It's like a huge rat race. Well, it's like racing through the winding tunnels as fast as you can to get the cheese, peanut butter, pretty girl rat before the bell rings and the scientist's giant hand swoops down, grabs you, and takes you from your prize forever.
NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month.
The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel* in 30 days. It is not a contest of who writes the most readable work under pressure nor who writes 50,000 words the fastest. The only thing you will receive on finishing 50k is a printable certificate and a warm, happy spot in your intestines. No one ever reads your novel (except your nosy friends, if you let them), on reaching 50,000 you submit it to be counted by a bunch of code monkeys. This is between you and yourself with NaNoWriMo.org to help you along. (NaNoWriMo does have about five rules. Things like "Your novel must be written within Nov. 1st-30th" and "Must be fiction" and "If you think it is a novel than we do to." It's not a contest and there is no real prize so they are not strict.)
This is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who can get going when the going gets tough. It is those who aren't affraid of plot holes, evil plot bunnies, and word bugs. It is for those who embrace the rush and the thrill of it. It is for those who are not too uppity to have a herd of chickens stampede through the foreground when things in novel land are loosing momentum. It is for those who are not afraid to throw Quality aside and embrace Quantity.
There is an addictive quality to NaNoWriMo. It is also extremely fun, I think, to write something without taking the time to smell the flowers (or admire the view if your not the flower smelling type).
To those who say "I don't have time": 50,000 is a lot of words but it is less than you think. You have to write 1,667 a day to finish on Oct. 30th. That takes between 45mins and two hours to write. It depends on how motivated you are and if you are dealing with word bugs/plot holes/writer's block at that moment. Can you spare that?
This is my fourth year doing NaNoWriMo.
I first heard about all this in mid-November, 2006. In a fit of I'm not sure what I joined up and started writing. I do not remember what I wrote about but I think it might of had merfolk, Atlantis, and a cyborc blowing up in it. Anyways, I did not win that year. I wrote about 26k in 14-16 days, I'm not sure exactly.
The following year I did win the prize that comes with forcing out 50k. I don't remember what I wrote about but I do recall killing off a good character. One of the few and far between times, I'm not very good at it. I finished in 25 days and was quite pleased with myself.
In 2008 I wrote my favorite NaNovel. I retold the fairytales Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. I had a blast fitting the stories into one story. It was a new kind of jigsaw puzzle. I cannot remember how long it took me to finish but it was less than '07's.
The year after that I did not participate because I was a senior and was busy and things like that. Come Nov. 1st I thought, what a big, fat, ugly lie!! I have time! I missed NaNo so much, I love NaNoWriMo. :( I regretted not participating very much.
This year I am at it again! I may be busy but I am not too busy! I can go, I can see, I can conquer! I am planning to write a fantastically grand combination of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and St. George and the Dragon. It's going to be pretty grand. I'm a little nervous since I haven't participated in awhile and because I haven't really written anything down. I have the novel in my head but I would feel a little more secure if I had a synopsis or a plan on paper. Also if I had a really superb opening line, that would be grand.
Next year I plan on writing about aliens. lol
I will try and keep you all in the loop! How much I have written and what joys and trials I am working through! I hope, some day, some of you will join me in this mad literary abandonment. :)
*Eventually some NaNoers do some editing and turn their work into readable novels but most of what is produced is just cafinated nonsense.
Post word count: 791
1 comment:
wow go for it girl! I guess I always get off on the "not enough time!" :( I do like writing.. but this is FORCING yourself to right ^.^ maybe someday I'll actually do Nano...I have one friend who has done and she's done quite well, enjoyable novels.. and btw.. they do send you a printed copy of your novel in book form! this is after you edited it to your liking and you've designed the cover etc.. I've helped my friend edit and design the cover for her last two books, I even came up with her novel name! so, that's quite the prize if you ask me ;) a printed novel! x) now I feel guilty for not wanting to do it this year,once again *sigh* I have like 4 novels calling to be finished :-\ so starting another one would be killer.. and finishing it in 30 days with a mom like mine that freaks out at being on the comp much.. lol someday someday.. good luck! glad you're doing it!!
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