Social media’s full of too many challenges, but one I liked to take part in was called National Novel Writing Month, but… not anymore. I usually don’t sign up with the actual organization every November and just follow the terms of the challenge on my own just to push myself to write more. For reasons I’m not going into, writers are abandoning the National Novel Writing Month organization en masse. If you want to know why, I’ll let you do your own research.
How the Challenge Works
National Novel Writing Month, abbreviated to NaNoWriMo was a challenge for writers to write 50,000 words throughout the 30 days of November. If you’re wondering, the average comes out to 1,667 words per day, rounded up. Why 50k? That’s what many people consider the minimum average length of a novel, which is why ‘novel’ is in the title.
It’s time for a New Challenge
I’ve completed the challenge every year from 2012 to 2023, except for 2013 where I just forgot to do it. Oops. It’s too big of a tradition for me now, so I’m still challenging myself in November. It’s the perfect month for it. It’s cozy inside, it gets dark early, I can leave football on in the background, and there’s usually discount Halloween candy to munch on while I write. Match that with a candle, blankets and the gear-up for the other holidays, something about the time of year just demands writing.
So, I’m still doing a challenge. I’m not picking one that’s already established, I’m just making something up for myself. The name is going to be simple: “November Writing Challenge” unless I find out later that that name gets taken by another organization.
The November Writing Challenge
Or, at least, MY November Writing Challenge (NoWriChal?) is going to consist of the same terms, PLUS a few more to spice things up. I usually finish the old challenge early anyway, so here goes. The NEW November Writing Challenge:
- Write 50,000 words during the 30 days of November
- Write at least 300 words per day on day job days
- “Buckle Down Day:” Write at least 4,000 words in one calendar day or 24 hour period
- Update word count for each calendar day using social media. Post does not have to be made during the calendar day it references.
That’s it. The bulk of the challenge will still be to get the same average done. I was toying with the idea of adding special challenge where you have to look up a random word and use it in that day’s writing, but I’m not sure exactly how I would do that. Something like, on X day, you must write the word “shark” in your writing for that day.
Preparing for November
I’m a “pantser,” a term writers use to describe someone who writes by the ‘seat of their pants.’ If that phrase is unfamiliar, it means to do something without preparation. I like to write without an outline. I do my best with creativity when I’m just left to create what I want without supervision or planning.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t prepare for November. I’ve been working on the same book for the last several years, and I still have a lot to go. Most of my preparation comes in the form of thinking about what I want to have happen next, and reading the last 15-30 pages of the book, if I haven’t worked on it in a while. Beyond that, I just try to keep working on other projects to keep my writing endurance up. It can be tough to sit down and write a lot when you haven’t done it in a long time.
Other Thoughts
I have to be more disciplined about updating this blog. If you read this far, PLEASE check out my most recent book. It’s called Withered Kingdom, the story of an angel made mortal and his quest to understand his past in a strange world caught up in a magical war. You can get it paperback, hardcover and the Kindle ebook on Amazon or in your phone or tablet’s Kindle app. Click here to buy it, or here to learn more. If fantasy isn’t your thing, share this post on your Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, LinkedIn, or wherever your Science Fiction and Fantasy reader friends might be.
The Phyronian Chronicle 