This
November, I participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a rigorous
challenge where writers from all over the world come together with the goal of
completing a 50,000-word novel in a month.
That's
right, it's no typo: 50,000 words -- a total of 200 typed pages in slightly
more than four weeks.
I’m
proud to tell you, I completed the challenge.
Woot!
Huzzah! And Hooray. I’m a NaNoWriMo "winner," which basically means
each day in November I strung together almost 1,700 words or 7 pages of
double-spaced copy to add to a Rough Draft -- the bare bones of a fictional story, which, I tell
myself, holds the promise of becoming something awesome, perhaps even a
best-seller given a bit of rewriting, editing and polish.
Which
brings up the question: Could my novel or any of the NaNoWriMo novels actually
get published?
The
answer is YES, absolutely. Here are 13 participants who have tasted that
success:
1. Amelia Atwater-Rhodes— Persistence of Memory (Delacorte Books for Young
Readers, 2008). Contact: randomhouse.com/features/atwaterrhodes
4.
Kathy Cano-Murillo— Love Shine (Grand Central
Publishing, 2007) Contact: CraftyChica.com
6. Delphine Dryden—
Snow Job (Ellora’s Cave, 2008), When in Rio
(Ellora’s Cave, 2008), How to Tell a Lie (Ellora’s Cave, 2009).
Contact: delphinedryden.com
8.
Sara Gruen— Flying Changes (HarperCollins, 2005), Water for Elephants (Algonquin, 2007) and Ape House (Spiegel & Grau, 2010). Contact: saragruen.com
11.
Lani Diane Rich— Time Off for Good Behavior (Warner Books, 2004), Maybe Baby (Warner Books, 2005), and Wish You Were Here (Warner Books, 2008). Contact: lanidianerich.com
12.
Vanitha Sankaran— Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages (Avon A, 2010). Contact: vanithasankaran.com
I’m only listing 13, but you can find more
at: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/publishedwrimos.
And
if you participated in National Novel Writing Month, I’d like to congratulate
you! Fifty thousand words in just four weeks is a lot and making a daily
commitment to writing pages isn’t easy. Kudos for stretching, for trying
something brave and adding something new to your daily routine.
I’m
with you and I wish you much success.
Did
you pick up the Nanowrimo gauntlet? Did you take up another challenge? I’d love
to hear from you. Please share.
Posts
I didn't participate, no. My challenge was just keeping on with what I've been working on already.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your success - here's hoping you'll follow in the steps of those published post-NaNoWriMo!
Happy TT!
Thanks Kimberly,
DeleteI'd like to follow in your publishing footsteps. :)
Congrats to everyone who participated and completed their goals. Also congrats to those who sold their books.
ReplyDeleteThanks Caridad,
DeleteYou've written and sold quite a number of books, too.
Congratulations! I also won NaNo. Don't know if any of my NaNo books will get published, though.
ReplyDeleteKudos on winning NaNoWriMo. I really had fun writing my rough draft and I hope you had fun too.
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS !!
ReplyDelete~Angi
Thanks, Angi. :)
DeleteHOORAY!! What a accomplishment! :) I joined the Nanowrimo party as a dissertation-writing rebel. Didn't "win" but I got three ugly chapters banged out which is enough to make me happy. Next year, a real novel I think!
ReplyDeleteGetting any chapters done is good especially if you're also writing a dissertation. I'm clapping my hands for you.
DeleteCongratulations! Well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks CountryDew!
DeleteCongratulations on finishing! I've never participated, but I know several who have and they loved the challenge. Well done! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephanie,
DeleteI'm always surprised when I come close to crossing the 50k finish line.
I did not pick up the NaNo gauntlet. Spent my time jumping from query trench to revision trench. Maybe next year, though I've never been a "I must write x number of words" each day kind of writer. Good luck to you though! *lifts imaginary goblet in salutation*
ReplyDeleteYeah, I noticed all your query work. I wish you all the best.
DeleteCongrats to all who accomplished this!! I kinda sorta tried, but it just wasn't the year for it. I had too much of my head still in the book I'd just completed. I kept going back to revise that one, and the month just kind of went...
ReplyDeleteThere's always next year though! :)
Tamara,
DeleteSome years are like that. And if you've just completed a book, you probably need some rest/ recharging time.
Congrats on finishing. I'm winner this year. Great way to just get the story out. Learning to love revision. So many encouraging stories come out of Nano each year. Sometimes it is just the push needed.
ReplyDeletePage,
DeleteI'm learning to love revision too! Maybe we can be revision buddies.
*applause* for crossing the finish line, Mia! For me, this year's NaNo rough draft will be merged with a previous NaNo manuscript to form Book 2 in my dark fantasy series. I personally like the stream-of-consciousness stuff that comes to me during NaNoWriMo.
ReplyDeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteI like the stream-of-consciousness stuff too and I'm looking forward to your next novel.
Very inspiring. Two of them were among my fave books this year!
ReplyDeleteGrin. Really? Two of them are my favorites too.
DeleteCongrats on your Nano! I've tried twice in the past and never quite made it, so I appreciate what it took to reach it. I tip my hat to you.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I tried it last year and didn't make it. Disorganized people like me should not venture into NaNo without an outline or some plot in mind.
ReplyDeletecongratulations!! i look at this year after year... and just could not bring myself to start.. maybe next year.. since reading about so many people completing this challenge as well as list of 13 is definitely inspiring..
ReplyDeleteHuge congrats on finishing!!! That's fantastic!!! :D
ReplyDelete