“If only I had more time to write…” The mantra repeated by writers around the world. Whether it’s penning down your autobiography or alliterating out an entire book of poetry, writing can be a strain on time and emotions. Luckily for us, the universe has responded by naming the month of November National Novel Writing Month.
This would be easy to dismiss NaNoWriMo as another made-up holiday if it weren’t for the sheer numbers of people taking part in “Novel November”. The thing that makes it more intriguing is that people who set November aside as a month to draft up their word works hasn’t been limited to people writing fiction. The even better news is that for the non-fiction lovers the academic world has claimed its own stakes in this month of writing.
Enter AcWriMo! Hosted by PhD2Published for the last five years, the month of November has become a challenge to Academics to write, write, write! Write a book, an article, or an essay. Write the scholarly insight that you’ve been holding in for years, waiting for the right time to start. Between the end of the term and the start of the Holidays, November can be a stressful time for academics, making it even more important to take the plunge toward accomplishing something you are passionate about.
So Why is Academic writing month important? A few reasons:
- It asks the question if not now, when?
- It gives you a place to start, and a chance to start that race with peers (possibly a comfort, or maybe a motivation if you have a competitive personality type).
- It reminds us that we are all in the same boat – because sometimes the hardest part about drafting is getting started.
We take any chance to support Academic authors and research, and we see #AcWriMo as a fantastic opportunity for writers. The approach is just do it, but the technique can be so much more targeted than that. Take time to get into the mindset, to brainstorm the topics that you are passionate about, map out the document and plan it, but at the end of the day there is a consistent action- write.
So, you think November is the motivation you need to write? Are you taking advantage for AcWriMo 2016? How has it helped you get the ball rolling on your writing? #SSRN to share your thoughts with us on Twitter.