Going for Goals

Happy November! Among writers this month is a big event called National Novel Writing Month, or, NaNoWriMo. Or, if you want an even shorter designation, NaNo. Every writer who participates makes it their goal to write at least 50,000 words in the thirty days of November. Breaking it down into daily chunks, that’s 1,667 words a day.

I’m not participating. I write too slowly. I think I may have written 1,667 words in one day before, just to see what it was like, if I could do it…and it was torture. I know my limits, and I don’t like failing, so, no NaNo for me. I’ve made it my informal goal to write as much as I can every day this month, to see if I can finish my work-in-progress (Suit and Suitability). So far I’ve written 1,689 words, and hopefully I’ll add to that in a writing session tonight. (And, hey! I just thought of this. Doesn’t this blog post count?)

But aren’t people who do participate, and who win, fascinating? I find them fascinating and I cheer them on. Gritting your teeth and giving a month-long shove to get your story rolling is admirable. Writing goals in general are definitely a must if you’re ever going to finish something. I find that, for me, knowing exactly what’s going to happen next in the plot is the key to getting a big word count in every writing session.

So, what types of goals do you set to pull yourself along on a writing project? Are you participating in NaNoWriMo? If so, how is that going for you?