National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is almost here! Today I’m sharing a post from author Jean M. Cogdell on whether or not it is possible to complete a novel in one month.
I’m not a particularly fast writer, and I have a very demanding schedule, so the thought of writing 50,000 words in just one month is very daunting to me. So far I’ve only been successful with Camp NaNoWriMo where you can set smaller goals, and even adjust them as you go along. Yet I know people do this every year, and I’m going to give it a try–with some helpful tips from Bridget at Now Novel! If you’re planning to join me in November, be sure to check these out.
If I succeed next month, I will have the next book in my Wind Rider Chronicles series nearly complete. I know my readers are eagerly waiting! But even if I don’t succeed, I’ll have more words written than I would have if I’d never participated, right? So really, I can’t lose.
Is it possible to complete a novel in one month?
If you’ve managed this amazing feat, I’m impressed.
But not me, I break out in a sweat just thinking about writing a novel from beginning to end in thirty days. 
Emails are pouring in for NaNoWriMo. Have you signed up?
Well, it’s that time of year, and the deadline is fast approaching. A
lmost time to start your engines, I mean computers. (Continue reading…)
(Original Source: Shared from Chris the Story Reading Ape’s blog.)
Infographic courtesy of Bridget at Now Novel–click to read the full article.
Allison D. Reid 
It’s not possible to write a finished novel in 1 month. What you write will need editing, re-writing, perhaps even finishing. This will be my 3rd NaNo. The first time I managed to write 50,000 words in the month, but it wasn’t complete. I’d not even finished the story. I think ‘Write a novel in 1 month’ is a bit of an optimist’s dream.
Still, I’m going to have another go this year. I failed last year, and probably will this year, since every Monday is out as far as writing is concerned. I do ‘grandparent duty,’
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No, it’s definitely not possible to write a full, edited novel in a month–particularly if you have a regular job and family obligations. 50,000 words is only about half a novel for me, anyway. Right now getting that much written would get me pretty close to finished though. I’m going to use Nano month as a way to push myself to get my novel done. At this point any significant word count I can add to my file is a victory. 🙂
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I think that’s the way. NaNo is a great tool for those who find it helpful, but I don’t think there are any universal answers. It’s a heady thing, being told you’ll write a novel in a month, but for some that kind of statement can create incredible pressure.
For my part, I’ve never been tempted to go with NaNo because I am a very slow writer when it comes to word count. Over the past few years I shifted from a word based writing quota to a time based one, and I’ve felt a little less pressured by the idea that “it will take as long as it takes”. Of course I still set myself smaller goals, like trying to have at least a few hundred or a couple thousand words done and ready (depending on the type of project).
In any case, hope your NaNo went well.
Maybe when you have a finished draft you could poll your followers to see who would be up for reading and providing feedback.
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Nano is a lot of pressure, which is why I decided to do it this year. I’m a slow writer, too. But I also have people waiting for my next book, and I don’t want to keep them waiting so long that they lose interest. I am determined not to let the quality suffer–I just need a big shove right now to motivate me to keep writing.
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Sounds reasonable. I definitely think having an external obligation to others helps. When it’s just “me” alone, it’s easy to rationalize, but falling short in my obligations to others is another matter entirely.
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And I will definitely be looking for beta readers when the time comes. 🙂 Are you already volunteering?
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I try to help when and where I can; both as an opportunity to learn, and in the selfish hope that someday I may find myself with a story to share, and people who fancy returning the favor 😁 😅.
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I’m sure when you are ready to share a story, it is going to be fabulous. You have a great imagination. 🙂 I don’t think you’ll have trouble finding readers.
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if you’re interested I have a short story I recently sent off to a contest, but I’d still welcome feedback, particularly from a fan of fantasy, if you fancy. It’s only a quick one, about 2,000 words. But if you’re interested, let me know. 🙂
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I just realized that I never responded to this. I’d be happy to take a look at your story!
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Thank you. I’ll send it via the “Contact Me” page.
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