Alternatives to NaNoWriMo
If you are not familiar with NaNoWriMo, it is short for National Write a Novel Month. Each year writers all over the world challenge themselves to write 50,000 words during November. How does it work? You sign up for their website and then in November you write and write and write. The website keeps track of your word count, and provides a great support community to help you get your words down on paper. You can also connect with local people in your area who are also participating in NaNoWriMo.
But what is you don’t have time to write 50,000 words during November? Or what if novels are not your forte? Here are some writing alternatives to NaNoWriMo:
1) PiBoIdMo – Picture Book Idea Month - This is a similiar challenge for picture books. You have to think of a new idea for a picture book each day during November. You don’t have to write or ilustrate the manuscript during November. You just have to think of picture book ideas. This is basically a month-long brainstorming session, and it can provide you with lots of great project ideas for the upcoming year! You have to sign up on the blog by Nov 4 to officially participate (which helps qualify you for prizes at the end of the event), but you can still do this challeneg on your own if you miss the sign-up date.
2) Writer’s Digest’s Poetic Asides Chapbook Challenge - If you write poetry, this is the place to be in November. Robert Lee Brewer will provide a poetry prompt each day in November. Then you pick (and edit) 10-20 poems you wrote during the event and submit it as a chapbook!
3) Script Frenzy – The script-writer’s version of NaNoWriMo is in April, but if that’s your passion, why not do your own version of the challenege in November?
4) Set your own achievable writing goal for November and use the NaNoWriMo forums as a support group to help you through the tough times. The NaNo forums are a great way to overcome many writing challeneges. Who knew other writers struggle with the same problems? :)
Happy November and Happy Writing!
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