Progressing through NaNoWriMo 2020

We’ve just crossed the threshold of the halfway point of NaNoWriMo 2020. This means that, in a perfect world, we’re all at about 25,000 words.

I am personally a little bit over that, but I don’t necessarily think that that gives me bragging rights. I’m “over” because I’ve been quarantined for most of the month. I’ve spent my evenings living in my fictional world. Although this year has been very different from previous years, it’s been better for me as a writer because I’ve had more time at home and fewer responsibilities out in the world. How has quarantine affected your writing this year?

National Novel Writing Month is a great opportunity for creatives

NaNoWriMo 2020 is an opportunity for writers as individuals, especially when the world around us has changed so much. Most writers, except the very top tier of best-sellers, are otherwise employed. This means we struggle to find time to write between other jobs and personal responsibilities. National Novel Writing Month is simply a time to help us overcome our personal hang-ups. It’s a time when we can work toward a common goal with the other writers – and 2020 has provided the perfect opportunity to truly immerse ourselves. 

“The most important thing about art is to work. Nothing else matters except sitting down every day and trying.”

Steven Pressfield; The War of Art

It feels better knowing that thousands of other writers are working at the same time as you, doesn’t it? It does for me! When I open my laptop in the evening, I feel encouraged knowing that I am not the only one in the world doing it. I am one of many people engaged with my favourite fictional world and creating something that I hope to one day share with others. 

I love hearing about the success of other writers as you all work through your stories and prepare to share the fictional worlds you’ve created. Remember, at this point, the most important thing is not that you’ve created some well-polished piece of fiction that belongs on a bookstore shelf. We all have a ways to go before we’re at that point. But right now, true accomplishment is in the fact that you’ve poured your heart onto the page. You’ve breathed life into something that was previously just an idea or a daydream, and you are well on your way to making something that you’ll be really proud of. Even if you’re not proud of it yet, you’re taking the first steps on an incredible journey.

Journal through the last days of NaNoWriMo 2020

I’m a big fan of journaling about my writing. Writing down my struggles and my successes really helps me to see the big picture. It highlights how I’m getting stuck and where I need to give myself grace. If you haven’t sat down yet to take an assessment of your month and your progress, I highly recommend it. Here are some prompts to get you started. If you don’t have a journal or you want some feedback, please, feel free to share your answers in the comments!

• What is something that you’re really proud to share about your National Novel Writing Month progress? 
• What is something that you’re struggling with? 
• And lastly, for the enjoyment of the stories themselves, because that’s what really matters, what is your favorite thing about your novel so far?

Good luck on the rest of National Novel Writing Month, Team Novlr! We’ve got this!