If You Write It, It Will Be Read. By Someone, Right?
#RealityWrites
I am going to start this with a quick note on why this post came to be. I am on day 30 of the #RealityWrites challenge; details of which can be found at https://www.theliteralchallenge.com/ I wanted to present to you the reader day 30’s submission. This challenge has been an eye opening experience. One in which I have learned so much. I hope the following is helpful to any new writer and veterans alike.
#RealityWrites Brief #30
On a cold January night in 2019 I found myself lying awake in complete and utter pain. The prior week I had been diagnosed with what they were calling Viral Arthritis. The virus attacks your body and it mimics the pain of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It was three in the morning and I was completely exhausted. Suddenly my brain was telling me that I needed to begin writing my first ever novel and that I needed to do it now. Emma Jayne Potter was born on that snowy night and my love for reading and writing re- emerged.
After a few weeks most of the pain had subsided and I was starting to feel like a human being again. My daily writing goals were still being met and I was almost positive that I would be able to have this project complete and published by early 2020. Lofty goals I know. Fast forward to July 30th, 2019 when I learn about this thing called NaNoWriMo. I was pretty bummed because camp was literally ending, so because I am who I am I decided right then I would do my own NaNo challenge for the month of August. I set my word count goal to 50,000 and was dead set on achieving that goal come August 30th.
On August 30th I did not have 50,000 words, but I still had a total of 47,000 words and the realization that my very first WIP would have to be a trilogy. However; had I not done a trial run of NaNoWriMo my WIP probably would still be sitting at 16,000 words and I would be left wondering if novel writing was my thing, so now that we know how my love for writing began, let’s take a look at how NaNoWriMo was born and who created this amazing writing challenge.
On a warm day in October 1999 Chris Baty woke up and decided that he was going to write a novel in 30 days. He gathered 21 of his closest Bay Area writing friends and sat them down and explained his “novel” idea. For the next 30 days (November 1st – November 30th) all of them would hunker down and each person would write a 50,000-word novel from scratch. He told them that it would be a challenge amongst friends and amazingly they all agreed to play along. What started as 21 close friends has grown to hundreds of thousands of people all around the world all trying to write a complete novel. The month eventually became what it is now known as NaNoWRiMo, or National Novel Writing Month.
The NaNo organization has bloomed into an amazing (501 C) non-profit organization for aspiring writers and seasoned veterans alike. A website was created for novelists to create projects, keep track of word counts, and socialize with others who had the same goals in mind. Cities around the world have adopted live write ins, writing workshops, and NaNo prep at local coffee shops, bookstores, and libraries. From the U.S. to Seoul communal writing sessions have taken roots.
In the summer of 2011 Camp Nanowrimo was born. Camp takes place in April, and in July. It is dubbed as, “an idyllic writers retreat, smack-dab in the middle of your crazy life.” Which is most likely completely accurate. The main differences between camp and original Nano is that like real summer camp, you get to join and/or create a cabin of buddies, choose your own goals, and your project can literally be anything from a re-write of a current project to a play script. Essentially camp is way more relaxed and geared towards any level of writing.
The Nanowrimo company also created a program geared towards young writers under the age of 18. It’s a space for young writers to set ambitious goals, track word counts, and finish projects that may be due for school. It’s also a great program for teachers to implement into the classroom setting. It will help students with skill development along with online classroom management tools.
Conclusion #1
Nano has really been an inspiration to me as a writer and to know that this organization strives to help young and old writers alike to achieve goals and build on your current writing skills is heartwarming. This year on November 1st, 2019 I will begin on my first ever NaNoWRiMo journey. I am excited, nervous, but also extremely motivated to tackle whatever project I decide to work on. Let the games begin!
Conclusion #2
Not only have I learned so many new things, like how to write an article in French, but also how many different emotions I can go through during a 24-hour period. This challenge also gave me some material for my NaNoWriMo 2019 project and helped me solidify some aspects of the story that had been missing. The topper was one of the challenges from this week had me create my calendar of events for November; which just so happened to be on the list of things for #preptober. So in the end bravo to TheLitChallenge group and thank you for inviting me to join. I am excited to do the final challenge on October 31st, and then I will be ready at midnight on November 1st to put my pen to paper and begin NaNoWRiMo 2019!
Reference Page:
Baty, C. (2014). No plot? No problem!: a low-stress, high-velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Fraser, S. (2019, January 29). What is Camp NaNoWriMo? [An Insider’s Review]. Retrieved October 18, 2019, from https://www.squibler.io/blog/camp-nanowrimo/.
What is NaNoWriMo? (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2019, from https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-nanowrimo.