NaNoWriMo One Month Early

Do you do NaNoWriMo? It’s right around the corner. NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, takes place every November—a month of pens and paper, desktops and lap tops, coffee and creativity. The goal: to write a novel of 50,000 words or more in one month’s time.

I used to be a perennial participant. I won NaNoWriMo five years in a row. Then I realized that I had lots of decent first drafts of novels, but not enough polished final drafts, so I stopped.

I had thought of participating again this year, but I just couldn’t wait. So I decided to do it one month early. I started writing when the calendar turned to October, and I expect to have a draft completed before the trick-or-treaters arrive on the doorstep.

NaNoWriMo is more motivator than contest. It’s sort of like a marathon. You have to be a regular writer who practices, have to train yourself for the event. But if you do, and if you’re driven, you can write a novel in a month. And it’s a great feeling.

Then comes the rewriting and the editing. But there are plenty more months for that.

Whether you decide to participate in National Novel Writing Month or you decide on the month that best fits your schedule and mood, write on!

Look for more details on my latest novel, set in China, in the months to come. Until then, check out some of the places I visited earlier this year that found their way into the novel!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wk7nLxBlYA