Hello ​​there,​ ​fellow​ Writer.

​Yeah, ​​you, ​​the​ ​one​ with​​ cramped​​ ​fingers​ ​and ​​sore ​wrists.​

We’re​ ​into ​the​​ ​third​ ​week​ ​of​ ​NaNo​ ​now,​ ​and​ if​​​ you’re​ ​anything​ ​like​ ​me,​ ​you’re​ ​feeling pretty​ ​overwhelmed.​ ​You​ ​might​ ​be​ ​questioning ​why​​ you​​ ​ever​ ​thought ​you​​ ​could​ write​​ ​a novel. ​​Your​ ​story,​ ​when​ ​compared​ ​with ​​your​ ​favorite​ ​novel,​ ​probably​ ​sounds ​​flat, unexciting,​ ​and​ ​unintellectual. Whenever​ you​​ ​read​ a​​ ​great​ ​story,​ it​​ ruins​​ your​​ ​hopes, because​ you​​​r own writing feels inferior​ in comparison. ​​After ​​all, ​​you’re​ ​no​ ​professional; you’re​ ​just​ ​an​ ​ordinary​ individual​​ who​​ ​had​ an​​ idea​ ​​and​ wanted​​ ​to​ ​share ​​it. ​You​​​ might​ be​ tempted​ ​to​ ​let​ ​writing​ ​alone;​ ​after​ ​all, ​writing ​​​is​ ​for​ ​the ​​experts, ​right?​

Wrong.​

Writing​ ​is​ ​most​ ​definitely,​ ​absolutely ​​not ​​​​​just​ ​for​ ​the​ ​professionals.​ ​After​ ​all,​ ​they had​ ​to ​start ​​somewhere,​​​ too!​ ​Ask​ ​any ​author,​​ and​​ I ​​​guarantee​ ​they​ ​will​ ​say ​​they ​were​ plagued​ ​with​ doubts as​​ ​well.​ They’re ​​​famous​ ​now ​because​​ they​​ ​somehow ​overcame​ their​ ​doubts,​ ​and​ ​let​ ​their​ ​voice​ ​loose. ​​How? ​​

Well,​ ​they​ ​realized​ ​the​ truth: that​​ writing​​ is​ for​ ​any ​​ambitious​ ​person with a wild,​​ crazy​​ idea​​ they​​ ​just​ ​​have to share ​with​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​

Which​ ​brings​ us​​ to​​ ​the​ ​question,​ ​“Why​ ​do​ ​we​ ​write?” We​ ​write​ ​to ​share​​ an ​​​idea, ​a​​ ​viewpoint,​ or​​ ​a​ thought​​ so ​​​powerful ​​that ​​it ​​can’t ​remain​ hidden. Or ​maybe​​ we​​ ​write​ to​​​make ​​people ​​laugh,​ ​to​ ​brighten​ their​​ ​day​ ​through ​​comical stories ​and​​ ​jokes. ​​We​ ​might​ ​write​ to​​ make​​ people​​ cry​​ and​​ ​think ​deep​​​ thoughts​ ​on ​the​ meaning ​of​​ ​life. ​We​​ ​may ​​write​ ​to​ ​share​ a​​ lesson​​ we​​ ​learned​ that​​​ we​ ​want​ ​others​ ​to benefit ​from.​​​

Whatever​ ​we​ ​write​ ​about, ​whatever ​​genre​​ we ​​specialize​​ in,​​ we ​​write​​ ​in order ​to​​ ​change​ ​the ​​world—to ​​change ​the​​ way​​ ​others​ view​​ life.​​

​Who​ ​knows?​ ​Somebody might​ pick​​ up​​ ​your​ ​story​ ​at ​​a ​​crucial​ time​​ in​​ ​their​ ​life, ​​and ​receive ​​​the​ inspiration​​​ they need​ ​to​ ​let​ ​their​ ​own​ ​voice ​out!​ Your voice matters! ​Your​ story​​ isn’t​ stupid; ​it ​​means​​ ​something.​ ​Even​ ​if​ ​your​ story​​ ​never​ ​hits ​the ​​bestseller​​ charts,​​ ​even​ if ​​​it never ​​becomes ​famous,​​ ​you​ have ​​created​​ something​​ special, something ​​​no​ ​one ​else ​will ​​ever​ ​be​ able​​ to​​ ​write.

​So don’t ​give​​​ up​ this​​ November.​​​ No ​matter​​​ how​ much​​ you’re​​ ​tempted​ ​to ​​forget​ the​ whole​ ​novel-writing​ thing,​​ don’t ​​give​​ up! ​​Remember,​​ someone​​ out​​ ​there​ needs​​ to​​​ hear your​ ​story. Someone​ ​will ​​learn ​​something​ ​from​ it.​​ It​​ ​will​ ​change ​someone’s​​ life.

Don’t​ ​let​ your​​​ cramped ​fingers​​ ​stand in ​​the​ ​way ​of​​ ​getting​ ​your​ story​​​ out​ ​there! ​Your​​ fellow​​ ​Wrimos ​​believe​ ​in ​​you.​

Let​​ ​your voice​ ​loose​ ​and​ ​change​ ​the ​world.

Anna​ ​is ​​an​ ​ambitious​ ​writer​ ​who​ ​enjoys​ reading,​​ ​drawing,​ ​singing,​ ​and​ ​annoying​ ​her​ ​friends ​in​ her​ spare​​ time.​​ ​She​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​a​ ​freshman​ ​in ​​high​ ​school, ​​and​ ​admits ​​she​ ​might ​​be​ ​slightly​ ​too obsessed​ ​with​ ​Tolkien. ​One​​ of​​ ​her ​favorite ​​things​​ ​to ​do ​​​is​ ​make ​​up ​ship​​ names​​​ for ​her​ unfortunate​ ​friends, ​family,​​ ​and ​​favorite​ ​TV ​​couples. ​Although​​ she​​ ​hasn’t ​​published​ anything​​ ​yet, she ​​hopes​ ​to​ ​publish​ ​her​ ​current​ ​novel​ ​just​ ​as​ soon ​​​as​ ​she’s​ ​done​ ​writing,​ ​rewriting​, ​and​ ​revising!