Always Wanted To Write A Novel? Let NaNoWriMo Spur You On!
Many people dream of writing a novel one day, but of course actually doing it can be a daunting prospect.
If that applies to you, maybe next month’s NaNoWriMo could provide the spur you need to get started.
In case you don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It’s a challenge to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in a month, and it comes around every November. From humble beginnings in the USA in 1999, when there were just 21 participants, NaNoWriMo has grown into a huge world-wide event.
There is no entry fee for NaNoWriMo (though donations are always welcome), and no prizes either. Essentially, it’s a challenge to help you write that novel you had always meant to write but keep putting off.
By registering with NaNoWriMo, you are joining a world-wide community of aspiring writers who are all seeking to achieve the same end, and are thus able to encourage and support one another.
Although there are no prizes for completing a novel for NaNoWriMo, if you do (and you have to prove it by uploading your work to the NaNoWriMo site), you will be able to download an official ‘Winner’ web badge and a PDF Winner’s Certificate, which you can print out.
And, of course, you will have the first draft of a novel you will be able to polish and submit for possible publication (or publish yourself). According to the NaNoWriMo website, hundreds of NaNoWriMo novels have been published. They include Sara Gruen’s Wa2ter for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Hugh Howey’s Wool, Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl, Jason Hough’s The Darwin Elevator, and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder.
There are lots of useful resources on the NaNoWriMo website and blog, including wordcount widgets, web badges, flyers for downloading, motivational articles, and much more. There is also a busy forum where you can compare notes and get support and encouragement from other participants.
NaNoWriMo 2021 is obviously taking place in the shadow of Covid, with many of us still living under restrictions and life still some way from normal. Nobody knows what this winter will bring, but one thing that’s undeniable is that it could offer an ideal opportunity to write that novel you may have long thought about. My old friend Trevor Belshaw wrote his historical family saga Unspoken (see image below) during the first national lockdown in 2020 and it is now riding high on the Amazon sales charts. There is no reason you couldn’t do likewise!
This is an updated version of my original NaNowriMo blog post.