Well, it’s that time of the year already! I know I haven’t really spoken about this (nor posted a story in about a month), but I wanted to go ahead and type out something for today.

First and foremost, I am in fact participating in this year’s NaNoWriMo, but it was sort of a hard decision to come to. This year, it seems, I’ve been suddenly blessed with work, so I am extremely busy! That is why I suddenly disappeared from my blog (insert sad face). But that’s a good thing!

Nevertheless, I had to sit down and actually think about it. Specifically, I had to really build an argument to participate because I feel that there is no way that I could write considering everything I have to do in a day, and where I invest my free time (I’m looking at you, Sabrina… That show is so fun).

Yet after a week thinking about it, I came to an ultimate decision. When I look back in the previous years, I generally don’t have any regrets about participating. I made it on 2017. I fought for it in 2016 (and I had some mentally taxing stuff going on back then). And even during 2015, I managed to push myself to do it (although I used that year to work on my thesis so I could graduate from my MFA).

Now, I could go back every year, and every year is a fun experience. However, if I list out the years I’ve participate, something pops up: 2014. See, I have participated in NaNoWriMo every year since I was told about it by a faculty member back in 2011. That first time, as many who attempt it for the first time, was a failure. I think I got to 45,000 words or so. I just could not pull the win. I had procrastinated too much.

And then there’s 2012, when I started working on one of my favorite projects, one of the books that I actually want to publish one of these days. However, I only ever wrote about 40,000 words of that one because of a huge set back… The flashdrive I kept my file in got zapped, and I lost the file for about one week until my brother helped me recover it using some technical magic. I kid you not… I cried both from sadness when it happened, and happiness when it was recovered. Sadly, my energy had taken such a hit I quit out of that year.

After that, I won 2013! It was amazing! But then 2014 came, and I decided to skip it because I was in school, and I felt I would not have enough time. And up to this day, I regret it. I really do…

So that’s what got me thinking. How come I don’t regret 2011 or 2012? I lost in those two. And then there’s also Camp NaNoWriMo. I’ve failed plenty of those. Yet there is no regret. On the other hand, thinking about 2014 makes me feel like I wasted an opportunity. I keep wishing I could’ve gone back in time, slapped me, and then tell me that I should write something.

That’s why this year I decided to participate, but with a caveat. I will try to write something on this website every day. I want to participate, not just to write something, but to engage with the community. Of course, I will give it a shot. I will be busy, and there will be bad days. But I’m extremely sure there will be good days as well, days when I can sit down and spend many hours at my computer, typing out word after word, allowing my story to unfold and take me somewhere.

This year, I’m going to participate for the experience. So even if I fail, I’ll be here, going on the NaNoWriMo ride once more.

Good luck to you all NaNoWriMo writers! I wish you the best of luck; and I hope inspiration fuels your work!