NaNoWriMo

As my indefensible brother likes to point out NaNoWriMo is next month.

Yes, NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) is a silly name. Personally I think the founders could have done themselves a favor by calling it NaNoMo (National Novelling Month) but, my brother loves to mock the name, so he’s out there saying it, so perhaps their marketing is working.

NaNoWriMo is an online contest whereby aspiring writers “compete” to write 50,000 words in the month of November. If you complete a 50,000 word novel in the month you “win”. It’s really a lose interpretation of winning and competition as I could fake the whole thing and still “win.” However I have not faked the past four times I’ve won.

Although I’ve spoken to several writers who think that writing in the NaNoWriMo style is not for them, I’ve found it’s a terrific avenue for getting the rough draft out of the head and onto the paper in as short a time as possible. There is also an opportunity to meet and write with fellow writers. The NaNoWriMo website offers the ability to connect with other writers in your area and “meet up” to write together.

I’ve already started outlining my NaNoWriMo entry for this year and am looking forward to starting it next week. If you’ve ever felt like writing a novel, need a kick in the pants to get going, and are looking for an opportunity to do a brain dump over the course of 30 days, then go visit NaNoWriMo on the web and sign up. I’m a proponent.