November writing challenge is novel idea
Dmitry Yevtushenko, Staff Writer
photo: Graphic by Sarah Powell
For aspiring fiction writers, November does not just mean Thanksgiving. It is also National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo.
NaNoWriMo is a creative writing project held annually in November. For the duration of the month, participants attempt to write a 50,000-word novel from beginning to end.
Chris Baty is the mastermind behind this widespread event, established in 1999 for professional and amateur writers alike.
In 2004, Baty published a handbook for aspiring WriMo writers called “No Plot? No Problem!,” which guides writers week by week through the trial and tribulations of writing a novel in a month.
Over the past decade, NaNoWriMo has become an international event. Due to the spark of international interest, Baty invited foreign writers to participate in the event, encouraging them to write in their native language if desired.
NaNoWriMo is more about the quantity of words written than the quality of the content within. One may wonder what the point is of this “competition” if the only prize participants receive is self-satisfaction.
Because there is no clear-cut winner during NaNoWriMo, the reward comes in the form of the pride the writer has in his or her self for knowing he or she has the ability to write a 50,000 word novel.
When inquired about how one could manage writing a novel on top of schoolwork, University of Tulsa English major Lisa Neubert said, “I’m not too worried about balancing my writing and schoolwork. Honestly, unless you’re a professional novelist, when do you have the time to sit down and write a novel?
“There’s always school or work to contend with. If I just replace the time I spend on the internet or Facebook with writing, I can get an amazing amount done.”
Claudia Nogueira, assistant professor of English, said about students participating in NaNoWriMo, “The program sounds like a great incentive to write. Writing projects can stretch out over months, years, even decades, so I like how NaNoWriMo forces the participant to produce material and not procrastinate or put off writing for a less busy time.”
Any aspiring writers wishing to dedicate the next month to 30 days and nights of literary abandon and let their imaginations reign may find more information and register at www.nanowrimo.org.
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