The Flip Side Of NaNoWriMo

November is hibernating time for many animals and so is for writers. All the 200,000 (2010) closet authors put an out of business plack on their regular life of the school, job and families to sit in front of their devices and hope the keyboard doesn't die. 

For the people who don't know, NaNoWriMo is an annual creative writing project for writers where they decide to write a minimum of 50,000 words manuscript starting from 1st November to 30th November. 

Sounds cool right? But here's a fact. Like all the things in this world, this too has a flip side to it, and we are going to explore that. So if you want some tea then be my guest. 

1) Quantity above Quality: 

The focus of this project is the word count. If you have minimum 50,000 words than you win. Nobody cares what you have written or how you have written. Its a race against writer's block not the key to your creativity. 

In fact, the FAQ section of its site says “if you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel”

2) You might win in secrecy: 

The novels submitted by thousands of people are verified for word count by software which doesn't keep any other record of text input. So it is very much possible that you win without anyone reading what you've written apart from you. 

3) Anxiety: 

The Anxiety rate of US is 18.1 per cent in adults. Which is approximately 40 million adults from 18 to 54. 

So, it's not rocket science that the burden of writing approximately a little less than 2000 every day can surely trigger the wrong nerves in you. 

4) half filled pot spills more. 

In 2007, a self-publishing company CreateSpace offered a proof copy of manuscripts and in 2011 they offered five. Each year differnt sponcers offers discounts and prizes to the winners. 

That being said. 

Since 2006 there are 600 novels published (400 via traditional plublishing houses and 200 by smaller or self publishing) which regarding that 200,000 people are participating just in 2010 the total percentage of actually publishing your work becomes around 0.3%. 

Unless you count bragging rights that would be 100%. 

Therefor, If you think that joining NaNoWriMo is an advancment as a writer than you are living in a pretty bubble. NaNoWriMo is just a medium to help you with what you are eventualy going to do anyway.

Hence, don't rush into writing in a way that your life take a backseat. If writing is medling with either your study, work, family or health then its not worth it. Be smart, so that you can have your turkey and eat it too.

And yet if you are planning to join NaNoWriMo then plan ahead of november as much that the only thing left to do is write and there is no need to edit it right away so focus on writing and edit emaculately once you've won.

Because either being a sheep in a herd walking with your head down or being a mountain goat reaching up with slow and strong step is your choice to make.

Best of luck.