I know, it’s still 3 months away! But if you are a Super Outliner like me, you’ll need that time to prepare.

This November is the time to finish that novel you’ve been dreaming about, writing on and off, planning for but never getting past those first few pages. What is NaNoWriMo? National Novel Writing Month. It is a time when writers from all walks of life stop life and make art. The goal is to write a novel in a month, although for just writing 50,000 words you get lots of prizes and goodies, usually including discounts on Scrivener, freebies with Createspace, and access to lots of other great resources for writers.

Even though I don’t always make the goal of finishing a complete novel, I have been able to reach that 50,000 word goal for the past three years I have seriously participated. NaNoWriMo really works for me because I plan to make sacrifices for my novel during November: getting up early, staying up late, writing instead of watching tv, writing instead of playing video games. I still make time for some social things, mainly church stuff and time with my husband (who is very supportive during November; God bless his latte making skills!), but during this month, the people I see the most are other writers participating in the event.

The awesome thing about NaNoWriMo is the support you get from other writers continually. When I write with Valerie Cotnoir (author of Bridget’s Journey and Everylasting), we are always encouraging each other, pushing through writers block, and taking time to listen to what the other is working on. It gives me so much motivation during November to know that there are other writers pushing towards the same goal as I am. It’s not a competition, it’s a team event. For me, that makes a big difference in November, and is a huge part of my success.

November is a month to be physically and mentally tired, because you are pushing to pump out words faster than you can think them. During November, writers are encourage to never edit anything. Don’t hit that backspace button, just press on. Don’t lose time focusing on mistakes or something that ‘could be better’, just get the story down. The entire story. There is plenty of time to edit in December and January, but Novemeber is for writing. That is another big reason why I love NaNo. Rather than trying to nit-pick at falts and failures, it’s a huge boost to my writing confidence.

You can do this. You’re going to do this. Press on.

The world needs your story.

Registration will begin in the coming months. This is your three month notice to get ready! It’s time to finish your novel this November.