Yes folks, it is almost November, time again for too much caffeine, toting the laptop everywhere, (even into the bathroom,) chatting online and doing writing challenges for hours, 10,000 typos that go uncorrected (until NanoEdmo in March), staying up late or getting up early or both, wondering what the heck you ought to have your characters do next, and/or trying to figure out how you can make an ending to the whole 50,000 word saga.
National Novel Writing Month is this and so much more. Abbreviated as Nanowrimo, it's an international madness where people attempt to write, and support each other writing, a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. Whether you make it or not isn't the point, really. It's the attempt that teaches you all sorts of things about your thought processes, planning abilities and stamina, among other things. Such as how well you type. We don't correct typos during Nanowrimo. That's for NanoEdmo (National Novel Editing Month) in March. So you can go as fast as you like and not worry about your messy sentences and things that run on too long and are grammatically rotten and not makeing any sense and sthing like that. If you know what I mean.
In Alaska we get together in person in Fairbanks, Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. There are some folks organizing in Ketchikan, too, and at least one person in Sitka looking for Wrimo buddies. We meet statewide online nightly, (and mornings and afternoons and whenever you want, there is often someone in the chat room we have designated for ourselves) for writing challenges that range from ten minutes to an hour. There is always someone to help you work out a sticky plot problem, whether in person or online. It's a great, fun, goofy thing to do, and when you win it (winning is what we call completing your novel) it's a great feeling!
If you want to get crazy with us, by all means drop by the Nanowrimo website and sign up. Then add Alaska as your region and read the forum to find out what we've been up to. You can drop me a line too, if you like. You'll be hearing from me anyway if you join because I'm the Municipal Liaison for Fairbanks. See you there!
