PopSyndicate.com

NANOWRIMO stands for National Novel Writing Month. As a public service announcement, I thought you should know that thousands of writers all over the world are kicking their creative mania into hyper-drive this month, cruising with great purpose toward the planet I’m Going To Finish This Damn Book!!! I’ve become a recent convert to the their Borg. At least enough to check out the site and sign up (since I am in fact on a mission to complete my next novel) to see what all the fuss is about. So here are the high points from this writer’s perspective—interesting stuff for both writers and readers who’re dying to know what makes authors tick…

No. Not Nanu Nanu. I’m not from Ork. Though my experience is that writers are generally more interesting themselves than any characters they could possibly write. And I’m pretty sure some of the folks at the gym listening to me plot out loud while I sprint my daily three miles on the elliptical might buy into a rumor that I’m an alien from some messed up planet.

As I said above, NANOWRIMO stands for National Novel Writing Month. It’s not a new concept. Book In A Week has been around forever. Still, this isn’t simply a Book In A Month challenge—you can set whatever goal you choose for NANO. But the general idea is that November is the month to work really hard and be supported by a lot of other writers you’ve mostly never met and get something, FINALLY, done in your WIP (short for work in progress, because the more acronyms the better, yes?).

You know, because writers love the process and the craft discussion and the creative outlet and the pleasure of making character and plots come alive. But actually finishing something? That’s the scariest tunnel for any author to stare down. NANOWRIMO brings that common weakness to the forefront of a writer’s consciousness in an exciting way. For that reason alone, I count myself a recent convert to the their Borg. At least enough to check out their site and sign up (since I am in fact on a mission to complete my next novel) to see what all the fuss is about.

Below are highpoints from this writer’s perspective—interesting stuff for both writers and readers who’re dying to know what makes authors tick. I’ll know more and report back as things progress throughout the month—check out my personal blog for regular November NANO updates.

I’m dying to hear your thoughts on this phenomenon. Many of you have done this for years. Some are newbies like me. Why? What’s the take home? Where do you want to be in your novel when Dec. 1 rolls around? Do you have a firm goal, or is this just a fun way to crank out some pages and watch others party while they do the same? I mean, even if NANOWRIMO turns out to be just a month-long writer’s rager, there’s still good stuff to be achieved in the exercise. Renewed enthusiasm for the process? Belief that you’re not alone in your solitary pursuit of story? Looking in the mirror and accepting the otherworldly being that you are??? But enough about me. By all means, feel free to bare your soul in the comments and share YOUR issues;o)

Nov. 18th (the third Wednesday of the month), I’ll roll out another insider’s view: an agent or an editor or a well-known author or someone equally exciting who will share a perhaps more rational take. Because, as you know, the alien, writerly types don’t always see things as the rest of the publishing world does. And I’m all about fair and balanced blogging…

So, NANOWRIMO:

I registered at the main site. A pretty easy process. ID and Password and an email address so I can be contacted if needed.

I was encouraged to set up my NANO “region,” so I can network with other writers in my area, to encourage and be encouraged. It’s clear there’s a strong social component to all this, since the number of “write ins” and support meetings in the Atlanta area alone boggles the mind.

I could choose not to receive announcements and updates and “go, go, go” emails from the main office or regional groups. I’ll be a joiner for now, but that kind of content flowing at me and my inbox could become troublesome. If you hear a primal scream later this week, it’s me slipping into a coma from all the chatter. I’m a loner alien, as we’ve established, who tends to write best when not chattering with scary earthlings while I’m trying to finish my novel.

My period of writing Zen kicked off on the 1st and wraps at the end of the month. And I “win” if I finish my book goal—which seems to be, by NANO guidelines, completing 50k words by the end of the month. I guess that means I’m a looser if I don’t… Not sure that’s the most affirming paradigm. Kinda like getting booted off the island if I fail an elimination challenge, no matter how hard I worked and how many days I subsisted on insects and no indoor plumbing. But goals are good, so I’ll set mine and get to work (with my anti-social alien persona firmly in place, so labels like winner or loser won’t sting so much). A note to the uninitiated: 50,000 words is roughly 200 pages…so, not a book in itself, but a very good start.

I’m to report word count progress throughout the month. Honor system. Good, but I can see this becoming a contest with my new buddies that I’ll be socializing with through all those networking emails. I’ll have to be disciplined and report only what I actually accomplish. Not what I think will kick my closest rival’s NANO ass. I also need to work on my novel description on the site. Here’s what’s there so far, including a series synopsis, a brief (very drafty) excerpt form chapter one of Secret Legacy, and my November progress toward winning: read my NANO page.

To wrap things at the end of the month, I’m supposed to copy and paste my entire manuscript into a text box so an automated word counter can verify my progress. That’s fair, I guess. Though, what’s to keep me from just pasting in any random document that’s the desired length—since I’m told nothing is read or saved, only counted? And, alas, since my work is contracted I don’t think I’ll be comfortable uploading anything to a public website, period.

Pout. Before I even begin, I know there will be no winning for me. Such is my disenfranchised, otherworldly life. There’s no big finish on my horizon. But there is all the work I’ll get done, and the new online friends I’ll make and the endless hours of entertainment gained by watching all this go down via the galactic wifi hardwired into my secret spaceship in the basement… This might be fun!

NANO fourms are there to tell me how to prep and plot my novel before the writing frenzy begins... That sounds productive. Because, I mean, one of my cats could type out hundreds of pages of gibberish in a month.That doesn’t make the finshed product a novel, come December 1st. Then again, there’s a handbook advertised on the site’s home page entitled No Plot? No Problem! I have to admit, as a writing craft teacher who hounds aspiring authors on the merits of understanding their characters and plot before drafting, that sent my slanty, alien eyebrows inching skyward. Then again, I think the guide’s intended to be a spoof. Just to be sure, maybe I’ll head on over to the site’s store and buy myself a copy. Look, there’s even a convenient link, right there on the homepage. Excellent!

Yes, the NANOWRIMO site offers a handbook and videos and forums and chats and writa-a-thons and email networking and even a fundraiser to engross me. Think of the writing-free hours—DAYS—I could fill just skimming and clicking through to these tempting distractions. Hmmmm.. I wonder if my agent and editor are reading this post? I better get back to work…

Thoughts anyone???