Its almost NaNoWriMo time: all writers, start your keyboards!

In less than twenty days, it will be November, 2009. So what? After all, November is merely the month between Halloween and Christmas. Well, for the world’s community of writers, November does mean something all on its own.

November is National Novel Writing Month. Now in its eleventh year, this free fiction writing contest has two simple rules. One, only new words of fiction written during the month of November count. Two, in order to win, write at least 50,000 words during the month of November. Everyone who makes it to the 50,000 mark before midnight local time on November 30 joins the winners circle. Take it from one who made it last year: the more winners, the more satisfying it feels.

I first learned about it for the first time last year, and submitted my registration information a few minutes before midnight on November 1. Thus, I started out with one day completely gone, as far as writing goes. Still, I joined the winners before the 30th.

What goes through the mind of a first time participant? Well, I progressed from “that sounds simple” through “50,000 in 30 days? Am I nuts?” to “I think I might actually be able to do this.”
Somewhere around the middle of the month my thinking changed to “50k in 30 days? No prob.” So, yes, with persistence and patience, even first time participants can join us winners.

People often wonder if it is self defeating for an author to emphasize quantity over quality. After all, only high quality manuscripts ever have a chance at getting published. Actually, every year, the number of nanowrimo manuscripts that become published novels increases. And, yes, some of these manuscripts sells rather well. The New York Times bestseller Water for Elephants first saw the light of day during NaNoWriMo. Who knows? Some year, a NaNo manuscript might break through and win a National Book Award, a National Book Critics Circle Award or a Pulitzer. Hey – we can always hope (and keep writing.)

I will be participating again this year (it is becoming the highlight of my year). Unlike last year, when I started out completely cold turkey – no plot ideas, no genre, no title – this year I have all three already firmly in mind. This year I am experimentally tackling an Avalon Career Romance that gives NaNoWriMo’s local write ins a very positive plug. Since Avalon’s preferred manuscript length is in the neighborhood of the NaNo winning word count, I am mulling over also at least starting an Avalon mystery during November as well.

So yeah, I’ll be there, writing up a storm. Won’t you join me? All you have to lose is a month’s worth of sleep (just kidding.)