National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is a creative writing project, which was initiated by the American Chris Baty into being in 1999. The aim is for 30 days in the month of November to write a novel of at least 50,000 words. Despite its name, the project has long been internationally and in many countries around the world each year thousands of people are trying to write a book in 30 days. In this way, a total of 2,427,190,537 words were written during NaNoWriMo 2009.

2006, the project has been integrated into a company that Chris Baty non-profit organization called The Office of Letters and Light.

Regulate

On the first pass of NaNoWriMo, as the participants were limited to the friends and acquaintances of the founder, Chris Baty, practically non-existent regulations. In the second year, however, it became clear that a need existed to some basic rules.

Although the regulations allow and even recommend that to start before 1 November with the planning of the novel, must be started with the actual writing process until 1 November at 12:00:01 local time clock of the participant. The finished novel must be sent for verification to the November 30th 24 clock local time on the NaNoWriMo website.

During verification of the novel, only the words are counted, but not evaluated the content. Not allowed are screenplays and comics ( in the first year, some participants drew comics and calculated according to a certain number of images in words to ). Anything referred to the author himself as a novel, is allowed.

The collaboration of multiple authors on the same novel is not permitted. It is explicitly permitted to discuss the content of his own novel with other people. In many forums, author sub-groups for the participants in NaNoWriMo, in which these inspire each other to write as many words.

As in verifying only the number of words is determined that compliance with the rules of anyone is controlled. A participant could theoretically write another book, but as it is except for a small profit Ricon, a printable document in PDF format and the feeling of having made it are no profits, it does not make sense to break the rules.

History

The first NaNoWriMo took place with 21 participants from the San Francisco Bay Area in July 1999. In 2000, the competition was first held in November in order to exploit the worse fall weather can. The year 2000 was also the first year in which the NaNoWriMo could be known to a wider public through a website. Of 140 participants, 21 novels were written at least 50,000 words during November.

After the discovery of the site of the third NaNoWriMo took place in November 2001 with more than 5,000 participants whose applications were processed manually then. Of them 700 won as the 14,000 participants in the fourth NaNoWriMo in November 2002, the website of the competition stormed, stood for the first time a fully automated system for recording and evaluating the submissions available. In 2003 ( including 3500 winner) called Municipal Liaisons introduced volunteers who acted as coordinators for the environment of their home for approximately 25,000 participants.

After the sixth NaNoWriMo in November 2004 was handed over to the Association for Room to Read from the donations of 42,000 participants, of which nearly 6,000 won the competition, an amount of more than $ 7,000. With this money, three public libraries were built for school children in villages in Cambodia. In November 2005, about 14,000 U.S. dollars could be used by nearly 60,000 participants for the construction of seven similar libraries in Laos.

For 2006, for the first time more than 100 000 people were expected. Among the approximately 500 volunteers were in this year, four regional coordinators for the German-speaking area (3 in Germany, 1 in Switzerland). The donations were re- used to build libraries - this time in Vietnam. The actual number of participants remained somewhat below expectations: 79,000 authors participated, nearly 13,000 crossed the finish line.

In 2007, a new record was reached, there were 97 766 registered authors.

In 2009, more than 165,000 authors, of which over 30,000 her novel successfully (ie, with min. 50,000 words ) graduating involved.

Book publications of winners

Some winners of NaNoWriMo have managed to novels with which they have won the competition, to have it published by a publisher. The resulting during the third NaNoWriMo in November 2001 book The Destructor by Jon F. Merz two years later was published by Pinnacle Books. Time Off For Good Behavior by Lani Diane Rich from NaNoWriMo 2002 was also two years later published by Warner Books. The author won with this work then the prize for the best debut novel, awarded by the Writers' Union Romance Writers of America. Her novel Maybe Baby from the following NaNoWriMo was moved by Warner Books. Other published novels of NaNoWriMo participants are Flying Changes by Sarah Gruen, Breakup Babe Rebecca Agiewich, The Mote in Andrea's Eye by Dave Wilson, Self Storage by Gayle Brandeis, Cashmere Boulevard by Kimberly Llewellyn and Daughter of the Bride by Francesca Segre.

Sense

Of course it is almost impossible to write a perfect novel in 30 days, but that's not the goal of NaNoWriMo. According to its inventor Chris Baty is primarily concerned to overcome the narrow time constraints and inhibitions easy to write it off. Many people who actually would like to write a book would make from the beginning to high demands on themselves and give up quickly discouraged. When NaNoWriMo is the "inner editor " quickly a first novel draft be turned off for a month and written, can still be corrected and rewritten the later (eg in NaNoEdMo, the National Novel Editing Month ). Due to the pressure of time history thereby developed its own dynamics, which often surprises the author himself.

For many participants, the forum is an essential part of NaNoWriMo. It is divided into various subject areas, where you can exchange ideas with other writers. There you can ask questions, to make an appointment to write meeting and motivate each other.

With 50,000 words, the desired novel is relatively short. This number, however, was deliberately chosen because it represents a goal that is difficult, but to achieve but also for working people and those with family.