[box type=”bio”] We are pleased to publish this series of guest posts by Dr. Markus McDowell, an author and editor. He writes primarily nonfiction in the fields of law and religion, but we discovered that he has written fiction since he was 14 years old (but never published any). We convinced him to give NaNoWriMo a try, and to document the experience for us. Thank you, Dr. McDowell![/box]
NaNoWriMo Newbie
Next month, I will be joining the large community of writers and would-be writers to write 50,000 words of a novel. That is about 1700 words a day, every day, for 30 days.
If you are a writer, you have probably heard of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The organizing body is a nonprofit body that has been holding the event since 1999 (when it had 23 participants). Last year, there were 310,000 adult novelists who completed the goal.
NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel.
Writing 50,000 words in a month
I have written a number of novels and nonfiction books, essays, and stories, but I have never published any of my fiction. The idea setting aside a month to finish the bulk of a rough draft is intriguing. Likewise, the idea of online “buddies” who encourage, support, and offer feedback to one another is interesting. Having a public deadline, rather than my own private deadline seems like positive characteristic as well, even though there is no down-side for failing to reach the goal (except, perhaps, one’s own guilt).
The text of your novel is not shared with anyone (unless you choose to do so). Periodically, you must upload your completed text for a computer to count the words then delete it. Those who pass 50,000 words receive prizes and awards (mostly modest discounts or opportunities for finished version.) Merely joining the community gives you access to discounts on a variety of writer aids and software (i.e., Scrivener, which is what I will be using for my research notes, outlining, and the actual writing.)
Join Up
There is no fee to join, and no penalty for not finishing. If you have ever wanted to write a novel, or want a structured environment to write your next, sign up here. You can research, outline, do character sketches and background work before November 1.
My Novel
My concept (at the moment) is to write a literary novel set in a relatively modern time period, using the literary structure of the book of Job. Some of the themes will be drawn from Job as well: the book’s bold questions about God’s role in the terrible things that happen to humans are theologically and experientially troubling and fascinating. Of course, I intend to touch on those issues in a (hopefully) enjoyable and interesting narrative.
I will be blogging at least once a week about the experience leading up to November 1 and during the process itself. Join me, or following along by subscribing to this blog here.
