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There are some who say writing a novel takes awesome talent, strong language skills, academic training and years of dedication. Not true. All it really takes is a deadline — a very, very tight deadline.
Welcome to National Novel Writing Month: a nonprofit literary crusade that encourages aspiring novelists all over the world to write a 50,000-word novel in a month.
At midnight on Nov. 1, 250,000 writers from over 90 countries — poised over laptops and pads of paper, fingers itching and minds racing with plots and characters — will begin a furious adventure in fiction. By 11:59 p.m on Nov. 30, tens of thousands of them will be novelists.
NaNoWriMo is the largest writing contest in the world. While the event stresses fun and creative exploration over publication, more than 30 NaNoWriMo novelists have had their NaNo-novels published, including Sarah Gruen, whose New York Times No. 1 Best Seller, “Water for Elephants” began as a NaNoWriMo novel.
Around 18 percent of NaNoWriMo participants “win” every year by writing 50,000 words and validating their novels on the organization’s Website before midnight on Nov 30. Winners receive no prizes, and no one at NaNoWriMo ever reads the manuscripts submitted.
If not for fame or fortune, why do people do it?
“The 50,000-word challenge has a wonderful way of opening up your imagination and unleashing creative potential like nothing else,” said NaNoWriMo founder (and 13-time NaNoWriMo winner) Chris Baty.
If you would like more information about National Novel Writing Month visit the Websites at NaNoWriMo.org, or SacNaNo.org or contact Richard Crawford at 707-208-6540, by e-mail at richard@underpope.com or Katrina Templeton at 916-708-7559, or by e-mail at katster@retstak.org.
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