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October 16, 2017


Is 50,000 words intimidating? Too intimidating?  

Sometimes, folks look at that number as they prepare to begin the Month of Insanity (NaNoWriMo) and think there is no way they can manage it. 

I mean, fifty THOUSAND words? 


It's a lot of words. Even broken down to 1,667 a day, it's a lot. Sure, if one is focused and in "the groove", a person can whip out a thousand words in an hour, so in less than two, the word count can be met. 

It CAN. 

But. "Can I do it?" is the question. 

I had a day recently. I whipped out approximately... 



Approximately 167 words in my book. 

Yep. Blistering, I know. At that pace, it'd take me ten months to get to 50K. 

Wait, did you read that? Ten months. Less than a year. And my novel would be done. 

So, see? This is STILL A GOOD THING. 

Now, granted, my novel-in-progress is already thousands of words in and I am not working on it during NaNo (no, I'm bringing my pom poms of writing win with me everywhere in November), but still. I can see it happening. 

(Do not nibble your fingernails, Cate. I am actually shooting for an End of 2017 goal to finish the thing. Really.) 

All of which is to say is that if you are teetering on the brink of "Should I write or should I go?" due to the fright-factor of 

**cue booming voice** 


**end booming voice** 

you can brush off that number. Make it a lot less intimidating for yourself because, in the end, the goal is to compel your discipline. Your focus. Your productivity. 

It doesn't have to conform to a number presented by NaNo. It doesn't. Because you're not paying them and they're not paying you and it's voluntary. 

Anyone want to shoot for a lower number? I'm behind you. With pom poms. :)

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