National Novel Writing Month

[Mel]

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 5 (November 2009).

National Novel Writing Month
By Nat (Strider)

New Years is a time to set personal goals, but November is the month to step forward and achieve your personal goal of writing. November hosts National Novel Writing Month, a great way to embark on a creative journey and express yourself in ways you would not have thought possible, as well as have a lot of fun.

Chris Baty founded NaNoWriMo just over ten years ago, giving everyone a chance to dedicate themselves to writing. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel within November, which is approximately 175 typed pages. The idea behind the 50,000 words is that it is a challenging ―yet doable―standard. Split up over thirty days, it averages to be about 1667 words per day. Generally this number fluctuates, as people have their own personal schedules and are able to write more on some days than others, but it is a good way to assess your work.

But NaNoWriMo isn’t just about the number of words. It’s about setting yourself a reasonable goal and getting your ideas down on paper. Most people wouldn’t normally sit down a write a novel on their own and truly dedicate themselves to it, but when you know that you have thousands of people supporting you, then it is easier. Also, NaNoWriMo is a world event, so out of those thousands of people participating, there are often some in your area. Writing groups and workshops are hosted in many major cities, and people congregate in libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops to have writing battles and meet new friends.

With a word count unfortunately comes the focus to be drawn to quantity rather than quality. But when you force yourself to write as vigorously as this competition demands, then making spelling and grammar mistakes will happen whether you want them to or not. In fact, learning from mistakes is a good lesson to experience firsthand when writing a novel. Remember that NaNoWriMo is about getting the initial first draft of the novel down. It is up to you if you want to edit and revise afterward.

Here are a few survival tips to writing your first NaNo novel:

1. Warn your friends and parents. They deserve to know why you are spending so much time writing, and besides, support from around the world is great, but having those you care about cheer you on is always a good feeling.
   
2. Schedule your day. NaNoWriMo is a fun task, but it should not come before homework and other previously planned activities. Write when you have extra time, but don’t push other important things to the side.
   
3. Keep a notebook handy. If you don’t carry a laptop everywhere, then having a notebook with you is really useful. Jot down a few lines between classes or at lunch and then type them quickly when you get the chance. It will help you pace yourself throughout the day and keep up with your word goal.
   
4. Do not erase anything! Okay, you can erase some things if you need to, but it’s more important that you get everything down instead of spending all of your time editing. Editing can come later. November is the time to write.
   
5. Have fun! NaNoWriMo is challenging, but it’s also supposed to be fun. Don’t worry yourself over whether or not what you are writing is the next top seller, just make sure that you are proud of what you accomplish.

National Novel Writing Month is an opportunity you get only once a year, so why not give it a shot and see what you are capable of? Set yourself a realistic goal and let your creativity find its way onto the page. Remember making it to the 50,000-word finish line is a bonus, it is amazing yourself in the process that it worth every minute.