November challenges writers with NaNoWriMo word count
Written by Sarah Laffin, Oct 11, 2011, 0 Comments
If you have a passion for writing, now is the time to prepare for National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is an annual challenge that lasts throughout the month of November.
The goal is to complete a novel with a minimum of 50,000 words. To put it in perspective, participants have to write an average of over 1,500 words a day for a full 30 days. The challenge requires dedication, as well as a good amount of free time and perhaps some sleep deprivation.
In 1999, 21 people participated during NaNoWriMo’s first year. As word got out, participation grew exponentially, and last year, over 200,000 wannabe novelists challenged themselves to write novels. Over 30,000 accomplished the goal word count by the deadline at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of November.
Why torment yourself with this excess of writing? Some find that if pressured, caffeinated, and sleep deprived enough, they can find a sort of creativity they’ve never seen before in themselves. Editing and wasting time does not belong here—this is the ultimate brain marathon.
The challenge is all about the word count, the website says. “Because of the limited writing window, the only thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly,” according to the NaNoWriMo website.
Once you sign up for an account on the website, you can find your region by clicking the “NaNo Near You” tab (there is a section for St. Petersburg, Fla.), and check out the forums to see where other nearby novelists will be meeting to hang out or write together.
