Why Do NaNoWriMo

Why Do NaNoWriMo For half a million writers worldwide the month of November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). As a  NaNoWriMo  mentor and writer its the highlight of my writing year. Have you considered it? The NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days began in 1999. Its a non-profit effort run mostly for Elephants">Water for Elephants. The regions are supported Is there a prize? No. NaNoWrio isnt a writing competition, its a creative challenge. Its benefits include discounts on writing tools, bragging rights, improved writing resume, increased creativity, finding a local writing community, and most importantly, a first draft of your book. Does it have to be in November? November doesnt suit everybody. You could try  Camp NaNo. It runs in April and July and is a smaller event with more flexible targets. I used it to start a short fiction collection. Others complete a novel, edit a book, or write a script – your choice. Is there a cost? No, it runs on writer donations. Is it possible? Yes, but must commit to it. Statistically 17 percent  of writers finish NaNoWriMo but weve pushed that to 40 percent in my region thanks to advance preparation. Telling your friends and family gives you cheerleaders. Planning your plot and  characters and doing some research helps you face the blank page. Scheduling two hours for writing daily will keep you on track. Freezing dinners and turning off the TV will create writing time. When struggling to meet my word count I hand the WiFi router to my husband. Will it get me published? No, but its a start. My small region now has several published writers who still participate in NaNo annually. One poet self-published her collection and runs the poetry performances in the regional arts festival. A romance novelist has her first childrens book out. A zombie-thriller writer is a national novel contest finalist. What you do with your book after NaNoWriMo is up to you, but meeting other writers is inspirational. Why bother? I get asked this often and I have many answers. Writing a book in November gives me work to edit and submit for the rest of the year. Writing daily (as Hope recommends) gives  me a more professional approach to my work. NaNoWriMo encourages  me to try new genres and restored the fun in my writing. I meet other writers and built a year-round network. NaNoWriMo provides plenty of support apart from your local mentor. Theres a blog and published authors interact and inspire via  #NaNoCoach. The discounts on writing tools are hand,  and I enjoy my winners certificates and web-badges. Exclusive pep talks from bestsellers like  Neil Gaiman,  Diana Gabaldon, and  John Green  are fantastic. First-timers worry about the deadline but shouldnt. Even if you dont reach 50,000 words you will definitely write more than normally that you would otherwise in November. If you prefer to write plays, poetry or short fiction, join us anyhow. You get a cool title – NaNoRebel. If you write, youre welcome. This November consider becoming participant 500,001. NaNoWriMo Resources  ·      Ã‚  Ã‚  nanowrimo.org  ·         http://ywp.nanowrimo.org  Ã‚   Young Writers Programme (age 17 and under)  ·         http://campnanowrimo.org/about   Camp NaNo  ·         http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks   Exclusive Pep Talks archive  ·         http://blog.nanowrimo.org/ Blog free cover contest  ·         http://nanowrimo.org/sponsor-offers   Offers for winners and participants