Me and NaNoWriMo

Yes, I have done (and am doing) NaNoWriMo. So are many of my serious, well-published author friends. Why? Isn’t NaNoWriMo just a gimmick to make everyone believe they can write a novel (and there’s nothing bad about that, IMO)? That depends. On why you’re participating.

I’ve had one or two “successful” years, where I reached my word count legitimately (as opposed to just using a work in progress that was already well on the way). The first time, I wrote something silly that deservedly ended u...