For some of you, today gives you great reason to celebrate. You’ve achieved the coveted NaNoWriMo badge and all the accolades that accompany it.
And then there are others who are asking themselves: what the F@$% is NaNoWriMo?

Oh, let’s not forget those who have not met the NaNoWriMo…I have fallen into this category in the past.

NaNoWriMo is the name of a nonprofit organization that assists and encourages people to write. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it takes place every November. People are encouraged to write 50,000 words, which is an acceptable length for a novel. Their website is HERE!

My feelings for NaNoWriMo are mixed. I always like it when people find the correct tools to help them achieve their goals, and for some, NaNoWriMo offers such tools.

For others, though, it’s a reminder of their past failures or just another stress in their life—an impossible task with their workload.

Have I ever participated in NaNoWriMo? Every time I do, I fail miserably. But it’s not due to being a slow writer or writer’s block. I do things when I do them, and if NaNoWriMo starts when I’m in the middle of edits, I’m not straying from my edits.

On multiple occasions, I’ve written 65,000 words in three weeks. When the novel has been sitting in your head for a while, sometimes the words just flow from you. NaNoWriMo is not a tool I’ve ever needed, and at worst, it could have been something that made me second guess going into writing. That certainly didn’t happen to me, but I can imagine it weighing on others. It never feels good to have unmet goals.

Do I recommend giving NaNoWriMo a try next year? Depends. If you are someone that needs to set clear goals and push yourself, it might be a good idea. If you are overburdened and feel dejected when you can’t finish something–stay the F@$% away.

That’s my take on NaNoWriMo. Congratulations to those who made it to 50,000! I know how hard that can be, especially when life comes at you hard and fast. If you fell short, well, you’re in good company. Many authors do. It could be that NaNoWriMo just isn’t the tool for you.