For almost two decades, November has been synonymous with NaNoWriMo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month for all you newbies out there. The premise is to write a 50,000-word novel draft in thirty days, all while trying to hang on to your sanity. Here’s my confession for the day: I’ve never had the fortitude to make it to 50,000 words, much less make through the first two weeks without petering out.  No worries.  If anything, it’s helped me better understand myself as a writer—that I’m more wired to write short fiction and flash than epic novels.  Although, if a character comes knocking on my door one day and says let’s write a novel, well, I’m not going to walk away.

That being said, this year I came across FlashNano, an alternative challenge for those interested in writing flash and short fiction, facilitated by Nancy Stohlman, one of the most interesting and inventive flash writers out there.  If you haven’t read Nancy’s work before, I suggest taking the time to do so.  You won’t be disappointed.  FlashNano challenges writers to write thirty stories in thirty days. Nancy provides a daily prompt to get your creative juices flowing and the rest, that’s entirely up to you.

Still sound daunting?  Well, it doesn’t have to be.  The main thing to keep in mind is that this is meant to be a generative exercise, not a marathon.  Will you write a bunch of bunk that’ll end up in the circular file at the end of the month?  Possibly.  You might also end up with characters and plot twists and story ideas you wouldn’t have otherwise created had you not taken the time to give it a try.  After all, there are eleven other months in the year to revise.  And we all know that’s when the real writing happens.

For more information about FlashNano, visit https://nancystohlman.com/flashnano/

If you’re interested in NaNoWriMo, more info can be found @ https://nanowrimo.org/

Do you have an interesting NANO story you’d like to share or any tips on how you made it though the month? Feel free to drop a line in the comments below. Your comments are always welcome.