Could You Write A Novel In A Month?

[AB Editor]

Dear All,

A friend of mine pointed me to this: http://www.nanowrimo.org

///National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.///

And it looks rather good fun. Would any AnswerBankers be willing to join up and try and write a novel in a month? Let me know and we can have a sticky thread for discussion during November.

All the best,

Spare Ed

[Mosaic]

Wow! A good stiff 1700 words a day!
Well it's worth a try....

[AB Editor]

I reckon so Mosaic - I hope we can get a few ABer's involved.

Whenever I have to knock out a few thousand draft words I use the desktop version of this: http://writeordie.drwicked.com/ - probably useful.

[Ankou]

well i did a 12,000 word dissertation for my degree in about 24 hours so i don't see why not, that was a work of fiction as well. not sure people would buy it though.

[AB Editor]

I don't think it is about selling it really. What did you study Ankou? I find most dissertations are works of fiction in one way or another, usually best shown by the vast bibliography...

Cracking out a few thousand words as a student is much easier than trying to fit 1700 words into a lunch-break!

[sandyRoe]

Edgar Wallace could knock a book out in a week. I don't know if they've stood the test of time, though.

[AB Editor]

So you're in then Sandy?

[China Doll]

I suppose it's a possiblity, I certainly talk enough to do something like that... However, whether it'd be any good is another matter.

[sandyRoe]

"I'll give it a try. Yes", he said resignedly.

[AB Editor]

Sounds like you're in China. Also, no one said it had to be good, from their FAQ:

If I'm just writing 50,000 words of crap, why bother?
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/402759

/// Writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives. ///

[ummmm]

I've got writers block just thinking about it...

[sandyRoe]

I haven't ripped a bodice since I don't know when...

[China Doll]

True... But talking crap is one thing, writing it for public consumption is quite another!

[gingejbee]

Easy job! Barbara Cartland managed one every other day. Crap,yes....but they sold.

[China Doll]

I've often wondered if I could get rich like Barbara by writing smut/romance novels... I even thought about looking in to being an author for mills and boon once... But I don't suppose it's as easy as all that really.

[woofgang]

I did this in 2008 and will probably do it again this year. Its huge (manic) fun and (not to rubbish AB) but the forum is almost as weird as here

[snags]

Well you have the wig and the eye make up, which is a good start...

[AB Editor]

Ah - it doesn't have to be public - not for the writing part.

November is all draft, so you just try and get you 50,000 down. Editing is for December and I think they do something for submission in the new year. You needn't do the rest if you're worried about that.

But the point is you don't know if you're a writer until you write a book!

Spare

[China Doll]

Please... Everyone knows I just borrow the wig and the eye make up from you...

[AB Editor]

Woofgang - I did pop into the forum over there, it looks like a great place to waste time talking about writing a novel (when you should be writing one!). And, as you said, mental and fun!