Write That Novel This November

Can't wait! I know it's going to be crazy, but I'm really into the book "No Plot? No Problem!" by Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo "National Novel Writing Month." It's the kick in the pants I need to crank out my first rough draft of my first novel. November will mark the beginning of a 30-day adventure and I'm really looking forward to it. If you have "Write a Novel" on your life's to do list, then I recommend jumping in and going for it with me this November. The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, which is between 1,600 and 1,700 words per day - every day - for 30 days. The key is to write a lot and not be overly critical of your prose. Chris mentions the importance of choosing quantity over quality during this month of craziness. First drafts are never perfect novels the first time, anyway, so Chris encourages writers to just write - even if at first you have no plot, no characters, or no setting. The imagination can come up with these things as you go.

There's even a NaNoWriMo for kids, which I'm encouraging my own sixth grade students to participate in along side me. As a teacher, I don't want to be one of those teachers for whom someone coined the phrase, "Those who can, do, and those who can't, teach." When it comes to writing, I want to teach from the point of view of one who has written a novel himself, and therefore, teach with some degree of authority on the subject.
To learn more about NaNoWriMo for kids, click here.
If you're an adult, and want to jump in with me, click here for more info. Talk back. Let me know if you're inspired, like me, to write that novel.