NaNoWriMo and Why I’m on the Fence

I’ve always been fascinated by the whole NaNoWriMo ordeal. (National Novel Writing Month). For those of you who’ve never heard the term, it’s where writers commit to getting their “buns” in gear and write an entire novel in one month.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that anyone who has the determination to write an entire book in thirty short days automatically earns street cred in my book. I know several authors, including my good friend and fellow Writers Cubed member, Jo Schaffer, who have busted out a stellar book in only a few weeks. It really is a remarkable thing! But I also know many writers who use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to slack off the other eleven months of the year.

“I’ll buckle down in November,” they say, and then proceed to squander precious artistic time and talent.

The best advice I’ve ever heard from a writer came from a panelist at a writing conference years and years ago. I can’t even remember the name of the person who said it, but they declared, “Writers write!”

I became a “professional” writer a LONG time before I was published, and you can too. The day I became a professional was the day that I acknowledged to my friends and family and MAINLY TO MYSELF that this was my job and I would treat it like one. Not one month out of the year and a few sporadic weeks scattered between December and October, but five days a week for a set (be it reasonable) amount of time.

Writers Write.

If you want to be a professional writer, then be one.

Rant complete.