Hi, I’m Jessica—and four days ago I started doing something that both excites and absolutely terrifies me.
This November, I’m writing my first romance novel. Fifty thousand words in thirty days. No published work, no agent, no real idea if I’m any good at this—just me, my stories, and a cast of fictional people who are about to put me through emotional warfare.
If you’re a reader, a writer, or someone who’s ever thought “maybe I could write that story I keep daydreaming about”—welcome. You’re in good company.
Why Now? The Excuse-Making Years
I’ve been saying “I’m going to be a writer” for… years. Embarrassingly long years. Since I was a child. Since I was a preteen reading horror books I had no business reading at that age, and then having nightmares and doing it all over again the next night.
But there was always a reason not to start. First it was school—“I’ll start after I graduate.” Then it was work—“I’ll start when I have more free time.” Then it was… honestly, I ran out of excuses and realized I was just scared.
I kept waiting for permission. Waiting to feel ready. Waiting for some magical moment where I’d suddenly know how to write a novel.
And then one day I was scrolling through BookTok—because of course I was—and I saw an author talking about how she started writing at 35 with zero experience. She said something that hit me like a truck:
“You don’t need permission. You need a first draft.”
That’s when it clicked. Nobody was going to tap me on the shoulder and say “you’re ready now.” If I wanted to be a writer, I had to treat it like my career before it became my career.
Treating Writing Like a Career Before It Pays You
So I started reading craft books. Listening to writing podcasts during my commute or on the treadmill. Studying story structure. Taking myself seriously.
Because while storytelling is part of being human, writing isn’t. It’s not a gift the universe hands to special people. It’s a skill—and like any skill, you learn it by doing it badly first.
I studied how other people built careers in writing, and more specifically, romance. I looked at what successful indie authors were doing. And I realized: they all just… started. They wrote messy first drafts. They learned as they went.
Here’s the thing about treating writing like a career before it pays you—it changes how you show up. You don’t wait for inspiration. You create a routine. You set goals. You track progress. You invest in learning.
You show up even on the days you don’t feel like it. Especially on those days.
What Is Novel November?
If you’ve been in the writing community, you’ve probably heard of NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month. The goal is simple: write 50,000 words in 30 days. It’s about quantity over quality, just getting that first draft down, silencing your inner editor.
For decades, it was this incredible community event. Millions of writers around the world all pushing toward the same goal, supporting each other, sharing their progress.
But last year, there was some controversy with the organization. I’m not going to get deep into it here because it’s complicated and you can google it, but a lot of writers—including some really prominent ones—decided to step back from NaNoWriMo.
That left a lot of us wondering: okay, what now? Because the concept is still amazing. That community energy, that collective momentum—it works.
That’s when I discovered Novel November (NovNov).
Why Novel November Sold Me
It’s hosted by ProWritingAid and sponsored by Scrivener among other platforms. Same goal: 50,000 words in 30 days. But what really drew me in was how they approached it, which is similar to how NaNoWriMo used to be, but better.
First, the community felt genuinely supportive. No judgment, no pressure—just writers helping writers.
Second, they ran this whole prep month in October called Preptober with free workshops on everything from plot structure to character development to world-building. I attended probably eight or nine of them, and they were genuinely useful. Not sales pitches—actual craft education.
That’s what sold me. This wasn’t just about hitting a word count. It was about learning how to write a complete story.
They also have writing sprints throughout the month, forums where you can share progress, milestone celebrations—it feels like what NaNoWriMo used to be. That pure focus on creativity and finishing what you start. As Madeline Miller put it, it’s “a celebration of human creativity.” (Emphasis on the human part.)
Plus, ProWritingAid has this integration where you can track your word count automatically. You can see your progress in real-time, get little achievement badges… and look, I know that sounds silly, but when you’re staring at a blank page at 10 PM on day 15, those little dopamine hits help.
What I love most is that it feels like a fresh start for the community. Everyone’s figuring it out together. There’s no pressure to be perfect—just to be present and do the thing.
And for someone writing their first novel? That’s exactly what I need.
This Is My Starting Line
So when I heard about Novel November, I thought: this is it. This is my starting line. No more “someday.” Just… day one.
Fifty thousand words. Thirty days. One very nervous first-time novelist who’s decided to document the entire process.
If you’re also writing this month—whether it’s Novel November, NaNoWriMo, or just your own personal challenge—I’d love to hear about it. What are you working on? What’s scaring you the most?
Remember: The story only exists if you write it.
Let’s do this together.
Next up: I’ll be sharing my entire writing process—from idea to outline, and why structure actually creates freedom for creativity.
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