What is NaNoWriMo Anyway?

[Racheling]

National Novel Writing Month

November is approaching fast, and that means it's almost time for National Novel Writing Month!

Ready to write a novel in 30 days? Ready to write like crazy, stay up late, get up early, and drive your friends and family nuts as you plow through 50,000 words in a month? Great! Hang out here and share your goals and struggles, or just chat about the experience.


Do you have an idea yet?
Are you planning it out beforehand or writing by the seat of your pants?
Have you done NaNo before?
Any tips for new NaNo participants?

[Racheling]

Information / FAQ

WHAT: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.
WHEN: November 1st, 12:00:01 am your local time to November 30th, 11:59:59 pm your local time.
WHO: You! And a whole bunch of other crazy people!
WHERE: Sign up at NaNoWriMo.org. Other than that, anywhere you write best!
WHY: Because inside every person is a book waiting to be written.


When, where, and how do I sign up?
Simply go to NaNoWriMo.org and sign up for an account by clicking the "sign up now!" button in the header. Once you've got an account, all you need to do is wait for November and start uploading your word count to be counted as a participant.


Have more questions? Check out the NaNoWriMo FAQ pages. If you've got a question you can't find an answer to, ask here!

[Blackmarket Babies]

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! 15 days, can you believe it?

I don't even have names for my characters.

[Chouryou]

I'm excited for this too! It's my first time to join. I have an idea already and a general plot, but the details still need to be sorted out.

[Sevi Rais]

Yay! Good luck to all the WriMos out there! Start outlining now! yum_tea

[Baney Cakes]

Good luck to any and all who plan on participating this year! I am going for my 5th year in a row and I believe I might have something that will help me get to the end this time!

[Ysavvryl]

I've already made a general outline for my NaNo novel back in September. I used to never write outlines; my past three NaNos were all done out of my head, spur of the moment. But now I have three long stories (including the NaNo) which are informally outlined. It's so weird... but then I know I have a tendency to run off with tangents and those particular plots are complex or unusual.

Then the question is, how long until I abandon my outline? Hah hah!

Good luck to everyone else! And if you're still waffling, just give it a try. Going day by day is often an easier way for lots of people.

[Zeto]

I have no idea where I'm going to find the time for NaNo. D: It's my first time but I am already planning for it with a plot outline, character development and a journal to jot down sudden ideas.

Best of luck to everyone!

[Knight of Disorder]

First time, and I actually have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to write about. It's a new idea but I have a pretty good plan for it. Now here's to hope I actually get to that elusive 50k word count.

[Da Flea]

Another year is upon us! dramallama

Do you have an idea yet?
Yep, I'll be writing a sequel to the novel I'm currently editing. XD

Are you planning it out beforehand or writing by the seat of your pants?
I've got a general outline, though it still has a few holes to plug up, and I'd like to plan some of the scenes a bit better, so I don't get tripped up by transitions.

Have you done NaNo before?
I've done Nano every year since 2006, and I've won all but last year. o_o;

Any tips for new NaNo participants?
My tips are to use the early excitement and get a big lead. You'll be thankful for it later. Also, if you get stuck on a difficult scene for more than a day, consider skipping ahead to the next scene. Maintaining momentum is vital. cat_3nodding

[whimsicaldreamer]

....

"Going for a second win for my second year.
I have my idea and it is planned out, though by planning I mean I have my characters and the villains, what happens in the middle is going to be decided during Nano.

To any new ones this year, stay on top of your word count and do not worry about how good what you wrote is that is what editing is for."

...

[Klabautermann]

I was going to do it last year but didn't have time. This year, I have a semi-developed plot, and am definitely at least TRY and participate!

[Miss Pagan Rose]

YES! biggrin I am so stoked! I can't wait! emotion_awesome I will win this year! emotion_donotwant

[SkyMessenger]

I'm scrambling to create my idea into a masterpiece. I only have some days left and I'm panicking!

[phantomkitsune]

I really want to try it this year, but I'm taking a 3-week Emergency Medical Responder class starting November 7, plus working weekends and studying, so I don't know if I'll be able to.