In writing circles, NaNoWriMo is one of those acronyms that breeds excitement akin to a short line for the roller coaster or induces the need for Xanax.
I am in the later group.
It’s National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo. There are parties and everything.
It is awful.
First, it is a lie. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. Fifty thousand words is not a novel. It is more than a novella, but you need 80,000 to be a real novel. And I always write more words than I can use so if I write 50,000 words, I am only going to be able to actually USE about 40 (thousand).
So it’s some weird fake goal. Like when I say I only want to lose 10 pounds.
Um, no.
Second, I am so enthused by these people who gather in cafes to start their word count at midnight. How exciting! How wonderful! Ready? Set?
I am not doing it.
It stresses me out.
Fifty thousand words in a month doesn’t intimidate me.
But there is something about a national movement telling me I have to do it…An online forum. An accountability system. Check ins. Tabulate. Calculate.
It completely freaks me out.
Completely.
So, I wish you all who sign up and write like fiends the best.
But I will save my Xanax for special occasions and just call it another month of writing the words.
As many words as I can. The best I can.
We can talk December 1.
You know, The Great Gatsby is 50,000 words … and it’s a novel. That’s why Chris Baty, the founder of NaNoWriMo, chose that word count. Just saying’…
There you go. I do think it’s a good length to push for in a month (for those who don’t write like fiends all the time anyway). I’m still not doing it.