What are you doing in November? How about writing a novel?

[Elliott Cox]

Every November, the folks at NaNoWriMo ( National Novel Writing Month) pose a challenge to all comers: Write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. 

The focus of NaNoWriMo is quantity, quantity, quantity.  Just get the ideas flowing and worry about editing later, unlike Six Sentences, which focuses on tight, clear, and concise writing.

So far, the 6S NaNoWriMo crew is:

Brittany Elizabeth - NaNo username:  Britt Beltram
Michael D. Brown - NaNo username: MuDJob
Elliott Cox - NaNo username: Elliottcox
Sandra Davies - NaNo username: Sandra Davies
Glen Green - NaNo username:  glengreen
Nic aka CJT - NaNo username: nhirschi
Khaalidah - NaNo username: Khaalidah
Paul Phillips (from Thinking Ten) - NaNo username: crybbe666
Leviathan - NaNo username: Levi_Athan
Tina Iwamoto - NaNo username:  tmtiwamoto
Kathleen Gabriel - NaNo username:  Duktape
Jared Handley - NaNo username:  Jaredallas
D.B. Dean - NaNo username:  DBDEAN
Gita Smith - NaNo username: Gita
Susan May - NaNo username: S.May


You can find all the gory details on NaNoWriMo's FAQ page.

[Bill Floyd]

I am so cheering for all of you guys. As soon as I win the lottery and establish my own powerhouse publishing concern, all submissions are welcome! :-)

Seriously, I don't think there's any way you can lose on this one. Finishing a novel of any length/sort is a big step in any serious writer's life, and once you know it can be done, a lot of walls fall crashing to the earth. Keep on keep on keep on.

[Elliott Cox]

Thanks for the cheers, Bill! Keep us updated on that Powerhouse Publishing House...how cool would that be?

[Kristine_ES]

oooooo... very tempting. as gita smith calculated, it's only 1, 666 words a day. how hard could that be for folks like us who write... you, know, a half dozen at a time? ;)

seriously though, does anyone have experience with this, any advice, suggestions..?

[Elliott Cox]

Check out the FAQ page (www.nanowrimo.org) as well as the forums, there are tons of info there.

[jkdavies]

I'd love to but I can procrastinate for, well for whatever country I find myself in at the time...

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

I think each day, each writer who takes on this task should post the number of words s/he has completed. Then we can cheer the writer on. Can we set up a box or discussion area for this?

[Javed Baloch]

For me this is an attempt at committing a social suicide, but I am all for it.

[Tina Iwamoto]

This is just absolutely crazy! Aaaaaaahhhhh, what am I doing???? I'm plunging in.

[Ann-Marie Turner]

This is intriguing and maybe it's just the shot in the arm that I need (the expressions we use!!) I'll be thinking about it and will definitely tell you all if I decide to give it a go.

[Ann-Marie Turner]

Oh best wishes to everyone who's biting the bullet so far. Those expressions again!!

[Sissy Anderson]

Hummmmm, maybe I'll consider this. A novel huh? Good luck everyone.

[Kathleen Gabriel]

Add me to the list, Elliott! I have attempted NaNo 5 times, and won the last 4 years (if you get your word count, you are considered to have won.) The first two years I did it I still had a full-time job and a commute. The next 2, just a part-time job, and this year I'm not working, outside of writing and homemaking. The first year that I won, I didn't tell anyone at work what I was doing. Surely they wondered why I spent my breaks typing, laughing maniacally and slurping tea instead of eating, but I said nothing when they asked. The next year I came out of the closet, and even used slow times at work to work on the book. I got a lot of amused encouragement from people there.

I have not sold or even finished polishing any of the first drafts I wrote during those years, though all four of them could work as novels. Each was an experiment of some kind for me, and this year will be, too. Before I joined up with NaNo, I'd already written novels (sold three), but any that I've managed to finish were ones that I polished as I went. That's my natural style of writing, and I might as well admit it and go with it. That's what I will be doing this year for NaNo, even if it cuts into my speed. That's the experimental part of it for me this year, along with having characters who are more real to me, with less humor than I usually put in, and not having a romance.

One year I got most of my idea for the book from tarot readings I did for each of the three main characters on October 31st. That was a great story, too. Anyone who gets stuck in the Dreaded Middle of their book can message me, and I will draw some cards for them. :D

Oh! By the way, if you want some great free novel-writing software, I recommend yWriter. http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html
You can map out a lot of your work in advance, including great character worksheets, and you can type your book right into the program, move scenes around, all kind of good stuff.

Something more sophisticated is available from Randy Ingermanson, the Snowflake guy, at http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/info/snowflake_pro/
I have and like both. I also hope to be a beta tester for the Windows version of Scrivener, a wonderful program that's only been available for Mac.