Last year I wrote a post about my NaNoWriMo journey, but this year a lot of things have changed in my life. I have got married, I am getting published in two weeks and I have moved to a different country again. So we can say that my September-October-November was pretty crazy. But I couldn’t skip the annual NaNo, so I joined the Birmingham NaNo group this November and this time (no suprise) everybody spoke English around me! That’s why I got the idea to ask my fellow nanoers why they are doing this crazy thing this year. Because writing 50K word in a month is pretty crazy. And today is the first day of December, so let me share their answers:

Pixiemum: Okay, I am doing NaNoWriMo as it gives me a target. Without a target I can procrastinate for months or years on an idea until I think it’s ready to be written. Since discovering Nano I have worked harder for 30 days a year and achieved far more than I do the other 11 months. This year I am not only aiming for 50k but also a completed first draft that I can revise, edit and submit in the hope of getting a lifelong dream off the ground.

CrystalCat: I do NaNo partly because I love to write, partly because I love people’s reactions and thoughts towards my writing… And a massive part because I rarely if ever finish a story! This time, I’m hoping will be different, and I’ve also been pointed towards a website that helps you publish your story, too. 🙂

David Green: I’m doing nanowrimo this year because I needed some motivation to get my writing into gear. So far a few weird and nonsensical ideas have surfaced during nano, so I am very rather happy. With these ideas and dreams I hope to write a collection of short stories and, hopefully, one children’s tale.

Cassandra For me nano has become a social event far more than a writing one. There are people I now know because of it that have made and continue to make my life better. I’ve found new hobbies and learnt new skills outside of writing. I’ve been to weddings and a different continent because of the people I have met here. When I first got into nail varnish it was nano people whose nails I did, when I started wearing dresses it was to the monthly meet ups we have and when I came out as trans the first time I told anyone my name is Cassandra was to nano people after we had been to a comic convention. I enjoy writing, I have never won a single nano but it is the social links I have made here that are the reason this is my 12th attempt.

Sandra: I started my novel 2 years ago and now want the push to get it finished. I know that social goals and group motivation work well for me! I also like the discipline and momentum of writing every day, as well as being part of something big and meeting other writers all on the same mission.

Bee: I used to be a technical writer for work, but I’ve not written anything creative since I left school. For me NaNo was about seeing if my head would spill anything interesting if I left it to its own devices. 22,000 words down, this plot seems to have grown a whole life of its own. I never thought I’d be waking up excited to crack on with it. And I’ve learned so much from my first NaNo meet up, including the finer points of taser usage. My NaNo tag is Bee, and it’s my first year. But not my last.

Ian: I started writing out of frustration, because illness has left me with a level of disability that has sadly completely changed my life. Being restricted in some elements of my life has somehow opened up a well of creativity that I am just compelled to tap into. I now paint abstracts with an energy and vibrancy i never knew I possessed, and I write with a voice I never knew I had until I allowed it to speak for me.
Every day is a joy that needs capturing with words and with colour, every day just has to be lived, authentically and with passion. So now I write with the voice that has found me and paint with the hand that I can’t control.
And I love every minute of the timeless passion it gives, and every day I am lost within it.

+ my two favorite writer friends did NaNo this year as well. So extra two answers from Budapest and from Paris:

Kay Lawrence: Above all, I started NaNoWriMo because I wanted to insert writing into my daily routine and to make it a habit, actually, even if it lasted for half an hour. I didn’t aim for the 50K word count since I knew it was impossible for me to reach but I set smaller goals for myself, like 5K or 10K words, that seemed plausible enouch to complete. And I managed to exceed my expectations, eventually. NaNo made me motivated and taught me that I can reach my goals even if I take smaller steps towards them.

Fanni: I started Nano because I’ve got a very short attention span and I’m fickle. I start a lot of things but I rarely finish them. Nano helps me to concentrate. I love the fact that there is a community, that writers support each other. There are Write-ins where you can meet new people. I enjoy that Nano is a community event. I don’t really stress about the word count, it’s more important for me to write regularly, so that writing can become a habit. I don’t want Nano to be yet another source of stress, I don’t force it.