Ready, Set,... Write!
Written by T.gigas

It’s that time of year again, that wonderful time when geeks the world over unite with a single purpose to create something totally unique. If you think I mean ComiCon, then you’ve been living under a rock for a few months now and should seek help and possibly financial counseling.

No, I mean National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever thought that you could write the next Great American Novel if you could only find the time to sit down at your computer and let yourself go? This isn’t quite the same thing; no, it’s much much more fun. You have the entire month of November, beginning on the 1^st and finishing on the 30^th, to write 50,000 words (usually equivalent to about 175 pages).

I wouldn’t call this conglomeration of word vomit a novel at first, because a good portion of it will be pages and pages of your characters having an argument about whether the sky is blue, or a copy of your 4^th grade book report on Aliens Ate My Homework, or extremely long descriptions of things that have no bearing whatsoever on the plot; anything to pad the word count. Last year, my first time participating, all of my characters were described with their first AND last names, and I had a few characters who didn’t use contractions – you’d be surprised how much you can get out of “do not” rather than “don’t,” as well as “like” and “totally,” in a story about teenagers. You just have to keep telling yourself: editing is for December. Don’t look back.

This whole flash-writing shebang started in July of 1999, when 21 people in Northern California decided to live the dream instead of getting up and doing the same thing day in and day out. Thankfully, these enlightened ones spread their gift world-wide; last year approximately 119,000 adults engaged their creative sides and 22,000 younger people joined in, setting their own goals with NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program for ages 17 and under.

Creating a coherent story that other people would actually enjoy reading: how, you ask, could this possibly be fun? This is where the geek community comes in. The website, www.nanowrimo.org, has discussion forums, procrastination stations, and location trackers so that people in the same area can hold write-ins. Last year, I got most of my writing done when I lugged my laptop down to Spike’s Pizza to meet up with twenty other geeks; we hogged the tables, spread jungles of power cords across the floor, and desperately tried to keep the stories rolling without getting grease on our keyboards.

These events can be sponsored by the website or held just because misery loves company. These geeks are your peers, and they can help you out with spontaneous suggestions though they haven’t a clue what’s going on in your story.

“I’m stuck,” you cry, fisting your hand in your disheveled hair because your dashing hero absolutely refuses to rescue your beautiful and helpless heroine from the dastardly villain, no matter how awfully she shrieks. When did you lose control of your own creations?

“So maybe two masked men should come through the door with guns,” says the lady sitting to your left, where a spaceship is apparently malfunctioning unexpectedly and its crew of small furry teddy bears is in extreme peril.

“But then I’d have to explain what they’re doing! And whose side . . . they’re . . . on . . .” You trail off and furiously attack your keyboard, inspired anew. The robo-word-counter is a harsh but impartial taskmistress.

In order to finish, it is extremely important to tell everyone you know that you are writing a novel, especially grandparents. The prospect of their disappointed faces keeps many a mired writer from throwing down the metaphorical pen and giving up ten days in. Also encouraging are the weekly inspiring emails from real, published authors who tell you that you are amazing and that they could in no way manage what you are attempting. It’s a beautiful feeling.

So join up this year! Drop off the face of the planet for a month, and then reappear suddenly and tell all your friends exactly where you have been. Or rather, tell them to read about it.

Be my Writing Buddy! A meter measures your day-to-day progress and posts it for all to see, as well as any plot summaries you care to give, cover art you drew in any spare time you can snatch, and some personal info like your favorite books and what music you like to write to. My name is Tridacnagigas, and I’m writing a novel this November!