I belong to a couple of social forums, and this past week, I noticed several conversations asking if it was too late to jump into National Novel Writing Month? (The writers are from the U.S., and my guess is many of us are processing a lot of feelings right now. Writing is a great way to express, connect and speak up. Write, write, write!)
Since you might be wondering the same thing, I thought I'd give you my thoughts. The simple answer is no, it's never too late. Whenever you set your goal in November and for whatever goal that is, you can get a lot done. What's really important is making a commitment. Then you have to put some teeth into your commitment, establish a plan and monitor your progress. And it's nice to know your chances for success will increase if you position your writing group, whatever type it is, as your success partner.
To leverage the power of writing groups to help you reach your goal, I suggested some ideas in this post.
To hold yourself accountable to fulfill your plan, I asked a few authors what tracking and monitoring tools they use? They were kind enough to share their recommendations. What follows are highlights of the free versions of what they suggested. (Click on the links to get more complete information about other versions, if offered, and costs.) I'm sure there are many excellent tools out there. If you have a fave, please make a recommendation in the comments below. Let's all benefit! But if you're new to tracking and monitoring, the following tools will help you get started:
Novlr. This comprehensive platform includes a free version, which allows you to set a writing-project goal and engage in writing sessions directly on the platform. You'll get "success nudges" to help you keep up your writing momentum and see a dashboard summarizing your progress. I haven't used this platform, but a couple of others told me it's easy, effective and they're using it for this year's NaNoWriMo.
WriteTrack. The tool is free (no multiple versions to choose from), and the author who recommended it said the reason he loved it was because the interface was so simple. Keeping the bells and whistles to a minimum meant he could better focus on his goal. I haven't used this tracker, but I liked when the author told me the designer created it based on their personal NaNoWriMo experience.
Pacemaker Planner. I've mentioned this tool in another post, and now I'll share some additional details. With the free version of this tool, you set goals for word counts or time spent and you decide how you want to update your progress. What's more, you can join the Pacemaker November 2024 group challenge (Pacemaker's equivalent of a NaNoWriMo group), and get the benefit of the community to keep up your progress. Currently, I'm experimenting with this planner, and so far, it's easy to use and a nice way to connect with the other writers in the challenge.
Coach Me. If your November goal is to develop a new writing-related habit (e.g., you want to use November to establish a daily writing routine), download the free app to set your habit target, then set up your preferences to hold yourself accountable. Along the way, you'll get encouragement and when you reach your milestones, you'll celebrate. I haven't used this app, but the writer, who mentioned it to me, swears it helped her get her daily writing habit back on track.
All these tools are helpful, but again, one of the surest ways to set yourself up for success is to get your writing group buddies involved in your commitment and actively help them reach their aims, too.
I have many more tips about how your writing group can help you in my ebook, The Write Group. Check it out!
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