National Novel Writing Month

Now, some of you that read my commitment to write 50,000 words in July may be wondering why 50,000 words. The answer to that is simple, that is the goal for the National Novel Writing Month. Back in 1999, a writer in the San Franciso Bay area (Chris Baty) decided what he really needed to do was to write a novel in a month.

It may sound like a lunatic's idea. But obvivously, he is not the only lunatic out there, for during the first year, twenty-one otehr writers signed up to do it also. And amazingly, six people won.

Won as in they actually finished 50,000 words in the space of a month. If you finish, you are a winner. Period. No matter how bad the novel is.

Each year, the "contest" gets more people involved. Last year, there was 79,000 writers involved. And 13,000 people won.

So why am I doing it in July, rather than November? Simple, I am a college sophomore and that is the height of term paper season. I would like to play in November, but I might be busy, so I am doing it in July. Just to prove to myself that I can (and to edge out of my borderline writer's block).

http://www.nanowrimo.org/