November 6, 2020

Dear NaNoWriMo,

You’ve been a part of my life for a long time. I truthfully cannot imagine what life would look like without you. What is November without the challenge of writing? What is my email inbox without a constant stream of literary celebration and encouragement? What would I be without you? I don’t know. I don’t want to know.

You believe we met ten years ago, but for me it has been even longer. I knew you when I was an awkward kid, cobbling together ideas in my school notebooks. I knew you when I made plans to finally write my own novel—no more waiting. I knew you when I was too scared to know you, when I had thousands of words of a story kept secret for myself, afraid that if I shared it, it would be taken from me. I knew you, and I knew you’d wait for me to have the courage.

Ten years of writing for NaNoWriMo, Camp NaNo, and year-long goal trackers. I have written several novels, tons of short stories, my graduate school portfolio, and thousands upon thousands of words of utter nonsense. I’ve written science fiction, fantasy, and adventure. I’ve written with pleasure and with stubbornness, fueled by my own willpower and fueled by the promise of earning badges. I’ve written with friends, with strangers, and with only myself. I’ve written in cafés, restaurants, friend’s homes, and my own home. I’ve written in the morning, at night, and during work hours (don’t tell!). I’ve written important stories that were published, and terrible stories that never should be.

I’ve written.

I think that is the greatest gift you gave me, NaNoWriMo. The permission, encouragement, and outright coercion to write. It’s true, I wrote before we formally met. I’m lucky. I’ve always known I wanted to write. But I was a child then, an angsty teen fueled by an ‘I’ll show them‘ mentality that was enough to get me through the hurdle of putting pen to paper.

As I grew and became an adult, it got harder, the world pushed back. It would’ve been simpler not to write. I would have been praised by some for giving up the goal. Many things about my life would be different, maybe even better. It would have been easy.

Except, every November you were there, hands out in offering.

Hey Jenna, college is hard, but why not write that story you’ve been thinking about?

Hey Jenna, work is important, but so is this novel.

Hey Jenna, the future is uncertain, but November is still coming.

Hey Jenna, it sucks that you’re not feeling well, but why not give writing one more try?

Some years I sailed through November with ease. Some I crawled, barely making it to the end. Some years I didn’t give you a thought beyond those 30 days, and some years you consumed my every month. Some years I succeeded. Some years I failed.

And one year, you said, Hey Jenna, remember that story you wrote for me so long ago? Someone else thinks it is important.

Hey Jenna, you’re an author.

It would have been easy to stop writing, except you wouldn’t let me. And I am forever grateful to you for that.

I wrote, I write, and I will write because of you, NaNoWriMo.

I love you,

Jenna

Learn more about NaNoWriMo HERE