The NaBloPoMo Game (Hear Me Out: I Have an Idea!)

National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo) is something that most of us old school bloggers looked forward to every November. We published a new post every single day during the month and, just as importantly, we read the words written by our friends. Blogging has changed a lot since those early days (monetization had a hand in “killing” it, as did Facebook and other elements; don’t get me started). Over the past couple of years, I’ve asked who wants to participate in NaBloPoMo with me and the number of respondents has decreased dramatically: so much so that this year I didn’t even have it on my radar. (Probably also because 2020!)

Last week my friend Justin asked me if I was going to do it this year and I laughed and laughed because I’ve published only fourteen posts here since the beginning of March, my creativity has largely been on hiatus since the pandemic began and Election Day has approached, and the idea of coming up with thirty new pieces of content this month seemed completely overwhelming. But Justin got me thinking. Everything (EVERYTHING!) has changed this year, so why can’t we change NaBloPoMo if we want to?

I started thinking about ways I could make it fun for myself and, for the sake of community, for others. I think I’m onto something here. HEAR ME OUT. (Or read me out? Whatever.)

If you are someone who writes online, currently or formerly, and you’d like to write a little bit this month, great! I want you to send me your links from that week every Friday in November (6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th). I will have a form for submissions (coming up via email for those who express interest because I’m building it today) and each Friday you’ll get a reminder to submit. Do you have to write every day? Heck no! Do you have to write every week? Heck no! You can write any time you feel like it. If you don’t feel like it, fine! Don’t write! I’m not the boss of you!

Every Sunday in November (8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th) I will send an email that contains everybody’s specific links, whether they have submitted one or seven. You can read or not read as many as you want. Easiest game ever!

If you aren’t an online writer (or you are but don’t want to be one this month), you can still get on the email list to get the links every Sunday!

I’ve learned that during this stressful year, it’s best for us to go easy on ourselves in every way possible. The thought of writing thirty posts this month fills me with angst. Writing when I feel like it and supporting others by reading their words is something that makes me happy, and I know I’m not alone. So if you want to commit yourself to participate in the most non-committal NaBloPoMo ever, click here and give me your info so I can add you to the roster.

Let’s do this! (But only if you want to.)