the craft. getting it out.
November is National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. Every year, writers embark on the journey of writing 50,000 words throughout the month to end up with a manuscript draft by the close. Participants can create a profile, set goals for their new or existing project and engage with a community of writers on the same pursuit.
I’ve dabbled in different challenges over the years, rarely ever being able to write every single day, but often making some notable progress on projects that have evaded me. Recently, I was discussing how much writing comes in seasons for me. Life is full and so, it’s nice to have opportunities like this to focus on a project for a specific amount of time.
While the thought of this hyper focused productivity may be intimidating to some, I think there is something even more important that happens when we commit to this type of collective endeavor. We stop overthinking it.
Drafting is supposed to be telling the story to yourself. So, the good news is that by November 30th, you won’t have some polished manuscript ready to be shipped off to an agent or publisher. But you will have something tangible that can be revised into that shiny thing you’ve been hoping to complete for years now.
I recently finished reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert and it reminded me how many of us are paralyzed by perfectionism. We spend so much time thinking we’re not good enough that we never actually start. Well, I want to give you a little push this month, whether you’re doing the official challenge or not, it’s time for you to get that story into a word doc. It’s been long enough.
My plan is to work on a rom com that I’ve been workshopping with my First Ten Pages group. I’d written about 20k words or so and got a little stuck. But sharing chapters in the writing group reinvigorated my enthusiasm for the story. NaNoWriMo seems like the perfect time to get over myself and finish the story. It doesn’t have to be my magnum opus, but it does need to be done in order to make it into something.
To me, this month is about getting out. Taking those sticky notes or that outline you’ve been safeguarding and actually starting to put words together on a page. To put it as plainly as Martin Lawrence in that one episode where Gina makes that new friend Wallace, “ain’t nothing to it but to do it.” Sing it to yourself if you must. Lol.
If you’re interested in participating, a few of us in the Permission Granted community will be taking part in the fun. You can join the NaNoWriMo slack channel for some encouragement and accountability. I’ll be posting some weekly check-ins there.
Believe me, I know setting word count goals and dedicating yourself to writing every day can feel like too much pressure, if it is, just do your best this month to prioritize your writing for 30 days. How far can you get? How much can you accomplish with a little more focus? How can you shift some of the time you may be wasting on social media to writing instead? We have goals and dreams about what our writing can be, but it starts with finishing something, anything, even if it’s complete garbage. The beauty is in revision.
Writing/Job Opportunities
One Diverse Voices Lab Fellow will be selected by writer/director/producer, Amy Aniobi and the TRIBE Development team to participate in the next season of the TRIBE Writers’ Program.
Healthline Media is looking for a savvy journalist and marketer with experience pitching, editing, and producing health & wellness content to join their Content Marketing team. ($45-70k)
Elle is hiring an Assistant to the Editor Chief. ($60k, NYC)
Mattel is hiring a Senior Editor, Publishing. ($66-100k)
The New York Times is hiring a Messaging Editor. ($109-112K)