This is a really cool website (mainly because it's a neat idea).  Anyone
who hasn't checked it out yet should.

It would be a good challenge to see if you could produce 50,000 words in
30 days.  As the website says, the exercise is more about quantity than
quality.  Since you're on such a tight deadline, it forces you to just
write and take chances.  You might produce a lot of crap, but at least
you're producing, and after the 30 day deadline, you could revise until
your heart's content.

It might be kind of cool to organize something like this through PWA for
next semester.  Any thoughts?

-Larry Jenkins

-----Original Message-----
From: Open discussions on the writer's craft [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Kent Graham
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2003 10:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [Fwd: NaNoWriMo Newsletter, Chapter Four]

This is for all those who are pounding away on those projects -- just a
little pep talk from the folks at National Writing Month.  (Remember?
The challenge to write a 50k word novel in a month?)  Apparently, there
are some already done.  Go to
www.nanowrimo.org
and check it out...

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:
NaNoWriMo Newsletter, Chapter Four

Date:
Mon, 24 Nov 2003 15:32:47 -0500

From:
[log in to unmask]






Dear Novelists,



Hi there, and welcome to the final week of National Novel Writing Month!
In this NaNoWriMo Newsletter:



1) Holy crap, we only have one week left.

2) The future of the forums.

3) NaNo t-shirts galore.

4) The last NaNoWriMo pep talk.



1) Yep, there's less than one week of NaNoWriMo remaining. As we head
into the home stretch, the first winners have begun appearing on the
legendary Winners Page. To these speedy, talented folks we say: Well
done. And: Please send us any extra words you may have lying around.



For those of us who are blessed with the challenges and joys (ahem) of
slower-paced novels, we still have six expansive days to make it across
the 50,000-word finish line and upload our masterworks to the site for
validation. All writing stops at midnight, local time, on November 30th,
and all novels must be validated by 11:59:59 pm Pacific time on that
same day to be considered NaNoWriMo winners. For instructions on
uploading, check out our Technical FAQs page.



November 30th is also the deadline for updating your word count and
novel excerpt to the site. Whatever number and excerpt you have in your
profile at the end of the day on the 30th will be displayed in your
profile until the end of time. Or at least until the whole escapade
begins again on October 1, 2004.



2) I've been getting emails from some folks asking about the fate of the
forums post-November. Barring an asteroid collision or an attack on our
server by knife-wielding, forum-hating monkeys, the message boards will
remain open in their current incarnation through January 15th, 2004. A
which point they'll be scaled back to just the regional lounges and a
handful of general noveling lounges.



3) Our larder of NaNoWriMo tees has just been restocked with all shapes
and sizes of this year's fine, fine shirts! If you've ever wondered how
to get the good-looking barista down at the neighborhood coffeeshop to
ask you probing questions about your creative gifts and literary
influences, a NaNo shirt is the answer. All profits from the shirts go
towards paying the costs of this year's event. So order away! And then
order again! All major credit cards accepted. Here's the link to our
T-shirt Emporium: http://www.nanowrimo.org/index.php?s=5



4) Week Four Pep Talk: The End is In Sight, and It is A Beautiful End
Indeed



Well, it's been three long weeks on the writing trail. Apart from the
monitor tans and worrisome after-effects of our all-junk-food diets,
we're holding up pretty well. And as more and more participants cross
the 50,000-word finish line, the energy of the event has begun building
again.



Every year, Week Four kickstarts some of the most amazing
out-of-left-field victories ever witnessed in the field of high-speed
noveling. For those of us who are lagging, who have been behind the
entire month, this is an epic week. We've been trailing. We've been
down. Not because we're inept or lazy. But because, consciously or not,
we have been waiting for the pressure to achieve suitably
terror-inducing levels before we really dig in.



It may seem like a dumb and stressful approach to writing, but it's just
human nature. We snooze in front of the TV until the chips are down, and
then we say: Ok. Enough is enough. It's time. And then, grabbing one
last handful of Doritos, we get up off the couch and fling ourselves
into the fray, tackling ridiculously oversized challenges and pummeling
them into submission.



We do it at work. We did it at school. In fact, just about everything
we've ever accomplished that we're proud of, we pulled off at the last
minute. Humans are natural underdogs, tenacious fighters who inevitably
save the best for last. We're late bloomers, maybe. But we bloom
nonetheless.



So here's the plan for this week: Bloom. If you've already crossed
50,000-word line, head on to 70,000. Use this crazy collective energy to
flesh out your book; take it farther and make it better.



And if you, like me, are somewhere far below 50,000, know that the week
of our heroic, come-from-behind victory has officially begun. This is
not just something we'll do. It's something we are. We're last-minute
writers, quick-witted storytellers, and procrastinating dreamers.
Dreamers who are wide awake now, and flying towards the finish line.



Is this going to be a tough last six days?



You bet.



Can we do this?



Oh, man. We were born to do this.



Best of luck to everyone. I'll see you at 50,000!



Chris

NaNoWriMo

www.nanowrimo.org

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