Lucy Blogs
Get Your Novel On
Posted by Susan in Book Blog Entertainment and Pop Culture.
October 31st, 2008
National Novel Writing Month launches tomorrow. Authors from the world over commit to write 50,000 words from scratch, in just 30 days.
Sign up, link your blog, and even peruse your local writer’s chatroom. There’s sure to be an upcoming group-writing date at a nearby Starbucks… Bring your own laptop, and jump on the accountability bandwagon!
This won’t fit the writing timeline for many out there, but for me? I will gleefully leverage this well-timed discipline. Even if I don’t hit the 50K mark, I relish the nudge. My bottom line? Have enough polished pages to submit for a critique at the SCBWI Annual Winter Conference.
I’ve read Jack Bickham’s Scene & Structure. And I’m furiously outlining my novel. Down to the scene and corresponding word count. Unromantic, yes. But otherwise? I lose my readers with delirious description. I can’t help it. I’ve no perspective. I fall blindly in love as I write, and the story arc falls to the wayside.
What: Write a 50,000-word novel from scratch in one month’s time.
Who: You! We can’t do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let’s write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To git her done.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight.
Still confused? Just visit the How NaNoWriMo Works page!
What’s your NaNo-ing strategy?
4 Responses to “Get Your Novel On”
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Love the piece Susan….. Although I am not creative I will have to sit this one out. I seem to have more ideas running through my head but when it comes down to writing them it all washes away and I can barely put together a sentence.
When I read other peoples books, your articles I get fascinated about the collection of words, ideas, thoughts, etc…
So my NaNo strategy would be sit back and relax and read what others have to write back
That is a GREAT strategy! Supporters of this frenzied effort are MUCH appreciated! Sounds relaxing and perfect…
Thanks, Kelly!
My strategy? Not to NaNo this year! It took me two years to realize that I’m just not a fiction writer and all the pressure in the world wasn’t going to change that. So instead, I’m participating in one of the many NaNo offshoots, National Podcast Post Month, also known as the nearly unpronounceable NaPodPoMo. Because that? I can do. I’m the equivalent of about 21,000 words on Day 4. Ha.
http://napodpomo.ning.com/ (they has a website)
http://www.braindouche.net/ (I has a podcast)
Hey, Meredith! Thanks so much for introducing us to these offshoots… I also learned of a blogging-type effort, in which you post DAILY for 30 days!
Stop by again soon and take care!