But I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month again this year. 50,000 words in thirty days, ladies and gentlemen. Don’t you dare scoff, because last year I managed to write over 50k words and have the best writing experience of my life. Seriously, by Day 25 I heard the angels singing my name.
For those of you willing to jump in the deep end with a laptop strapped to your ankle, this figures out to roughly 1,666 words a day. I tell you, it’s doable. You can’t ache and whine over every line, you can’t edit as you go. You need a devil-may-care daily slam with no going back. It’s delicious and freeing and there are, of course, the angels near the end.
Just so you know, my slam-it-out daily prayer produced what may be some of the best writing I’ve ever put together. By the end of Week One I was able to write my quota in a little over an hour, typos a’plenty. You can’t care about those either, and that in itself is gift enough for a gal like me.
Join me in November. If 50,000 words sounds like a mountain too high, then make your goal 25,000. If that’s too much, then just keep visiting here and cheerlead. I plan to sling out bits and pieces of my daily slam here and there – some of which I plan to write on a manual typewriter.
You heard me.
It’ll be like Houdini in the glass tank, without the water. My wrists tied snugly with typewriter ribbon, I’m going to run out the clock and reach 50,000 words. Novel in a month.
Who’s in?
No Telling 
I did it last year and it was an amazing experience. I wrote 70K in 30 days and I'm now in the process of editing the baby.
I'll be doing it again this year. I'm known under “kanmuri” on the nanowrimo site.
Good luck! I have heard of this before and it has intrigued me, but I don't think I am quite there yet. Awesome that you are doing it!!!!!
You can do it! (insert cheerleading icon here).
Today's verification word is 'prevel'. Sounds like a cleaning product.
Best of luck!
Looking forward to reading the parts you choose to share! They should be fantastic.
I tried last year, but made the mistake of changing my mind endlessly about the kind of book I was writing, and getting too caught up in that.
This year, I'm going to do it with bells on. (I just mean I'll do it right.)
2008 was my first year for NaNoWriMo and I LOVED it. I wrote just over 50k and I was totally surprised where my characters ended up. Not what I had outlined the month earlier. It was great fun, and I will be participating again this year.
Hmmmmm. Maybe, just maybe….
Way to go, Kanmuri! I'll follow your progress this year on the site. Look for me as FreshRibbon – I'll be using a lot of it on the typewriters.
Thanks, Jociegal. It's an amazing month and I can't wait to begin.
Kate, those word verifications are like coded fortune cookies. Who gets to make those up?
Thanks, L'Ombre – there's no telling what I'll subject you to in November, and that's half the fun.
Teresa and Amuse Me, I love that you've done the NaNo! I began with a character and nothing else last year. No planning, no outline, no real direction. It worked out perfectly for me. A few days in, a sort of system began to develop. After that, the story became it's own entity and I spent the rest of the month channeling the thing. Tremendous fun!
5thSister, you won't regret it, I promise.
Ha! I just heard about this last week and registered- and here it is again! I love it..
Sounds like a lot of fun, if nothing else…. I'm leaving here with a notebook and pen, ready to see what presents itself today- and that is alot more fun than leaving here dreading the day 🙂
I'm emmagrace on the site.. got registered but that is as far as I got there… understand there are buddy lists…
This does sound like fun. Perhaps I will give it a try.
I signed up. User name is Jmberrygirl. This will be fun! Oh, and I posted about NaNoWriMo on my blog just now, too. I'm all about the accountability.
I signed up for NaNo two days ago! It'll be my first time, but I'm super excited. Also talked my SIL into joining and have my husband almost talked into it. I'm excited and scared – do I have time for this? But if you can do it Monda with all of the papers you have to grade, I can do it, too.
I'm glad to see so many fellow bloggers joining and can't wait to see the progress. Does anybody know if there's a word count widget we can put on our blogs?
I signed up yesterday! I have done it the past two years in a row but never made it to 50K. I think I just get stuck and have no idea where to go with my story. I've been doing that a lot lately.
Anyway, good luck to all of us!
Oh, and I'm CSWilson on the site; not very creative, but I thought some heads would fall off if I kept my GunDiva handle. LOL
I'm in it to win it, of course. Anyone else crazy enough to try typing it should come on over to the Typewriter Brigade topic on the forums, where us like-minded crazies hang out for retro-groupthink. It's awesome.
@GunDiva: I just saw a link for word count widgets on the NaNoWriMo site. You'll find them under the “Fun Stuff” button on the nav bar at the top of the home page.
It's weird, but I had a passing thought some weeks ago about national novel writing month, but life, as it happens, got in the way and I didn't follow up on that thought. And then there was today's post, Monda. I'm all shaky and queasy because I just signed up … but I think it's exactly what I need to get jump-started on my next project, since I haven't done anything in the way of fiction writing since I finished my first novel last year in September. I have never participated in NaNoWriMo, but what the heck, in for a penny, in for a pound!
P.S. Forgot to mention my moniker on NaNoWriMo is DameNuisance!
Just so you know, everyone who left their NaNoWriMo 'name' here in the comments has a buddy invitation from me on the NaNo site. The more the merrier!
I wish I had your day, Sally. It's all rain and grading for me today.
Way to go Jmberrygirl! I love that you had half an hour between indecision and commitment. Yes!
GunDiva, you're going to have the best time. And you're right, gal, if I can do it and grade, anyone can. Last year I even took it on the road to a conference. Nothing is impossible. Those word count widgets can be copied and pasted from the NaNoWriMo site, but I don't think they actually show up until Nov 1st. Let me know if I've got that wrong.
CJR, this is your year. I can just tell. We won't let you get stuck.
S.E. Sward, it's fate. You're going to write a best-seller and we can all say we knew you when.
I have mentioned “Nanowrimo” a couple times on my blog and am definitely planning on participating. I haven't a clue what I am going to write about, but I'm going to just write it anyway! I am really looking forward to the experience.t
Haha… YESS!! I tried and [failed] last year, but I got farther than I thought I would… I'm spending more time outlining and figuring out my story before hand this year..
I'm so pumped.
chloe
Thanks for the words of encouragement, Monda. I'm excited to do this! It'll be nice to have someone who's done this before to comiserate with.
Apparently you may call me crazy, too. I signed up. Lawsy mercy, as my grandma used to say.
I have wondered about National novel writing month, I thought about it last year, maybe I will try this year, after your inspiring post. Will certainly be reading and cheering you on. Good luck.
Verrry interesting…..Gosh it's tempting……
I might be living vicariously through you OR I might take the plunge. We'll see….
word verification:
vuleadis (You? lead us?)
That sounds like just the kick in the pants I need. I know I have a book in me, just itching to get out.
Count me in – as a writer and a cheerleader!
I'm so glad you're doing this, Sandra!
Chloe, you SOUND pumped! Outlining's not my thing, but use whatever helps YOU.
GunDiva, it's he first week that does a lot of folks in. We're going to get each other through it and on to the finish.
Lawsy, Nancy! Be sure to find me on there and buddy up.
You could always start with us, Pat. There's no shame in false starts – it's a beginning all the same.
Wonderful, Kelli! We have to hold each other up – it's the only way.
I'm so thrilled many of you are taking the plunge. Be sure to find me (FreshRibbon) on the NaNoWriMo site. Writing buddies make all the difference.
Kudos to all of you who are doing this. I would probably have myself stressed out about it. LOL.
I can't imagine doing it, (because the “aiming low” and writing crap with abandon *quotes from the website* is so the opposite of me) but I signed up because I'm old enough to want to be shoved out of my comfort zone and actually get something done!!!! I'm in, and now I need to get an idea!
You can cheer us on, Cindi. God knows we'll need it.
Erin, this will get you in a new zone for sure. Perfectionism is out the window on this ride. It's healing, I tell you.
I'm in, along with the rest of the Typewriter Brigade…
I like the whole Typewriter Brigade thing. I can just see all of us in like old marching-band-style military uniforms, you know, back when military uniforms actually looked sort of mostly silly, in this sepia photograph, all holding our Weapon Of Choice and not-smiling at the camera Very Sternly, because photos are Very Serious Business. That's what “Typewriter Brigade” sounds like to me. Oh yes, and Olivander would be down front with an inexplicable bass drum with “NaNoWriMo 2009 Typewriter Brigade” painted on it. Because every old-time brigade photo needs a bass drum…?
This sounds like a scene straight out of Music Man. Someone needs to photoshop this picture you've got in your head. I mean it.
I'm totally going to do it. I'm working on rewriting the second draft of my novel, so this should help out A LOT with the rewrite.
gotdangit. You talked me into it. I signed up for NaNo 2 days ago and there's no backing out because last night I went and ordered a NaNo t-shirt. This is my first year and I'm really excited and anxious and scared shitless.
my user name over there is catdayafternoon for anyone who wants to buddy up!
thanks Monda!
and my word verification is 'scomot', which is either a type of water dragon or a japanese vespa
Go, Megan and Jan! Jump on in and get ready for the best month of our life. I'm adding buddies at a furious pace – that's the best way!