November is only two weeks away, a favourite month of mine for two reasons: it’s National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) and it’s Movember (the month where men grow their moustaches and raise money in support of men’s health issues)! We’re planning a fun event on Monday, October 21st over at YA Bucccaneers to prep everyone for NaNoWriMo, and we’re pirates, so I thought this would be a great time to talk about both.
What exactly is NaNoWriMo?
If you’re not familiar with National Novel Writing Month, it’s an exciting project that begins at 12:00am November 1st and ends November 30 at 11:59pm. In that time, your goal is to write a complete novel, or at the very minimum 50,000 words—from scratch. Sound easy? It isn’t.
Most people spend a lot of time getting ready for NaNo by plotting, developing characters and possible storylines, thinking up beginnings and endings, and practicing. Yes, it takes some practice to write more than 1600 words a day. (If you’d like to try your hand at some crazy mad writing, join the YA Buccaneers for a Word Sprint. There are lots of details there, but this might be a great time to really see what it’s like to write under pressure.)
Of course, you can always fly by the seat of your pants and just write what comes to mind, but it’ll probably be tricky. If you’ve ever started a novel, you’ll know somewhere around the 20,000 word mark, things usually fall off the rails. Doubt sets in. Plots become muddled. You’ll spend a lot of time staring blankly at walls trying to figure out what to do next. Having a plan can prevent this, but you’re welcome to try it either way.
How Do I Take Part?
So, what do you do? Go on over to the NaNoWriMo page and register. They’ll get you started with a badge for your blog or website, and you’ll be able to read tips, ask questions, and get to know people in your area who might also be trying NaNo this year. It’s great to have support online or in person, because this is tough slogging. Find a group who might be writing at your local coffee shop or library and join in. This is supposed to be fun, remember? Maybe you’ll even meet a future critique partner!
The people at NaNo don’t care what you write, where you write, or how often you update your wordcount, just as long as everything is in before midnight on November 30th. Then, their great team will do their verifications and award you with a winner’s badge if you complete! How exciting, right?
And if you’re looking for some great tips to help you get ready, don’t forget to check out the YA Buccaneers on Monday, October 21st (that’s next Monday) for fun, challenges and giveaways! We’re all about the prizes over there!
So, what’s this about Movember?
In the meantime, how about prompting your spouse/brother/father/friend to grow a moustache during Movember? C’mon…we know everyone is envious of our Pirate charms! It could be a great way to support each other and have some fun next month. All he has to do is register at Movember-Canada or Movember , and get some pledges. He’ll look suave, you’ll write a fantastic novel, and you’ll both laugh about it in December!
So, will you try to win NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words in November? Will your man find his inner Pirate? You only have two weeks to decide….
