Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? This is the short form for National Novel Writing Month. Every November, at least 300,000 people try to write the first draft of a novel in just 30 days. To complete this personal challenge, NaNoWrimo participants have to write 50,000 words between November 1-30.
I've always wondered what it would be like to write a novel so quickly. My first novel took me ten years to outline, draft, revise (a million times), polish, edit, and publish! This year, since I'm feeling a little bit stuck in my fiction writing life, I decided to register for NaNoWriMo. My goal this month is to find a few scenes or characters worth keeping from my rough draft. I hope this challenge will motivate me to get going on my second novel. I've had many false starts over the past few years, but I don't want to be one of those novelists who only writes one book!
There is also a youth version of this challenge. Young people can set their own writing goals. My eight-year-old daughter has decided to write her own novel this month. Her goal is to write 6000 words. I'm so excited that she'll be writing with me after dinner each evening. She is an amazing writer! Maybe she will agree to share a paragraph with you later in the month.
Writers who complete 50,000 words are considered "winners". There is no prize except the wonderful feeling of accomplishing a major goal.
You can help inspire my writing by answering this question:
Imagine a talent show in the future. What human talents will people have? If I use your idea, I'll add your name to the acknowledgments in my next novel. WARNING - It may be ten years from now.
Please share some motivating tips for me this month. I'll need all of the support I can get!
Comments
I just passed 10,000 words! Thanks for your encouragement. Please keep your ideas coming:
What human talents will people have in the future?
Thanks Bright Rubies. I think you're onto something...
@Ario That is such a helpful response. It's going to help me with a section I'm writing today. I can't thank you enough. I agree with you 100%!
I love this challenge as I love writing especially novels -although I didn't step any pace until now- and short stories. I will try to count how many words I could write every day and wonder how many words can my 4 year-old son write every day , too :D
about your Question dear, I think that it's so difficult to determine which talent would people have in the forwarding future. But as I guess it should relate to science or invention - everything that improve and advance our world like invent a way to live on mercury - something like that :)
Wow, so many interesting ideas! Thanks for helping inspire me. I've read some of your ideas a few times. Please keep more ideas coming: What talents will people have in the future?
@Ario, I'm sure NaNoWriMo participants can write in any language. You don't actually submit your novel for anyone to read. It's really just a personal challenge to reach 50,000 words.
Update: So far I have been able to write 1700 words/day. My daughter has managed to write 200 words/day (her goal).
In order to motivate us, my best friend has been sending us a word each day to include in our writing. So far the words have been:
"perpendicular"
"reserve"
"troops"
"downpour"
Interesting thoughts Tara will post some ideas :)
Let's help inspire Tara to complete the writing competition by answering her questions! I am not sure if you can join in the writing challenge by writing your own novel, though.
Sounds a big challenge! Hope to read your novel soon! Good luck!
Dear Madam Tara,
I feel that future human talents will mainly be gravitated around the human brain. The muscle power will be defeated at a certain point in near future and thereafter, brain power/strength will
become dominated (even now, it is visible to some extent). How far we (humans) are talent/capable to accumulate and focus the power/energy of brain on something is the real challenge in the future world. Actually, I’m not referring to a “superstition”, but something subject to the rule of nature. We (humans) will enter into a new phase in future where the relationship between
the matter and Energy will be redefined again, so we (humans) make a multi-dimensional world (at present, we live in a 3D world).
Good Luck!
Bimal
Dear Madam Tara,
I really appreciate this blog! And also, I would like to suggest you “please write more blogs to EC on different issues based on your interest”. You know that non-native speakers like me could
learn lots of things by reading blogs of this nature. So, I am pleased to emphasize here that the native speakers plus English teachers are able to play a leading role in constructing good blogs of this calibre for learners like me. And further, If it is possible to form a panel of volunteers, who are excellent in English language, to correct the blogs published by learners, it is highly appreciated. You know that learning is a continuous process irrespective of age, gender, race and so forth, so please think about these aspects in planning for future.
Good Luck!
Bimal