NaNoWriMo 2011

Image by evilnick via Flickr

For those of you who don’t know, November is National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known by insiders as NaNoWriMo or just Nano.

It’s pretty much the coolest thing since sliced bread. Writers, aspiring writers, and crazy college kids who hate sleep write entire novels in the month of November.

The goal: 50,000 words.

Yep. That’s an entire novel (depending on genre).

Last year, I wrote 7,000 words. It was my first nano, and I didn’t prepare much at all. I told my students about it, and several of them doubled my word count because they’re awesome – and they’re young and have more time than the rest of the people in this world.

This year, I’m prepared. I’ve outlined 10 chapters, created a character web, and even done an interview. Of course that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll be writing 50,000 words this year, but I’m aiming for at least 25,000. I’m actually writing a book that I care about and that I plan to eventually seek publication of.

“But, Katie – what about that other novel you’ve been working on for two years?”

Let’s be honest, guys, my current WIP (work in progress) is decent, and it’s the first manuscript I’ve ever entirely completed, but it’s also my first manuscript. Some of you have been asking about MOSS MINE for more than a year, and I appreciate it, and plan to keep plugging away at it forever, until it’s shiny and ready for querying… but true writers WRITE. So that’s what I’m going to do.

And isn’t NaNoWriMo the absolute koolest of the kool opportunities to WRITE?

I’m actually even going to participate in those crazy write-ins they do, I’m going to read the pep talks, and I’m going to try. I even considered doing the mid-night kick-off event thing, but, sadly, it’s a school night and I have to work the next morning. I will, however, be writing in on Wednesday the 2nd at IHOP and Friday the 4th ALL NIGHT… okay, maybe just until I hit my word count goal, but still.

Now, dear readers, I think you should participate too!

Yep!

You should click here and sign up for NaNoWriMo.

Do it!

You know you want to!

After you sign up, leave me a comment or send me an email with your secret Nano codename and we can be writing buddies! Or you can find me and we can be writing buddies! My secret codename is kathrynleighaz.

Yay!

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