Raise Your Pens With 300,000 Others

National Novel Writing Month is here from November 1st to November 30th.

Alex LaGrand, Editor-in-Chief|November 6, 2013

Each year, over 300,000 writers come together to achieve one goal: a novel of 50,000 words in thirty days.

Each year, over 300,000 writers come together to achieve one goal: a novel of 50,000 words in thirty days.

A literary craze is sweeping through this November, and it’s known as National Novel Writing Month, known more simply as NaNoWriMo. A thirty-day exploit to achieve a novel with a word count of 50,000, NaNoWriMo serves as the path to a goal in which over 300,000 writers worldwide participate each year.

Beginning in 1999 with only twenty-one participants, the competition has grown substantially, with this year’s number of writers totaling 275,876 as of November 5th. The number continues to grow, with over 8,000 new participants joining the quest overnight. The competition starts on November 1st, running through November 30th, and tests the skills and determination of writers throughout to see if they have what it takes to fulfill the request of a 50,000-word novel in such a short amount of time. According to the NaNoWriMo organization, they value enthusiasm, determination, and deadlines, and truly believe in the writers taking part.

A writer is deemed a winner beginning on November 25th through the 30th if they meet the 50,000 word count. With the winning title, they receive a web badge reserved solely for winners, in addition to a winner’s certificate. Many sponsors of the event provide exceptional deals and discounts for winners and participants in an effort to spread the love of writing in a competitive and healthy way.

Each year, with the birth of thousands of new novels, publishing comes into play. Hundreds of NaNoWriMo novels have made it to market, with some more popular titles being Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and The Darwin Elevator, by Jason Hough. For a complete list of published works, check out NaNoWriMo’s website.

In the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina alone, there are 4,729 registered writers participating, and in order to live up the yearly event as much as possible, local events are being created to gain spirit and enthusiasm. Some of the local events are listed below, but for a complete list of local NaNoWriMo events, visit the Raleigh-Durham regional NaNoWriMo website.

  • Wednesday, November 6th: Cameron Village Write-In (6:00pm)
  • Wednesday, November 6th: West Regional Library Write-In (6:30pm)
  • Saturday, November 9th: Donation and Writing Marathon (All day)
  • Saturday, November 9th: Apex Write-In (10:00am)
  • Sunday, November 10th: NC State University Write-In (2:00pm)
  • Monday, November 11th: Cary at Panera in Crossroads Write-In (6:00pm)
  • Friday, November 29th: Black Friday Write-In (10:00am)

You can even follow the Raleigh-Durham NaNoWriMo region on Twitter at @NaNoRDU for daily updates and locations of write-ins.

Overall, National Novel Writing Month is emerging as a yearly tradition for writers everywhere. Will you join the quest? Will you meet the 50,000 word count goal? Register today at www.nanowrimo.org and join a community of writers working towards the same, extraordinary goal – the completion of a novel.