NaNoWriMo is a Scary Thing

November is a lot of things, including National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. I told myself last year that I should do it this year, and I was going to do, but I didn't for a couple of reasons. 

1) It's intimidating. This sounds silly, I know, but other people can read your stories, and I don't want mine to suck. I know it's not the end of the world if someone (or everyone) thinks my novel is awful, but I just feel like there's a lot of pressure involved here. I feel like everyone else's novel will be super fantastic, and then there's mine, just sitting there...lonely and stinky...forever... 

2) November is almost over. By the time I decided to participate, it was already about a week or so into  November. I thought, "Yeah, I'll be able to catch up, I'll be fine." Which is true...if I'd actually started writing. It's not even that I had no ideas; I actually have several no-so-bad stories in my head. I just procrastinate. That, and life happens, you know? I guess I still have like, four days...

Now, don't get me wrong, the program is fantastic, and I think it's a great way to motivate people to write more, (I think there's prize money involved? I don't know for sure, but that tends to be a great motivator.) it's just really...scary.

Maybe I'll have enough courage to do it next year...or in the next three or four days...

Have a magnificent Monday!