With it being November 1st, I am throwing my lot in for my first run with NaNoWriMo in 2021. And although I am currently working on publishing my first eBook, I am overly excited to work on this new novel. In fact, I kind of want to just keep writing.

But alas, I have so many other things that need to be done today. For one thing, I still need to set up the thumbnail for tonight’s live stream on YouTube.

Still, I quite enjoyed the time I spent today actually writing something other than WordPress tutorials or freelance writing articles. If I could be creative all day long, that would be my dream job, actually.

Why Am I Doing NaNoWriMo This Year?

I’ve seen people using the NaNoWriMo hashtag a few times in the past on sites like Twitter or Facebook. I never really explored what it was or why so many people cared.

I decided to check it out a few days ago, and it got me pretty excited.

Essentially, it centers around the National Novel Writing Month, hence the name. It’s a social media site tailored for writers. Although it’s not nearly as active as major social sites, NaNoWriMo.org does have a bit of a following.

So, what do I plan on getting out of it this year?

Get Motivated to Finish Future Projects

First of all, it’s a nice tool for inspiration. Especially since it tracks various data points as you write. And if there is anything that can really get my motor revved, it’s data.

But, I don’t think I’m just going to use NaNoWriMo for the November 50,000-word challenge. I am enjoying the site so much that I might just record everything I write.

Since the site displays a total word count, I can strive to see just how far I can make the numbers climb. Of course, I’m only going to use the site for creative writing.

It wouldn’t seem right to include the blog posts or video scripts I write. Besides, I have a personal spreadsheet for all of that.

Still, I am feeling quite motivated to crank out some awesome pieces. And the story I started writing today is turning into something pretty amazing.

Enjoying the Social Element, Kind Of

I would love to get more of my followers and viewers involved. Except most of the people who know me are more interested in learning how to freelance, which is fine.

I have no problem helping people learn how to make money from home.

However, my end game has always been to be a published author. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and greatly enjoy what I do. But I would still love to have a book on my shelf sitting next to Mom’s and my sister’s books.

Anyway, the social element of NaNoWriMo is kind of interesting. It has a real-time chat window where you can communicate with “buddies” or engage others in some of the groups you belong to.

Though, I think there could be a better layout for the interaction. Regardless, it’s still a neat idea for those who need a bit of encouragement to write more often.

I Love Supporting Various Charities

NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organization that helps students, teachers, bookstores, libraries, and more. And I’m currently working on how I can work it into WriterSanctuary.

Kind of like what I do with ColoradoPlays.com, where I donate 30% of ad revenue directly to Extra Life.

At the moment, though, I’ll have to be content with merely spreading awareness. I need to make sure the bills are paid before I can dedicate a certain amount of donations each month.

When Will This Novel Get Published?

As this is my first actual novel, I am setting a page goal of 250. Though, this might change depending on how long the story takes to tell.

I added the progress bar for the work on this website near the top of the sidebar. Currently, I have it labeled as “Untitled at the Moment.” That’s because I don’t often have a title until about halfway through a story.

If I maintain the same pace as I had today, I’ll be done with the entire novel before the end of the year.

However, I’m not sure if that’s actually going to be feasible. Remember, I am also managing a ton of other things at the moment. I want to make sure the projects that pay are taking priority.

This also includes publishing my first eBook in the next couple of weeks.

Still, I did quite a bit of work on it for the first day of NaNoWriMo. I’m already ahead by roughly 500 words, and the only reason I stopped is because I needed to set a few things up for later.

Of course, then we have to consider editing, fine-tuning, cover art, and other elements. It would be ideal to publish this by February, but it’s too hard to tell as I’ve never published an actual book before.

Nonetheless, I’m truly excited about this experience. Even the overall ambiance of my day seems a bit different. Then again, it’s also overcast and snowing here in Denver.

My time of year, actually.

Using NaNoWriMo to Finish VII?

I had an idea about doing this shortly after I started the new novel. I still want to finish VII, my story on Wattpad. After November, I am going to add VII to my project lists in NaNoWriMo and start working on it as well.

Though, the vast majority of the work will happen after I publish the eBook and finish writing this new project. If all goes well, VII will be completely rewritten and finished before my birthday next year.

Heh, six years after I started writing it.

That is as long as I can keep up my dedication to finish all of these projects. I’m really good at starting things that I never wind up finishing.

Yet, I’m incredibly hopeful and am looking forward to publishing some goodness in 2022.

Excited to See What Comes From NaNoWriMo

While my spreadsheet does do a decent job of helping me stay centered for writing, NaNoWriMo just has a bit more to it than mere numbers. I can set goals for each project, interact with others, and hopefully stay motivated to write more often.

It all just feeds into my mentality lately of becoming an amateur novelist.

I’m looking forward to seeing just how far I can take this aspect of writing. And I plan on doing everything possible to make sure I take it incredibly far next year.