November is National Novel Writing Month or NANOWRIMO, but since many of the authors and writers I serve are not only writing novels and there is a National Nonfiction Writing Month (NANONFIWRIMO) out there, I am calling this month National Book Writing Month to help make all the authors I know feel included and effectively challenged. This is the month that gives us a chance to make good on our book writing goals for the year.
So much has happened in 2020—from a pandemic and social distancing angst to protests, a national election, and virtual learning/work-from-home adjustments for many of our families. It’s been tough, but we are tougher. We are resilient.
You’ve probably sacrificed a lot of your own dreams and resolutions for the year just to focus on making it through. Once everything hit and hasn’t seemed to lift, you may have thought, “What’s the use? I’ll just try again next year.”
I want to just take a minute to encourage you: there are still two months in the year. Hope is not lost. If writing a book, becoming a regular blogger, or establishing a consistent social media calendar were your goal, I challenge you to use the month of November to believe in your dreams again and put feet to them.
Yes, can you see it? Sure, as the name of the month indicates, we are talking about writing a 50,000-word book in a month, but who’s to say you can’t get creative and use the time and the daily word count suggestion to
Write one to three blog posts every day of 500 to 1,000 words?
Tackle one month of social media posts every day up to 1,667 words total for each month on all platforms? You could have a couple years’ worth of daily social media posts ready to go.
Draft a new podcast script every day? That’d be 30 episodes done!
Write the feature articles, op-eds, or personal essays you’ve been wanting to write for those publications you’ve been dreaming of having a byline in? You may be able to knock out the first draft of several incredible concepts, writing from different angles, ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 words each.
Write a TV show pitch or screenplay?
Click here for more on how to prep yourself for the writing marathon. I even have several resources in my shop that may help you choose a topic, develop a daily writing practice you can stick to, and break through writer’s block.
The goal is to write 50,000 words. You are a writer and your work may materialize in many different ways. Embrace this time as your second chance to accomplish your writing goals for the year. Don’t let 2020 have everything.
My goal is to write a book during the month and to keep content flowing for the 30-day challenge I am hosting through Pneuma Writers this year. I'd love to have you join me for it. I’m calling it my WRITE WITH ME challenge. 50,000 words in 30 days--WE CAN DO IT. I'll even give you access to my exclusive online writer’s group Pneuma Writers during the month for free!
I've created three levels of participation for the challenge:
LEVEL 1: Group accountability, writing prompts, and check-ins via the Pneuma Writers private Facebook Group PLUS everything that comes with a Pneuma Writers BASIC membership.
LEVEL 2: All of LEVEL 1 plus live group writing sessions with me every Saturday morning during the month
LEVEL 3: All of LEVELS 1 and 2 plus an individual writing coaching session during the month.
If you are up for the challenge, sign up today at pneumawriters.com/write-with-me! We can do this!
The challenge kicks off Sunday, November 1. I hope to see you there!