Na No Wri Mo
National Novel Writing Month.
As every November rolls around, hundreds of thousands of writers world wide hunker down to attempt to write an entire novel within a 30-day span. Sounds crazy, right?
It is. Every day, writers challenge themselves to write 1667 words per day— a daunting task between school and work lives. In the end, Nanowrimo winners emerge with 50k words tied together in an original piece of fiction. In the writing community, this is a huge achievement— rivaled only by the actual publishing of your story.
Popular fiction like Wool by Hugh Howey, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and Cinder by Marissa Meyer have been written in this challenge— and many NaNoWriMo participants of all ages hope their story will be the next bestseller.
Nanowrimo doesn’t make you count your progress on paper, though. On their website, there is a progress counter for the words within that 30-day span. Nanowrimo tracks where you write, how you write, your average word speed, and of course— the amount of words you write per day.
“But how am I supposed to figure out an entire story as I write it?” aspiring writers may cry. To you, my dear readers, I introduce the lesser-known but arguably equally important “Plantober.” Similar to “Inktober” for artists, writers use the month of October to plan out their future story that they plan to tackle once the calendar reads November 1. If you’re not the planning type, there’s a term reserved for you, too!. Affectionately dubbed “pantser,” these writers prefer to “fly by the seat of their peats,” and discover the story as they write along. Whether you’re a plotter, pantser, or a healthy combination of the two– Nanowrimo is here for you.
What are the rules? Traditionally, NaNoWriMo encourages a completely new story to tackle every November, but many writers, including myself, choose to break these rules and participate with anything but a new story. This coming Nanowrimo, I’m planning to tackle the second part of my story— effectively adding 50k to an existing 60k. Between two shows, four APs, and club commitments— I’m daunted, to say the least. But I’m willing to challenge myself— and I hope this November, other aspiring writers will as well.
If you’re a writer that requires social events and community to write, you’re in luck! Nanowrimo communities are found all over the world— and often municipal liaisons host events called “Write-Ins,” where writers gather in one place and keep each other company as they write. Though I’m sure that many of these participants are grown adults, I hope that one day I might be able to attend a write-in as well. I’ve yet to figure out the Nanowrimo forums, but it will be okay! That’s the key— believing despite a reasonable doubt, you know?
Whether you be a seasoned writer or a little hatchling, I encourage you to join Nanowrimo, and see how far you can push yourself in your storytelling skills. No matter the story you’re left with once the dust clears— you will be changed for the better.