I've decided NOT to participate in NaNoWriMo this year
Why the thirty-day novel writing challenge just isn't for me
This was the year, I was sure of it. I had it all planned out: I’d have an outline for my science fiction novel ready by November 1 so I could dive right into churning out a manuscript. In thirty days I would have a first draft in hand, finally completing the National Novel Writing Month challenge. It all seemed so simple.
Until it wasn’t.
Burnout hit me like a runaway truck.
I’d been pushing myself to exhaustion, taking on a mountain of different writing projects and trying to work on them all at once. The stress and strain I had internalized in recent weeks finally became too much.
I totally failed to spot the warning signs of my impending meltdown. I deluded myself into believing that I was actually doing great! That I had never been more productive! In reality, I was making myself sick with stress, overworking myself six days a week and failing to take time for real leisure. When my collapse finally became unavoidable, I knew at once that I needed to reassess my plans and priorities. In the aftermath, I realized that my NaNoWriMo plans had contributed significantly to my anxiety.
I’ve tried NaNoWriMo several times and have never met with success. I usually gave it up after the first few days. I used to think that poor writing strategy must have produced these outcomes: I had tried to be a “pantser,” someone who writes by the seat of their pants—without an outline. I was determined to break the pattern in 2022: I was certain I could beat the challenge if I started with a detailed outline in November.
But now I realize I was setting myself up for failure again! The actual reason why NaNoWriMo hadn’t worked for me in the past is that the entire structure of the challenge is runs counter to my basic instincts as a writer and creative person.
To complete the NaNoWriMo challenge, you need to write a fifty thousand word novel in thirty days. Ideally, that works out to a daily word count of 1,667 words. I might be able to hit that target on a good day, maybe even on the first day of the month. But based on previous experiences, I would soon fall behind.
Couldn’t I set a lower daily word goal and still finish the manuscript eventually? Indeed, I’ve tried this strategy before and still ran out of steam. The shame of not being able to keep up with other writers in the challenge, and the stress of writing consistently for thirty days straight eventually got to me, and I quit.
NaNoWriMo encourages participants to churn out words every day like a machine. That’s simply not how I write. It’s reflects a distinctly American assembly-line work ethic: more, faster, more, faster. This same kind of mentality caused me to crack under pressure when I used to work retail. I can’t work or create this way.
I’ve decided that NaNoWriMo just isn’t for me. I’m sure that the deadline and the competitive nature of the challenge does wonders to motivate other writers. I’m not one of those people. I need to create at my own pace. To borrow shamefully from Aesop’s fable, when it comes to writing fiction, I’m not the hare—I’m not a sprinter. I’m the unhurried tortoise, plodding steadily towards the finish line, comfortable in the knowledge that I’m completing the race in the way that works best for me.
All that being said, I do plan to begin working on a novel this year. I probably won’t finish the manuscript in 2022, but I refuse to let myself be rushed.
I may share more details about this project in the future right here on Perilous Realms.
Until we meet again, “the Road goes ever on…”