Hi guys! As some of you may know, throughout the month of November, there'll be a writing event called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Since this year I've decided to participate, I thought I would write a quick post to share some info with you.
Some NaNoWriMo Info
What's NaNoWriMo?
Basically, you have one month to write the first draft of a novel at a minimum word count of 50,000 words. I'm actually sorta cheating and writing a short story collection instead, haha. I've graduated from uni a few days ago and until I begin my Masters course next year, I'll have loads of free time. So I thought to myself, why not seize the occasion to try my hand at NaNoWriMo?
Are there, like, prizes and stuff?
The event is more a personal motivation thing than an actual writing competition. The end game is the completion of a 50,000 + words draft of your project, for which the main reward is simply the satisfaction that you DID IT. So, nope, it's not like there's going to be a big prize or whatever. Also, no one will be judging the content of your project. Again, the whole point of NaNo is simply to get you to sit down and write. The reward is that 50,000th word you'll hopefully reach.
How does it work?
Throughout the month of November, participants are going to be working on their writing projects, updating their word count as they proceed. Their NaNo dashboard, which they can access after signing up on the official NaNo website, will help them keep tract of their reached word count. Throughout the event there are also badges which you can win, much like in a game, upon reaching various goals. By the end of the month, if you managed to reach 50,000 or more words, you are a winner.
My Writing Project For This Year
What will I be writing?
This year, for my first participation, I'll be writing a short story collection. I'm not certain if I'll be able to reach the 50,000 words goal in November but I'm going to try to give it my best shot. My collection will comprise of several fantasy and magical realism stories revolving around women and themes of freedom and escape.
How did I prepare?
Some people like going into the event without planning ahead. If that works for you, then I would suggest you stick to this style and have fun creating your story as you go along. I do prefer planning ahead though, which is what I've been busy doing this past month. If you'd like more details about how I plan my writing, let me know and I'll gladly write a post about that ^^
Are you also participating? Let's be writing buddies!
If you'll also be participating in NaNoWriMo, feel free to add me as your writing buddy so that we can encourage each other and stuff :) You can add me by clicking here.
My Writing Updates and Progress
I'll be doing some NaNo updates on my Facebook Page throughout the month. If you wish to stay informed about my writing progress, click here to go like my Facebook page and catch my latest update posts.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you guys. As usual, feel free to share your thoughts with me in the comments ^^
Best of luck to you with your writing! I hope it goes well.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know that I did the Fall tag that you tagged me in. Here's the link if you want to check it out:
http://mlsmanyreads.blogspot.ca/2015/10/the-fall-time-cozy-book-tag.html
Thanks Melissa :) Looking forward to reading your post.
DeleteGood luck with Nano! I'm not really a writer, but I like to read how people do with nano - it seems so fun (stressful too,of course!) I would love to read how you plan your writing! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Charlene! I might write that post during the month if I have some time :)
DeleteI participated in NaNoWriMo last year and it was seriously so much fun!! A little nerve racking but so much fun nonetheless! I wrote a mystery/thriller which was really different for me but I was so happy with how easy it was to write! I guess it helped that I was really passionate about getting the story down on paper ;) I'll be participating again this year and I hope to complete another 50,000 words this time around! I'm so excited about you participating this year!! Just added you as a buddy! Hope the writing goes awesome for you!!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping NaNo will give me the motivation to finally write those stories which I've had in mind for some time now. I'm happy to have a blogger friend as a writing buddy ^^ Good luck with your writing Anissa :)
DeleteHi Soudha, I am THRILLED to see another fellow Mauritian who loves books and writing them as much as I do. I did NaNoWriMo 3 years in a row (big fail the first two and finally completed on time the 3rd). How did you find it? I hope you had plenty of support. Is there a writing group of sorts? Ciao, Beatrice
ReplyDeleteSame here Beatrice! Glad to come across another book loving Mauritian :) Okay so NaNo was an EPIC fail for me last year. I might be trying again this year though. Unfortunately, no, I was unable to find a support/writing group for Mauritian writers. Maybe this year if I participate we can be writing buddies ^^
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