It is day seventeen of National Novel Writing Month, aka nanowrimo, and if you know anyone who is taking this challenge then you know better than to invite them out for dinner or try to make small talk. They are focused on the goal: 50,000 words in a month. My friend Denise DeSio, author of ebook, Rose’s Will, took the challenge and posted this on Facebook 2 days ago, “I can’t believe it. I have reached 25,320 words in 15 days.” It boggles the mind, all those words, so little time.

November is also National Lifewriting Month and the Nina Amir offers these tips on the National Association of Memoir Writers website if you’d like to attempt this art form

Write fast, let ‘er rip.

Feed your imagination with photos and research when you’re not writing.

Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation or details. Get the basics down.

No time for that inner critic either. Blow on by it!

Denis Ledoux has this to say about Lifewriting:

“When you write your stories down, you’re doing more than recording the who, what, where, and when. You are also affirming and celebrating your hopes and dreams by rediscovering the why and how of your life. Writing can lead to insight and self-understanding that bring peace and even healing.”

For those of you who would rather read then write, you can check out A Story Every Day, where you can find, “a new story posted every day. fiction, non-fiction, whatever.” The website states

“A Story Every Day” was born from my belief that everyone has a story to share. Stories that should be heard. Some people believe that they can’t write well enough to tell their story, their story isn’t important enough, or they are too shy to share in public. This space is meant for those stories.