What is NaNoWriMo?

November is on the horizon - which means most corners of writerdom are abuzz about "NaNoWriMo"! Chances are, if you're a writer, you've had at least a few friends commit to this project...but what does it all mean? What's this NaNoWriMo thing everyone's been talking about? Should you participate? Is it too late to start? I've got the scoop on NaNo right here! NANOWRIMO is short for National Novel Writing Month. For decades, this month of "literary abandon" has taken place every November; the core goal is to write 50k words in the month of November, averaging about 1776 words per day. Some popular traditional novels were actually drafted as NaNo novels (I believe CINDER, first book in THE LUNAR CHRONICLES, was one!)! This event really brings seasoned and new writers together. And in recent years, NaNo has expanded to include two summer camps as well as making space for "rebels" - writers working on old projects, co tinuing an existing WIP, editing, etc. rather than jumpstarting an all-new book! It's also NEVER too late to start NaNo! Ultimately, NaNoWriMo is a tool - one that uses guidelines, community, and structure to help writers complete a project. If that helps you, then you should absolutely 100% jump in! Update that word count daily! Visit those forums! Use it a little or a lot! However, if you find the NaNo structure is hindering rather than helping, don't be afraid to skip it or bow out. Some writers do NaNo for years and then find one year it's just not serving them. For some, it never really clicks. That is A-okay! If you're one whose been on the fence, though, I encourage you to give it a shot! You may just find the tool that helps you accomplish your next writing dream!