Blog,  Writing

Fifty thousand in a month? Maybe. Maybe not.

November is coming! Are you ready, Writer?

As I started to write this, I wondered when NaNoWriMo became a thing. I found out it started in 1999, and became an official non-profit in 2006. And now, as they say on their About page, they’re internet-famous.

If you haven’t heard of NaNoWriMo, it’s National Novel Writing Month. Its challenge is to write a novel in the month of, you guessed it, November. Does that sound daunting to you? It does to me, as it does to most. As a tool to get us motivated when we need it, NaNoWriMo can be as useful as any. And, hey, we’re writers, and creative license is a thing. We take inspiration and motivation where we can find them.

But a novel?!? In a month?!? I’m not saying that I’ll never be interested in writing a novel, but I’m not interested in writing a novel. Fifty thousand words in a month, the magic NaNoWriMo number, well… if you break it down it’s 1,667 words per day… hmmmm…

Some writers use the number as their daily word-count goal for whatever they want to write. Others use the swell of so many other writers announcing projects and goals as impetus to park their butt in their chair every day and write. Which is where I was last year, maybe the year before. A lot of life has happened between then and now. I doubt it was just last year I was keeping a word-count chart, but maybe. 

Whenever I last tried with intention, it’s clear I really need some motivation now. Are you with me?

If you’re interested in officially declaring your novel and joining NaNoWriMo, click here. You won’t see me there, but best wishes, Friend!

Now to decide what we’re comfortable committing to… I’m still thinking about it. Definitely should aim for every day… or at least five days per week… And word count… 1,667?  or maybe 1,000? If I dropped my goal down to 500 words per day, I’d be kind of closing in on it… kind of close to closing in… But I guess it doesn’t quite work that way, especially with it only being October yet and all…

Here’s an interesting NaNoWriMo-inspired challenge I came across… Wanna write 30 flash fiction stories in 30 days? Hmmm…

If you need a new notebook or journal to inspire you, consider clicking one Amazon suggests below, or clicking over and choosing one yourself. Yeah, I’m an Amazon associate. If you go to Amazon through one of my links and make a purchase of any qualifying item (not necessarily a result of this “notebooks and journals” search link), I earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect your price but allows you to provide a few cents to support my blogging habit. And Christmas is coming up. Maybe a writer friend you know could use some lovely tactile inspiration to be putting words in black and white, or purple and beige, lined or unlined. Ooh… those notebooks with lined and unlined pages for words and artwork. And don’t forget books, of course. Maybe you need to treat yourself…

Keep scrolling for my November goal and today’s word count.


Well, Writer Friend… or other Friend who supported me with a read… that post above is apparently just 524 words. I have some work ahead of me… I didn’t even manage to finish it all in one day. BUT, here’s my goal: Write every day in November. Minimum 1000 words. I’ve joined FlashNaNo 2021 for the motivation to get more fiction on my blog… and with that goal in mind I should spend some time completing and editing more of the fiction I have in my files.

Best wishes on your goals, writing and otherwise, in November. I know some of you try to post on social media something you’re grateful for each day. Here’s my 2017 take on holiday-season, November and December thankful attitude, Gratitude over Grumbling Challenge from a Christian perspective if you’re interested

And with that and this, I leave you with 671 words.

But I know you’re thinking about one of those notebooks… The one in the featured image was from my boss last year for Christmas. See? Something to write in is a perfect gift for someone… at least someone like me… and probably you.

(726 words)

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