It’s almost time for NaNoWriMo, which means you’re seeing a lot of posts (and tweets) about why it’s wonderful or the cause of the impending doom of the publishing industry. This isn’t one of those posts exactly*.

This will be my third year participating in NaNo, and the biggest takeaway I have is that it can be great if you understand the purpose. Yes, you can write 50,000 words in a month. It’s do-able. These, however, are not edited words. These are not polished words. And, really, in most cases it’s not long enough to be considered a full novel. If you think you’ll have something to publish after a month of late-night writing binges, then I have no help for you.

For many, it’s a chance to prove they really can write the whole thing. Let’s be honest: Writing a complete novel is a BIG deal. So often we hear people say, “Oh, I have a great idea for a book, but just don’t have time.” Sticking with a manuscript from beginning to end is a noble goal. Whether the book gets published or stays locked away on your computer, it’s still an impressive feat to get it done. Now, this may be because I’m a pantser, but I’m of the mind it’s most important to write the book before you start worrying about if it should be this or that or will anyone want it. NaNo helps people achieve that.

For me, NaNo is a great way to slip back into a daily writing goal and jump start a new project. Right now I’m finishing up final revisions on a novella, but it’s time to work on something new and NaNo will help me rebuild the habit of writing something new every night.

Will you be joining in NaNo this year? If so, what’s your goal?

Oh, and my new project is a YA contemporary with a sci-fi twist.  It could be described as Lord of the Flies meets Bio-dome with far less Pauly Shore and many more human lab rats.

* I’m not saying NaNo is right for everyone, but it’s been good for me. This does kind of make this a pro-NaNo post.