3 Ways to Adapt NaNoWriMo to Your Writing
I used to write stories as a kid. (I mean, what bookish child didn’t have a notebook of her own stories?) One notebook in particular housed a thriller about a girl whose mother wasn’t actually her mother—think kidnapping, impersonation, detection. I was so sure of this story idea that I wrote on the first page of my notebook, “DO NOT READ UNTIL THIS IS PUBLISHED.” I had confidence in spades.
My fiction career, however, never took off (shocking, I know), and I really found my writing loves in creative nonfiction. That blog I nurtured for ten years was nothing but personal essays, and it was in that online space that I identified my voice and discovered the stories that already existed within my life. Now that we’re creeping up on NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month—you’re understandably seeing posts all about fiction writing and fiction characters and all things fiction.
I love fiction. I read primarily fiction. But when it comes to writing, creative nonfiction is where my talents shine. So I’m giving all of us creative nonfiction writers permission to use NaNoWriMo for whatever purposes your writing needs.
Write whatever you want!
I know you know this. Writing challenges have no rules that can’t be broken. And even though NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, anyone can dive into this community experience. Story is story is story, isn’t it? Fiction, nonfiction, so much (if not all) of writing is based in story. If you have a story to write and NaNoWriMo ignites the motivation to write it, who cares if it’s fiction or nonfiction? (Also writers are kind to each other. I don’t think you’ll run into many who will look down their nose at a creative nonfiction writer setting a NaNoWriMo goal.)
2. Think beyond the 50K goal.
The founding premise of NaNoWriMo is to write fifty thousand words in one month. It’s ambitious and audacious and thrilling! And you don’t have to force yourself to go for fifty thousand words unless you want to. To channel the challenge energy, you could still commit to write for so many hours (or let’s face it, minutes, a day), write X amount of pages, or participate in a critique group all month. NaNoWriMo has grown so far beyond its initial premise (in the best ways) that NaNoWriMo can be whatever you need it to be.
3. Take advantage of the community.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Writing does not need to happen in a vacuum. I know that the time you spend in front of the computer (or notepad, if you like writing analog) is done alone. I do my best writing and creation when I’m alone and in silence. (Even beautiful instrumental music takes me out of the writing zone.) But apart from that, writing communities exist in every corner of the internet and can be such a blessing to you, providing you with friends, insight, commiseration, and celebration. If you’re new to writing communities, NaNoWriMo might be the perfect introduction to some truly wonderful corners of the internet.
Did these ideas resonate with you?
You might be perfect for The Story Architect: A Mastermind for Creative Nonfiction Writers. The first iteration of The Story Architect is taking place during NaNoWriMo 2022. We will meet four times over four weeks, with a bonus video dropped in Thanksgiving week. The bonuses are out-of-this-world amazing and will have you going from overwhelmed writer to confident, focused, and motivated writer in that four weeks. The Story Architect hits all three of these ways that you can personalize NaNoWriMo to your writing needs.
The Story Architect is for creative nonfiction writers, however you choose to approach it!
The goal you’ll set in The Story Collective is one that will serve you, not the other way around.
Community is the core of The Story Architect. This is a space where your story is heard, valued, and celebrated. You’ll receive insights from a professional editor and feedback from your fellow writers. The Story Architect will help alleviate the loneliness that can creep up in writing.
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, click here to learn more and reserve your spot!
