November is, among other things, National Novel Writing Month. A non profit writing organization, NaNoWriMo, sponsors a group writing activity – the goal of participants is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. It’s feasible! In 2006, 79,000 people signed up, and 13,000 actually met their 50,000 word goal.

How does it work? Participants sign up on the website, and then they write. A lot. They need to average 1,667 words a day to succeed. They self-report their word count on the website. At the end of the month, they submit a copy of their text through a scrambling filter for word count verification. The submitted text is not read or retained – just counted and discarded. Verified authors “win” – and get a certificate and an icon for their website.

While authors can do prep work, like outlining and research, prior to November, the window for actual writing is Nov 1-30 and starting before that is cheating. If an author’s novel ends up being longer than 50,000 words, the initial 50,000 count as their NaNo entry, but authors can sure keep writing past Nov 30.

Why do people do it? Some want to jump-start their writing career with a focused writing stint. Others feel the deadline pressure makes them more productive. More specifically, many feel the insane deadline keeps them focused on productivity, rather than perfect drafts and constant self-editing. A few feel that the month’s constraints and rapid writing pace actually triggers creativity.

So are you DARED enough to participate?

Last night, I wasn't too sure if I would join the challenge, but again I felt dared and decided to take a hit. Now, I just signed up on the site, and waiting to start writing. I know it'll be challenging for me, but what do I have to loose?

If you are participating, why not aim at 1700 words per day (that should give you 51,000 words by Nov. 30), that way you'll be confident that you'll have over 50,000 by the end of the month.

Stop thinking...Start writing!

All the best, folks