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Take a look at the delete key on your computer keyboard. If you write often, odds are the symbol or the word "delete" is wearing off. As writers, we are notoriously hard on ourselves and our work. We are constantly re-writing, tweaking, re-reading and re-working. Enter National Novel Writing Month. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) gives your delete key a much-needed rest for a few weeks.

The idea of NaNoWriMo is to write a 50,000 word novel, roughly 175 pages, in one month. Participants begin writing on November 1 and must finish their novel by November 30.

It would be difficult, to say the least, to write a well-developed, well-thought-out novel in 30 days. Though there are a handful of published novels that have resulted from this unique event, most participants churn out 175 pages of, NaNoWriMo's word here, "crap." And that is not only alright, it is expected.

NaNoWriMo puts quantity over quality. The idea is to just write, and keep writing. Why have many of us never written a novel before? We may start a novel, but it's easy to get frustrated or lose confidence. Eventually we give up in the middle of the project. NaNoWriMo writers don't believe in giving up. They believe you push through the frustration and writer's block to actually finish something that you can call a novel.

So why would anyone undertake such a seemingly thankless task. There are actually many reasons. One, you can brag to your friends that you have actually written a novel. The quality of your novel is immaterial. Two, you'll have something fun and interesting to talk about at dinner parties for a while. Three, you can spend a month living like you lived in college. Most likely the laundry will stay dirty, the dishes will pile up, and a November bill or two might even slip through the cracks. Is that a good thing? Maybe not. But who didn't love the carefree college lifestyle?

Most importantly, you may actually write something that others will want to read. You'll never know until you try. Having a November 30 deadline, albeit a somewhat arbitrary date, truly helps NaNoWriMo participants focus all their energy and creativity in one place. So after you've finished your 50,000 word pile of "crap" (again, their words, not mine), there's always time to go back and re-work your novel if you like.

So whether your a serious writer, a novice, or a beginner, NaNoWriMo has a goal for you. It's simple: write 175 pages of something. What that something is doesn't matter. When all is said and done, at the very least you can call yourself a novelist. And who hasn't always wanted to be able to say that?

Learn more about this author, Sean Curtis.
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