And away we go...

In November many writers turn to NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. The goal is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. It is a community of professional and amateur writers encouraging each other for one month. This is good for writers who have a tendency to procrastinate or who struggle to find time to put the words on paper- or to finish that novel. Think of it as a giant marathon where thousands sign up in hopes of hitting the finish line.
It's a great exercise. To hold yourself accountable at the end of the year- before the holidays really start-to reach your dream.
If you can't do an entire month of pure writing, you can always try book-in-a-week. Don't let the name scare you- most people don't complete an entire book in one week, but the point is to write your story every spare moment you have for seven days in a row with an eye toward finishing an entire rough draft.
By pushing yourself to put words to paper, you are forced to bypass the evil editor who sits on your shoulder and tells you that that page isn't right, that sentence could be better and causes the story to stop while you repair, repair, repair, thus preventing you from finishing. Finishing is the first key to a successful career. It is surprising how many people don't finish a work in progress.
So take this month of November- whether you attempt nanowrimo or book-in-a-week- to set a goal to finish your wip. Tell yourself it is a rough draft. It does not have to be perfect. The whole point is to finish and type the words, "the end."
I believe you can do it! I'll do my best to encourage you this month and come December 1st, we'll celebrate our successes. Now go....write...and good luck!