NaNoWriMo

If you've never heard of NaNoWriMo, it is National Novel Writing Month. This happens in the month of November, and the goal is to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month. I've attempted to do this several times, and actually "won" once by writing just over 50,000 words before the end of November 30. I didn't actually ever go back and finish that novel because after writing 50,000 words or doing NaNo period, I'm usually quite wiped out with writing and feel like I need a major break.

I haven't done NaNo for a couple years just with my kids and teaching school things have always been too busy or I didn't have an idea. I wanted to do NaNo this year, but I was pretty sure it wasn't going to happen since I didn't have any idea what I would write.

I have several projects that I'm working on (or rather, not working on. I'm kind of stuck in all of them.) The technical rule for NaNo, however, is that it is supposed to be a new novel that hasn't been written or started before the month of November. Planning and research and outlining before November is allowed, even encouraged.

I was wishing I had an idea for NaNo, and then, on October 31, I suddenly thought of something I could write. So, on November 1, I logged onto the NaNo website - which can be found here - and entered my novel.

I'm terribly behind as my word count has been made up of just a couple word sprints a day (15 minute timed writing sprints) in between playing with my boys, making dinner, making things to open up an online craft store with my sister, cleaning up after sick kids, doing homework for my online class, and trying to get my house clean and organized to be ready for Thanksgiving dinner after our move. Word Sprints have actually worked quite well, considering I only did one each day for the first week and have only just started fitting in a few more here and there. I work well under pressure, so a timer does the trick for me to get out a lot of words in a short amount of time. But it's been fun so far. This story has taken on a life of its own, and I'm not sure where it's headed.

I noticed on others' NaNo profiles these fun widgets, that only caught my eye because my oldest son is obsessed with Pokemon right now, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I guess now I have a little more motivation to write more, so I can evolve this for my son.

If you want to make your own, just click on the widget above. You also have to have a NaNo profile and have a novel entered for this year for it to work.

For those of you who are doing NaNo this year:

Happy Writing! and Good Luck!