(Taken from a journal entry I wrote after winning the 2009 NaNoWriMo event.)
If you should ever decide to participate in NaNoWriMo at any time, let me suggest you first have at least a small idea of what you want to write about. Because it’s not easy—very difficult, in fact—to come up with something from scratch. Especially when you’re two days late into the game like I was when I started the 2009 NaNoWriMo event.
I knew it wouldn’t be easy; what I didn’t know was how hard it would be to sit down and come up with an idea when you’re already under the pressure of a deadline. The first week was exciting. I was committed to finally participating in (and, ultimately, winning) NaNoWriMo. I had wanted to participate the previous year but had gotten discouraged at the mountain of words I would have to climb to reach the top.
What’s the difference this year? “Stubborn Determination” is my best guess. I was tired of committing to projects and never committing fully to their completion. Tired, also, was I of that heart-wrenching, disappointed feeling I got whenever the last day of November 2008 rolled around and I had yet again been too scared—there, I said it—to even sit down and at least try; if for nothing more than completing one typewritten page.
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How to WIN at NaNoWriMo: A Month in the Life of A NaNoWriMo Participant
Non-FictionDoes the term NaNoWriMo mean anything to you? If you're a writer-especially a young writer-who's been online for the past 15 years, then it probably does. In 2009, I set out to finally achieve my goal of writing a novel. The premise behind Nationa...
