#NaNoWriMo 2021: A Message of Thanks
(I wrote the core of this for my first NaNoWriMo series. I’ve tweaked it a bit for 2021.)
If you’ve been working your way through National Novel Writing Month, you’ve gained some valuable experience in creating a writing life for yourself—specifically, in giving yourself the time and space in which to do your writing. Some of you might be able to do that completely independently, but I think most of us would freely concede that we owe a lot to the people who are supporting us in our efforts, whether we’re trying to complete a short novel in thirty days, or plugging away at our manuscripts throughout the year.
Some of that support is simple and intangible: Friends and loved ones who cheer us on, who are glad to see that we’re writing, maybe even eager to see what we come up with when we’re ready to share it. First and foremost, it’s important to believe in yourself, but having other people believe in you can be a powerful reinforcement.
It’s even better to have people in your life who not only believe in you, but are willing to provide some concrete help as you work on creating your writing life. Friends who understand why you might not be able to hang out with them as much as you have in the past, and are willing to schedule around you. Loved ones who are willing to take on a household chore or two if that gives you some extra writing time, who understand why you’re getting up early, or staying up late, or not joining them to watch television before going to bed at night.
That might not seem like much when I state it so baldly. But all of those gestures, and many others like them, have an accumulative effect—and if you’re actually doing the work that they’re giving you the space to do, you’ll see that for yourself.
So, this Thanksgiving, if you’re celebrating, when people who know to ask you about your writing ask you how it’s coming along, be sure to take a moment to express how glad you are to have their support. A simple “thanks for asking” could do the trick, but if you want to be more specific about how “I couldn’t do it without you,” go for it!
I hope that all of you reading this newsletter have the opportunity to spend some time this long weekend with people you care about and who care about you in return. For many of us, things are better now than they were twelve months ago, in that conditions are more amenable to gathering with loved ones—yet others may not get to enjoy that privilege. If you have occasion for joy, don’t take it for granted!