How to win and participate in nanowrimo

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an online competition that is held every November by the Office of Letters and Light at nanowrimo.org. The goal is to write the first draft of a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Every year, thousands of writers sign up, hoping to write that next great work of fiction.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Begin plotting your novel and creating your characters early in the year. Outline your novel so that you will know where to start and where you are headed.

2. Sign up for the challenge on or about October 1st. Visit the forums to develop friendships and find support for your endeavor.

3. Download the latest NaNoWriMo spreadsheet. Links to the spreadsheet will be posted under many forum headings and in the NaNoWriMo technology forum. Record your progress in your spreadsheet. Use it to track how far ahead or how far behind you are to reaching 50,000 words.

4. Start writing your novel on November 1st. Each day in November, shoot for at least 1677 words. If you miss a day, catch up the following day. Don’t panic if you fall behind. Check your spreadsheet to discover how many words you must write each day to meet the goal.

5. Submit your novel on November 30th for verification. If you have reached the 50,000 word goal, you will be presented with a downloadable winner’s certificate.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy the book, "No Plot? No Problem" by NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty for insights into fulfilling the goal.
• If you'd rather write a screenplay, participate in Script Frenzy in April. Also sponsored by The Office of Letters and Light, the goal is to write a 100-page screenplay in 30 days.

[karileighk]

on 6/23/2009 I didn't try it this past year but maybe I will this year. Great tips *5

[sonni57]

on 6/6/2009 Thanks for the good tips on participating in a writers contest.