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A NaNo State of Mind
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National Novel Writing Month is off to a flying start! As of 9:25AM EST, the collective word count reported on the website's homepage was...zero.
0? Yes, zero.
But that only means that the over 100,000 writers who signed up are busy scribbling, dictating, tapping on keyboards...whatever it takes to meet that 50,000 word goal by the end of the month. Too busy to update their word counts. Getting off to a good start in NaNo is critical to finishing those tens of thousands of words.
Last year, approximately 120,000 writers participated from over 90 countries. This year, the 10th anniversary of NaNoWriMo, or simply NaNo, as it is affectionately referred to in writing circles, expects more than 150,000 writers to participate.
50,000 words in 30 days. An average of 1,667 words per day. Every day.
Some writers will easily exceed their target. Some will squeak over the finish line, sacrificing sleep for the last few nights, writing during every possible second, to "win" NaNo by meeting their goal and thereby earning them a winner's badge and the satisfaction of knowing they can churn out the words when necessary...or simply determined. Some will miss the mark.
But no one "fails" during NaNo month. Failure is an impossibility. One word written in November is one more word than the writer had in October. And as any writer will say, it's hard to stop at one, especially with all the energy and buzz in the NaNo forums and across the writing blogosphere.
So in truth, everyone's a winner. Over 30 novelists have gone on to publish writing they begun during the NaNo challenge, including author Sarah Gruen who began Water for Elephants during one NaNo event.
There are local NaNo groups forming around the country. 698 writers in the Tampa Bay area were members of the 2009 NaNo event, as of this morning, with more joining. Groups were forming around USF, in Brandon, downtown Tampa, Sarasota, and more to encourage and support one another in this writing endeavor.
There will also be a special fundraising NaNo night of writing in San Francisco on November 22nd. All monies raised by NaNo--and non-writers are welcome to participate by donating--go to support the NaNo Young Writers program and other special programs.
This writer is participating. Sort of. I didn't start anything new--one of the rules. Rather, I'm feeding off the energy and excitement to move my current work in progress significantly forward. 50,000 words is 50,000 words. At the end, if I'm successful, I won't get a NaNo winner's badge. But I also won't be any less excited--or exhausted--than every other NaNo participant as I wave my pages and pages of new words above my head.
Words. On paper.
After all, that's what NaNo is all about.
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