Top 5 FAQs for Nanowrimo
FAQs
What do I have to do?
Write 50,000 words in a month. November is the official Nanowrimo month.
Why would anybody write 50,000 words in a month?
Lots of reasons. The great thing about Nanowrimo is each person may pick their own reason for participating. Some people write for fun, others write for the challenge, others write because of something else.
Are there penalties for not finishing?
No. Writing 50,000 words in a month is a challenge, but it is not a dangerous one. There are no penalties if a person does not finish. Instead, there's congratulations because a person dared to start writing.
It's all about progress, not perfection.
So, Nanowrimo writing does not have to be perfect?
Yes! Nanowrimo is for writing the first rough draft of a novel. And that first rough draft is messy! It's full of plot holes, contradictions, spelling errors, breath-taking grammar mistakes, and to put it nicely, the whole thing is just one big imperfect mess.
But that big messy imperfect rough draft is a finished rough draft. Or, close enough.
Having that rough draft at the end of the month is why so many people, from all around the world, sign up for Nanowrimo.
What do people get out of participating?
Participate in NaNoWriMo and you get:
- Bragging rights for the rest of your life ("I wrote a novel in a month!")
- Writing practice
- A rough draft
On November 30, Nano-ers everywhere get to stand up and say, "I wrote something! I am a writer!". And, people who participate more than once can say, "I wrote my newest novel this year.". Other ways to brag about the experience include (where relevant) noting they wrote a novel as part of their resume, mentioning it for a college admission letter, etc.
The rough draft is one giant leap forward in so many ways. And the writer can do whatever they want with that draft. A writer can even take their rough draft, rewrite, edit, and work on it until it is ready for publication. But that can only happen after that Nanowrimo rough draft is written.
All the writing practice in November means you practiced writing faster, exercising your imagination, increasing your words-per-minute, boosting your confidence, setting a goal, and more.
For more FAQs, visit the nanowrimo.org site.
