NaNoWriMo Round 2

Last year, I decided to jump into National Novel Writing Month and write 50,000 words in 29 days. (I joined a day late.) It was a delightful November experience. I loved it.

As fall started, I thought about whether or not I would do NaNoWriMo this year. I decided I would, since a story was already in my mind. But as I looked at my schedule and my relationships, I decided against it. I'm busy. I don't spend my time well. I don't see friends and family as often as I should. I want to invest more time in Young Life. I struggle to find balance between work and non-work. Everything in my better judgment told me to skip out this year. Take the year off. See what's happening in November 2015.

But on Monday, I just couldn't maintain that mindset. I returned to my novel from last year (which is still unfinished although I "won" NaNoWriMo). I loved writing. It gave me life. I miss telling stories. So I logged onto NaNoWriMo.org, and signed up for NaNoWriMo 2014. And although my better judgment rejected the adventure last week, my soul craved it. I realized I can't not participate in NaNoWriMo this year. 

My story is begging to come out. I've been mentally writing the first few pages for the last month or so. (But I haven't actually written it out. That's cheating!) I don't think I'm ready to share what it will be, but in a way, it's my story. Not just one I've written, but one I've experienced. Maybe that's why my entire being wants to let it spill out onto pages. Writing helps me understand myself, my emotions, and my experiences. Maybe I just need to write this one story out to get a bigger picture of my story.

So here's to writing, to understanding, to (hopefully) satisfying some soul-cravings, to finding balance in the busyness, to praising Jesus in all things -- in storytelling. 

Want to join me in this adventure? You can sign up too! Here's a little information straight from its website:

"National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. 

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel."

Have you ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel? If so (or even maybe if not), November is a great time to start the adventure!