Because I am a wild man, I like doing crazy things. Next month, I am going to try to crank out a novel.
Fortunately, I will not suffer this madness in isolation. This November, at least 100,000 insane folks from around the world will try to accomplish the same. This sorry lot will suffer unbearable finger cramps, succumb to Cheeto addiction, and spend countless hours procrastinating in front of old episodes of Buffy and The Wire in the name of “inspiration”–all so that they can say, “I wrote a novel!” And when they’ve accomplished this noble deed, their closest friends and family will gather around and embrace them and voice doubts about their value as future employees and marital material.
Welcome to NaNoWriMo, or interNational Novel Writing Month. Basically, the goal is to power out a 50,000 word novel between 11/01/09 12:00:01 am and 11/30/09 11:59:59 pm (inclusive). Considering that there are 43,200 minutes in November, this means we only need to write a little over one word per minute and we’re done! Easy-peasy, as Jana always says.
What’s really exciting is that my offspring will join me in this mini-asylum! I learned last week that both GameBoy and CatGirl decided to do this, without any influence from me (this disorder must be passed through the genes). GameBoy is doing this with the writing club at his high school, and this will actually be CatGirl’s third NaNoWriMo campaign.
At this point, I know of only one other person who will be doing this. (Hi Christie!) If you’re planning on going crazy this November, let me know! Let us not suffer alone.
Also, let me know if you’re interested in reading my story as I generate it. Let me warn you ahead of time: if all goes well, your inbox will receive a daily dump of about 2,000 words per day of pure schlock. I’m not joking: it will be the most one-dimensional, confusing, clichéd, contradictory, rambling, adjective and adverb-heavy, oh-my-god-all-these-characters-sound-exactly-the-same, and rambling (did I mention rambling) steaming liquid verbal excrement you’ve ever read. (Wasn’t that a convincing sales pitch!) But that’s ok, because half the reason for NaNoWriMo is to get us over the artist’s greatest enemy: our own self-criticism.
Essentially, I’m thinking of this NaNoWriMo like a sculptor’s first pass at a hunk of clay. The final product will start to take basic shape, but entire portions may be redone from scratch, and there’s still a lot smoothing and refining and reshaping that needs to be done. The first step may be unappealing, but it’s a necessary step on the way to the final masterpiece.
So, this isn’t a promise that I will share, but drop me a line if you crave a daily dose of story. I reserve the right to be selective, depending on who and how many of you want in. You wouldn’t be required to read it, but I would expect you to hold any critique until December (and common sense stuff like not sharing it, etc.)
Anyhow, wish us luck in our collective madness!
17 responses so far ↓
1 Erin G. // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:11 am
I would love to read as you create next month. Please put me on the list, if you decide to share.
2 Bored in Vernal // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:40 am
If I weren’t spending 2 weeks of the month away from home, I’d love to join in. But I really want to read your “stuff.” So send it to me, too!
3 Elaine // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:46 am
Oh, I definitely want to read, since I’m not going to have the time nor the energy to participate this year.
Just try to make sure to leave some time at the end of the month to visit LosCon for at least an afternoon or so. Would love to see you and yours there.
4 Craig // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:49 am
Good luck! May you be touched by his noodly appendage. In an appropriate, totally non-molestery way, of course.
5 G // Oct 20, 2009 at 11:55 am
please fill my inbox with 2,000 words of pure schlock. I would really like that.
(also, trying to think of the best way to tailor my own goals to this challenge, to be there in solidarity with you.. hmmmm)
6 Elise // Oct 20, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Can I sign up for a one-time email of the whole thing on December 1st? If that is an option I’m in.
I have too many daily emails and I’m trying to simplify but I’d love to read!
7 elizabeth // Oct 20, 2009 at 4:45 pm
hi john!
be my nano buddy! supersecretcel
8 chanson // Oct 21, 2009 at 4:31 am
I’d be curious to read it as it develops! You have my email.
9 Megan // Oct 21, 2009 at 11:42 am
Ooooh. Damn. Have been seriously looking for a creative challenge to shock me out of a bit of a funk but this?? I’m itching to register – ITCHING…
10 John // Oct 21, 2009 at 12:19 pm
You all are such wonderfully lovely people! Thank you!
elizabeth! hey, a local nano pal–I didn’t know you were writing, too!
Craig, are you allowing for consensual molesterly acts between the FSM and his/her/its worshipers?
Elise, no prob. Wait another month or two, and I can get you the first rewrite.
Megan, please let me know if you do–but no pressure.
11 chosha // Oct 21, 2009 at 1:18 pm
You can add me to your list of readers, but I can’t promise I’ll do it, because I’ll also be busy writing. I’ve tried NaNoWriMo before, but this time I actually have a decent idea I’ve been procrastinating for a while. Good chance to crank it out.
12 Kelly Ann // Oct 21, 2009 at 7:37 pm
i’m totally going to do this myself now
13 John // Oct 22, 2009 at 8:39 am
Thanks, chosha.
Kelly Ann, go go go! Good luck, and keep us posted!
14 Stella Quinn // Oct 23, 2009 at 11:01 am
I’m in! http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/540943/
15 Megan // Oct 26, 2009 at 8:12 am
Augh. I wasn’t going to do it. Then I maybe was but honestly had nothing ready for it – I mean nothing, no plot, no characters, no theme – NUFFIN! So I wasn’t going to do it. Particularly when a creative writing faculty member tossed off ‘oh do it! And I’ll read it!’ no. Definitely no. Until I realized I sort of had a theme and it really needed writing and there might even be a character or two sitting there and Oh! Is that a story arc?
So I’m in. For my sins. Which are many.
16 Saganist // Oct 26, 2009 at 11:49 am
Yep, I’ll be doing NaNoWriMo too. My wife and I did it last year and it was a blast. Add me as a buddy if you like; my handle on the site is Saganist. http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/426653
17 Sunday in Outer Blogness: Religious Diversity Edition! | Main Street Plaza // Nov 1, 2009 at 4:12 pm
[...] writing projects, we’ve got at least three on the NaNoWriMo wagon (and one NaBloPoMo). Plus, Matt is organizing a YouTube Exmo advert [...]
Leave a Comment