Create a Daily Writing Habit with NaNoWriMo

Every November, a group of intrepid, would-be novelists gather together at www.NaNoWriMo.org and take the pledge to write a 50,000-word novel in one month. They offer support and encouragement to each other in community forums. They share accomplishments, aggravations, and the normal stresses of the writing life.

Different writers take on this challenge for very different reasons. Some writers do it because the excitement and community spirit is a lot of fun. Some write for NaNoWriMo with the intent of completing a saleable novel. Others write to develop a daily writing habit.

For a writer with dreams of publication, developing a daily writing habit is the first step to success. In any occupation, there is a need for continuous action toward the ultimate goal. The goal of most writers is publication.

It is very easy to blame absence of good ideas, a missing muse, or writers’ block for why you are not writing every day. However, in order to enter the realm of the published writer, you have to be able to work past such things. Developing a daily writing habit, even if what you end up writing is not quality work, will facilitate the realization or your goals.

NaNoWriMo creates an environment in which you are urged to write daily. In order to complete the 50,000 words within a month, you must write 1,667 words, on average, each day. Many NaNoWriMo writers use complex spreadsheets and graphs that give detailed accounts of their progress. A commitment to complete a novel for NaNoWriMo requires adherence to daily writing goals.

Not only does a personal sense of accomplishment wait you at the end of the NaNoWriMo challenge, but also the entire community of writers is there to cheer you on, cajole you into writing, and generally supporting your daily writing habits. This camaraderie will assist you in formulating a positive writing habit that you will stick with.

For those who are not interested in writing a saleable novel, there are multiple padding techniques, plot devices and challenges, and writing dares to undertake. These will let your brain develop new techniques for coming up with things to write every day.