National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel.
NaNoWriMo started in 1999 with twenty-one participants. In 2013, its fifteenth year: 310,000 adult novelists and 89,500 young writers participated. Young writers ages 17 and under set their own word goals. Quite a few past NaNoWriMo participants have eventually published the novels they drafted during the event.
When I decided to do NaNoWriMo last year, I knew I wouldn't come up with anything remotely publishable. And I didn't. It was all about challenging myself in a new way as a writer. Writing a 50,000 word novel seemed a big goal. I didn't think about it too much, fortunately, or I might have backed out. Dividing 50,000 words by thirty days comes out to an average of 1,666.67 words per day. I tried to stay on track by writing about 1,700 words per day. Some days I didn't write at all; other days, I wrote more than double that amount. I honestly didn't have a clear idea of my novel's plot, except that it would be realistic, contemporary fiction. Although I enjoy reading fantasy and historical fiction, I didn't have any ambition to create a fantasy world or research a particular historical era.
Let's just say my first novel ended up being highly autobiographical. It's not actually about me, but the plot and characters overlap in many ways with experiences I have had. I just read my novel for the first time last week - almost a year later! It's not as bad as I thought. Sure, it's not exactly a cohesive and flowing novel. It's more a series of somewhat-related short stories and essays about the same characters. There's some good storytelling and some interesting characters. NaNoWriMo gives a pretty loose description of what constitutes a novel for the purposes of the contest, and that allows for a lot creative license:
We define a novel as “a lengthy work of fiction.” Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you’re writing falls under the heading of “novel.” In short: If you believe you’re writing a novel, we believe you’re writing a novel, too.
Participating in NaNoWriMo last year was a fun and fulfilling experience. My daughter and I both felt really accomplished to have completed the challenge. We encouraged and motivated each other to finish, and we're both doing it again this year. By the way, there is a whole NaNoWriMo community - both online and local groups that meet in person - if participants are looking for support or camaraderie. Throughout the month, participants also receive pep talks from a variety of published writers. To gear up for NaNoWriMo, I've been rereading those and reading other good stuff about writing.
This week, I read the Get Serious About Writing blog series by Lisa Rivero. I heard Rivero speak a couple of years ago, when she talked to a homeschool group about her children's historical novel Oscar's Gift, which I read with my children and highly recommend. The short posts in her writing series are thought-provoking and motivating. I especially love No More Excuses: Jane Austen's Writing Table. First of all - Jane Austen! I hope to visit Jane Austen's home and museum someday as Rivero did. Secondly, this post provides a good dose of perspective. I've written before about my procrastination when it comes to blogging and writing. Seeing Jane Austen's tiny writing table where she wrote her famous novels is a good reminder to get over my excuses and just write. Another blog I found recently is Warrior Writers by author Kristen Lamb. I've been reading her current posts and trying to catch up on back posts too. There's lots of good stuff there. And she's funny! Some of her recent posts deal with NaNoWriMo and have given me a lot to think about.
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If you've ever thought of trying your hand at novel-writing or participating in NaNoWriMo, I encourage you to give it a try! Or, if your aspirations reside elsewhere, see if you can find or create your own challenge to help you work toward your goals.
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