All You Need to Know About NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo Basics:

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, as it's affectionately called by participants, was begun by Chris Baty in 1999, with the goal of getting writers to tackle a big project and of raising money for various causes. Over the years, it's grown from 21 participants and six "winners" to 101,510 participants and 15,333 winners. How do you win? Just write an entire novel from scratch (50,000 words) by midnight, November 30.

How to Participate in NaNoWriMo:

Sign up for NaNoWriMo online starting October 1 of each year. Start writing November 1, and "write like crazy for thirty days." If you succeed in writing 50,000 words, you may send your novel to them to have the words counted, and your name will be added to their list of winners. As Chris Baty explains in his book, No Plot? No Problem!, NaNoWriMo provides writers with a deadline, forcing them to overcome their fears and write.

Find a NaNoWriMo Group in Your Area:

One of the great things about NaNoWriMo is that it provides writers with instant community and support ("Win or lose, you rock for even trying"). After all, it's kind of insane to try to write a novel in a month. NaNoWriMo ensures that you don't go it alone. To find a chapter near you, simply go to their website and find your local chapter.

For a better idea of what a typical NaNoWriMo experience is like, check out scenes from past National Novel Writing Month events. And for a completely different sort of NaNoWriMo write-in, go to photos and commentary from an Austin nature write-in.

So Who Does This Crazy Thing?:

For a better idea of the company you'd be keeping, see profiles of some of last year's participants, who included lawyers, librarians, screenwriters, teachers, and waitresses. Get NaNoWriMo tips from past participants or general advice on novel-writing from Kris Saknussemm.

Have NaNoWriMo Novels Been Published?:

NaNoWriMo books have borne the logos of presses such as Warner Books, Ballantine, and Berkley Books. One novel, Sarah Gruen's Flying Changes, was even a New York Times bestseller. Other published books include Rebecca Agiewich's Breakup Babe, Dave Wilson's The Mote in Andrea's Eye, and Gayle Brandeis's Self Storage.