Dear Writer, You Don’t Have to Do NaNoWriMo

By Allison Grace

Right now, the writing world is swamped with videos, articles, groups, playlists, and everything else imaginable to celebrate National Novel Writing Month. It’s overwhelming.

And if you are not doing NaNo (like me), it’s super easy to get discouraged. 

In the immortal words of Forky from Toy Story 4, we feel like we are trash. 

Gif credit: Tenor

We think because we aren’t joining the craziness, we are somehow not writers. We think because we can’t write 50k in one month, we don’t have what it takes to become authors. 

Let’s take a look at some of the most common lies that affect us NonNaNoers, learn how to combat said lies, and conquer that ever present discouragement.

Even if you are doing NaNo, stick around. These lies affect writers year-round. And you might just realize why your NonNaNo friend is so down right now. 

Lie #1: Everyone is Doing It

In high school, I took a class on fallacies. One of the most common fallacies around us is “bandwagon fallacy.”

EVERYONE is using this shampoo. 

EVERYONE loves this brand of hotdogs. 

EVERYONE is happy when they drink a Coke. 

EVERYONE, EVERYONE, EVERYONE.

Looking at social media right now, you might be tempted to say EVERYONE is doing NaNo. 

But guess what, I’m not. And I’m a person, right? So therefore everyone isn’t doing NaNo. 

NaNoWriMo is not everyone’s cup of tea. Maybe you are in a stage of life right now that prevents you from taking on the challenge. (That’s where I am. College classes are hard, you guys.)

Maybe you tried NaNo last year and found it way too overwhelming and stressful. You actually got less done than if you had just tried to stick to your regular writing schedule. 

I don’t know why you aren’t doing NaNo. But it’s okay.

Lie #2: I’m Not a Writer if I Don’t Do NaNo

For some reason, there’s this little creature that likes to get into our heads and declare that we aren’t real writers. 

• You don’t write as fast as her, therefore you are not a writer. 
• You write fanfiction, you are not a writer. 
• You write comedy, you are not a writer. 
• You haven’t gone to a writing conference, you are not a writer. 
• You haven’t been published, you are not a writer. 
• You’ve been writing this first draft for months, you are not a real writer. 

This voice screams at us and often we listen to it. We silently close our notebooks and whisper our agreement. “That’s true. I’ve been working on this project for years. It’s going nowhere. And all my other friends have books on their shelves. I’m not a writer.”

STOP LISTENING TO THAT VOICE! 

Listen to me. This summer I had a ton of writing discouragement. For a little bit, I was convinced my writing was stupid and that I should just stop. I persuaded myself that I was not a serious writer because I write fanfiction. I almost gave up on writing entirely. 

Actual footage of me this summer (gif credit: Giphy)

(Shoutout to my mom and writing friends who smacked me on the back of the head and told me to get over myself.)

There’s not a document somewhere that declares what a writer is and what a writer isn’t. There is not some ritual you have to perform to be considered a writer. 

The only thing that makes you a writer is this simple fact: You Write. 

I don’t care what you write, if you put a pen to paper, you are a writer. 

And if you still don’t believe it, find an empty notebook and write: “I am a writer” 500 times. Then your hand will be really sore. So maybe don’t do that. 

Lie #3: 50k in NaNoWriMo is Worth More Than 50k at Any Other Time 

You might not say this lie out loud, but I bet it’s in your head. Why? Because it’s been in my head. 

When I’ve complained about not doing NaNo in the past, my dad likes to remind me that, “Writing 50k during Whine-o-Rhino isn’t magic.”

That might make you laugh, but it’s true. 

50k is 50k. 

If it takes you three years or thirty days, it’s still the same number of words. 

I started drafting a novel in May 2020. I’m not quite to 15k right now. 

I started my massive fanfiction project in April 2020. I’m nearly to 25k. 

I’m nowhere close to writing 50k in one month. But I’ve been writing. 

Each of those words I put on the page--every messy, rushed scene, every clunky sentence, every melodramatic bit of foreshadowing--counts. It doesn’t matter if I wrote those words first thing in the morning or ten minutes before bed. It doesn’t matter if I only wrote two sentences one day and a thousand words the next. 

I wrote something, and that’s what matters. 

Yeah, compared to some other writers’ word counts, my writing is pitiful. (And if you are starting to think, “Man, I can’t write as much as she can,” STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Do not compare yourself to me. Thank you. )

Even if we eliminate those lies from our thinking, discouragement still comes. So what can we do in the throes of NonNaNoWriMo discouragement while our other friends are furiously writing? 

Write

Simply write. Pick up your project and get to it. Don’t let the discouragement stop you. 

If you don’t have a work-in-progress, start something. Maybe a poem. Maybe a short story. Maybe a fanfiction.

Honestly, it’s amazing how tuning out the discouragement and simply writing something can help. 

Cheer Your Friends On

One of my closest writing friends struggles with comparison and discouragement. In a post she made on a private writing community, she said that congratulating and celebrating with other writers can help you become more confident. 

If you can say “good job” to someone who is doing what you wish you were doing and not resent them, that demonstrates maturity. 

I have her post printed out and taped in the front of my journal. I wanted to share something else she said with you: “Your worth isn’t based on your word count. Or your completion. Or the number of books you’ve written. Your worth is in Christ’s blood shed for you” (emphasis original). 

Take a Break

Sometimes writing or encouraging others just doesn’t help your discouragement. If that’s the case, it might just be best for you to take a break. 

Turn off your phone. Log out of Instagram. Go for a walk. Watch a favorite movie. Read Scripture. Paint a picture. 

Get away from the things that discourage you. 

(Random side note, but when I’m having a bad day, I like to listen to Andrew Peterson’s albums Resurrection Letters Prologue and Resurrection Letters Volume 1. I find ten minutes of songs about Jesus more uplifting than an hour of hysterical YouTube videos.)

This November, do not let Forky dictate your view of your writing. Be aware of the lies in your head and refuse to listen to them.