November is National Novel Writing Month. Thousands of people participate every year in this competition. The goal of the contest is simple: Write an entire novel -- at least 50,000 words -- during the 30 days of November. There is no single winner in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). Everyone who writes at least 50,000 words is a "winner," and gets a t-shirt.
If you're a writer -- aspiring or otherwise -- you should check out the official NaNoWriMo website (nanowrimo.org). It has lots of tools and resources for writers, and it's the official place to register for the contest and upload your daily progress during November for the official word count.
One truly wonderful thing about NaNoWriMo is the fact that it allows the writer to be part of a community as he or she takes part in this creative endeavor. Writing is most often a completely isolated activity, but NaNoWriMo can change the dynamics of the writing experience. Along with online interactions in the writing forums, there are meetings in every region of the country to encourage the writers in this zany, hectic, creative endeavor.
So... how does this all relate to my still-unfinished novel, Fog Count?
It's simple. I plan on using NaNoWriMo to finish -- or at least advance the progress of -- my novel.
Although NaNoWriMo prefers that participants start with a brand new project (the website calls it "the gift of a clean slate"), the official rules state "That being said, we welcome all writers at any stage." For contest purposes, however, I can only count the words written during the month of November.
So... maybe the pressure of a one-month 50,000-word deadline will give me the kick in the pants I need to get this book finished. Or at least closer to finished.
We'll see, won't we?
