Gear Up for National Novel Writing Month!

Sparkler happyhostage reminds us that the annual NaNoWriMo starts in just 13 days! —SparkNotes editors

Here’s an idea, Sparklers: why don’t we all try NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)?

Those of you who know what I’m talking about are probably already arranging for my ride to the nearest loony bin. (Thanks, but I think it’s a bit too late for that.)

For those of you who don’t know, during the month of November, people all over the world write novels. There are two different ways to do it: through the Young Writer’s Program for writers 17 and under (where you write any amount of words you want), and the big one, NaNoWriMo itself, which is open to all ages, and which asks participants to write 50,000 words each.

You’re probably thinking, "Fifty thousand words? Are you insane? I can hardly write an essay for English and you want me to write 1,667 words every single day? With exams and school and all that junk? You must be joking."

Not exactly.

NanoWriMo is intense, but compelling because of its simplicity. There’s only one rule: Write 50,000 words of fiction. That’s it. Then you upload your novel to the NaNoWriMo site and hope to be chosen as a winner for the regular or young writers competitions.

Face it, the 50,000 words you write are going to be crappy. That is the whole point. In November, you get everything in your head down on paper. Don’t stop writing, even if you are sure you made a HUGE mistake in the last page. You can fix it later. Just go scribble. It's liberating.

Why am I telling you about this in October? So you have time to prepare! Some Sparklers might prefer to have a loose plot planned out ahead of time, along with some character sketches, all of which are permitted by NaNoWriMo.

I definitely encourage exploring the NaNoWriMo site. There are some really great procrastination tools, learning opportunities (groan), a chance to get extra credit (just check with your teacher) and lots of fun, fun, fun. There are amazing forums, and a whole discussion board simply for those under 20, so you won’t feel alone, even though you'll be spending plenty of time by yourself at the computer.

What do you say, Sparklers? Let's make fun of those writers who take a year to write a book, and do it in a month! I have end-of-the-year exams and I signed up. Let’s all plunge into the insanity and write like a manic flaming kangaroo. I’m just warning you, beware of the plot bunnies!

Anyone have plot ideas for NaNoWriMo? Write 'em in the comments!

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