National Novel Writing Month is upon us. I have never done NaNoWriMo, because my life does not allow for that intense of a commitment. This year, I will not be officially participating because I do not meet the requirements—I am not starting a new book from scratch, and I have no chance of getting to 50,000.

However, I do have a WIP that has another 23 chapters/scenes left. To complete the first draft will require 20,000-25,000 words. I had wanted to finish my first draft by the end of October, but life totally got in the way.

So I think this year I will take advantage of NaNoWriMo to help push me to the end. I can ride the enthusiasm and collaborative atmosphere to get this done. Stating my goal here makes me accountable, because now I know people are “looking at me”.

Maybe some year I will have the time to do a proper NaNoWriMo. 50,000 words in a month would be amazing! This year, however, I will be happy if I reach half that number—as long as the last two words I write are THE END.

Have you ever participated in NaNo? Have you ever used another writing challenge to spur you forward?