What? You haven’t heard of NaNoWriMo? And what’s with the weird caps distribution? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It’s an insane endeavor to write 50,000 words in a 30 day month in that novel you’ve always said you’re going to write. That’s just 1,667 words a day… if you break it down into bite-sized pieces, it seems more feasible. There’s no editing during this month, just write, write, write.
Unless you’re writing for younger readers, 50,000 isn’t a full novel. But it’s a start, and it’s proof that you can do it. They even have a Young Writers Program for kids who want to participate, with goals set to appropriate levels.
I have only completed NaNoWriMo once. No, you can’t read it, it definitely needs re-writing. I was working part-time and barely managed it, what with everything else I had going on at the time. Yet here I am, poised for the start of November, ready to try again while working full-time, parenting, attending karate classes, and helping to run a convention.
I have a new story idea, minimal prep behind it, and an exercise bike specifically designed to hold a laptop. With the temperature dropping, I don’t expect to get outside much for Pokémon Go or Wizards Unite, so I’d best make good use of my bike time for writing.
Will I succeed? I honestly have no idea. But if I don’t try, I have no chance of success at all.