NaNoWriMo

It's that time of year again.

While everyone else in America is dressing up in costume and consuming truly alarming quantities of candy, some of us are scribbling out last-minute plot outlines. For us, today is not just Halloween, but the last day of sanity before National Novel Writing Month begins.

National Novel Writing Month, shortened to NaNoWriMo, then to NaNo, is a terrific event that takes place every November. A non-profit organization has a nifty website set up where you can update your word count, get motivation, and connect with other writers. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. If you make the goal, you're a winner, and you get eternal bragging rights. Pretty simple, right?

My older sister decided to participate in 2009, and that was the first time I heard of it. When she explained the premise of the event, I did not think it sounded simple at all. In fact, I thought that it sounded like self-inflicted torture. Why would anyone in their right mind attempt to write 50,000 words in a month? Despite my misgivings, my sister wrote more than the original goal... and actually enjoyed the process. I concluded that this NaNo thing might be fun after all, and resolved to participate the following year.

In 2010, I signed up for NaNo and jumped into it wholeheartedly. My novel was the worst thing I have ever written in my life, which is saying quite a lot, but I enjoyed the event. I learned a lot, and enjoyed connecting with online friends who were also participating. I found pleasure in the insane writing process, and loved the communal aspect of the event, so I determined that I would do NaNoWriMo every year until I died.

This is now my fourth year to participate. I am much busier this year with school and work, so I won't have time to sit around all day and do nothing but write, but I am still determined to get the most out of the event. I love to write stories, but sometimes it is hard to get to work and really do it. Having a deadline helps me to stay motivated and actually write. My 50,000 word novel will be highly flawed, but those are 50,000 words I otherwise would never have gotten around to writing. It's great to have a month where I can guiltlessly prioritize my writing and get a lot done.

I highly recommend NaNoWriMo to anybody insane enough to take the challenge, and I can't wait to write with many of you this November!

Note: Because my writing efforts shall be focused on NaNoWriMo, I thought I would not post anything here next month. However, since I hate to completely neglect blogging, I am going to post in a few installments a parody story I wrote for my cow-loving friend. I look forward to sharing it with you.