“Write it. Just write it. Write it on receipts in the car while you wait for your kid to finish their piano lessons, scribble on napkins at lunch with friends. Type on crappy typewriters or borrow computers if you have to. Fill notebooks with ink. Write inside your head while you’re in traffic and when you’re sitting in the doctor’s office. Write the truth, write lies. Write the perfect spouse. Write your dreams. Write your nightmares. Write while you cry about what you’re writing, write while you laugh out loud at your own words. Write until your fingers hurt, then keep writing more. Don’t ever stop writing. Don’t ever give up on your story, no matter what “they” say. Don’t ever let anybody take away your voice. You have something to say, your soul has a story to tell. Write it. There is never any reason to be afraid. Just write it and then put it out there for the world. Shove it up a flag pole and see who salutes it. Somebody will say it’s crap. So what? Somebody else will love it. And that’s what writing’s about. Love. Love of the art, love of the story, and love for and from the people who really understand your work. Nobody else matters. Love yourself. Love your work. Be brave. Just write.”
~ Melodie Ramone
I know there are more than a few of you here who have been meaning to write a book for a long time now…
Go on. Admit it.
I don’t care if it’s fantasy, sci-fi, romance, memoir, a cookbook or a how-to. That book needs to come out. And the truth is, it’s gonna come out messy. That’s what a first draft is for. Then the real work begins as you shape and craft all those messy words into something good and beautiful.
But first you need that messy pile of words on the page, right?
Right!
So, I have a challenge for you. Join me for NaNoWriMo in 2014.
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. In November each year, you commit to writing a rough first draft of fifty thousand words. A bunch of crazy Americans imagined it into being, and now it has become a global phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of writers across the world, slaving away through November to get fifty thousand words down. Right in the middle of their already crazy lives. You write around your day job, the kids, the housework, your study, or whatever else is happening in your life in November. But above all, you write.
Insane, yes? But do-able, if taken day by day.
Which is why I love it. Fifty thousand words means you don’t have time to agonize or perfect. You just have to let the words pour, glump, drip and spill.
Many of my writerly friends have written a shitty first draft in November which has become the foundation for a published book. That could be YOUR story too.
So, are you in?
You can sign up here: NaNoWriMo 2014
And when you have done that, go find me under ‘buddies’ so I can be your writing buddy. You’ll see me listed as ‘ncwriter’ with a groovy cow photo. Then we’ll be able to encourage each other, and help each other along.
Now is as good a time as any to change your life. You can do this!!!
Let’s embrace the madness together. 😀 Much love, Nicole xx
Hey lovely Nicole. I’ve signed up! God help me LOL but don’t know how to find you to add as a writing buddy? In fact, I don’t know how to do anything as I’ve never challenged myself on this before Eeeeek!
Congratulations, Samira! Go to the search function in the toolbar at the top right of the page. Type in ncwriter and make sure that you’ve selected authors with the little button underneath. A few names will come up in the search results. I’m the one with the attractive cow wearing love heart sunglasses as a profile pic. 😀 Click on my name to go to my profile and there’s a button that says ‘add as a buddy’. Good luck!
thanks lovely. You made it all so simple – why couldn’t I figure that out. I’m in – OMFG! What have I done LOL but with you as a writing buddy I can’t go wrong :)x
Tears are pouring down my cheeks …you have touched a sensitive part of me with your abundance of positive and encouraging words .
Jan 1st 2014 I set myself a challenge …every morning I would right a passage before I did anything , before I spoke to anybody , before I even thought about my day .
I have wrote about 10 novellas I am so proud of them …but what now ? what do I do with all my work? that is the question …maybe take up NaNoWriMo… sounds music to my ears Nicole
Cherryx
Sweet Cherry, if not now, when, my love? Go on – take a chance on yourself! Big hugs, Nicole xx
Nanowrimo makes me panic every year. My mother follows C&C religiously and knows i have thousands of unfinished novels but i just struggle horribly with the last 10 thousand words. I’ll definitely have to sleep on this one – for a month! xox
Oh my goodness! Endings have always been my weakness too. One thing that has really helped me is a book called Start Your Novel From The Middle by James Scott Bell. I also heartily recommend writing a craptastic first draft ending that you can go back and fix up in the edit. You can do it!!! Come on and join us – I dare you! Even if all you do is one ending for one book. Imagine what magic could come from that. 😀 Lots of love, Nicole xx
I have my beginning (somewhat disgraceful beginning) and possibly an ending. I’m so scared. I hate this side of being female – or rather ‘human’. I refuse to sign up until i have the last paragraph.
I hope you get that last paragraph soon! I look forward to being your writing buddy. Come on, it’ll be fun. xx
Okay I have signed up! i always thought you had to be writing a novel . My story needs to be shared with the world and with you as my buddy i will get this done 🙂 Thanks Nicole big love and hugs xxx
I think that as long as you have that book inside you, no matter what genre, NaNoWriMo will help you get those words on the page! Welcome aboard xx
Hi Suzie,
If you’re writing a memoir or life story patti millers books will really help along the way. She is an Australian author who specialises in that genre. I am ajhwriter on the nano site of you would also like to be a buddy.
Cheers
Anita
Done, signed up and found you as my buddy. How timely, that for most of November I will be in a small town of Babinda at the base of Mt Bartle freer. All I have to think about is job and writing. Yeah!!!
Oh, that’s so exciting! 👍
Eeek Im tingling all over. This just may be the push I need. Thanks, Nicole, Ill give it a go! xxx
Do it!!!!!! Yay ❤️