NaNoWriMo- Have you started yet?

Jes Stiehm
Staff Writer

      The first of November marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, a very important month for anyone participating in NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo, besides being an obvious acronym, is a literary movement that challenges its participants to write a fifty thousand word novel in thirty days. Anyone can partake in the challenge; all a person needs is a computer. The contest begins at midnight, Nov. 1, and ends on Nov. 30 at 11:59 p.m. If participants submit their novel with the required word count by the thirty day deadline to nanowrimo.org, they are gifted at least two paperback copies of their novel.

      The creative writing project is a great way to beat writer's block and see the final product in book form. It is a fun experience for any writer, amateur or not, and is often credited with making participants better writers. The challenge does not come without difficulties. To make the word quota, 1,666 words have to be written each day.

      One member of Apex High’s Writers Club, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “I’m absolutely excited. Never before have I had the opportunity to write 50,000 words of fanfiction in a month with justification.” NaNoWriMo accepts all forms of writing, from poetry and high fantasy to metafiction and textbooks. A few well known bestsellers were even created during NaNoWriMo. Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants, Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus, and Marissa Meyer’s Cinder were all NaNoWriMo originals.

                            NaNoWriMo began this past Sunday. Writers, get ready!