I first heard about NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago when I had just started a master's program, which seemed like pretty much exactly not the right time to undertake something like this, so I put it aside even though it sounded kind of fun. But now, recently freed from coursework obligations, I clearly need a new project.
For those unfamiliar with the premise, NaNoWriMo is basically a big loose internet club in which people commit to finish a 50,000 word novel (they call this length a short novel, because novella "doesn't seem to impress people the way "novel" does") during the month of November. And yeah, it's not as if it would necessarily be a good novel, but I think it's sort of like people who work really hard toward completing a marathon, even if they know their times aren't going to be competitive.
Just finishing it, just being able to say "I ran a marathon," is an achievement. And since for me, saying "I ran a marathon," would be immediately followed by "I hate everyone and everything, so get away from me while I crawl into that alley and die," saying "I wrote a novel" might be more my style.
I have to confess I'm not really bursting with novel-length ideas right now, but deadlines are motivational, so I think sometimes if you just start somewhere and keep going, you'll get to your goal.
Especially if that goal is a set word count.
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