National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) is coming up soon. Every November, hundreds of thousands of individuals write furiously (>1,500 words/day) to produce a full 50,000+ word novel in just 30 days. Whether it’s to cross an item off a bucket list, show off to friends, or earn some extra cash from book royalties, people around the world transform into novelists in the course of just month.
And this year, I’m going to join their ranks.
I first learned about NaNoWriMo when I read Chris Baty’s Book No Plot? No Problem! back in June of this year. Chris Baty started the NaNoWriMo project all the way back in 1999 with just 21 participants in San Francisco. Now, it’s a global movement with hundreds of thousands of participants.
And I’m going to be one of them.
After finishing Baty’s book, I decided that I would participate in this November’s NaNoWriMo. But that was back when NaNoWriMo was a distant four and a half months away. Now it’s less than 10 days away. But I’m not backing down.
I’m not scared.
I’m ready for NaNoWriMo. I’m ready to write 1,667 words a day. I’m ready to sacrifice TV, video games, reading, chess, and whole bunch of other fun things. i’m ready to write during the Thanksgiving holiday that I am supposed to spend with my family. I’m ready to produce an epic novel. Or at least as epic as a novel can be, if you write it in a month.
Most importantly, I’m ready to cross “Write a novel” off my bucket list.
So who’s with me? Who’s ready to become a novelist? I know I am.