November Is Still a Fine Month for Writing

We’re a few days into National Novel Writing Month, and while I won’t be “officially” participating due to their views on generative AI (covered here and here by authors who say it far better than I would), I can’t help but reminisce on past efforts.

It was during NaNo a few years ago that I finally finished the draft of my first novel. The following November, I finished book two, then used that momentum to carry me straight through book three. Something about that deadline of November, of knowing there are so many other authors out there pushing hard all month, really gives me a boost.

You don’t need NaNoWriMo to do any of this of course. It doesn’t even have to be November. It’s the consistency that matters, a whole month, any month, of writing with a clear deadline rushing at your from the end of the calendar. That’s the trick.

NaNoWriMo as an organization has since tried to backpedal and “clarify” their statement, but it all strikes me as insincere, motivated by money, not morals. Of course, plenty of writers will still be using the NaNoWriMo website to keep motivated, and if you’re one of them, I’d only recommend not posting any of your actual words, because it’s not a stretch to say they’ll be selling them to the highest AI bidder come December.