NaNoWriMo: November is for Writing
Three Writers Share Their Insight of National Novel Writing Month
Oct 7, 2008
NaNoWriMo was founded by Chris Baty back in 1999. Originally held in July, it was moved to November to make it more convenient for participants on the Northern Hemisphere. Despite its name NaNo is an international project. All languages, genres and styles are accepted. One doesn't have to finish the novel either - 50,000 words is enough. Editing can be done later.
There are no prizes to NaNoWriMo, but thousands of people sign up every year. Last year the count was over 100,000 participants with 15,335 reported "winners". Most of these novels never make it to the bookstore. Some do get published, but the real goal is winning yourself.
Benefits of NaNo
So what is the allure of this project? Many people dream of writing a novel, but most never even start, let alone finish. A concrete deadline will make it much more likely to reach the final full stop.
Jamie Grove is an experienced writer, but first-timer to NaNo. "After spending the last 20 years writing and keeping my work in a desk drawer, I've decided to conquer my fear of sharing my work. My goal is to produce a solid draft of a fantasy novel I've been itching to get at for awhile. I've written two novels before, each drafted in less than six weeks, so I'm confident I'll hit 50K in 30 days."
"I found the whole NaNo philosophy - 'don't think, don't stop, don't re-read, don't edit, just write, write, write' - to be very helpful because I am an overweening perfectionist," says Inanna Arthen, 52. Her 2005 NaNo project went on to become a polished 170,000 word novel Mortal Touch, that launched her small publishing company.
NaNoWriMo is a good way to connect and socialize with other writers, both virtually and in real life. The project's website features buzzing forums and chatrooms. Writer meetups and parties are held all over the world.
"The big thing is putting my work out there and being a part of the larger writing community," Jamie Grove says. "To me, this is what NaNoWriMo is all about."
How to Succeed
Being a housewife or a freelancer certainly makes it easier, but people have completed NaNo despite working and studying at the same time. Many participants work and have children as well, so that is hardly a good excuse. The way to win NaNoWriMo is really quite simple: keep writing. You have to write an average of 1,667 words a day - roughly three pages.
Writing a novel in a month is not as extreme as it may seem. There are even projects where you have to write a book in a week or even in a single day. Some people return to NaNo year after year. Chris Baty, the creator of NaNo, has reached the goal every single year. Baty has also penned the NaNo "handbook" No Plot? No Problem!.
Kerri Morone Sparling, 29, participated in NaNo in 2007 with a memoir about living with diabetes. "By the end the month, I was so close to my goal of 50,000 words that I actually called in to work and told myself that I couldn't shower until I hit the goal. It was a long, stinky day, but I did it. The novel is current with an agent in NYC!"
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