This month, I have the goal of writing 50,000 words of a novel. It’s through an event called National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, and this will be my fifth year participating. I want to convince you, if you’re a college student who enjoys writing, why you should too.
It helps you manage your time
When you have to write 1,667 words a day, you can’t really afford to procrastinate. Forcing yourself to sit down and get through all the words can transfer over to schoolwork, where just starting something can be the most critical step in making sure it gets done.
You can also alternate between writing and getting homework done, using each as a break from the other. This keeps you focused while giving your study time some variety.
It can give you a better relationship with writing
It’s easy to get sick of the formulaic process of essay outlining, writing and editing. The quality of your writing may even suffer as you lose motivation. Taking part in a more creative form of writing breaks you out of this pattern. And once you start writing for fun without worrying about quality, you’ll get a new perspective on writing of all kinds.
It’s fun!
There’s nothing like waking up the day after Halloween and writing the first word of your novel. Even when it gets overwhelming around the second and third weeks, NaNoWriMo’s always exciting and fun. The site also has forums, where you can ask for writing tips, join conversations and generally get to know other writers. One of my favorite parts of the event is 30 Covers 30 Days, or 30C30D, when a new participant is chosen each day to have a fun cover made for their novel!
If you’re interested in writing 50,000 words this month and telling a story only you can tell, head over to the website to start your novel.