NaNoWriMo

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Has there been a novel on your mind for a long time that you just couldn’t get yourself to start writing? Don’t worry, November is here and NaNoWriMo could be the slight push you have been waiting for.

Started in July 1999 in the San Francisco Bay Area, National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo is a fresh approach to creative writing. Several participants sign up on November 1st every year and start working towards completing a 50000 word novel by November 30th.

If you ever feel like quitting, biggies in the industry give pep talks to keep you going. You will also be encouraged by the badges you earn for reaching certain milestones. The more you write or the faster you write, the more badges you earn.

NaNoWriMo

Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo, surprisingly, is not limited to just an online community of writers. NaNoWriMo has volunteers all around the world whom they call Municipal Liaisons (MLs). They  add the human touch. They host Kick-Off Parties, weekly write-ins, “Thank God It’s Over” Parties and help you to keep writing. MLs also oversee their regional forums and can answer questions about NaNo. But, most importantly, MLs can introduce you to other local writers working on NaNoWriMo projects.

Once you complete the 50000-word rough draft of your novel, NaNoWriMo helps you get your novel published in the following months. All you need to do is sign an official contract with NaNoWriMo as a promise that you will revisit your novel. Once the contract is signed, you’ll be added to the list of revisers. January and February are what they call “Now what?” months.
While making necessary revisions to your book, you can attend NaNo webinars given by publishing experts and NaNo-novelists who guide you through the revision. After this, you can communicate on Twitter via specific hashtags to interact with agents and publishers. You can also compare editing notes and discuss your progress with fellow revisers on NaNo forums and follow NaNoWriMo’s blog where encouragement is offered by authors, editors, and agents.

Interesting Facts About NaNoWriMo

  • In November 2013, 310095 participants walked away as novelists.
  • 651 volunteer Municipal Liaisons guided 595 regions on six continents.
  • 89,500 students and educators created worlds through the Young Writers Program.
  • 650 libraries opened their doors to novelists through the Come Write In program.
  • In 2014, 55,774 Campers participated in Camp NaNoWriMo’s online writing retreat.
  • Over 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published. They include Sara Gruen’s Water 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.

Other Programs by NaNoWriMo

The Young Writers Program
This program encourages novel-writing for K-12 students, promoting creative education and writing fluency.

The Come Write In Program
This program provides free resources to libraries, community centers, and local bookstores to build writing havens in your neighborhood.

Camp NaNoWriMo
This virtual writing retreat is designed to provide writers with community, resources, and tools required to complete any writing project.

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  1. Pingback: A late nanowrimo update | datanode.net

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