Why You Should Write a Book in June
This month for the A to Z challenge, I’m highlighting twenty-six reasons (alphabetically, of course) why you should write a book in June.
JuNoWriMo is our spin off of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) that takes place in June, challenging you to write 50,000 words in thirty days. In the past two years, JuNoWriMo has inspired hundreds of writers to get their books written, and I’ve asked a few of them to share their personal stories. Today Alicia Wallace sums up her experience in one word: Generational.
Why should you write a book in June? THIS is why.
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G is for Goals by Alicia Wallace
As a NaNoWriMo addict, I was probably one of the first to sign up for JuNoWriMo. The idea of a spin-off writing challenge and event excited beyond explanation.
I’d mentally set lofty goals for 2013. I had a novel to revise and two series ideas to flesh out and write. I thought I could do it all. I signed up for two Camp NaNoWriMo sessions (in April and July) and JuNoWriMo thinking, “Yeah! I’m going to write everything!
I write year-round and love it. I quite enjoy sitting with a cup of tea, making things up and spilling them onto paper (or a screen). I sometimes think it’s the one thing I have to myself, and I relish the moments I spend alone with my ideas and writing tools.
Why then, you may ask, do I get so excited about writing challenges and events? Well, although I love writing and solitude, there’s a lot to be said about community. JuNoWriMo has a great community of a manageable size to immerse yourself in. It’s not so large that you can’t keep up with everyone, but large enough to find like-minds.
One of my favourite things about JuNoWriMo is the pressure. Committing to JuNoWriMo last year meant that I had to work on my writing projects. I had to put in the time and effort to make progress with at least one of my goals.
I realized the timing of JuNoWriMo was perfect. It was one month outside of the Camp NaNoWriMo session that had just ended, and the month before the next Camp session. The previous session didn’t go so well for me as I’d tried to pants a novel, and that isn’t my style. Want to know what happened? In a word: Nothing. I flip-flopped around and ended up like a fish out of water, literally. My writing, which I consider to be breathing, was laboured. I’d learned a valuable lesson. Pantsing is not for everyone.
Fresh out of that experience, this fishy decided to take a dive back into the planning waters. JuNoWriMo didn’t pressure me to write a novel, or hit a particular word count, show off, or compete. It encouraged me to be true to myself and use the time to do what I found necessary. Planning.
I went over the manuscript I’d sloppily started in April. I read it carefully, picking out the ideas, characters, and excerpts that made sense. I deconstructed that work to develop a plan. This approach helped me to generate new ideas for that novel. I developed character profiles, planned scenes, and figured out exactly how my new series would go.
With a community of other writers, a set period of time to work, and the flexibility to do what needed to be done, JuNoWriMo proved to be a generational experience for me. It gave me the courage to rip apart an old work and develop a plan to put it together again. With a step-by-step guide, July was a breeze.
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It’s Your Turn
JuNoWriMo 2014 is going to be bigger and better than ever, so don’t miss this opportunity to write that book. I dare you to write 50,000 words in June. If you accept my challenge, know that you won’t be in it alone. You’ll be writing alongside hundreds of other authors who are going for the exact same thing, and that’s the best way to write. It’s gonna be stinkin’ awesome.
Oh, and one more thing. JuNoWriMo is having a giveaway right now: sign up and you just might win a prize!
So, are you in?
Sign up for JuNoWriMo now!
JuNoWriMo on Twitter | JuNoWriMo on Facebook
You might also be interested in:
Why You Should JuNoWriMo: Goals
Why You Should JuNoWriMo: Exciting
Why You Should JuNoWriMo: Diversity
Thanks for reminding me of JuNoWriMo. I might even do it this year! 😀
You’re welcome. 🙂 I hope you will join us! It’s going to be awesome. Thanks for stopping by, Veronica!