Celebration Shout Out: NaNoWriMo FTW!

Flyer courtesy of NaNoWriMo

You think writing blogs is fun? Try writing a novel. Like, seriously, try writing a novel! It is National Novel Writing Month after all.

If you haven't heard of it before, the goal of National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) is to sit down and finally finish that novel that's been swimming around in your head for years. Or alternatively, to start a new idea and chase it to the end. The challenge itself: write 50,000 words in one month, which is approximately 1667 words a day. Difficult? Yes. Ridiculous? Sometimes. Worth it? Um, YES!

Writers, start your engines!

It's true, 50,000 words in a month is quite the challenge, and the first two times I attempted NaNoWriMo, I barely made it halfway through. Still, I was 20-30K more words along than I would have been in an average month of writing. And, like they say, third time's the charm.

Since I like to start NaNoWriMo with no plan at all (as I get to discover a whole new story that way), I asked my roommates at the time what I should include in my novel. Their answers? A chef, sickle cell anemia, Cloud Strife and a very large monster with pointy teeth. And so, in the midst of my busiest college semester, I finally threw together my first ever, completed novel: Leviathan! 

Thomas Hobbes would be proud!

Now of course it's not the great American novel, but it wasn't meant to be. It was a fun writing adventure that opened up a story I didn't even know I had in me. I was so pleased with my accomplishment that I even had it professionally bound, complete with two of my roommates on the cover along with my touch pad masterpiece of a sea monster. Good times all around! 

A bunch of my friends and family read it, and enjoyed it I might add, but my great uncle Dan (my senior by exactly 63 years) told me after a stern but pleasant enough review, that I should do a western next time. Sounded good to me!

A copy in Germany counts as world renowned.

The next year for NaNoWriMo I pounded out over 50,000 words of dime western boot-scootery. I had never read a real western for myself at that point, so I purposely threw in every stereotype I could think of - black and white hats and everything! Surprisingly, it turned out pretty well, and I even gave Fiddlesticks a solid plot/typo edit post-November before sending it to press. My third roommate graced the cover of this epic masterpiece, and my friends once again provided some of the classiest back-of-book quotes a girl could ask for.

Time to ride off into the sunset!

And while I swore I would write a novel every November from here on into eternity, life happened and I admit I missed a few. But, with a fresh start and a new name (LydMc, nee Wincawuu, if anyone wants to be my writing buddy!) - I am raring to go once again, and on to another new and exciting adventure.

But enough writing about it, I think it's about time to get back to my novel. And for all you folk who are interested in joining me, it's never too late! If some people can write a novel in a weekend, three more weeks should be plenty. 

8-bit Nerdiness courtesy of NaNoWriMo

Happy novelling, everyone! Write on!