Last year a co-worker of mine talked about this huge writing event that takes place in November called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I didn't pay too much attention to it until after one of her friends had actually done it and won. How do you win? You write 50,000 words from November 1 - November 30. What do you win? Your novel being published.
I think this is a great way for aspiring novelists to get their work and ideas out there without having to rely on a big publishing company to determine if their work is read-worthy or not. Of course, you're not going to create the perfect novel in 30 days. This just gives you a chance to write your first draft.
I decided a few months ago that I would sign up for NaNo and actually give this a shot. I went to www.nanowrimo.org, created my profile, and started reading the message boards and forums to give me an idea on how I could do this. One tip that was widely mentioned across the site was "Do NOT edit". As a writer, that is like saying "Do NOT breathe". I knew that not being able to edit, rewrite, edit, and rewrite again would be my biggest obstacle.
Of course, I didn't let that deter me from taking on the challenge. So yesterday, November 1, 2012, I took on NaNo in full force. It's suggested that you write an average of 1,667 words per day to hit your 50,000 word goal. My first day of Nano I was able to hit 2,116 words. Not too bad for a noob.
So the challenge is on and I'm ready! I have my writing buddies to give me encouragement as well as family and friends. The rest is all up to me. Want to see what my story is about? Check out my NaNo profile at http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/marygrl2327 . From there you can read a synopsis and excerpt of my book, read my bio, and check out my stats. *Note: My attempted novel is 18+ as it is intended to be erotic fiction. The excerpt may contain situations, language, or innuendos not intended for children*
As always, comments are always appreciated. And to all fellow NaNoWriMo writers out there...Happy Writing!!
