Happy Writing! You Can Do it.

The magical month of October has come to a close, and NaNoWriMo 2015 is officially here. And so I wanted to tell you, blogger, writer, poet, story-teller...you can do it.

Remember, the magic doesn't lie in a month, in a deadline, or in a process. The magic lies in you. And whatever writing you are setting out to achieve, you have enough magic inside of you to reach that goal. Whether you do it in November or December or in one year or in three...you can do it. You will do it, so long as you just keep writing.

Whether you're setting out to write a novel or a song or a poem or a story, you've got this. Whether you're writing for the world to see or just for the pages between your journal, there's a reason you should write. 

So write. Keep writing. Write when the words are overflowing out of you and write when you have to pull them out of yourself. Write to understand things, to stay alive, to ask your questions. You are a writer. So write. 

Happy writing...Through November, through the holidays, through 2016, through always. You are a writer, and you can do it.

PS...if you haven't joined The Novel Blogger yet, do it! Sometimes seeing a bunch of other people strive for the same thing you're working towards can be just the encouragement you need. 

NaNoWriMo 2015...Are You In?

This is my yearly post in which I beg encourage everyone to please participate in NaNoWriMo. Don't let the numbers or the deadline scare you, just jump in and do it! 

If it seems like it's too much for you to even try, just tweak it for yourself and your schedule. I'm all about breaking the rules this year.  I started my NaNoWriMo 2015 on October 1st, and I now have a little over 10,000 words written. Is it as much as I wanted to have done? No. But is it 10,000 more words than I would have otherwise? Absolutely. Challenges like this one do exactly that: Challenge you. Which, in turn, usually ends up with you doing better than you would have done without it. 

If you're thinking about writing along (PLEASE DO) here are a few things to get you started: 

+Tips for a Successful NaNoWriMo. 

+A Checklist for Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo.

+How to Deal With the Inevitable NaNoWriMo Writer's Block.

If you're thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo, I want to encourage you to do it. If you're thinking about writing anything at all, I want to tell you that you can do it. If you're pondering chasing any type of dream whatsoever, and an opportunity or a step in the right direction comes along, I want to cheer for you: TAKE IT!

What do you have to lose by trying? You can do it, I promise. Just try. Hole yourself up in a coffee shop and let magic pour out onto your keyboard. Wake up a few minutes early and scribble some magic down in your journal. Stretch yourself. There is magic inside of you, and this could be exactly what you need to release it. So just jump in. 

Have you ever participate in NaNoWriMo before?

Why I'm Starting NaNoWriMo in October & I Think You Should, Too.

As if fall wasn't amazing enough, November brings the gift of NaNoWriMo. 

"National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel." 

-via nanowrimo.org

If you've never participated before, that paragraph alone should make you want to. 

Writing 50,000 words in 30 days is fun, exhausting, exhilarating, and totally possible. When aspiring writers all over the world are chasing the same goal you are for thirty days, it makes you feel like anything is possible. And anything is possible. 

I've done NaNoWriMo twice now, and I've loved it both times. It forces you to write, forces you to think quickly, and forces you to abandon the idea of editing until December. It's magical. It's also a month filled with lots of coffee, wine, late nights, and stress, as you can probably imagine. 

This year is a little bit different for me. November will bring me two months away from having a baby--not exactly conducive to staying up all night in an over-caffinated frenzy of writing.

While the obvious solution would be to sit this year out and try to jump back in next year, NaNoWriMo has brought me some of my very favorite ideas and words and stories. So I don't want to sit this one out.

So I'm starting NaNoWriMo in October. Here's why I think you should consider doing the same. 

To write 50,000 words in the month of November, you have to write roughly 1,667 words each day. Again, totally doable! But it is a lot. To write 50,000 words in the months of October and November, you have to write roughly 820 words each day. 

See where I'm going with this? 

My thinking is that 820 words a day for two months is going to be a lot easier for me to do in this season of life. And, when I reach the halfway point and start running out of steam, it'll be just in time for the inspiration of NaNoWriMo!

Of course, it won't technically be NaNoWriMo, because for that, you have to start November 1st with a word count of zero. But, it is a way to participate. Especially since I know that otherwise, it's just not going to happen this year. 

So I'm going to do it. In a few days, much like the past two Novembers, I'm going to curl up with a blank page and a cup of coffee and start to write my little heart out. 

You may not be in a similar situation to me, but if you've already decided your reasons for why you're not going to participate this year, why not jump in and get your feet wet in October?

Because you never know what type of magic might come from simply deciding to start. 

Are you planning on participating in NaNoWriMo this year?