THE START OF THE NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH - 50,000 WORDS - KEEP THOSE FINGERS TAPPING

 

November has begun, which means it's officially National Novel Writing Month!

I enjoyed taking part in this NaNoWriMo a year or so ago and eventually finished my 50,000 word project linked to the history of the county of  Essex, England.  Writing this length in such a short time (30 days) can  seem like a daunting project—especially when lots of other important things are vying for your attention.

But sometimes, if all you think about is the insurmountable amount of work, you'll never reach your goals. So don't think about all those scary 50,000 words yet: just think about the first word. And then the one after that. And then the one after that. Pretty soon you'll have a sentence, then a paragraph, then a page. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to finishing your novel.  

If you haven't started writing yet, don't worry! There's plenty of time this month to take a creative break and immerse yourself in your story. We’re here for you if you want to spend time this month writing with us. 

Announce your NaNoWriMo 2021 novel.

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Pep Talk Advice from Anna-Marie McLemore

Every year, we get a team of incredible authors to share writing advice and encouragement in the form of Pep Talks. This week's Pep Talker, author Anna-Marie McLemore, has some tips on beginning a new project:

"Whether you finish this draft just a few trees away from where your story belongs, or on the other side of the forest, this is your starting point. This is your way in."

Read Anna-Marie's Pep Talk.

View our Pep Talk archive.