Summer is officially over, which means it’s now my favorite time of year. I’m not talking about fall, though. To me, it’s now NaNo season.
“NaNo?” you ask. Yes, NaNo.
The full name is National Novel Writing Month, and it happens every November. About half a million people around the world get together online and in person to start writing novels at midnight on November 1, and the goal is to have 50,000 words written by 11:59 pm on November 30. (If you can manage to also write “The End” by the end of the month, so much the better, but it’s totally not a requirement.) Sounds kind of crazy, doesn’t it? Well, it is and it isn’t. I’ve spent the past six Novembers writing my 50,000 words for the month, and it has sometimes been challenging and frustrating, but it’s also been an incredibly good time.
You see, the NaNoWriMo website is just the beginning of a great noveling experience. You set up an account on the website to track your progress, but if you’re smart, you also join your local region, especially if you live in Stark County. The Canton region has an active, lively group, and during the month of November, we meet in various locations around town to write together and provide each other with moral support. Serious writing happens (talk during designated writing sprints and you risk having a donut hole chucked at your head), but there’s also a ridiculous amount of silliness as we cheer each other on towards 50,000 words.
So, does any of this craziness sound appealing? Not quite sure if it sounds appealing? If you want to know more, the leader of the Canton regional group will be here at the library on Wednesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm to answer all of your questions. And if you’re anything like me, and you think doing a little planning on your novel before November might be a good idea, I’ll have handouts galore to help you start planning your novel in a month.
Shelia
Leave a Reply