As you might already know, I've been a big fan of this writing challenge for YEARS. The first time I took part was in 2006, and only skipped one year because I was busy editing. Every time I participated, I completed the challenge.
Actually, some of those drafts were eventually published.
It's always been a fun way to finish off the year. So, in October, I signed up for my 17th time. I was ready to go and even reached 50k on the 14th of this month. I was really happy about my achievement and updated my word count on the NaNoWriMo website.
Yay, right? Well, maybe not.
The next day, I found out some disturbing news. Distasteful things that had been happening behind the scenes and were posted all over social media. On the message boards, which I've never personally spent any time on. I won't go into all the details, but I know it involved teenagers been targeted by a predator and staff who didn't deal with this very well.
Personally, I don't know the nitty-gritty details but it all sounds pretty bad. So, I decided to step away from the website and stopped updating my progress.
To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement. I mean, people ruin everything, don't they?
This was supposed to be a fun experience! A cool way of writing a new draft at the same time as a bunch of other writers.
Writing a novel in November is a tradition I've enjoyed for over a decade. There's something awesome and even magical about squeezing in one final first draft before the year is over. A way to reward myself with a brand new story.
It's a shame, but I've decided to walk away from NaNoWriMo entirely. I don't care if they fix the message boards. I don't care if they apologize. I'm done with that place.
It's over for me. I'm walking away and won't look back. I’m also going to delete my account.
From now on, I'll continue to do what I do best: I'll write whatever the hell I want, whenever I want. I don't need this to stay focused on my writing goals.
Will I continue to sneak in one final first draft in November on my own? I'm not sure yet.
Well, like I said at the beginning, I just wanted to share my thoughts about this mess.
P.S. The good news is: I finished writing my novel. ☺️
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