30 days. 50,000 words. National Novel Writing Month.
Yes, I know. Right about now you’re most likely reading this thinking, “Your title lied!”
Maybe it is a little crazy, but crazier things happen all the time or maybe that’s just my life. After all, I was just in the midst of destruction caused by invisible robotic aliens just a few weeks ago in the name of big screen entertainment. It’s too bad it wasn’t November. I could have gotten a lot of writing done sitting in extra holding.
What is NaNoWriMo?
Quite simply put NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is an international challenge put forth by the Office of Letters and Light every November for authors or every age, ethnicity and experience level to write a 50,000 words novel from scratch in 30 days.
There are a few reactions I usually get after explaining it to people.
The first is the ‘what on earth are you thinking woman have you lost your mind’ response, which generally occurs after a moment of consternated staring. If this is you it’s really okay. It’s not the first time I’ve been called crazy/weird/insane before and it’s not likely to be the last either.
This is also usually the group who ask what we ‘win’ for accomplishing this goal. A purple status bar, partially finished novel and the sweet satisfaction of reaching my goal don’t seem to impress them as prizes. Go figure.
The second is the ‘wow that sounds cool but I’d never be able to do it’ response. If this is you, what does it hurt to try? If you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that 50,000 is too much make a smaller goal this year and work up to that big one. You’ll never swim the ocean without first stepping in the water.
The third, and rarest, is the ‘wow I want to do that I think I just might have to’ response. To those of you who fall in this category – Huzzah! Come join us. We are always excited to see a new writer in our midst :)
But I’m not an author…
Have you ever put a pen to the page to tell a story (or perhaps fingers to the keyboard)? Yes? You’re an author.
Do you have a story inside of you that you want to tell but have never written down? Yes? You’re an author to be.
Yes, there are people who participate who are published writers, some of whom have even had NaNo books published, but the majority of us are everyday people who choose to do something crazy and wonderful in the month of November.
Then there are NaNo fans.
Maybe you’re reading this and thinking there’s no way I can make that commitment. Whether it be because your life is too crazy to handle it or the desire just isn’t there, you can always be a fan.
NaNoWriMo may be a great and awesome thing for those participating, but it’s the fans, the cheerleaders in our lives who get us through the month
Fans can also support NaNoWriMo by making a tax deductible donation to support NaNoWriMo, purchasing some awesome merchandise, donating used books to the Great NaNoWriMo Book Drive or even just spreading the word to people you think might be interested in participating.
That’s it for now. Feel free to find out more about NaNoWrimo by visiting their website. I will be posting more on NaNoWrimo over the next couple of months including why I choose to participate and more information on the Great NaNoWriMo Book Drive.
Something Magic 