Flexibility, community and creativity.
I participated in what I think is the first edition of The Year of the Novel. That meant we all learned as we went, and Demi (our amazing leader) was extremely flexible, adjusting the platform, events, and "terms" as the group progressed through the different stages of writing a book. I think that kind of flexibility is great, especially in a creative process like writing, where deadlines matter but sometimes things simply take longer than expected. The only “downside" here for me was that I did meet the deadline before it was pushed back to accommodate the rest. This led to a long break between writing the first draft and starting to edit. I struggled to find the motivation to get back in, but on the other side, I also took a healthy break away from the project I was working on, something I had never done before. I get to look at it with fresh eyes and I have a feeling it will make the story even better.
The project also forced me to spend more time planning a novel. With previous projects, I simply jumped in and started writing. I 100% believe that because TYOTN forced me to research, plan and plot over an extended period, I was able to write a less messy first draft in just three months. And I can't wait to see what the next term will bring: Editing.
Besides all this, TYOTN is a platform with amazing and supportive people. Almost always, someone is online to help or support you, or even just to be a listening ear.








