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NaNoWriMo: Write a 50,000 Word Novel in 30 Days
Hey everyone! I thought I’d write up a quick post about NaNoWriMo, since I know several moderators are participating this year. I’d love to see more members join the ranks!
If you don’t know, NaNoWriMo is an annual creative writing project that takes place each November. Writers all across the world attempt to write a 50,000 word manuscript in a month’s time, starting November 1st and ending November 30th. NaNoWriMo is completely online, though there are “write-ins” you can attend if you’re looking to be part of the larger community, and there are no fees whatsoever. All you have to do is show up and write.
This is my third year doing NaNoWriMo, and I’m already behind on my word count. (Oops.) It’s been fun seeing my friends get sucked into NaNoWriMo hype, because not all of them are writers—they just want to join in on the fun and commit to being creative for a whole month. If you’re on the fence as to whether you should join, don’t feel like you need to have prior experience with writing novels. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned writer or if you haven’t written anything creative your entire life. All that matters is that you’re putting words on the page.
As a disabled writer, one of my favorite things about NaNoWriMo—other than commiserating with my friends about how hard it is to write a novel, of course—is that it forces me to show up. I’m passionate about disability representation in media and long to see someone like me on the big screen, so I’m currently writing a space fantasy novel with a girl in a wheelchair as the protagonist. My dream is to write the next big blockbuster, but for now I’m content with hitting 50,000 words. Of course, if you don’t want to write about disability, that’s fine too! That’s the best part about NaNoWriMo: you can write whatever you want, from nonfiction to sci-fi to self-help computer programming.
Is anyone else doing NaNoWriMo this year? I’d love to chat about your projects. Maybe we can do some sort of virtual write-in!
If you’ve never heard of NaNoWriMo and want to learn more about it, check out the official website here. Adventure awaits!
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2 Replies
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Currently at 3,706 words on mine! My goal is just to work on it some every day, and have a draft by the end of the year. Good luck to you and every writer out there!
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Kuddos to you guys for taking on the challenge.
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