The glorious month of November, better known as National Novel Writing Month [1], is upon us. The denizens of America's chain bookstores, commuter trains and executive washrooms are starved for new material, and while Dan Brown [2], Salman Rushdie [3] and Candace Bushnell [4] have had good runs on the bestseller lists, the time is ripe for those sacred cows to step off the dais and give you the chance to shine, fueled by the righteous fire of a novel that you banged out in the space of a month. In your face, Joseph Mitchell [5]!
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) was started in 1999 by a group of Bay Area writers who thought — well, I don't know what the hell they thought. Their history [6], written by NaNoWriMo director Chris Baty, describes the act of writing a 50,000-word, 175-page novel in 30 days as "half literary marathon and half block party," a social event "full of smack-talk and muffin crumbs on our keyboards."
While it is theoretically possible to have that kind of fun writing a book, you shouldn't expect it. The act of writing a book is by definition a lonely endeavor, and in the course of doing so you're pretty much guaranteed to drink too much coffee and alienate everyone you love. And despite its friendly, "hey, we're having fun" tone, what the NaNoWriMo Web site offers isn't comfort, but the crack of a whip. There's only one way to participate in NaNoWriMo, and it's spelled out in the rules:
At midnight, local time on Nov. 1, begin writing your novel. Your goal is to write a 50,000-word novel by midnight, local time, on Nov. 30th.
Don't worry if you're late to the party; it only means you'll have to work harder. Once you've completed your book, you need to send it to NaNoWriMo's organizing body, who will verify the word count and send you a certificate. That's it and that's all. The NaNoWriMo group does not edit, publish or otherwise judge completed books, or guarantee you 15 minutes on Opras's lap. All they do is offer you the chance to push yourself and produce something that you can shape into a more focused work, or stick in a drawer.
By the way, NaNoWriMo does lend its name to local gatherings, "write-ins" and the like, which you'll find listed on the Web site [7]. (You'll need to register first to find the events near you). But you should forget 'em. Writing is work — tough, tiring and ultimately redeeming work. If you want to meet other novelists, do as other writers have done since time immemorial: Hang out in college-district bars [7]. You'll know the novelists right away — they're the ones trying to sponge drinks off of you.
One last thing: In case you're wondering, my novel's coming along fine — 52,000 words and growing. I don't imagine I'll have it done by the end of November, but if you're interested, I'm more than happy to abandon it for a night of free drinks.
More links:
National Novel Writing Month
How it works
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