A Novel Challenge by Nancy Monahan

INTRO: Nancy Monahan’s speech is the first of a 2-part assignment for the Visionary Communication pathway, in which she will present the first speech, receive constructive feedback, and then apply that feedback to the subsequent speech. This is part one of the assignment, in which Nancy encourages us to take up a writing challenge during the month of November. Here is Nancy presenting us with “A Novel Challenge."

Take a moment to think about your favorite story. 

Was it told to you in front of a blazing campfire? Was it sung out as a musical, flashed on the big screen in a dark theater? Maybe it was a borrrowed paperback you read over miles and miles of a road-trip. Maybe you have several favorites?  One of my favorite stories is the series of the Three Musketeers; I found it endearing to learn that the author, Alexandre Dumas, was found weeping at his desk when he wrote the death of Musketeer Porthos.

Telling stories is a tradition of humans that goes back to times before we could blog or print. Storytelling offers cognitive benefits by increasing creativity, productivity, and improving memory. There's therapeutic benefits like emotional healing and stress-relief through expressive writing.

Writing can be a lot of fun too. I like to think of Snoopy typing atop his doghouse by the light of a full moon, "it was a dark and stormy night..".  If you've not given novelling a try, why not take a crack at writing your own story?

November is National Novel Writing Month. 

If you take the first couple of letters from each word of National Novel Writing Month, you get NaNoWriMo. It’s an annual challenge where participants try to write 50,000 words toward a novel between November 1 and November 30. If you complete 50,000 words, you win! There's no limit to the number of winners, as long as you have 50,000 words, then you've won! What do you win? You get a really great draft of your novel, and the satisfaction of learning a lot about yourself! Along the way, you'll get tips on how to write, how to push through various difficulties, and tons of inspiration and encouragement.

Who does this?! 

Anyone can! Participants are called "wrimos", and are published authors, editors, agents, and a fun community of writers with all levels of experience. Most are very social, but if you just want to learn some tips on writing, you can do that too! There's even a challenge for students that teachers love; it has a smaller goal of around 12,000 words.

Where do you write? 

Anywhere - at home in your jammies if you want! There’s local chapters that do meet-ups and workshops in libraries and cafes. There's a Seattle group doing a "write-in" on the train from Seattle to Portland! The Seattle "wrimos" will write on the train together, tour around a bookshop and have lunch in Portland, then write together on the way back!

How can you get started? 

Sign up at nanowrimo.org for a free account. Then when Nov. 1 starts, you start writing. You can write on a computer, an old fashioned type-writer, or with a feathered quill and a heavy bottle of ink. The website is just a portal where you enter your story's title, synopsis, and word count. Whenever you add to your story, you update the word count. It shows stats like how many words per day you write, which day is most productive, and how many more words you have to go to meet your goal on time.  When Nov 30 arrives, you'll hopefully get to celebrate as a winner with a profound sense of accomplishment! 50,000 words is about 1,667 words per day, or about 2-2/3 pages per day.

When is a good time to start? 

The main challenge is in November, for National Novel Writing Month, but activities happen all year long. In October, there are a lot of preparation events, like workshops on how to prepare an outline, or how to develop plot and characters. After November, the activities focus on final drafts and how to get published. Any time of year is good to check it out and get started.

Why do I do it? 

I did it because it was something new and fun; yes, I did it for the sake of novelty. I learned about creativity, and mental blocks. I learned about procrastination and how to catch up. I also learned about the cathartic process of free-writing. It's a technique of writing continuously without worrying about spelling or grammar. It helps overcome self-criticism.

That first time I tried, I actually won! 

The second time I tried, I didn't finish, but I still ended up with a good story that I can add on to one day. It also made me want to read more, and with a new appreciation for the story-teller's craft.

Years after my first nanowrimo, I re-read my draft from that first effort, expecting it to be total crap. Sure, it had crappy parts, but there was a lot that made me think I wasn't such a bad story-teller after all. In fact, it made me want to do it again, so this year, I'm back in for my third adventure, and I'm excited to start. One more day of prep and the writing will start on Thurs Nov 1!

I hope I've given you a few reasons to get excited about exploring YOUR creativity with writing, or maybe supporting someone else with theirs. 

Thinking back on your favorite stories that came to mind earlier, can you imagine a different setting for the story, or perhaps an alternate ending? What if D’Artagnan had come back to save Musketeer Porthos in the nick of time?  Check out Nanowrimo! Try the challenge, become a "wrimo", learn something about yourself, and leave a lasting gift for others - your story. Whether you complete 50,000 words or not, you're sure to come out with a few wins, and have a novel experience each time you try. 

ABOUT NANCY

Nancy is one of the original Toastpeditors members who has been with the club since its inception in July of 2018.  She is also one of the most active and advanced speakers in our club.  With previous public speaking experience under her belt, Nancy has been teaching us many skills, including tonality, eye contact and how to write content that captivates an audience.

Nancy has taken on various technical and managerial roles at Expeditors.  She is currently an Engineer in the coveted Enterprise Technology group; and she enjoys the interesting challenges and learning opportunities that her new position brings everyday.