As always, November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo, as it’s known to its fervent followers). The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, Nov. 30. Here’s a description from the organizers:
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to write that vampire-werewolf action-adventure sci-fi/fantasy romance that’s been simmering in the tortured recesses of your mind, here’s a chance to exorcise it and maybe even have it read by somebody. Someday.
Just stay away from the “dark and stormy night” openings. Please
