November is the 11th month of the Julian and Gregorian calendars (or the ninth if you want to use the Roman one). It is the home of Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving if you live in the US. In recent years, it has also taken on the moniker Movember, in an effort to promote men’s health issues. But none of these are the one I’m thinking of.

November is National Novel Writing Month

(Na)tional (No)vel (Wri)ting (Mo)nth. When you hear someone talking about NaNoWriMo, this is what it refers to. This is the month where writers from all walks of life set aside time to crank out 50,000 words toward a new novel. It’s a social event across social media as well, as various writers talk about word counts, update on the progress of their stories, and help one another when stuck. It is the ultimate “you never know until you try” moment for someone who has considered writing a novel, and it comes every year.

In the spirit of putting a nose to a grindstone and working on a novel, I’m going to be a little more brief in my blogs this month. While I’m not starting a new novel for NaNoWriMo, I’m still going to make a concerted effort to apply my word count toward publishable drafts.

To those who are on the fence, give it a try; there is no penalty for failure. There really is no failure at all. Worst case you end up with fewer than 50,000 words of a story written. If you have decided to participate, best of luck. Now, stop reading blogs and go write!