I don’t know about you, but NaNo has certainly been an adventure for me this year.
I was on track for a week, then got further and further behind due to life and family and another hurricane, started to catch up slowly and, lo and behold, I got right back on track with my word count when I went to a NaNo event last Saturday.
There’s nothing like writing with other people in person (or online, but in person definitely has a different effect). It’s something few of us get to experience very often, I think, but NaNo provides the perfect opportunity. Though I usually penned stories among friends in middle and high school, I forgot what it felt like when I went to college and beyond. Then, in 2019, I took a leap in the dark and went to a local NaNoWriMo event by myself.
Writing with other writers brought me encouragement and determination I’d never found anywhere else.
Even as an introvert, I instantly made a small group of friends who I stuck with during the event. It’s amazing how quickly you find common ground among writers!
So that’s my first point today: find other writers. If you can only do it online, that’s okay! But if you have the chance to attend an in-person event – even apart from NaNoWriMo – then do it, even if it’s a little out of your comfort zone. Maybe you can even be the one to bring other writers together! Host an event at a local coffee shop or park and just watch how writers will instantly band together. Before long, you may have a formidable little group on your hands.
A couple of other tips to get you through your writing goals this week:
- Make your writing sessions fun/rewarding. Look forward to the time you get to write! Rejoice in some alone time, play your favourite music, make a nice, hot drink, and give yourself an environment you can truly be happy in. When you make your writing time a treat, not only will you enjoy it more, but you’ll write more, too.
- Take breaks. Don’t forget to set a timer so you can take breaks; most health sources suggest standing up and walking around briefly at least every 30 minutes. It’s important for both your mind and body!
Most of all, just have fun creating stories and have a great week.
Have any questions about the writing process? Feeling stuck? Want to chat about writing? Let me know in the comments; I’d love to talk with you!
Happy writing!
-E.J.
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When you write as much as I do, you have to take frequent breaks from sitting. A standing desk (not a whole desk, but a mini desk that will sit on top of my current desk with my laptop, keyboard, and mouse and extend upward) will allow me to continue working while maintaining that good blood flow to my brain. Thank you so much for your support that allows me to keep producing free content. God bless you! ♥️ E.J.
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E.J. Robison 
I wrote for five years with a face-to-face critique group and the energy was wonderful. I love your idea of going to a Nano event (which I didn’t know existed), meeting with writers informally, or pulling together our own gatherings. In-person writing events stopped after covid and haven’t seemed to start up with the same electricity. Great post and thanks for the smile. 🙂
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That sounds amazing! One of my to-dos for next year is to hopefully find or start a group like that; I’ve tried multiple virtual groups and always thought I just didn’t fit in with those particular people (although that was the case a couple of times) but I came to realise that the problem was actually that I just can’t engage with writing groups virtually. For me, it has to be face to face! I was so happy that they brought back in-person NaNo events this year for that very reason. I’m so glad I was able to put a smile on your face—thanks for reading! 😊
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I’m the same way. I loved the body language, the laughter, the back and forth discussions, and the tangents about writing topics. All different than online. Best of luck!
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