Has publishing a novel been a dream of yours? Believe it or not you can start writing your book today. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For one month, let your imagination take over, and just create! The idea behind NaNoWriMo is that anyone can do it! National Novel Writing Month happens every November. It is a fun, fly by the seat of your pants, writing event where the challenge is to complete an entire novel in just 30 days. That means participants must finish by midnight, November 30th.

Freelance writer, Chris Baty started the project in July 1999 with 21 participants in San Francisco. In 2012 there were 341,375 participants and they wrote a grand total of 3,288,976,325 words. Participants’ novels can be on any theme, any genre of fiction, and in any language. Novels must reach a minimum of 50,000 words before 11:59:59 pm on November 30th. To win, participants should write an average of 1,667 words per day. There is no fee to participate and registration is only required for novel verification. No official prizes are awarded for length, quality, or speed. Anyone who reaches the 50,000 word mark is declared a winner. Every year, many people succeed in reaching this mark. There are no “Best Novel” or “Quickest-Written Novel” awards given out. All winners will get an official “Winner” web badge and a PDF Winner’s Certificate.

It is not too late! On November 20th, during Warriors’ Period, Nico Piro will share more information about NaNoWriMo  in the school library. Mrs. Pico is webmistress of the library’s teen blog, tatalonline.blogspot.com. She will also be giving valuable writing tips.  If you want to get more information go to our school library, or visit http://nanowrimo.org/

This is your chance to write your own novel. Try it! If you are interested in becoming a part of this, you must first sign up at http://nanowrimo.org, and be sure to register as a “Young Writer”. Second, begin writing your novel. Third, write like crazy. When you’re not writing the novel, look for regular pep talks and news updates to keep you motivated. Lastly, on December 1st, celebrate your commitment to NaNoWriMo. Our librarian, Mrs. Felsenheld says, “We encourage any student who is interested in writing to participate in NaNoWriMo. This is great opportunity!”