For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Every November(to take advantage of the nearly universally crappy weather), people around the world devote themselves to writing a novel. Some write longer novels, some shorter, some write multiple novels, but they are all held fast by a promise to try to write at least 50,000 words during that month. And that's pretty much the rules. Agree to write 50,000 on a novel/work of fiction during the month of November.
In general, for new writers, they suggest starting something completely new, rather than working on something you've spent years on. This is for a good reason. If you think about how you have to make this work perfect, you'll never finish it in the timeframe, if ever. With a new novel, you have fewer inhibitions to hold you back.
Personally speaking, I've been doing NaNoWriMo since 2007, which will make this my 10th year(and 9th win, hopefully) and I have to admit, I can't imagine November without it. I've written completely new novels, I've continued old novels, I've rewritten novels for it, always getting my 50,000 words. The one year I didn't win was my first. I signed up early, forgot about it for half the month and then wrote just over 2,000 words before giving up. I promised myself that I would clear my plate for the next November. I did and wrote 67,306 words.
I suggest that everyone try it at least once. Even if the only thing you learn is that you don't like writing, it's been useful. If you do end up enjoying it, you'll have found a new hobby, a new facet of yourself that you never knew before.
If you do sign up, please follow me and let me know on the site! My handle there is Feytouched and I would love to keep track of each of your novels with you!
As well, if you're in the Calgary Nanowrimo group, the Wrimotaurs(like a minotaur, but with a quill instead of a hammer), you'll be seeing me on the Facebook page every day. My nickname there is now The Lady of Best Lines because I started a new trend of asking people what their favourite lines they wrote that day were. I'll be continuing that again this year! So if you write a perfect line, you have a place to share it. It takes a lot to share any writing let alone a first draft line! But I know every one of you is up to the task!
Lastly, if you haven't seen yet. NaNoWriMo has a new thing on their site this year! It's a timer so you have a place to time your sprints on. Apparently, it will also have a pop-up so you can add your word count immediately onto the site if you wish. I'm totally looking forward to trying it out.
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