What To Do With the Dreaded NaNoWriMo Instead of Rush Through Writing a Book (AND YOU CAN WIN A PRIZE FROM ME!)

I suppose if you've read posts by me here, or on my own blog, before, you know I am not fond of NaNoWriMo. First of all, the pressure! Second, the competition! Third, at least in the USA, the month! In the USA we're finishng our semesters; we're, if we're gig workers in a creative industry, often times closing down a job or a show; we're getting ready for the massive holiday extravaganza that is the USA from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, and that kinda starts, now, before Halloween! MADNESS! It's a frenetic time when I never have enough time to myself, so much so that I often get really run down. Have you, in general, because life is just too busy, white-knuckled it through a holiday season? I have, and I think all of that torque I experience at that time of the year has often lead to family disagreements as well. Now... let me get a novel done too!

SIDE NOTE: If the holidays are slanted from pleasure and connection into obligation and work for you, please read this excellent book, from which I do not make any money: UNPLUG THE CHRISTMAS MACHINE So cheap too! Only four bucks used. 

I found that book re-readable, and very helpful, and I bought and made less, with freedom, after reading it. Holidays can be better, less stress, and still warm.

So, NaNoWriMo. Can that be better, and less stress, and still help you with your book?

I mean, I get it, pressure is the point behind it, and as a person afflicted with the ADD, pressure does help me sometimes and in some ways, just not this particular thing.

And what makes it worse for me is all the peeps on social media crowing about how they finished their magnum opus in thirty days. Bastards! LOL

Okay, so I'm not going to finish my magnum opus, or even my mango opus, as my computer tried to insert, in thirty days (though I admit to more interest in getting to know the mango opus). Can I still be an author? Can I still call myself a writer?

Yes! 

So, what other things could you do?

If you have ever written anything you could CONNECT: Have you written a book, and is it in a genre? Or have you written some poetry? Or have you written some short stories, and are they in a genre? Or, have you written some creative non-fiction?

You gonna need some readers, people. So, for NaNoWriMo, what if you volunteer instead? What if you found another indie author whose work you like that is in your genre, and offer to interview that person for your blog? Or put a review of what you've read on your blog? What if you write a recommendation for your local paper on good books for holiday gifts, choosing from some indie authors in your area?

SUBMIT: Not to NaNoWriMo pressure, lord no! Celebrate you, the small you: choose a poem, or a short piece of writing, and use some of the days in NaNoWriMo (such an annoying name, can I get an Amen on that?) to submit. How do you find where to submit? Turn to DUOTROPE or SUBMITTABLE. Submittable now seems to do a lot more than take submissions of creative writing, but if you establish a profile, you should get emails about opportunities.

Make November the month you submit even only one of your pieces.

READ: So many authors who write good writing languish, even when published, unread. What if you spent your (BlahBloBleBlum) reading and reaching out to tell someone you'd read their piece? Let me suggest my own publication: Instant Noodles Lit Mag. It's not my writing there. It's other people. I encourage all the people we publish to put some social media contact in their bio. You can read our latest issue, or any issue, for free, and why not reach out to someone and express how you enjoyed the piece you read? Just click on the bio section for an issue to find out about the author. Certainly you can also check out the very nicely put-together Spillwords. Plants and Poetry is another place offering free online reading of their published pieces.

SHOW UP: Hook up with others at a live event! In the case of Instant Noodles, join the live reading this month! Or you can try out Stone Soup Poetry. They have lots of live virtual events. And so does Strong Women Strange Worlds! If you know of other opportunities like that you can also reply to this post and add them! Share your knowledge with us~

So what can you do if you like the general idea of a month focused on writing, but not the pressure, timing, or etc. of "IfICanDoItYouShouldBeAbleToToo?" Drop the guilt; drop the pressure; do what you can to connect and bring back pleasure. Unplug the holiday machine and the "I finshed the whole thing in one month" machine. You are who you are, and someone would like to know you in whatever way you're able to show up and be part of the community.

So for this month's speed fest, slow down. Connect, Submit, Read, Show up, like a sloth, in your jammies, when and how it works for you.

Oh, and WIN A PRIZE! Would you like to win a prize from me THIS MONTH? Check out our contest over at Old Scratch Press! 

Thanks for anyone who reads my posts. We're all yelling into the void, but I don't think we need a month to make us feel like under-achievers. I think you're great!

:)

Dianne