The Time to Write is NOW
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Writing can be a daunting task for many. Whether it's for a class assignment or contributing to a publication, writing is a dutiful task that is a beautiful creation in itself. As an aspiring author myself, I find the hobby to be quite time-consuming but very rewarding in the end.
November was National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. During November, the goal is for writers all around the world to write approximately a total of 1,667 words per day to reach 50,000 words by the end of the month, which is equivalent to the length of a manuscript. As we now head into the start of December it may seem as though the time to write or come up with new ideas has faded out.
To be candid, I have not been able to reach this daily goal even as we head into the end of the month. As we head into finals season, it can be hard for many writers to stay committed to their works in progress or perhaps to be inspired to begin something new.
Even if many writers have no interest in completing a novel, they can still use the rest of the month to pursue their respective writing projects.
My path to writing began at a very young age and was the foundation of my eventual passion for novel writing. Currently, I am writing a rough draft of my very first book that I began in June 2023 and it has been my piece of work that has allowed me to escape from reality from time to time. It has also been my catharsis from all the academic stress that I’ve been put under. From time to time I delve into my own fictional world that I’ve created and look through the eyes of the characters at my will, proud of how far I’ve come.
My advice to fellow writers is to take a leap of faith and write what you feel. It doesn’t matter if your rough draft is scattered with different ideas spewed from your mind, what matters is that you are allowing yourself to feel those words that resonate with you in the moment. As I write, I never allow myself to stop and outline or think too long about what I want to say.
I just write.
It allows me to realize what feels right to me at that point and for me not to lose any great ideas that I will edit and revise later on. When you write what you feel, it allows you to have a deeper form of self expression and insight on your thoughts rather than planning everything to a T.
Don’t be afraid to just begin.
While many may find writing to be quite difficult, I see it as a way for us to form perspectives on how we see the world. November may be over but there will always be time to be daring and have ways to express yourself through the words you put together. I’m still working on how Chapter 8 of my book is gonna turn out, but those worries will eventually fade. We must all remember that the time to write is NOW.
Strike Out,
Writer: Catherine Knox
Editor: Kaninika Dey
Boston
