Last Fall (2025), my writing group decided to do its own NaNoWriMo, and my stomach clenched with dread. National Novel Writing Month was born the same year as my oldest child, twenty-six years ago. NaNoWriMo started as a writing community in 1999 and later became a nonprofit. I was not a writer then. I didn’t hear about it until 2009, when I dipped my toe in the writing world and began my writing journey.
I heard about it from my bestie and walking partner. (We were both trying to regain pre-pregnancy fitness.) She told me how her husband takes the kids trick-or-treating every Halloween, then puts them to bed, sorts his notes, and waits until midnight. When it was officially November 1st, he’d start writing his next novel. He’d do this along with thousands of other writers. Throughout the month, he’d stay up late most nights, working on his manuscript.
When December 1st arrived, he’d be exhausted but triumphant, with a novel in hand.
Can I write a novel in a month?
This was all a surprise to me. First of all, I didn’t know my friend’s husband was a writer. Secondly, how did a group of writers all write together? Was it like a marathon taking place simultaneously across the world in every city by those choosing to participate? What was this madness? What was this magic?
She invited me over to ask all my questions to her husband. He was generous, sharing his experience doing this NaNoWriMo thing every November. There were rules… of a sort… if you wanted to get the certificate. You must start a new project. You cannot start early and “jump the gun.” You must write at least 50,000 words to “win.”
There are very few external rewards in writing. Of course, I wanted a certificate!
I “won” NaNoWriMo
I earned a certificate. A few years later. One time.
That month was a slog. There were some positive moments, but writing 52,000 in November while running a household of five young sons and a husband was something that felt great in the rearview mirror, but not something I wanted to repeat anytime soon. Plus, the “novel” that I produced wasn’t something that was publishable. It was a bunch of words on paper. I took comfort for the wise words of Shannon Hale I remember reading early in my writing journey:
“I’m writing a first draft and reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box, so that later, I can build castles.”
Writing in long sprints over the course of a month or more give me words to work with, yes. It gets me moving forward in discovering my story. But I find when I draft that way, I end up going on millions of bunny trails. I’m learning that when I take a little more time, let my story breathe, I can figure out a better plotline, a better characterization, a better story in the first place… instead of digging it out of my words later. That’ how my brain works.
Over the years, when writer friends decided to do NaNo, I cheered them on. I encouraged them. I’d join their writer sprints when I could. I’d read their resulting chapters come December and January. When those chapters became something good and was shaped into a book, I would celebrate with them. But I did not ever do NaNo again.
Why NaNoWriMo didn’t work for me
A month-long sprint is hard to keep up, for a lot of reasons. But amongst all the female writer friends I have, there is a consensus that NaNoWriMo must have been the brainchild of a MAN. Or at least someone who wasn’t in charge of a household while prepping for Christmas (gift buying, gift-making, decorating, etc.) and hosting Thanksgiving feasts. Because November is a rotten month for having “alone time” for writing a novel.
So, when my current writers’ group wanted to try NaNo, my first gut reaction was, “No, thank you!”
But most of the folks in my current group are new writers. (Meaning, they’ve been writing-to-be-published for less than five years.) When they asked if I’d ever tried it, I shared my experience. I relayed my qualms – trying to balance writing with “real life” as well as the scandals associated with the organization that ran the official November contest.
Our writers’ group decided we’d run our own NaNo and let everyone decide how much they wanted to write.
I chose a realistic goal
My goal was 30,000 words.
The rule of thumb is that most writers have about 250 words on a page. That’s with the industry standard, using Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced. I actually write 260-275, but 250 adds/divides more neatly. That means that 30,000 words is equal to about 120 pages – more or less.
It would be a challenge to write 30,000 words. I work full-time. I have people at home who love me and want to spend time with me. I have friends and family who want to visit – especially during the Thanksgiving season.
The first week, I wrote nearly 10,000 words.
I was so proud! But real life came knocking the next week. 2,600 words.
Week three brought me to 3,755 words.
I wasn’t going to make the goal! I sat with that. I accepted it. But I still wanted to get as much written as possible. I barely had a chance to touch my computer until the last two days of November. I finished the month having written 24,189 words. And kinda burned out.
I didn’t write much in December.
So, when my writers’ group talked about doing it again in January, I had mixed feelings.
I remembered the principles of Slow Productivity
I don’t like the stress of high-stakes goals. I don’t like the stress of goals that “stretch” you. The whole productivity, hustle culture feels antithetical to the creative process. I read the book Slow Productivity last year, and the concepts Cal Newport lays out really resonate with me.
In order to create, an artist (or whatever title you claim) needs space for exploration. We need time for deep thinking. If I’m just writing down words, I’ve found I will often end up deleting them. Yes, they are a good tool for ‘discovery writing,’ but I am transitioning to a more planning-first process of writing. I’d rather brainstorm and take notes than spend hours writing to get to the same place.
However, going through the NaNo exercise last November helped me discover something about myself.
The BEST part of NaNo didn’t require a ton of sacrifice
What I loved best about doing NaNo with my writing group was entering my numbers in the spreadsheet that my friend, Marshall, put together. I loved seeing the numbers rack up. I loved how even 210 words for that day added to the total. So, maybe if I kept THAT part of NaNoWriMo, I could adapt it to make it work?
I committed to join the team in January. Looking at my calendar, I knew that month was going to be a bit crazy. So, I set my goals low.
6,000 words. 24 pages.
This was achievable.
Then… I didn’t write for two weeks.
Life, post-Christmas blues, and work stress kept me from opening my computer when I got home. I didn’t write until January 17th. It was the third Saturday in January, and I was finally able to get something down. 2,174 words.
Two birthdays and a dentist’s appointment kept me busy until the next Thursday. 480 words.
The fourth Saturday, the third day I’d written that month, I wrote 1,357 words.
But that was just over 4,000 words. I was two-thirds of the way to my goal, and I still had one more week of January. As luck would have it, we had an ice storm that week. I worked from home and put in more hours than if I had been in the office, but I pulled off 5,971 words in the last few days of January.
I hit my goal and almost doubled it.
The rest of the group decided that was good enough for now. But I was on a roll. So, I logged back into the shared spreadsheet and made a new row for myself.
Amelia – February: 10,000 words
Again, I had a late start. I didn’t write anything until February 9th. But I kept going. I wrote a few hundred words. On my days off, I’d write between one and three thousand words. Those words add up.
- February: 17,000 words.
- March:15,000 words.
- April: a new goal of 20,000 words.
I’m not consistent. I don’t write every day, but I do keep writing.
As I keep track of my word count, this gives me all sorts of serotonin and dopamine boosts! I can’t even tell you how it thrills me to see a column of three-digit numbers adding up to a huge five-digit number!
There are times during my writing journey when I was very production-oriented. I created my own external validation that was based on industry models. It did not encourage the results I wanted. I became more stressed, and my writing dropped off. Then, I would swing back to the other end of the spectrum – focusing on vibes and having fun.
I’m striving to find a good, healthy balance. I’m creating this world and this story about these characters, which I LOVE. I want to enjoy this experience. But also, I want to share this story with others. I can’t share it until I finish it, go back and make it better, then get it published. I can’t do any of that if it’s still in my head.
I don’t care about a NaNoWriMo certificate. I haven’t for years. My goal is to share my stories with you.
The only way I’m going to get my stories out there is to KEEP GOING.
Abandon the Sprint Model – Focus on the Rhythm Model
Hustling and sprinting get me burnt out. I can’t do what I love if I dread it. I can’t write beautiful stories if there’s an inner critic telling me to write faster.
I’ve been writing for seventeen years, experiencing several seasons of adulthood. I’ve adopted and abandoned all sorts of writing advice. I am a big believer in doing what WORKS for YOU.
Typing in my daily word count works for me (at least right now). It’s keeping me excited.
I’m also keeping space in my life for the people I love and the activities that keep me happy and functioning. This is a priority for me. I can’t become totally immersed in the writing. That isn’t realistic or healthy for my life.
But I CAN dedicate chunks of time to my story.
- Lunch breaks.
- After work, before cooking dinner.
- After dinner, while my husband cleans the kitchen.
- Saturday mornings.
- In the doctor’s waiting room.
- Sitting in my car before going into the grocery store.
I have playlists to help me get in the right headspace. I’ll listen in the car, or while I’m getting ready for the day, or during my lunchtime walk. I let my brain figure out the next scene, the next bit of dialogue. Then I’ll jot it down in cheap little notebooks, on scrap paper, or in my phone. When I get home, I open my laptop and get it into my manuscript. Usually, I end up writing more.
This is what’s working for me. It’s sustainable. It’s healthy.
Your Permission Slip – signed by Amelia Loken
If you are trying to live a Creative Life but feel like you need to hurry up and make the thing already or else you will miss your chance, listen to me.
You are permitted to abandon the Hustle. You are permitted to “fail” at being Productive. You are permitted to take your time as you plan out the next creative endeavor – or the next piece of it. You are permitted to take a deep breath, to re-orient yourself, to re-imagine your creative life in a way that isn’t industrialized. I give you permission to re-examine the rhythm of your life, now, in this season.
Decide what your priorities are. Decide WHO your priorities are, too.
Once that’s clear, make a goal. It doesn’t need to be a small goal, but it does need to be sustainable and healthy. Find ways to work towards that goal that bring you joy. Find whatever tickles your brain with dopamine and continue doing that.
I wish you the best in all your creative endeavors. I’d love to hear what you’re creating and what helps you stay on task (or keep coming back). Send me a message.
Also, here’s a song that I LOVE! It makes me happy every time I hear it:
Sing – Pentatonix
It duplicates the endorphin rush of having written a thousand words in a day. And it’s great for an impromptu Dance Party!