NaNoWriMo 2019 Is Here — Let’s Break All The Rules
How to be a real rebel when everyone else cares about winning.
Photo by Ihsan Khadafi on Unsplash
The first National Novel Writing Month was held twenty years ago.
That’s kind of a big deal, right? Twenty years. According to their website, there were 21 participants in 1999 and more than 306,000 in 2017.
Some very well known novels started out as NaNoWriMo projects, including Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Wool by Hugh Howey, and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.
I’ve been operating an online writing school and community — Ninja Writers — for nearly four years. So, I’m headed into my fourth NaNoWriMo with some of the most talented, kickass writers on the planet.
And after four years, I have completely give up any effort to try to override this juggernaut. I’m just not loud enough or big enough to override the mania that overtakes the global writing community every November.
Trust me, I’ve tried every possible way. I’ve tried running my own programs. I’ve tried ignoring it. I’ve tried begging. None of it works.
This year? I give up. I’m joining the ruckus — but I’m doing my best to start a rebellion from the inside.