We did it! For the second year in a row, my kids and I have earned our NaNoWriMo badges by completing a novel during the month of November.
Actually, we didn’t exactly write novels. I’ve written 50,000 words loosely based on my family history, but it’s going to take a lot of editing, and more writing, to turn it into the novel I envision. My children, since they are in the Young Authors Program, chose their own word counts.
For us, NaNoWriMo is not about the word count, or even about producing a novel, it’s about the process of creative writing.
In our busy lives, it’s hard to prioritize writing, but for this month, at least, that is what we do.
NaNoWriMo Is All About The Writing Journey
It hasn’t been easy. We have a lot going on this month, even more than usual. Also, although we’re able to make this a big part of my son’s homeschool program, we can’t do that for my daughter who attends 7th Grade at a small private school. She has to fit in her writing around a challenging school curriculum, and various extracurricular activities.
Toward the end of the month, she ended up reducing her word count goal because she couldn’t even write as much as she did last year.
Nevertheless, it’s been a great experience for her as her creative writing has blossomed. Her writer’s voice is coming through and she is writing interesting stories.
My son also reduced his word count goal, but he is exceeding his own expectations. This year, he was the first to get excited about writing a novel, and he didn’t experience any of the fears that held him back last year. He was able to stick to one story, and he handwrote much of it himself, before I transcribed it for him.
He knows now that his story isn’t finished, as he expects to go through a revision process. He understands that writing is a process of creating and refining, and isn’t balking at doing edits next month as he has in the past.
NaNoWriMo Is A Family Affair
NaNoWriMo has given me the impetus to break through and produce a body of work that, at a minimum, will provide the material I need to develop my writing. I can use what I’ve written this month as the seeds of several writing projects.
With my children, NaNoWriMo allows them to identify themselves as writers, while giving them confidence that they can meet challenging writing goals.
Participating in NaNoWriMo together, I’ve shown by example that writing is a worthy endeavor, and we’ve learned from each other how to push through to meet goals regardless of distractions and other commitments. If we can meet these writing goals during one of the busiest times of the year – despite illness, travel, and family reunions – we can do this anytime!
We’ve experimented using writing prompts and guidelines, as well as free writing. During the month, we’ve targeted developing different writing skills: description, dialogue, character development, etc. Even if we didn’t produce a single story, we’ve developed our ability to write well.
Last year, our first in NaNoWriMo, we were afraid. This year we’re confident veterans who can say with pride, we’re authors.
Our NaNoWriMo Experience:
NaNoWriMo – One Novel, On Month – Conquering our fears to tackle this writing challenge.
Crossing The NaNoWriMo Finish Line – Leaping, Limping, and Cheating – Lots of great ideas for a better NaNoWriMo experience, none of which I followed this year, but maybe next year.
NaNoWriMo, NaBloPoMo, or NaMoSleMo – This November I went for a double-whammy writing challenge.
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