Have You Gotten the Proper Training for this Writing Challenge?

Today most people, including the writers and bloggers I know, are writing and talking about ghosts, goblins, witches, and candy. After all, it’s Halloween. They may be cavorting around in costumes and gorging on sweets. The ones who plan on taking the Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) challenge that begin tomorrow, November 1, however, are preparing. (I’ve seen their comments here and here…)

Taking on any type of challenge requires preparation.

• Is your project mapped out?
• Have you done your research?
• Have you prepared your space?
• Do you have a content plan?
• Do you know your market?
• Have you examined the competition (existing books or previously published articles) to be sure your idea is unique?
• Have you made time on your schedule?

But are you prepared for the WNFIN challenge itself? Have you trained? Most writers don’t train for this type of month-long writing event, so don’t start stressing. If you’ve never done one before, you may not know for sure if you have the endurance to keep up the writing pace for 30 days. You can only try. And that’s the point. You must challenge yourself if you are ever to reach your writing and publishing goals.

The main thing you can do to help you train—right now, even at this late date—is to maintain a positive attitude. Have faith that you can do it. Believe in yourself.

And know that, no matter what happens, no matter whether you finish your project or not, you will have accomplished more by simply trying than by not ever taking the WNFIN challenge at all.

And that’s the bottom line. Each time you challenge yourself, you grow a bit more. You move closer to achieving your potential—as writer and as a person. If you never challenge yourself, you stay just the same and right where you are.

If you don’t like where you are, or if for any reason you want your situation to change, you must create a new goal, a new challenge. And then you must push yourself to meet—or to exceed—that challenge. In this way you become the writer and author you dream of becoming.

So, today, spend time preparing to take the WNFIN challenge and for participating in National Nonfiction Writing Month (NaNonFiWriMo) by affirming that you can do whatever you set your mind to doing. You are up to the challenge.

And tomorrow….start writing!

Photo courtesy of digitalart