NaNoWriMo Virtual Write-Ins

People who join a writing group are 3x more likely to finish their book

Okay, I’m not actually sure that people in a writing group are exactly 3x more likely to finish their book. But a Stanford study did find that people who work together are 5x more productive, and report less stress, fatigue, and procrastination!

Are you writing 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month?

I’ve decided to jump in this year. After writing the bulk of my book, Unruly Figures, in about six weeks, I realized that the intense work and short timelines actually really work for me. This year I’m working on a historical fiction novel based on a real Medieval French pirate. 🏴‍☠️

But it’s really hard to write 50,000 words in a month alone!

I’ve successfully finished NaNo three times, and each time it was when I had people to write with. The key to successfully crossing that 50,000-word finish line is to write with a community of people.

And after the fun we had during our Preptober Write-Ins, I’ve decided to continue the fun for November! All month long, I’ll be hosting virtual write-ins open to everyone.

If you’re ready to sign up, you can do so here!

🤔 Why should I attend virtual writing sessions?

It's easy to make excuses like, "I'll write later!" or "I'll catch up this weekend!" But when you're writing 1667 words per day, it can be easy to fall behind if you procrastinate.

When you join a small writer's community, it ensures that you'll set aside time to get work done! And sharing your daily accomplishments ("I wrote 2000 words!") gets you motivated to work again tomorrow. You're much more likely to finish NaNo when you do it with a group. (Remember that Stanford study I mentioned?)

So join us! We'll be writing together three times per week to help us all stay on task.

📅 When are the sessions?

I've tried to hit three different times that will work for folks! Come to them all, or come only to the ones that work for your usual writing schedule.

• Monday mornings, 2-hour sessions

• Wednesday evenings, 2-hour sessions

• Saturday mornings, 4-hour sessions

I know the Saturday one is long, but it gives you plenty of time to catch up if you fell behind during the week. If you need to come and go, that's great. These are for you to get time on your calendar to write.

​Plan for each session:

• ​5 minutes of introductions and goal-setting

• ​45 minutes of head-down writing

• ​10-minute break

• ​50 minutes of head-down writing

• 10-minute break (Saturdays only)

• 50 minutes of head-down writing (Saturdays only)

• 10-minute break (Saturdays only)

• 50 minutes of head-down writing (Saturdays only)

• ​10 minutes of sharing and closeout

​I've completed the NaNo challenge to write 50,000 words in a month three times, but I'm by no means an expert! I won't be "teaching" anyone anything here. I just want to create space for other writers who are trying to juggle their writing goals and their daily lives.

We’re getting started on Tuesday, November 1!

Together we’ll hit the ground running with our novels!

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments! 👇