It's time! Well, it's almost time. Once again this year, as it has been for the past six years, November is National Novel Writing Month -- or for those who like acronyms, it's NaNoWriMo.

What's that? From the web site:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

If you have ever dreamed of writing a novel -- and I know many bloggers have -- this is the time to sit down and force yourself to do it. I participated last year and wrote about a Wizard's Adventure. I won (wrote the required number of words), but the story wasn't done.

So if you follow that link above to read the story, you'll get a decent story (not much proofreading, etc.), but it ends rather suddenly. I haven't decided yet this year if I'll continue that story or start a whole new one. I'm leaning towards just starting a new story all over again.

So if you think you want to write, check that site out. Let me know if you join up, we can harass one another to ensure we all finish what we start!

Posted by: Ogre at 02:03 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Writing a novel -- I've written four and am about to finish my fifth -- is not fun. It's a bit like root canal without anesthesia. The only reason to do it is that not doing it would hurt even worse.

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at October 07, 2005 03:54 PM (PzL/5)

2 For me, novel-writing is a supreme catharsis that I (most of the time) enjoy immensely. I'm glad to find another NaNoer!

Posted by: Anders Bruce at October 07, 2005 05:28 PM (C6ihx)

3 Interesting position, Francis, interesting. Thanks for stopping by, both of you! Anders I LOVE the writing, I just can't find the time. That's why I tried NaNoWriMo last year, to FORCE me to find the time. And I did!

Posted by: Ogre at October 08, 2005 07:54 AM (iJFc9)

4 Ogre: forced subjugation to da muse, that's what you have to do. But I'm gonna pass, tempting as it is. What would I have to give up? Hmmm... letssee: blogging, playing with the kids, noogie with the Significant OtherHunter, chorus practice, blogging, sleeping, Thanksgiving holiday, a good bit of work, blogging... I fancied myself an amateur writer in my college and grad school years; wrote several short stories and had a novel going. But being too much of a perfectionist, it became torturous for me. So what did I end up doing instead? I became an editor for my profession! (Go figure.) Now blogging is my catharsis. Power to you, bud! I know you'll win this year too! (And, hope you caught some fish!)

Posted by: The MaryHunter at October 08, 2005 09:53 AM (SRaIZ)

5 I cannot imagine being able to write a novel. I'm not creative at all. I can only write what I see. I can weave a tale from my past or surroundings, but nothing made up. My brain just doesn't think that way.

Posted by: Bou at October 08, 2005 10:02 PM (5JHEt)

6 TMH, I was surprised at how little I actually had to give up. I found time all over the place that I was just wasting. I'm sure it helps that the words are already in my mind, I just have to get them to paper (computer) -- and since I type pretty darn fast, in an hour I'd get around 3-5,000 words written. Bou, you need that book, "No Plot, No Problem."

Posted by: Ogre at October 09, 2005 06:27 PM (iJFc9)

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