It’s NaNoWriMo Novel Writing Time!
If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a novel, then NaNoWriMo might be for you.
Are you one of those writers who comes up with plot after plot, maybe writing a few pages, or even a few chapters, only to abandon every project for the next great idea? Have you started working on a novel but constantly find yourself caught up in the vicious cycle of endless editing and revising with no end in sight? Is that novel you’ve been thinking about sitting around collecting dust in the annals of your mind?
Every year, during the month of November, writers around the globe sign up to participate in National Novel Writing Month. The goal: write a 50,000-word novel in one month. The purpose: inspire, motivate, and offer support for this mind-boggling endeavor.
“Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality.”
NaNoWriMo encourages would-be novelists to get a (very) rough draft completed in a thirty-day time frame. By keeping writers focused on the 50,000-word goal, distractions and excuses for not getting it done are eliminated.
“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.”
So, how popular is National Writing Month? In 2006, over 79,000 writers signed up and almost 13,000 of them completed 50,000 words by midnight on November 30th. In 2007, over 100,000 writers signed up and over 15,000 completed their novels.
How Does it Work?
All you have to do to get started is sign up at www.nanowrimo.org. You’ll register and create an account. Before November 1st, you can build up your profile, participate in the forums, and start planning your novel — but writing doesn’t begin until November does. That’s when you can start posting excerpts from your project, and of course you’ll be writing like mad. If you complete 50,000 words by midnight on November 30th, you’ll be added to the Winner’s Page, and will also receive a winner’s certificate and web icon. NaNoWriMo works on the honor system. Be sure to view the FAQ to get all your questions answered, and while you’re visiting the site, don’t miss the list of published NaNoWriMo authors.
How to Get Started
If you’re thinking about participating in NaNoWriMo, then you’re going to need all the support you can get to help you through 30 days of writing frenzy. Here are a few great articles and resources just for NaNos:
- Check out How to Write a Novel in 30 Days. This article covers every aspect of novel writing and explains how to cram it into a short time frame.
- Put together a NaNoWriMo survival kit that includes everything from your writing tools to tasty snacks.
- Don’t forget to read my review and pick up a copy of No Plot? No Problem!, the NaNoWriMo bible. You’ll also be helping to support NaNoWriMo’s founder and president, who is the author of the book.
Yes, it can be done! I’ll be here rooting for all the NaNos.
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NaNoWriMo was awesome when I did it last year. Anyone thinking about writing a book should DEFINITELY do it!
.-= Positively Present´s last blog ..how to let go of what you don’t need =-.
Hallelujah!
This is excellent. I think you really boiled down the site’s intro to the key points people want to know so they can make a choice about joining.
.-= Deb´s last blog ..NaNo: the Plan, or not to plan? =-.
Thanks Deb! I’ll be following along as all the NaNos tackle their novels!
Hi Melissa: I’m so excited about getting started on my very first novel.
Thank you for the link, and the post on the NaNoWrimo survival kit is awesome.
.-= Marelisa´s last blog ..The 10 Habits of Zen to Done =-.
Marelisa, I know your novel’s going to be great. Can’t wait to hear about your NaNoWriMo experience!
I signed up, but I am not sure if I’ll actually follow through. Unlike many of the people that are participating, I haven’t dreamed about writing a novel and I don’t have a story that I just really badly want to tell. So for me, the challenge would be coming up with something and then actually write out that many words.
.-= Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..TV Puppetry Workshop (Intermediate): Week 2 =-.
So you’re just sort of doing it for fun? That’s cool. You never know, you might find that novel writing is your calling. I think it’s awesome that you’re giving it a try.
This will be my first time participating! I’m extremely excited and can’t wait to start my novel on Sunday!!
Best of luck to you Hannah! I hope to hear about your NaNoWriMo experience once November is over and your novel is completed!
If anyone is on the fence about doing nanowrimo, I want to help push them on over. When I started last year, I wasn’t sure about it, but I did it anyway. I wrote a big steaming pile of unpublishable mind spew.
That said, nanowrimo is like writing boot camp. When you absolutely have to write everyday, you start to develop the habit of, well, writing everyday. No matter what kind of writing you do, fiction, nonfiction, blogging, copywriting, etc., nanowrimo will make you a better writer.
Since last year’s nano, I’ve done more writing than at any other time in my life. I’m not saying nano was a turning point for the quality of my work, but it definitely ratcheted up the quantity and set up some good habits that have stuck with me.
Now if I could just build up my revision skills and get to work on the pile.
.-= Seth´s last blog ..Quickie: What Are You Waiting For? =-.
I’m with you 100% Seth. No matter how you feel about novel writing, NaNoWriMo will indeed make you a better writer. It’s also a great experience, particularly because there’s so much support available to the participants. I think there is a revision event for Nanos (or am I dreaming that?). Is it in January? Hmm… need to look into that.
I am very excited about NaNoWriMo. Somehow I feel that I won’t be able to reach that 50k target. Still, I have to try my best, that’s what we all should do.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Home Based Jobs =-.
I think it helps if you insist that you can reach the 50,000-word goal. Believing and committing goes a long way in helping writers win NaNo. The first time I signed up, I did so half-heartedly. I was extremely busy, had just started my business, and was doubtful that I could cross the finish line. And I was right. Throughout the following year, I became more and more committed to winning it next time around. I made myself accountable by posting my goals on my blog and by clearing my schedule for November. I believed I could win, I committed to winning, and with a little planning and preparation, I did win. I do think that believing in yourself does wonders. You can do it! Thousands of others have, so why not you?
I love Nano, this is my 4th year doing it and so far I am at 37k words in four days, this is the best I have done yet
Good luck to everyone else who is doing it.
37k words in just four days??? WOW! That’s quite impressive. Something tells me you have it in the bag. Maybe in the second half of the month, you can write the sequel! Right on Vicki.