My Problem with NaNoWriMo

It is November, which to thousands (including my sister and friends) means that it is time to attempt to write a 50,000 novel in one month (that's 1,667 words a day). My sister has participated in NaNoWriMo four times now. My sister suggested that I participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I considered it but in the end, decided that NaNoWriMo is not for me. While I applaud those writers who take on the almost impossible task, I realized that I don't want to be one of them. I've worked on deadlines before. In the six months prior to law school I spent almost all my free time (and a lot of work time) wrote the last three books of a four book series I started in college. The deadline pushed me to finish, but since then little has gotten done with the books. I have three books still written in composition notebooks. In three years since I finished, I haven't edited the books to make them acceptable for an audience. And because I have done nothing in three years no one has read my books, not even my sisters. This is my problem with NaNoWriMo, it forces you to get the rough draft out but little after that. For me, getting the steps after the rough draft are the worst and when I need the incentives/support.

That being said here is some unsolicited advice to NaNoWriMo writers this semester: try your hardest to finish what you start. Even if you don't hit the 50,000 word mark persevere and get it done. Do whatever you can so that you can share your book.