Oct
27
Written by:
Julie Arduini
10/27/2009 11:00 PM
Visit NaBloPoMo
When I think of "NaNo" it's hard as a child of the 70's not to think of Robin Williams in his Mork outfit greeting people with "NaNo NaNo". It took me a few years to realize each November when that word kept cropping up with my friends' blogs, it wasn't an homage to Mork. It's a writing challenge.
Below you'll see a press release from the NaNo website. Do you know anyone taking the challenge? Are you? I'd love for you to comment on your experience, past or coming up. I've never done it but for my friends that have, there is this sense of accomplishment. It has to feel huge because pretty much everything else needs to take a step back to hit that word count. Yet work, marriage, school, children, life beckons! My hat is off to everyone participating. This is something I need to surrender and do, but the timing never seems right.
I've done "NaBloPoMo" for three years. This is blogging every day during the month of November. The first year I wrote every post on things I was thankful for. It was back in the blogger day when either there wasn't an option to post ahead of time or I dAnidn't know how to do it. It was time consuming. Last year I asked you to send in thankful posts, mostly in part because I was having surgery and wanted to hit the goal. It was so inspirational. This year I plan a mix of both. I have a few posts sent in and I can take more. I also have my own thankful posts I'm working on.
If you'd like to send me a thankful post, go for it! Send to jarduini@faithwriters.net with a bio and optional picture.
And..."NaNo" "NaNo" :)
Contact:
Lindsey Grant
(510) 628-0327
press@NaNoWriMo.org
NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH:
THE LARGEST WRITING CONTEST IN THE WORLD!
No Judges. No Prizes. Winning Manuscripts Deleted. Appeal Remains a Mystery.
Oakland, Calif. --- www.NaNoWriMo.org --- August, 2009 ---
Not true. All it really takes is a deadline – a very, very tight deadline – and a whole lot of coffee.
Welcome to
There are some who say writing a novel takes awesome talent, strong language skills, academic training, and years of dedication. National Novel Writing Month: a nonprofit literary crusade that encourages aspiring novelists all over the world to write a 50,000-word novel in a month. At midnight on Nov. 1, 150,000 writers from over 90 countries – poised over laptops and pads of paper, fingers itching and minds racing with plots and characters – will begin a furious adventure in fiction. By 11:59 PM on Nov. 30, tens of thousands of them will be novelists.
NaNoWriMo
is the largest writing contest in the world. In 2008, over 120,000 people took part in the free challenge. And while the event stresses fun and creative exploration over publication, more than 30 NaNoWriMo novelists have had their NaNo-novels published, including Sarah Gruen, whose New York Times #1 Best Seller, Water for Elephants began as a NaNoWriMo novel.
Around 18% of NaNoWriMo participants "win" every year by writing 50,000 words and validating their novels on the organization's website before midnight on Nov 30. Winners receive no prizes, and no one at NaNoWriMo ever reads the manuscripts submitted.
So if not for fame or fortune, why do people do it?
"The 50,000-word challenge has a wonderful way of opening up your imagination and unleashing creative potential like nothing else," says NaNoWriMo Founder and Program Director (and ten-time NaNoWriMo winner) Chris Baty. "When you write for quantity instead of quality, you end up getting both. Also, it's a great excuse for not doing any dishes for a month."
If you would like more information about National Novel Writing Month, or would like to talk to participants from NaNoWriMo chapters in your area, please visit our website at www.NaNoWriMo.org, or contact
press@nanowrimo.org.