Goodbye NaNoWriMo

Well folks, it's over. The non-writers among you may ask why we do this to ourselves every year. We even ask ourselves that frequently, but here are my reasons.

1. My imagination needs the work out. I read a lot, and although that involves imagination, it is using someone else's creativity rather than my own. Nanowrimo reminds me of my own personal need to create and gives me a wonderful venue for that.

2. I could and probably should write all year, but the realities of life often push writing to the bottom of the list. For one month during Nanowrimo, I can let the other things be less important, and let this less developed talent take center stage.

3. It gives me a chance once a year to do something hard for no other reason than I want to.

4. The most important reason I still do nano is for the people. At first for me it really was about the writing, but now it is about relationships. Through forums and write-ins, I watched people of all ages and walks of life come together with a common goal. We encourage each other when we think we'll never make it. We comfort those whose real life challenges keep them from reaching their nano goals. We remind each other that it's not really about if we make 50000 or not (even though we all want it desperately.) It is about how we change and grow through the process. We cheer wildly and sing rousing versions of "We Are the Champions" in public places when people cross the finish line.

We do crazy things like a 28 hour write-in tour. No I didn't make the whole tour, but I had a great time.

Last night I even stayed out way too late to do the final countdown with my fellow writers.

To all those NaNoWriMo friends-- Congratulations on your victory. Whether you "won" or not, you faced a difficult task with courage (although some of my other friends might call it insanity) and did something amazing that most people are never even brave enough to try. See you tonight at the party!


-- Posted from my iPhone