National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

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RumpleTumbler

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Anyone going to do this? I know a few people who are and just wondered if any of you guys/gals are participating? What do you think about it?


What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.


Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.


As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and -- when the thing is done -- the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.


In 2006, we had over 79,000 participants. Nearly 13,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.


So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.


Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.


Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.


When: Sign-ups begin October 1, 2007. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.
Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!
 
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Zara Ravenwood

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No. They ask for doantions for oppatrating coast and to build childerns liberys but its free.

On A side note anyone want to meet me for a chat if Im still on when they get this.. its too darn quite where I am
 

HED

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Nanowrimo ! 2 months left before the craze starts again...

I won the 2006 edition but it was with a novel in french (mother language). This time I plan to win 2007 edition with a novel in english.
 

Stijn Hommes

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I'm not gonna join this year. Last year my family managed to infringe on my writing time and other obligations limited the time I had too much. I'd rather spend my time on short stories I know I will be able to finish.
 

Namatu

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I won't join, but I need a good kick in the pants with my WIP rewrite. I like to give deadlines, not receive them, but now you've got me thinking.
 

DocBrown

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I am flowing along great for my WIP right now.

Maybe next year.

Though I am not convinced that this is teaching the right lessons to would be novelists. It would seem to me that too many would start and then quit because they can't write under those terms and because they quit never start again. Or worse, finish and then realize they wrote utter crap and decide writing wasn't their bag.

But then that was just my first impression. having never been involved I guess I can't say.

Good luck to those that enter! :)
 

san_remo_ave

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I'm in school, too, but I signed up last year and will again this year. Didn't hit 50k, but I put in a whopping 30k (a lot for me in that timeframe). I like the kick in the pants it gave me. So, expect me!
 

ChimeraCreative

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I accept the challenge, but on my own terms. I try to write 50 000 words in November but I don't start a new piece. I plow ahead with my short stories. Despite breaking the official rules of NaNo, I get a lot of writing done and I get to share similar stories of exhaustion and frustration with other Nano participants. I don't feel like there's a downside to my version of competing. ^_^

-An
 

Bubastes

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I'll probably participate to add another 50K words to my WIP. If I get far enough in my WIP before November, NaNo may be the big push I need to finish it.
 

Soccer Mom

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Love me some NaNo! It always pushes me to write. I'm in again, of course!

See you on the other side.
 

Sassee

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Never done it... the idea is interesting, though. Not sure if I'd be able to churn out 50k of anything even if it is bad writing allowed. Maybe I'll just participate without actually signing up and see how it goes.
 

Siddow

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I'm doing it. I love NaNo. I won in '05 and '06, fully expect to do it again.
 

MidnightMuse

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I won last year (my first year) and I think I might try it again. I have a WIP that needs a kick in the buttocks, and I found Nano to be rather fun, a challenge, and you get out of it what you put in. A lot of writers "poo-poo" the whole idea, but phoey with them. If you wanna do it, do it :)
 
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