~~Adz:Left~~They're up for the challenge: 175-page novels in a month
Basseterre, St. Kitts - Oct. 29, 2006 - There are some who say writing a novel takes awesome talent, strong language skills, academic training, and years of dedication.
Not true. All it really takes is a deadline " a very, very tight deadline " and a whole lot of coffee.
Welcome to National Novel Writing Month, a literary crusade that encourages aspiring novelists all over the world to write a 50,000-word novel. In a month. That's where the caffeine comes in.
At midnight on Nov. 1, more than 75,000 writers " poised over laptops and pads of paper, fingers itching and minds racing with plots and characters " will begin a furious adventure in fiction. By 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 30, thousands of them will be novelists.
Last year's 60,000 participants included a couple who lost their home in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans; a man in England who has fought chronic pain for years; and a woman who led National Novel Writing Month's first chapter in Tunisia.
Every year, thousands of schoolchildren and graduate students, grandmothers and grandfathers, new moms and nine-to-five workers throw sanity aside for a month and submerge themselves in their fiction.
~~Adz:Right~~Many of those people are right in your backyard. In November they will meet at local cafes and libraries for collective write-ins, because if you're going to attempt something as crazy as a 175-page novel in a month, you might as well have company.
Sign-ups are taking place now. A Municipal Liaison in your area is organizing parties and other events. Please contact caribbean@nanowrimo.org if you're interested in hearing more about National Novel Writing Month and events in St. Kitts.
About National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
National Novel Writing Month was founded in Oakland, Calif., in 1999 by Chris Baty, a freelance writer. On Sept. 29 this year, the organization was granted nonprofit status under The Office of Letters and Light.
There is no cost to enter and anyone can participate. This year, 17 Caribbean writers are signed up. For more information, visit www.nanowrimo.org.
