NaNoWriMo 2006

I have decided to take part in NaNoWriMo again this year. For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for National Novel Writing Month. The competition has grown from the first NaNoWriMo that took place July 1999, in San Francisco with a mere 21 aspiring novelists into a global competition. It's really wonderful what they are doing and the level of participation and dedication NaNoWriMo-ers have.

Last year I did not complete the goal of a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I got a contract in the middle of the month that threw me off course. I marvel at people who complete their 50,000 word count while juggling work and home. My 2005 effort basically converted a screenplay idea my friends and I had and turning into a novel. This year I will focus on resuscitating a novel I started in 2002/2003. I worried about the legal issues surrounding the subject matter and the actual amount of research it would require to do it justice. I focused more on bringing an authenticity to my work, and feeling overwhelmed by the hurdles I faced, than just sitting down and cranking out a story. NaNoWriMo is about quantity. They expect that much of what you write will be crap. The nice thing is, since no one is actually adjudicating the entries, you can let go of the fears that might normally hold you back. There are opportunities to share of course, be it on your NaNo page where you can display excerpts or with your local participants. From the forum, I have read about the Ottawa group having “Saturday write-ins“ where local NaNoWriMo-ers get together in public place (for example, last year they used the World Exchange Center foodcourt) and sit around and write together.

I am not used to sitting around and writing with people, other than work situations, but cubicle walls give me a sense of privacy. I am not sure if I will join in the Ottawa write-ins but this is a time of great change for me. I should probably challenge myself as much as I can in the next 7 months. Once our new addition joins us, life will never be the same.