Column: NaNoWriMo

Hey folks! It's been awhile but another one of my columns has been published for work in the local newspaper! A while back I wrote about a new passion of mine that I found out just a year ago: NaNoWriMo. If you know nothing about it, read my article to find out more! Thanks for checking it out--much love! =v)

NaNoWriMo
by Belinda Serrano

Every time November comes around, the thoughts of turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie infiltrate the minds of families in preparation for that Thanksgiving feast.

For me, I will now just keep looking at the calendar, hoping for more than 30 days in the month and continue my wish for a coffee IV-drip to stay awake to complete my goal of literary success.

What am I talking about? I know that's what you're wondering, so for any of those lovers of writing and dreamers of being a novelist, listen up. I'm talking to you.

I'm talking about NaNoWriMo...or I can give you the long version--National Novel Writing Month.

Every 11th month of the calendar year, thousands from all corners of the world come together in a cyber-sort of way and write a novel. 30 days; 50,000 words; writing a novel. And it can be about whatever you want it to be: fantasy, romance, action, suspense...you name it, there's probably a category for it. It just has to be a 50,000 word novel.

But here's the kicker. You can't have something already written that you've always wanted to publish but never had the guts to go for it and just submit it to the website--there's no fun in that. November 1st comes and you start writing, simply put. You can have an idea that's been festering in your mind yet you've never put your thoughts down, but it can't be something you've already been working on. It has to be original.

I found out about NaNoWriMo last year on November 2 after a Facebook/Twitter friend kept posting about this acronym I had no clue about. I Googled it, read about it and fell in love about it. It was something I had always wanted to do, but never had the courage to give it a try.

So I wrote (really, I typed). And I typed and typed and typed. If I had free time at work for the first couple of weeks, I worked on my project. When Thanksgiving came around, I scrambled around trying to make up for the time I'd lose traveling and spending time with family.

And when November 30 came, I spent that morning finishing my novel and reached the goal and a bit beyond, having around 52,000 words that made up a book that basically came to me as I wrote. No outline, no storyline, no idea of what I'd be writing until I sat in front of the computer screen at work or laptop at my house.

So why do I tell you this? Because I want to encourage those of you who have always dreamed about writing a novel to know that thrill of accomplishing a LifeGoal. I want you to experience the pride that swells inside of you when, after submitting your word count to your NaNoWriMo page, you see the big letters of "WINNER" come across your screen. I want you to know there's a chance to self-publish your novel through an online resource that can become the catalyst for you to reach your dreams.

I want others to join me on this roller-coaster ride of words. But, I also heed some warning to you. It's stressful, you feel like all the time in the world is getting away from you. You might--like me--spend the last four days of November staying up almost 2 hours later each night trying to finish your novel. You might think your book is absolutely horrific, but you have to keep on writing...and remember that there's always December and January to begin revisions.

It doesn't have to be the next Stephen King thriller or Nicholas Sparks classic. It just has to be a novel, fifty thousand words long at least, and it has to inspire you to continue the trek when all seems lost. I've spent some time each month for about 10 months now on revisions on my book and while I'm still not done, I'm getting really close.

I just have to finish before this November...so I can write another novel along with the rest of you.

Belinda Serrano is a staff writer with the Sweetwater Reporter. Comments on this column can be emailed to bserrano25@yahoo.com or editor@sweetwaterreporter.com. For more information on NaNoWriMo, visit www.nanowrimo.org.

P.S. And yes, though I didn't finish editing the first one, I am writing a new book this year...right now!