That is the question.

The National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo, held every November. It is a yearly challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. That is the equivalent of a 175 page book.

The idea is not perfection. The idea is output. As Steven Pressfield says “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.”

NaNoWriMo states on their website, “Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.”

We have to take the perfectionist out of us an let ourselves start for the sake of starting. We can never get in the position of producing good work unless we start. Pressfield also states, “We can always revise and revisit once we’ve acted. But we can accomplish nothing until we act.”

This post is really a pep talk to myself. It is just being done publicly. I have a million excuses just like you why not to do it. Everyone around me will probably think I am crazy. That means I will probably have zero support. Like you, I work. I live a musicians lifestyle. I have a family to attend to. I have not really written much fiction (it is National NOVEL Writing Month). I can’t even type very fast. Yes, I can go on and on.

To NaNoWriMo or not to NaNoWriMo? That is the question.

NaNoWriMo Website. NaNoWriMo Facebook.

My first blog post goes back to 2003. Granted, I spent many years randomly and infrequently blogging. Many of the post I would publish really had no interest to anyone but maybe my family and friends who pitied my attempts. In recent years I have become more serious. More focused. Recently I have been publishing post with not only short and mid-term goals, but an over arching goal. Those long term goals require that I become at least some resemblance of a writer.

When I launched thebeardedtrevor.com I had an idea in mind. Zig Ziglar in his talks would tell how he broke down writing his first book. He set a date to be done by and a page count. Then he did the math. Zig found out he only needed to write a paragraph per day. I have always seen writing blog posts as writing a chapter at a time. The blog post is my small goal, like Zig’s paragraph per day.

If you include a couple children’s books, I have begun a small handful of books. Some of them have been sitting unfinished for a while. Earlier this year I began writing another book. The task in every case seems daunting. That is why I began to focus more on my blog. It has given me the opportunity to work on a “chapter” at a time.

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The subject of reading is a central and essential part of my life. Instead of hopping on a soap box about it, I am going to give a famous quote about reading and respond to it.

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Recently I finished the book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. At the same time I have also been listening to the audio version of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book The Cost of Discipleship. It is impossible to hear the story and read the writings of a man like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and not be moved. The world I currently live in was nowhere near as turbulent as the time Bonhoeffer lived. I think of all the times that I have complained about life being ungrateful and feel conviction after learning of this life lived so courageously. The subject of security rolls off our tongues like it is something we deserve and must have. Dietrich has helped me to settle some things in my heart when it comes to that subject.

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Seth Godin has a striking message in his book Linchpin. I do recommend it. Here is a quote from page 29:

“If you want a job where it’s okay to follow the rules, don’t be surprised if you get a job where following the rules is all you get to do.”

I could not help to replace the word job with another word:

“If you want a church where it’s okay to follow the rules, don’t be surprised if you get a church where following the rules is all you get to do.”

Reformation Day was just a few days ago. I am glad Martin Luther did not follow the rules. The church world of today has more rules than we realize. Follow Jesus, not the rules.

Here is an excerpt from Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. I felt the boot to the face.

“[God] has more of a right to ask us why so many people are starving. As much as we want God to explain himself to us, His creation, we are in no place to demand that He give an account to us…… Can you worship a God who isn’t obligated to explain His actions to you? Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?” p.33

I will leave it at that.