National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2020 / November Word Race! - Ready ... Set ... WRITE!

It's getting colder and creeping up on the end of the year, which means it's almost time for that mad dash to write as many words as possible! It's...

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What is NaNoWriMo?​

At its most basic definition, National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo aka NaNo) is writing a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November (That's only 1,667 words a day!). Many people get so much more out of it, some people don't, it's really up to you what NaNo is about. Many people don't even write a novel, they are rebels and write short stories, or work on an old project! You'll be doing it along with hundreds of thousands of other crazy people, so don't worry about being alone in your insanity!

NaNo is not about writing the next best seller (though it has been known to happen) or writing the perfect story, it's all about the writing. Repeat after me: "It's all about the writing." The goal is to get it all out there, get your ideas down and don't worry about editing, grammar or plot holes... those are things that can be taken care of once the writing is done. This is a rough (sometimes very rough) draft. I'll say it again, it's all about the writing.

If you should decided to take on this challenge, I promise you this: you will write some utter crap so go ahead and turn your inner editor off now or it's going to be a long month. But in writing impetuously, you may find that giving yourself the freedom to just write -without worry- results in some truly amazing prose!

How do I participate?​

You go to the NaNo website and sign up. Then starting at midnight November 1st (and no sooner!) write your heart out! You can write in a notebook, on your computer, heck, you could write on your walls, just as long as you don't write the same word over and over again!

Don't forget to check out the official NaNo FAQ.

I've signed up, what do I do now?​

Well, you can start outlining your story, make your characters, do some research, but remember, no actual writing until November 1st! Any words written before November 1st (in your time zone) don't count toward the word count. If your more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer you can check out the forums at the official NaNo site and discuss pretty much anything with your fellow Wrimos and discuss the process here with your fellow JCers.

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I know the muse won't cooperate, so why should I even try?​

Do you really know that? Really?

Give it a shot! Even if you only make a few hundred words, that's more than you had at the start of November! Maybe other people cheering you on will help inspire the muse to keep it going! Remember, it's not really about the word count, it's about the writing!

What do I get if I win?​

Absolutely nothing!!

But you do get the satisfaction of knowing you wrote 50,000 words in 30 days! We know for some people that's nothing, but for most people, that's incredible! And you have the start to a novel, or an epic fic, or several stories that are ready to be edited and posted!

But also the NaNo people make some shiny web badges so you can show off to the the internet how awesome you are! There are also a few companies that give you discounts or something free when you win so I guess technically you could win something!


If you've read this far and decided this isn't for you, just remember you'll never make it if you don't even attempt it. Many, many people don't make it to 50,000 words but there's still a lot of adventure and fun along the way!

Still not convinced? Tried it before and it's not for you? Feel free to keep tabs on this thread and cheer on those who are participating. We will take all the cheering (and caffeine) we can get!

So, you've decided to tackle the challenge?​

Awesome! Welcome aboard! We should have a lot of fun! If you plan on participating, post here and we'll add you to the list of participants. As the month goes on, make sure to tell us your word counts so we can cheer you on and update the list! If you have a different name on the NaNo site, let us know so we can friend you.

Okay, you've explained NaNoWriMo, but what's this about a November Word Race?​

For those of us mere mortals who think that the 50,000 words of NaNo are a bit too much, we are also carrying on with our tradition of a November Word Race for 2020. The rules for the Word Race are very simple: set your own goal for the month of November and then try your best to meet that goal!

To sign up, post that you intend to participate and what your goal is; be it a daily word count, a weekly word count, or an overall word count goal for the month!

The same as with NaNo, don't start counting your words until November 1st at midnight in your own time zone. Counting your words stops at midnight November 30th in your own timezone, as well.

Every few days (or every day, even!) let us know how you are doing. Please post your new words and your total words for the month. If you are doing a daily or weekly goal, you can certainly tell us how that's going, as well!

If you need a little motivation, you can ask for that too! We'll be here cheering each other on for the month. Together, there's no word count we can't reach!

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Participant List
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amidalachick (Goal: 4,500 words | Final: 5,072 words)
Briannakin (Goal: 15,000 words | Final: 15,085 words)
brodiew (Goal: 8,000 words | Progress: 4,767 words)
Ceillean (Goal: 10,000 words)
devilinthedetails (Goal: 5,000 words | Final: 5,000 words)
Findswoman (Goal: 5,000 words | Final: 5,057 words)
Kit' (Goal: 10,000 words | Final: 7,274 words)
Mechalich (Goal: 50,000 words | Final: 51,000 words)
mavjade (Goal: 4,000 words)
Mira_Jade (Goal: 30,000 words | Final: 16,894 words)
moosemousse (Goal: 50,000 words)
Pandora (Goal: 7,000 words | Final: 2,870 words)
Pronker (Goal: 6,000 words | Final: 4,869 words)
Raissa Baiard (Goal: 3,000 words | Final: 4,228 words)
Seldes_Katne (Goal: 4,000 words | Final: 2,337 words)
Tarsier (Goal: 10,000 words)
ViariSkywalker (Goal: 10,000 words | Final: 10,901 words)

 

And, to kick off our first Discussion for this thread: have you participated in NaNoWriMo before? How did you do? Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share with your fellow writers? Tell us what you're going to be working on!


As for myself, to get the ball rolling, I think that the full NaNo is a bit beyond my reach at the moment, but I'm going to enter the Word Race with maybe a still somewhat ambitious goal of 30,000 words. I have a WIP or two (or several ) that could use some TLC, and I plan to tie up as many fan fic loose ends as I can during the month of November. How about you guys?

 

Oooh, yes! Pretty much everything @Briannakin said times a hundred. The great thing about joining NaNo here on the boards is that you can jump around from project to project! It's honestly amazing what you can come up with when letting go and just letting yourself write. I have been surprised more than once come December 1st wondering where those words even came from. But, that's half the fun of things like NaNo and our word races. You just relax your expectations, let go of all the stress of editing and plotting and posting, and let your muse take the reins.

So! That said, who else is going to sign up for this? C'mon, fellow JCers! Let's write!

 

Woot! Of course you can do this! You're officially signed up and indexed.

 

I do remember really enjoying this event last year and finding that it encouraged me to be productive. Hopefully this year it can do the same since I feel like my muse and motivation took a sort of unscheduled break in October so it would be nice to have my muse return in November.

I will commit to a modest goal of 5,000 words.

 

Always glad to see the word race up and running again—a classic JCF Fanfic institution!

So, once again, I fear the full-on NaNo is not going to work for me; I totally support people doing it, but it’s just at the wrong time of year, and I lead the wrong kind of life (which is why I have never tried it before—though maybe someday, when I’m a retired empty-nester! ). But I’m glad the regular word race is an option, too, and I am always game to try it when it comes around.

So, I think I will enter with my (by now) usual 5000. I make no guarantees, given as this is 2020 and all, but it’s something to start with, and I’ll see how I do!

 

Yay! We've got you in the index @Pandora!

Are there any more takers? There's just two more days left in October to go, now. You don't have anything to lose for signing up, and you never know just how far your muse will let you go.

 

Woohoo! Done and added. Glad to have you aboard!

 

Yay! You've been added to the index.

Are there any more brave souls who want to join us? The clock is ticking . . .

 

Oooh, I think you can match that. It's great to see you sign up! You're added to the index now.