NaNoWriMo 2017

NaNoWriMo 2017

I just finished NaNoWriMo 2017, my fifth consecutive NaNoWriMo and I still enjoy it enormously. I overheard a few people talking about it a while ago, and all three of them had written their entry during the year, so that their annual novel would get a sticker. That’s really sad, because the race to produce 50,000 words in thirty days is what it is all about. Pushing yourself, and having a good time with others, tens of thousands around the world, who are in the same boat.

I normally write my 50k within a fortnight, and I have a friend who often writes two books during the month, but you can take the whole month to finish your novel, if you like. Then it has earned it a badge to go on its cover.

Other Nano Entries

After that, you can take as long as you like to add to, edit and publish it. In fact, I still haven’t published my 2016 entry, Daisy’s Chain, yet, although it is now 80,000 and fully edited.

My latest entry, for NaNoWriMo 2017, entitled Lek – The Beginning, is still languishing on my desktop at 50,500 words, but it is the seventh in my series called ‘Behind The Smile‘ and fans are waiting for it. Some have even pre-ordered it already, because I have promised to deliver it on Boxing Day – 26th. December, 2017. You can pre-order it too here:

The Beginning Lek7

In the first three years I took part, there were considerable incentives to accept and complete the NaNoWriMo challenge. However, they were pretty poor this year, like 2016. Before, you got things like a free hardback, or two paperbacks of your work, but now the ‘prizes’ are ‘a month’s trial’ or ’10-20% a year’s subscription’.

I didn’t see anything in the list that was worth having, which is a shame, but I suspect that it is a reflection of the poor state of the book market, which is also a symptom of the disaster our so-called betters have made of our economies around the world.

NaNo staff would deny that these gifts are incentives, probably calling them rewards, and they are right. NaNoWriMo is a personal challenge to authors to write those 50k words in November, and successfully completing it and obtaining the NanoWriMo Sticker, should be reward enough. However, it is always nice to get something for nothing even if it is not called ‘winning’.

Nanowrimo Sticker

If you have always wanted to write a book, do it. Nevertheless, if you would like the moral support of thousands near you and worldwide, try NaNoWriMo 2022 next November. It is free to enter and even if you do not succeed, you will have made a start, which you can finish at your leisure until the next NaNo starts.

If you do it, look me (owenjones) up on their website, and we can be writing buddies.

I hope to meet you there!

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All the best,

Owen

Podcast: NaNoWriMo 2017