Sure writing a book sounds difficult, but try writing it in one month! November is National Novel Writing Month and it encourages everyone interested in writing to try and complete a novel.

National Novel Writing Month or better known as “NaNo,” gives all individuals an opportunity to get those creative juices flowing. The goal of this contest is to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. The NaNo organization says, “it is not about quality, it is about quantity.” The objective of this contest is to force people to write. Instead of having a story formulate over and over in one’s head, NaNo encourages the actual writing process and gets these ideas on paper.

Many people may think that they do not have time to write a full novel in a month; but after finishing they find that is was not as scary as they once thought it would be. Junior and NaNo participant Luke Cooper-Martin said, “While I was in NaNo I was most organized because I had to manage my time for school and writing.” Luke completed his 50,000 word novel the November of last year and plans to participate in the competition again this year.

Writing throughout the day is a good way to get everything done. In order to reach the 50,000 word mark by Nov. 30 it is necessary to write just under 1,700 words a day. This goal is challenging but possible, which is what NaNo is all about. People spread their writing out throughout the day, maybe they have a goal to write 500 words before breakfast. It is also possible to write more on the weekends and less during the week.

Now what’s the reward for accomplishing this difficult task? Junior Dionna Bucci who wrote 50,000 words last November said, “It’s mainly for yourself, for your own feeling of accomplishment.” Though this may not sound like a lot , once the competition is over, everyone who reached the 50,000 word mark will receive a free proof copy of their book which they can then work towards publishing. The point is to get the story down on paper and not worry about editing; there will be time for that later.

English teacher Sharon Lee will be holding meetings at lunch for NaNo participants. During these meetings we will be brainstorming and supporting one another with our books. By knowing that other people are writing just as much, it makes it easier to continue writing every day.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun and challenging experience that will help students become disciplined in their work and create a novel out of scratch. It provides a chance to succeed in something big and strive in the novel writing world. For more information visit nanowrimo.com.