NaNoWriMo: Embrace the Madness!

Admit it.

You love writing, and as a writer, you have always been dreaming of the day your glorious novel breaks all the bestseller records and rests upon the shelves of every bookstore in the world.

Right? Of course. Very few writers don't (at least at some point) have a "secret" dream to write the "Great (insert your nationality here) Novel".

So what's stopping you?

Probably the same thing that stops everyone: A level of overwhelming confusion, writer's block and general apprehension concerning how to actually start the writing process without messing everything up!

Well I have a wonderful solution for you: This November, write your novel. No, I didn't say start writing your novel. I said write your novel. The whole thing. Before the end of November.

Madness? Indeed. And tens of thousands of people sign up (for free) to do such a thing. Willingly, I might add! The event is known as "National Novel Writing Month" (NaNoWriMo) and allows the aspiring writer to abandon all good practices, all concerns and focus on one and only one thing: writing!

As Chris Baty, the creator of NaNoWriMo states, the goal isn't to write a perfect masterpiece in such an insane deadline, but rather to aim for something that would not "make someone vomit".

Such a humorous approach to the writing process is part of the great appeal of NaNoWriMo, and communities form all around the nation for writing support, many meeting in person at local coffee shops or bookstores to help each other stay on pace.

If you're interesting in jumping in to the process, you'll want to visit the NaNoWriMo website and sign up- this is your home page for keeping track of if you "win" or not- you're aiming for a word count of 50,000! (Winners get a shiny badge and bragging rights, not to mention a finished novel... something most did not have prior to starting!)

Visit the homepage at: National Novel Writing Month

Another recommendation if you decide to participate- the corresponding book for NaNoWriMo, "No Plot? No Problem!" by founder Chris Baty. This book should be available in the writing section of your local bookstore or your favorite online store. No Plot? No Problem! on Amazon

So, why put it off any longer? Set aside some time this fall and write that book you've always wanted to write! Just remember... no starting early- that's cheating!