November is NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. Since it began in 1999, aspiring novel writers from all over the world set themselves the challenge of writing 50 000 words in the month towards a novel. That’s approximately 1667 words a day. Last year almost half a million people gave it a go. I was not one of them. And I won’t be this year, either. I’m not sure I have a novel in me (and I’m even less certain in 2020) but I do like to write and I have been setting the intention to write daily on and off for months. So, I thought I’d use NaNoWriMo as an inspiration for my own daily writing framework.
This is the challenge to myself for November – come here, to this space on my blog, and write. I am not going to set limits or word counts, I’m not going to plan it out or decide that it all has to be ‘work related’. I am going to be kind to myself and allow a certain amount of flexibility and fallibility. 2020 has been a tough year, November could be a really tough month (hello strange, almost-lockdown and the impending American election) so I am giving myself the freedom to fail at this, to miss days or to lose the will altogether. What is important is that I start.
Writing is hugely important to me and yet, as is often the way with the things that we care for the most, I don’t pay it the kind of attention it deserves. This month I would like to make it a priority. My blog is a space that I used to show up to every week, but during lockdown it slowed down to once a month. That makes me sad. This challenge might be just what I need to build up the habit of sitting at my laptop and letting my thoughts take shape through words on this page. My hope is that by the end of the month this habit will bring a new routine and that I’ll have found my way back to this activity that used to bring me a lot of joy and comfort.
Is there anything that you used to do, that brings you pleasure, that you haven’t done in a while? Maybe you, like me, have felt a pull towards something but not known how to get there. I found a note I’d written a while ago that said ‘it’s never too late to start or re-start’ and think that’s vital to remember. It can feel like we’ve missed the boat or that we lost our place and don’t deserve to begin (again). But that’s not true. It’s always ok to say ‘I want to do this, I want to change this, even if I haven’t managed to in the past’.
So, with all my previous attempts at kick-starting my writing forgotten and forgiven, I’m setting out on a new journey this month. I’d love you to come along.