NaNoWriMo is DONE!

Yes!  The 2018 edition of National Novel Writing Month is finished, and I WON!

Don't know what NaNoWriMo is all about?   Well, it's a month-long 50,000-word writing marathon.  It's a chance to write the first draft of the novel that's been floating around in your brain, but you've never committed to paper.

I know, 50,000 words sounds like a lot of writing, and honestly, it IS, but it is absolutely doable.

It all starts in September, when you're able to go to the NaNoWriMo website and give your novel its identity.  I hesitate to call it a title  (even though that's what the website asks for), because the actual title doesn't really matter.  You can name it anything - My Book for This Year, My First Novel, Random Stuff.  Whatever you want.  Just name the project and go from there.

If you're a planner type of writer, you can work on an outline before November, because an outline isn't the actual writing - it's just a roadmap.  If you're a seat-of-the-pants type, you can wait until November 1 and just start writing.  You have until 11:59 p.m. on November 30 to write your 50,000 (or more) words. 

Here's my progress graph from November 2018.
It's on the stats tab on the website.

To "win," all you need to do is write a minimum of 50,000 words.  You don't have to finish the novel by the end of the month.  You don't want to edit.  You want to simply spew sentences.  

You don't write on the website.  You write using whatever program you prefer.  Many writers use Microsoft Word™ or Scrivener™.  Then when you have reached the goal and are ready to confirm your word count, you select all, copy it, then paste it into a box on the website's validation page.

If you're a loner, you can participate all by yourself.  But if you need or want some community or encouragement, many areas have write-ins, often at a bookstore, library, or coffee shop.  They may be listed in the calendar in the "Regions" tab on the website.  Don't be shy!  Everyone is there for the same reason - to write!

If you're not sure you want to commit to 50,000 words in a month, there are two other times you can experience a sort of NaNoWriMo Lite - Camp NaNoWriMo, in April and July.  It's the exact same idea, except you are able to set your word count goal for the month.  If you want to aim for a goal of less than 50,000 words, that's what you enter.  It's kind of a nice warm-up to the "real" NaNoWriMo in November.  You get a feel for what it's like to write a lot of words over a relatively short timespan.  You get familiar with how the website works.  You have a lot of fun.

Yes.  

FUN.  

Well, maybe not necessarily while you're in the throes of the writing frenzy, but like running a marathon, the fun is in having accomplished something many people talk about but never get around to doing.

If you have a book simmering inside you, NaNoWriMo is a way to let it out.

Just do it!