NaNoWriMo

November is “National Novel Writing Month” — NaNoWriMo for short. The goal of NaNoWriMo, which started back in 1999, is to write a novel — that is, 50,000 words — in one month.

I recently read a library book called “Writing Your First Novel” (or something generic like that) and the number one thing the author stressed was, in order to write a book, you must write every single day. Even if you don’t have a finished plot (or a plot at all), the author stressed you should set aside a block of time (one hour was suggested) and write every single day. The author of this particular book suggested that a plot would ultimately reveal itself. Once the bulk of the writing has been done, it can then be massaged into something more meaningful.

The creators of NaNoWriMo have a similar philosophy. The goal is to average 1,667 words a day, not necessarily to crank out a best selling novel — although, to be fair, according to the NaNoWriMo website the contest has generated “a number of published novels and one New York Times #1 Bestseller” (Water for Elephants, by Sarah Gruen).

So there you go. Susan and I are both planning on writing a novel this November. There’s no prize to win for finishing and there’s no guarantee the books will be any good, but it seems like an obtainable goal and I’m looking forward to the challenge. And more than that, we’re looking forward to reading each other’s books.

Link: http://www.nanowrimo.org

7 comments to NaNoWriMo

  • Mom

    I’ve always heard it’s much more difficult to write a short story than a long novel. I think I’ll try for the more difficult task. :-)

  • Hooray for you and Susan! Writing a novel when you have someone else to push you is a great experience. I wrote both of my books as a solo writer and it was a lonely experience.

    Best of luck to both of you this year!!! :)

  • shadow

    I’ve already got 3-4 in the can right now that I’d never let anyone read. Hopefull that doesn’t forfeit my rights to read yours though.

  • Rob

    My copy editors always gets a free copy!

  • Good luck with it, Rob. There’s no way I can do it this year (not with an 8-month-old son and a long list of unfinished projects around the house), but I probably came close to that goal with the novel I wrote in college. I started it during finals week my first semester, and had it mostly finished in about a month. It wasn’t all that great–I was in over my head with it–but I think if I revisited it now, it might be worthwhile now.

    And when I wrote the first book I actually published, I wrote at least that much per night. So while 1,667 words a night is difficult, it’s doable. Some nights you’ll do less, but some nights you’ll really get on a roll and do more.

  • Susan

    I’m bursting at the seams waiting to write on 11/1. I’ve got so much stuff packed in my head. Hopefully it’ll come out right when I sit down to put it on paper. I wish I had read one of your books about writing. Too late now though – I have Statistics homework due so I have to finish it before I can start writing.

  • Rob

    Most of what I read from the library book was echoed on NaNoWriMo, which either means it’s globally accepted advice or the NaNoWriMo people simply read the same book I did. ;) Basically to sum up a 200 page book in a couple of points, it said to write one hour a day, write whatever comes to mind, don’t worry about plot, and don’t worry about editing. The prevailing idea is that (A) a plot will develop on its own, (B) characters have a way of taking on a life of their own and leading a story in ways you didn’t originally imagine, and (C) editing/proofreading/spell checking use a different area of the brain than writing does, so shifting between the two tends to slow the process. It looks like the generally accepted method is to write during November and edit during December.

    I’m sure there are as many methods of doing this as there are people who attempt it. Some do a lot of planning and outlining before 11/1 — others just “wing it.” While the latter sounds kind of exciting, I would hate to get 50,000 words into a story only to realize it didn’t go anywhere. I’d say at least a loose story arc would probably get you through the month … at least I hope it will.

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