond of challenges, myself. be it a reading challenge or a writing challenge, I will participate only if I am allowed to not consider it a challenge and do things at my pace. I like to enjoy every moment, be it reading a book or writing or drawing. If there’s this race to complete reading a number of books or words, it becomes taxing and intimidating for me and I quit. 😛
It’s not a long life we have. A short, uncertain life which is as it is filled with challenges. Why add some more to it and ruin our peace, I say? RIght? 😀
Ha,ha,ha…totally candid, making no bones about stating things the way they are! A totally you post, Corinne! I am always in awe of people taking part in the NaNoWriMo. I am a pretty sure I cannot stick to non-stop month long writing…ever! You’ll have the share the prize for most number of unfinished challenges with me though!
I love NaNoWriMo, mainly for the company. We do writing sprints that really help in moving the story forward. Also, I’ve made my peace with the fact that I might not complete the challenge, but I still end up writing a lot more than I normally would.
As always, very practicable advice from the Frangipani Creative! Will try writing everyday with a target of not less than 100 words each day.
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I can never do a writing challenge but am motivated by those who can do them. So awed by those who can do reading challenges. Somehow, my reading has slipped so much in the past years that I had no choice but to stop counting the number of books I read. Somehow, these challenges make me nervous. But I am all for setting writing goals like one post a week or daily journal writing. Those give me confidence.
Ah, NaNoWriMo is not for me, either! I can’t deal with that kind of pressure. Though I do know people have come out of it with ready manuscripts too. For me, though, I agree with you – much better to write regularly than to sprint through a writing challenge.
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These days writing 2-3 blog posts a month proves to be a challenge for me, so NaNoWriMo is simply out of the question. I did try it once but it is overwhelming to write daily and also needs a lot of planning and detailing days and months ahead. Nowadays, I am just looking for blogging opportunities such as #WordsMatter to put my thoughts out.
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Love the NO NO … lol! truly, my heart cringes every time I hear of it! Hats off to the folks who do it – total respect! I just don’t have that kind of space in my day or head 🙂
500 words? I truly wonder how long that would take!
Definitely reading & counting that! Updating my goodreads shelf is one of my favourite ‘to-dos’.
I came to know about NaNoWriMo two years back. Since then I have been making a promise to myself to participate every year but have not been able to. Though the first year I only managed to write a page. Guess, I am still not in for writing a novel 🙂 #WordsMatter
I’ve given up doing NaNoWriMo a long time ago. I find such activities more suited for people in colder climates where long hours of darkness can get to you unless you have some meaningful activity. Besides as you said will it really become a book ?
Completely get the arguments against it but I love the idea of that immersion into writing for a month. And I definitely count the number of books I have read 😁
I do like the Nanowrimo, though I never ever finished any novel in the two attempts that I made. I hovever wrote 20000 words of one and that was more than I had ever written ever in a month. But I agree it was the daily writing that made it happen and we do not need to wait for a particular month or time of the year to do that.
I can never imagine doing a NaNoWriMo at least for the next few years. That said, I cannot but be in awe of people who do. I like challenges because somedays that’s the only thing that’ll make me write, but I choose them with care because I’m aware of my priorities.
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I am a part of ‘NoNoWriMo’ camp too, simply because I dont aspire to write a book, ever. I believe, writing every day works for me, as I have participated in many months of UBCs and NaBloPoMos and loved the experience. Though these days, writing 6-8 posts in a month is also a challenge for me.
I have a love-hate relation with challenges. I can be your partner in losing challenges. But I need the push sometimes. Hope to do nanowrimo someday
I actually like challenges,but have never done the Nanowrimo .Just wrong timing for me.But I do write daily and read all the time!
I have done NaBloPoMo but never attempted NaNoWriMo. I think it could be priority too but 50,000 words – I would not put that in a month. I agree with you on writing every day and honing skill day by day. Then when the time comes, maybe a person can write 50,000 in 15 days 😉
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A page or two of writing on an everyday basis works best for me. That way the journal has been a huge incentive for me and for good reason! I honestly couldn’t write 50,000 words even though I’ve been tempted to do NaNoWriMo more than once!
Hmm… I tried NaNoWriMo once I think. OR was it something else similar. I had to continue a story written in parts by others and many others would add their parts to it. I haven’t got a copy of that complete book yet!
I am so glad that making lists and journal entries count into daily writing exercises. At least there is something that I am doing right! 🙂
I prefer writing for #wordsmatter more than blogging daily for week-long blogging challenges. Those are certainly challenging. I have come across this advice many times in the last 5 years to write daily but it has not worked for me to flex my writing muscles everyday so what if it is just writing in my diary. It must be right in comparing writing daily with exercising daily to stretch the muscles in order to stay fit.
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I love to write daily, not possible though. Writing is relaxing to me.
I take up these writing challenges to just stimulate the writing muscle which spasms after every while. So I find these challenges a bonus as I tend to go off writing spells all the time.
Your advice of writing daily and consistently is something I have been aspiring to do but failing miserably at it. I guess I can truly write when I really feel up to it . I take solace in the fact that when I do these challenges, I up my writing ante and just pursue it relentlessly.
Dont feel pressured or threatened from these “writers” – there are TOO many of them around and with such terrible writing. I read about 4 books this year which I couldnt pursue for more than 100 pages. Such bad grammar, plodding narrative and no plot/thought to speak of. Yes they wrote a book but……………..
I was quite shocked at the quality of writing and wondered how did they ever get published. I am quite at a loss while understanding how people are publishing left write and centre – is it really that simple?
I’ve planned and I’ve wanted to do the NaNoWriMo but I’ve never gotten along to do it. I try writing something whenever possible but I am trying to make it a habit of trying to write every day.
50000 words…not my cup of tea! But the thought of writing every day is something that I cherish to do in years to follow. Right now, its only #WordsMatter post that I am able to do in a month. Its keeping my hope of writing everyday, some day…alive!
I tried NaNo once but couldn’t finish. I don’t remember how many days I was able to write, after around 1500 words I stopped. I feel I was better at challenges earlier when I was a mother of just one kid. I don’t think I will be taking up challenges like daily blogging or NaNoWriMo, but I would like to bring a little more disciple in my work at least from next year. This time of the year that’s what I am thinking about. 🙂
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