It’s 2023 and June has ushered in a whole new year of JuNoWriMo. Notice the excitement in the air. Can you hear the words beginning to take off from the starting line as they move from your imagination onto the page? New beginnings can bring out the best in us, and that’s why the start of another writing journey can cause us to view our projects in an entirely different light. It’s the light of possibility as you write this month.
Whether you’re a JuNoWriMo traditionalist who’s heading for the 50K finish line or if you have chosen our new Rebel option for personal goals, the possibilities are brimming and endless. I’ve compared this week to opening a brand-new box of crayons in the past, and I still feel that the idea fits. I hope you embrace the newness of the year by experimenting with your WIP, looking at different angles to see how you can discover inspiration as you take each step in your writing journey.
As I’ve been in my procrastination phase of planning my own writing project, I’ve been binge watching past seasons of The Amazing Race. It’s very interesting to see how the racers are so eager for their journey as they begin and how early momentum can give them such a boost into the competition. They are certainly “journeying on” while traveling the world! But as much as I love The Amazing Race, I love creativity with JuNoWriMo even more. Why? There are no winners versus losers at JuNoWriMo. Everyone wins by putting one foot in front of the other, and the best way to make the win your own is observing your growth of creativity over the weeks. JuNoWriMo is a brave thing to do, but perhaps what makes it -and you! – brave, even more than meeting the goals, is the act of stepping out into your own creativity. There’s no wrong way to write. That’s good motivation to slam down that pesky inner editor when it appears. Chase it away by knowing that the way you write your project doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be your unique vision of whatever you’re writing.
Above all, please enjoy your journey through the month. Editing can wait; now is the time to have fun and explore new worlds. Please remember that the marvelous community of writers is waiting for you. Our Facebook group includes a wide variety of writers at different stages and experience levels. We are a unique group because we truly support each other. It’s the perfect place to share triumphs, questions and times that definitely qualify you for the “Hard Day, Wrote Anyway” badge. Whatever you’re feeling, we’ve felt it, too. You are never alone at JuNoWriMo!
A final tip as you begin JuNoWriMo is to be sure to take advantage of our Sprints on Twitter (@JuNoWriMo). I can personally attest to how quickly and enjoyably Sprints can build your word count! Please watch for Sprint times in the Facebook group and newsletters. We often have impromptu sprints that are usually announced on Facebook.
Happy writing and journey on with JuNoWriMo!