Nanowrimo 09: reposted

This is a re-post of my original post which you can find here. Some outdated content has been edited.

All right, people. You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve sensed the buzz. And now, finally it’s here – in exactly three days, Nanowrimo begins.

Nanowrimo is a screwy acronym for National NovelWritingMonth, which is basically a writing marathon that starts on November first. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, in an effort to let go of your inhibitions, and just write. It sounds crazy until you break it down. 50,000 words is 1,667 words a day – that’s a pretty attainable goal. If you’ve ever wanted to write a novel, but never had the gumption, this is your chance.

Additional rules are pretty simple. You can use an old story, as long as you start it over. You cannot collaborate with another writer. You can research, plan, and outline as much as you like – just don’t begin until midnight on November 1rst.

Nanowrimo has been going on since 1999 when Chris Baty snagged a group of friends and convinced them to try it with him. The event grew. Now there’s an official website, Nanowrimo.org, where you can sign up, chat with other Wrimos, and track your progress with a wordcount bar. (BTW, this is why the rules count – cheaters don't get a winners' icon.)

Chris Baty even wrote a Nanowrimo handbook entitled No Plot? No Problem! I’m reading it right now. It’s pretty good. I’d suggest you pick it up as a reference. One thing Baty said at the beginning of the book is that support and encouragement is a big factor for the Nano experience. Each week has it’s own challenges, and knowing what to expect can be an enormous help. So that brings me to my actual topic. This month, I’m changing my blogging schedule around the Nano event:

Weekends – Tips for Week 1, Week 2, etc, as well as what to expect for the upcoming week. Tips may be summarized from No Plot? No Problem! or accrued from other various sources.

Twice a week: promotional exercises for everyone and anyone. I'll be posting interview questions that I've asked real authors, except this time, you get to respond.

If you don’t have anywhere to go to talk about Nano, by all means come chat in the comments, or on the AW Nano board, or on the Nano Forums themselves…but also on the Headdesk comments. Hopefully we’ll get some good conversations going.

The countdown has almost begun.