National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is one of the best things that ever happened to aspiring writers, eve if it sounds crazy at first. I first heard about NaNoWriMo in October of 2005, and I thought it was a cool, if impossible project. I had been working on a novel off and on for more than 10 years, and these lunatics were suggesting that you could write one in 30 days? I checked out the website (www.nanowrimo.org) more to prove to myself that it was a ridiculous notion than with the idea of participating.
I'm am very happy to say that I was completely wrong. Chris Baty started NaNoWriMo in 1999 with 21 participants, and in 2006 over 79,000 people participated, with just under 13,000 completing 50,000 words in 30 days. I was one of those people, as I had also been in 2005. After 10 years slogging away, starting and stopping, and never getting anywhere on my own, NaNoWriMo pushed me over the top.
The basics of the "contest" are simple. During the month of November, you write a 50,000 word novel, which comes out to roughly 175 pages. On a daily basis, this is 1667 words per day, which sounds a lot less frightening than 50,000. You must start from scratch (no trying to complete something you've already started), and you cannot, or at least should not, edit any of what you write before you finish. The goal is to push through to the end, regardless of how bad much of the book will be. When you have conquered actually finishing this rough draft, you can then go back and edit. The way you "win" is to reach 50,000 words by November 30th.
For nine years now, tens of thousands of writers have gotten their novels off the ground using NaNoWriMo. Some have even gone on to have those novels published by major publishing houses, and other have ventured into the new world of self-publishing. Either way, people are doing something they've always dreamed of doing.
This method may not be right for everyone, but if you need a push, this is the way to go. There are forums and encouraging e-mails from Chris Baty, and many times local groups will meet once a week during November and write together. In some ways, it's like a big party that ends not with a hangover, but with a finished novel. What could be better than that?