Skip to main content

NaNoWriMo & Peeps

peeps
pēps/
noun informal

  1. people (often used to refer to a person's friends or associates).
    "thanks for the feedback, peeps!"

If you choose to do NaNoWriMo you have got to explain to the ones you love and cherish what you are doing in November. The more warnings the better. I told my husband a year before I started NaNoWriMo that I wanted to do a month writing challange and explained the details. I didn’t talk about it all year but once October came around I started to talk more about NaNoWriMo. I talked about it so much my second year that my kids wanted to do NaNoWriMo too. It was fun to do some writing prep with my kids. 

My oldest has already set a goal for this year.  If you have kids you should check out the Young Writers Program.  They can set word goals. I like encouraging my kids to write with me. It might even help me justify writing on Saturday and Sunday when I have a kid or two around writing stories.  There are worse things to do on a Saturday and Sunday.  This challenge gives them a purpose to write.    

Yesterday I posted on Facebook a shout out for cheerleaders. My form of a warning. I am letting all my friends know I will be writing again in November. Finding peeps that will cheer you on is fun for you. It also gives you some accountability. Can't put it out to the world and fail. That is tragic and also gives you some inner motivation to write. It is scary to put it out to everyone, but it works.  

Family and friend need to know that you will have to make choices. It could be to write or go out to dinner. Writing or go to a movie. Writing or go shopping with your best friend. It isn’t that you don’t want to go to a movie or shopping but if it can wait until December, wait! 

My husband this year said to me, “you should get that done in October before NaNoWriMo.” Three years into it and he gets it. There is little time for much else but writing. I can do a movie marathons in December. TIVO is great for recording weekly TV shows. Use that DVR! Winter is upon us and there will be plenty of cold nights for catching up on TV. Once you finish your 50,000 you will be glad you gave up some fun time for the reward of 50,000 words.  

With all that said, you do have some choices to go out and have some fun. Just make sure you keep up with your word goals. I went on a four day, three night field trip with my middle child last year.  The first few days of November.  I knew this and planned accordingly and still got to 50,000 words.  It can be done! 

No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty (founder of National Writing Month) gives you idea on how to get your friends and family interested and keep you motivated. If you have not read, No Plot? No Problem! I would try to get a copy it is a easy read and very encouraging to read in October before you take on what might seem impossible. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Normal"

Psalms 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge . This past year has been something else to say the least. From October to October, okay not quite a year but WOWSER! Didn't see that freight train coming. I have to reflect. I have been reading my blog entries going back to October of last year. Part of me can believe it has been a year since all this started and part of me feel like it was forever ago. Daily I have to turn my cares over to the Lord, carry my cross and trust with a faith that can move mountains. Recap~ October 2008 ~ The company Mark is contracting for is a pool company and is really feeling the effects of the economy and crisis and has to cut back. Mark was not the first to go but his time is up the first week of October. November 2008 ~ hint of a job in Raleigh NC. The person hiring has to wait until January to see if they get a contract or not. Very surprised at the lack of jobs in the Tampa area...

2 AM Musings

I have been wide awake since before 2 AM. Wide eyed and well, not so bushy tailed. This is the second day in a row. Why?  No really, why? This is the second day in a row my brain refuses to turn off for longer than a few hours. It's like half my brain wants to party and the logical side knows this is not a good thing.    As a mom of three on the first day of a new school year I am sitting in the family room in the dark thinking of all the things I can't do right now. I am also lamenting summer. Today summer break officially ends. At least I am up in time to get the kids to school.   I am not excited for today. It has a few milestones that we can not put off. I will not drive to the elementary school for the first time in eight years. I will be dropping my youngest off at middle school and my oldest at the high school. Also the middle child decided to go back to school so I will not be homeschooling this year.   In a few hours my kids will wake up and ...