4 Alternatives To Try Instead of NaNoWriMo

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="6b87">Write a novella</h1><p id="9a90">Some writers might feel short stories are too restrictive. Novellas are another option for those who want more room to write. These pieces generally range from <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/word-count-guide">10,000 to 40,000 words</a>. There’s even the novelette which can be as little as 7,500 words. Over the years, I’ve tended to gravitate to this middle ground because it has the focus of a short piece while also gives room to go deeper with characters in a way that’s more akin to novels. For short story writers or novelists interested in venturing into the other ends of the spectrum, novellas serve as a great option for learning to scale up or scale down your writing.</p><p id="31cf">For NaNoWriMo, a novella might be a more realistic goal to write in 30 days. If you set a word quota, you’ll definitely be writing less than 1,667 words per day. So it’ll be easier to fit into your schedule and might be more conducive to your creative process. Plus, finishing a novella can feel as satisfying as a novel.</p><h1 id="3de0">Edit other work</h1><p id="689a">NaNoWriMo is centered around creating a first draft. However, depending on where you are creatively when November rolls around, you might be editing and polishing other work and not in a place to brainstorm a new story.</p><p id="0d04">While NaNoWriMo can be beneficial for generating new material, some writers get caught up on having a bunch of unfinished first drafts. If you aspire for publication, why not make progress towards editing those pieces? Similar to NaNoWriMo, <a href="https://www.wikiwrimo.org/wiki/National_Novel_Editing_Month">NaNoEdMo</a> challenges writers each March to spend 50 hours a month revising works of your choice. This might be a novel or a collection of short stories. Ultimately, you can create your own goals. You might revise every day for a certain amount of time or set a quota for how many pages or chapters you complete. After all, creating a first draft is only the first step. The bulk of writing is editing. Therefore, instead of writing new material, consider spending your month on a vital part of the process.</p><h1 id="da2d">Create your own challenge</h1><p id="b187">You know your creative process the best, so use it to your advantage. What word quota works for you? Or do you prefer to count the days you’d like to write and create a set a time (e.g. an

Options

hour)? Or instead of enforcing a strict word quota or structure, you can adjust your standards each day depending on how you’re feeling. Or you could focus on writing scene by scene. Or maybe you toss out the self-imposed constraints, and simply allow yourself to write. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to write with freedom.</p><p id="1f94">And if you don’t want to write fiction, you can use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to make progress on your other creative goals. Whether or not you write in various genres and forms or want to try something new, take it as an opportunity to explore. You can write nonfiction, blog posts, poems, or even journal ideas every day. Choose whatever resonates with you. After all, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write.</p><p id="a8e7">NaNoWriMo can be inspiring for some people, but overwhelming and too inflexible for others. Besides, not everyone has aspirations to write a novel. While structured challenges benefit certain writers, ultimately, you’re the one who creates your own rules. As long as you’re writing in a way that works best for you, that’s what matters.</p><div id="affc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://writingcooperative.com/why-i-dont-participate-in-nanowrimo-a364846f40ec"> <div> <div> <h2>Why You Shouldn’t Participate in NaNoWriMo</h2> <div><h3>Writing 1,667 words a day for 30 days doesn’t work for everyone</h3></div> <div><p>writingcooperative.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*atSZJah90bKTgBCZ)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="d6d0" class="link-block"> <a href="https://writingcooperative.com/how-stephen-kings-word-quota-changed-my-writing-4411c5494538"> <div> <div> <h2>How Stephen King’s Word Quota Changed My Writing</h2> <div><h3>Takeaways from writing a novel with a self-imposed goal of 2000 words a day</h3></div> <div><p>writingcooperative.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*Wq2-3CcWYFCw1Yaq)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

More flexible ways to write during National Novel Writing Month

It’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). If you’re unfamiliar, writers spend November writing 1,667 words a day for a total of 50,000 words. For some people, the challenge serves as the catalyst in making their dreams of writing a book a reality. However, NaNoWriMo might not be a good fit or a realistic goal for writers who prefer to write without a word quota or are too busy with other responsibilities to make the commitment.

If you’d like to get in the spirit of writing more consistently, but want more flexibility, here are some alternatives to NaNoWriMo to try this November.

Write short stories

Novels can be overwhelming for some writers given the larger scope of the story and the time commitment. Short stories are an accessible option for aspiring writers in that they generally range from 1,000 to 10,000 words. When I started writing, I only wrote short stories and still prefer them over longer length work. Compared to novels, short stories are more manageable in that there are less details to manage.

Compared to NaNoWriMo, it’s okay to start small and commit to writing one short story this month. Or if you’re ambitious, perhaps you can do a story a week. Or one flash fiction piece per day. It’s up to you. Stories are as long as they need to be, so leave room for flexibility. If you’re inclined to make a longer commitment, the 52-week story challenge prompts people to write a story every week for a year. Ultimately, if you choose to write short stories, they can be a great choice knowing you’re more likely to finish a project. And that sense of accomplishment of completing something is a bonus too.

Write a novella

Some writers might feel short stories are too restrictive. Novellas are another option for those who want more room to write. These pieces generally range from 10,000 to 40,000 words. There’s even the novelette which can be as little as 7,500 words. Over the years, I’ve tended to gravitate to this middle ground because it has the focus of a short piece while also gives room to go deeper with characters in a way that’s more akin to novels. For short story writers or novelists interested in venturing into the other ends of the spectrum, novellas serve as a great option for learning to scale up or scale down your writing.

For NaNoWriMo, a novella might be a more realistic goal to write in 30 days. If you set a word quota, you’ll definitely be writing less than 1,667 words per day. So it’ll be easier to fit into your schedule and might be more conducive to your creative process. Plus, finishing a novella can feel as satisfying as a novel.

Edit other work

NaNoWriMo is centered around creating a first draft. However, depending on where you are creatively when November rolls around, you might be editing and polishing other work and not in a place to brainstorm a new story.

While NaNoWriMo can be beneficial for generating new material, some writers get caught up on having a bunch of unfinished first drafts. If you aspire for publication, why not make progress towards editing those pieces? Similar to NaNoWriMo, NaNoEdMo challenges writers each March to spend 50 hours a month revising works of your choice. This might be a novel or a collection of short stories. Ultimately, you can create your own goals. You might revise every day for a certain amount of time or set a quota for how many pages or chapters you complete. After all, creating a first draft is only the first step. The bulk of writing is editing. Therefore, instead of writing new material, consider spending your month on a vital part of the process.

Create your own challenge

You know your creative process the best, so use it to your advantage. What word quota works for you? Or do you prefer to count the days you’d like to write and create a set a time (e.g. an hour)? Or instead of enforcing a strict word quota or structure, you can adjust your standards each day depending on how you’re feeling. Or you could focus on writing scene by scene. Or maybe you toss out the self-imposed constraints, and simply allow yourself to write. There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to write with freedom.

And if you don’t want to write fiction, you can use NaNoWriMo as an excuse to make progress on your other creative goals. Whether or not you write in various genres and forms or want to try something new, take it as an opportunity to explore. You can write nonfiction, blog posts, poems, or even journal ideas every day. Choose whatever resonates with you. After all, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write.

NaNoWriMo can be inspiring for some people, but overwhelming and too inflexible for others. Besides, not everyone has aspirations to write a novel. While structured challenges benefit certain writers, ultimately, you’re the one who creates your own rules. As long as you’re writing in a way that works best for you, that’s what matters.