This week’s “Fun Fact” is more of a PSA for writers–and those who deal with writers, too! We’re finishing up week one of “NaNoWriMo,” otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month. Otherwise known as November. 😉
What is NaNo? It’s basically a nation-wide–or, by now, world-wide–writing challenge. You can find writers of all genres and varieties taking part. The basic goal is to write 50,000 words during November. That works out to roughly 1,667 words per day, and in the end, gives you a solid first draft of a novel (depending on the genre, it may be a bit on the short side: for comparison, my mysteries are usually around 70,000 words, and many fantasy novels are upwards of 90,000). (And, yes: in the writing world, books are measured by word count, not page number!)
So that’s it in a nutshell. But the true allure of NaNo, in my opinion, is that it creates a community. Much like a physical challenge (like a 5k or marathon), NaNo functions as a charity, raising money to bring programs to classrooms and community centers. And much like a social media platform, the NaNo website allows you to make a profile, find friends, and track your writing progress. It takes the very “solo” activity of writing and makes it feel very public and collaborative–and it’s infectious. (If you’d like to see for yourself, you can check it out here!)
I like spreading the word about NaNo because sometimes, writers need that community feeling to get them going–and that’s totally understandable. 😉 I myself participated last year, and wrote the first draft of Mermaid for Danger! This year I’m being a little less ambitious. Rather than a 50k mystery, I’m writing a light-hearted spin off from the Alchemical Tales, and my goal (so far) is more like 40k. It may end up being the start to a companion series . . . we’ll see! In the meantime, happy writing (or, happy supporting-a-writer!) everyone!
