Here I am: after a lot of thoughts about it since last year, and a very persuasive writer friend of mine, I have done it! Officially enrolled in that insane, coffee-intensive, often sleepless but also widely entertaining – if I have to believe the testimonials – worldwide challenge called NaNoWriMo.
The acronym stays for National Novel Writing Month, and it runs each November since 1999. The goal? Completing a draft novel of 50,000 words by the end of the month. You have to register on the website and report your word count over there.
It looks daunting, and it actually is, especially when it comes on top of a full-time job, full-time passions, full-time children / family and so on, to only state the inevitable.
And the experience of people that have already gone through the ordeal is quite telling. The good thing is: you’re not alone. And that’s essential – you will need a (virtual) shoulder to cry onto. A quick look at the official website will tell you exactly what to do in case you want to join the big race. What you have to do is almost too simple: register and log the synopsis of your intended composition. While the majority of people goes for a novel, there are some “rebels” (so they are called) that choose to write something different – from their PhD thesis to some other non-fiction books. The bottom line is one: just write, and be done by the end of November.
Incentives: many – including a nice 50% off Scrivener for all NaNoWriMo winners (too bad I had purchased mine since long. This one only would have been worth the effort). So, I am set up and ready. The only thing to do now is obviously to start writing: today is the first day, and my counter is still zero…! Got to rush.
PS. For the writers out there (included the ones, like me, that do write professionally, but non-fiction, and that might find NaNoWriMo a bit harsh a way to switch genre): there are alternatives to novels. Just think about the famous Ray Bradburys 52 Week Short Story Challenge, where you simply write one short story every week. Why? Because “it’s not possible to write 52 bad stories in a row” he said. Do trust a master!
I did it a few years ago, actually twice in the same year, once formally and once on my own but by NANO rules and timeline.Excellent experience, good lessons learned.
Good luck and have fun!
Hello Paula, thanks! It looks quite an adventure, glad you enjoyed it too. Will post updates 🙂