More novels are written in November than in any other month, and it has nothing to do with the weather.
November is National Novel Writing Month.
In 1999, 21 authors decided to devote one month to the novel writing process, and the following has grown steadily ever since.
Last year, 79,813 people attempted the daunting process of completing a novel in just 30 days. Almost 13,000 of those participants found success.
The rules are simple: Your novel must be at least 50,000 words, you can not edit anything you write and you have to upload your work in order to be verified.
According to NaNoWriMo’s official Web site, the process is about quantity, not quality.
“The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks and write on the fly.”
There are more than 500 NaNoWriMo chapters throughout the world, and several hundred K-12 schools participated in the project last year.
The process may emphasize a just-for-fun approach, but participants have actually had novels published, including “Vintage Soul” by David Niall Wilson, “Running for My Life” by Ann Gonzalez and Rebecca Agiewich’s “BreakupBabe.”
NaNoWriMo is a community experience. The Web site hosts regional message boards that give writers a chance to chat about strategy with their neighbors. Regional groups also host parties, a kick-off event, weekly write-ins and the all-important “Thank God it’s Over” celebration.
For college students, finding time to write 50,000 words between classes and studying is especially grueling. Meaghan Holst is one of several University students who have committed to the endeavor.
“It’s actually not so bad when you just let yourself go and not second-guess what you’re writing or hitting backspace every other word,” she said.
“Maybe it’s not the most beautiful prose in the world as a result of that process, but I’m not under any delusions that I’m a professional writer. I’m doing this because it’s fun to create something, even if it is a ridiculous mess.”
Holst participated in NaNoWriMo last year. She said she discovered the project through a classmate the day before it started.
“I went in without any sort of plan and switched my plot around about five times,” she said.
Holst does have a plan this year, but she said nothing is set in stone.
“Right now my novel is a satire of religion and atheism. I don’t quite know what direction it’s heading in yet. I don’t even know where my own characters are going,” she said.
A novel may be the goal, but for NaNoWriMo participants, it’s not the most important part.
“I’m not going to make myself hit a quota if everything comes out forced because that’s absolutely no fun and it’s not the point of doing NaNoWriMo in the first place,” Holst said.
For more information, visit nanowrimo.org.
[email protected]