OMG, it's November! And all over the world, writers are girding their loins, saying goodbye to friends and family, and embarking on the gruelling challenge that is Nanowrimo. (Google it - it's a real thing.) The challenge is to put bum firmly to seat and write - as prolifically as possible - to achieve a total word count of 50,000 by the end of the month. That means at least 1,666 words a day for every day of November, at the end of which you'll have a rough first draft of a novel.
And that's all it is. There are no publishing deals, no guarantees of success - just the gauntlet thrown down to see if you have what it takes to produce work under pressure.
The nice part is that there is support to help you through it. If you sign up to the Nanowrimo website (free) you get regular pep talks by email to spur you on, and plenty of helpful tips and tricks for planning and executing your novel. It's a great way to get a book off the back-burner and onto the page.
I'm among a small group of local writers doing a smaller version, a mini-Nano, of just 30,000 words for the month. Less pressure, but still the support and encouragement of fellow scribes. Feel free to join us on the Lets Buy Books Facebook page if you have a project that needs that extra kick in the pants to be completed. https://www.facebook.com/events/644998022187122/
Now if you'll excuse me, I have today's word count to begin...I'm starting from scratch and have a lot of planning to do.Wish me luck!
Bev Robitai
This is a wonderful way to get going on a project. I did the Big One some years ago and it was very tough going. This mini-Nano is far more 'doable' and, even at this stage, would recommend any writer who feels stuck to join in. In fact, we don't have to wait for November. We can mini-Nano any month of the year!
ReplyDeleteOn the final stretch now with just two days to go! On target and very happy with the story so far.
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