NaNoWri-WHAT?!?!?

First let me begin by thanking everyone who came out and was AWESOME during the blog tour for Born of Blood (or BoB as I affectionately call it). It was great and as always I couldn't do it without a wonderful group of readers, reviewers, and friends. So THANK YOU!

Now, on to the fun stuff. It's November which in my world means NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It's a crazy annual competition where people try to write 50K words in 30 days. For those of you who are curious, the break down is 1667 words a day, every day this month. Now, Take into account that I don't write on Weekends (SAT AND SUN) and I take a few days off for Thanksgiving and my daily word count actually looks more like this:

2500 words a day x 20 days.

So we are on day 3 and I'm at just over 8k, which may seem like a lot, but it's actually just over where I need to be. Now on average it take me 3-4 hours to hammer out 2500 words. Yep. It's no easy task. But right now the story is moving along well. It helps to have a good, detailed outilne to refer to. I've already gone off book a little, but the outline is still good. There may come a point where I decide to change directions, but until then, smooth sailing.

So why do it?
Well, how many of you (or people you know) think, wow, I'd love to write a novel but I just don't have the time? Or even, I have a great idea for a novel but lack the motivation to sit down and write it? Or even the deadly case of I've started a novel but I keep stopping to edit it and so it will never be done?

These are all common obstacles to people actually finishing a novel. And trust me, finishing it is the hardest part (besides editing, selling, and marketing a novel). Nothing else can move forward until it's finished. That's what Nano does, it pushes you to finish a novel.

Now, is it always publishable on Dec. 1st? No. Almost never actually. A nano novel is rough, unpolished, and unedited. But it's written. Everything else moves forward from there. And sometimes, you end up with a really good story. From there you decide whether you want to polish it and publish it, or if you just want to keep in in your trunk. Either way, you have done it. You've written a novel.

So why do published authors do Nano?
Well, often I spend most of the summer not writing anything so I can spend lots of time with my family. But it's hard to get back on the horse, so to speak, after a break like that. Nano gives me the swift kick in the arse I need to either begin something new, finish an existing project, or even just practice my craft.  Plus, it helps me get a complete story on paper before my inner editor goes crazy on it. That's not to say I don't do some edits during, I can't help that, especially when a story is going off the rails, but for the most part I ignore the menial mistakes and push forward. I can always go back and polish in December (or National Novel Editing Month as I call it).

How do I participate?
Well, it's FREE so go sign up at the NANOWRIMO website, and begin keeping track of your daily (or weekly) word count. Look for a writing group in your area (available on the site) and join in with other like minded folks. My group meets a few times a week for write ins and is a bit like a support group for writers. It's all in good fun, and sometimes there are even little prizes. Now, there have been years where I participated from home only and never even saw the group (sorry, Rodney) and that's fine too. Whatever works. Though I have to admit, it's kind of funny to see people's expressions when they see a dozen people in a public place all furiously typing in unison.

So I hope you are all going to join in, and for those of you already participating, GOOD LUCK and may the NANO gods be with you!