Can You Write a Novel in Thirty Days?

Could you imagine completing an entire novel in a month?

It sounds insane, I'm sure. But it's an insanity called National Novel Writing Month, which attracts thousands of participants every year. In some ways, it's a contest, but the only person you're really competing against is yourself. NaNoWriMo, as it's shortened to, occurs every year and runs from November 1st through November 30th.

The rules are very simple: during this month-long period, participants must try to complete a 50,000 word novel, a novel they started from scratch. At the end, they can submit their work to NaNoWriMo for word verification. And... that's it. There aren't any prizes given out, no publishing deals awarded, just the satisfaction that you've finished a novel.

"What? All that hard work for nothing? What a rip-off!"

I can see why you might think that, but you first have to ask yourself, "if I'm only writing a novel to win something, then why the hell am I writing a novel?" Playing the lottery is far less stressful and far less time-consuming. For a writer, completing that first novel is an incredibly huge accomplishment, and completing it in a month is an even bigger one. Some first-time writers work on that novel for years -- I know one writer who's been hard at work on a novel for the better part of a decade.

Participation in NaNoWriMo is an exciting and rewarding experience. I've been doing it since 2003 and even though only one of my novels was actually completed, I still have a blast with it. I plan on coming back again this November, have an idea fired up and ready to go. Some friends and I are starting a little competition amongst ourselves to see who can get to the finish line first, in an effort to boost our enthusiasm to complete our respective novels.