This year I’m participating in NANOWRIMO, a month-long writing marathon that originated in the US in 1999 and has since gone global.
The event kicked off on November 1, and thousands of people all over the world have hit the keyboards in the past three days.
It’s lots of fun and very much a participatory event that encourages writers and would-be writers to meet the 50,000 word target – the length of a short novel – by November 30.
I can say that so far I have logged more than 5000 words. Not bad, if I do say so myself!
But why am I doing it?
Well, like many professional procrastinators I need a kick up the rear every now and again – and this very public framework is a way to keep me honest and accountable!
And it is lots of fun.
Tomorrow I’m off to a ‘write-in’ – a public gathering of writers participating in NANOWRIMO – at a local library. There will be plenty of caffeinated drinks and sweet snacks to maintain enthusiasm, and the sense of camaraderie that comes with a common task.
So what am I working on? A long-imagined novel that has languished on my laptop – a half-formed idea, a series of notes really, sketches of a character, a plot – that is demanding to be made whole and released to the world.
I’m using NANOWRIMO as an exercise to create my ‘first draft’, and from there I hope to accelerate its development so that it will be published by late 2013.
I suppose if you asked me to categorise it, the story would fall into the realm of ‘women’s fiction’ – a blend of romance, mystery, with elements of the classic thriller.
And hopefully one day soon you can read it!
But more importantly, now that I have publicly ‘outed’ myself, let’s hope I reach that deadline. There’s nothing more embarrassing than taking part in something very publicly and failing to finish, so consider this blog post part of my personal motivation program.
I will succeed!
If you’d like to find out more about NANOWRIMO, or join in and have a go (it’s never too late!) visit
www.nanowrimo.org
