What is National Novel Writing Month?

National Novel Writing Month, affectionately known as NaNoWriMo, is a yearly event for writers that takes place in November.  Writers have one month to write a 50,000 or more word novel.  NaNoWriMo started in 1999 as a small writer's workshop lead by Chris Baty; since then it has grown in international scope and now boasts over 100,000 writers who join the madness for 30 days of intensive writing.  In 2009, NaNoWriMo reported that more than 21,720 writers completed the challenge.

The basic premise of National Novel Writing Month is simple: Write a novel with 50,000 words or more in thirty days.  You simply start on November 1^st and write through November 30^th.  Any pre-planning, outlining or other work on the concept of the novel can take place before November, but every written word for the novel has to be completed within that 30 day time frame.  Novels can range any genre, any characters and any idea a writer comes up with so long as they meet the word count for the month.  Each writer must write a minimum of 1,666 words a day to meet the word count requirement in one month's time.

Anyone can participate in NaNoWriMo and while one does not have to join the community, it is encouraged to do so not just to have a novel verified for word count but also for the atmosphere of support during the month.  As NaNoWriMo has grown worldwide, so, too, have the people who frequent forums, workshops and more Baty has provided at the official National Novel Writing Month web site.  At the end of the month, starting on November 25^th, each writer can submit their work for word count verification.  While no official prizes are awarded for finishing the challenge, once verified you can prevent a certificate out and display certain icons on web sites with the work to show others you met the insane challenge of writing a novel in 30 days.