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Gini Dietrich

National Novel Writing Month Begins Today and We’re Participating

By: Gini Dietrich | November 1, 2012 | 
134

I have been prepping for today since August.

November 1. A Thursday. What’s the big deal?

Well, I let Debra Caplick talk me in to (challenge me?) participating in NaNoWriMo.

Say what?

It’s National Novel Writing Month, which gives you 30 days to write 50,000 words. And it starts today!

As it turns out, though, you can’t write the same word 50,000 times (I checked).

You also can’t submit anything you’ve already written. You have to start from scratch. The only thing you can have done before today is write an outline and do your research.

So the outline, characters, plot, and initial research is in a notebook with a bicycle on the front of it. Some of you have likely seen me carrying it around, protecting it more than my pretty red Moleskin (where client/work stuff is written).

Here are the rules:

  • Write a 50,000-word (or longer!) novel, between November 1 and November 30.
  • Start from scratch. None of your own previously written prose can be included in your NaNoWriMo draft (though outlines, character sketches, and research are all fine, as are citations from other people’s works).
  • Write a novel. We define a novel as a lengthy work of fiction. If you consider the book you’re writing a novel, we consider it a novel too!
  • Be the sole author of your novel. Apart from those citations mentioned two bullet-points up.
  • Write more than one word repeated 50,000 times.
  • Upload your novel for word-count validation to our site between November 25 and November 30.

You have 30 days to write a full book of fiction, which (admittedly) is much better than the guys who wrote Execute in one week (er, the goal was a week, but they did it in eight days).

Between prepping the business for our best year ever next year, continuing to write here every day, taking two trips outside of the country, and Thanksgiving, this should be a pretty good challenge.

I’ve had the book swirling in my head for a good four months so I’m ready to get it onto paper. If I accomplish it, Erik Hare is going to give it a good first edit and then we’ll find a publisher.

Besides Debra, I know Michael Schechter and Brent Carnduff also are participating.

It’s not too late to join the party, if you’re so inclined. If you’re participating, let us know so we can all hold each other accountable cheer one another one.

About Gini Dietrich


Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a Chicago-based integrated marketing communications firm. She is the lead blogger here at Spin Sucks and is the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. She is the co-author of Marketing in the Round and co-host of Inside PR. Her second book, Spin Sucks, is available now.

129 comments
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ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@JDianeAbela Yeah!! There are a bunch of us writing if you need motivation.

ginidietrich
ginidietrich

@RebeccaLPage I'm 6,700 words in so I'm on track. We'll see!

geoffliving
geoffliving

This is fantastic!  Good luck, Gini. I know this is your real dream (as a writer).

ExtremelyAvg
ExtremelyAvg

I wasn't going to to NANO Nanoo...wait, that is Mork, from Ork. Well, anyway, I hadn't planned on doing it, but I like the idea of playing, too. I'm one day behind, so I'll have to play some catch-up. No outlines for me, though, I'm going to have to just wing it.

Latest blog post: Telling A Story

aspinchick
aspinchick

"As it turns out, though, you can’t write the same word 50,000 times (I checked)." That's funny! This is very awesome. Good luck. I would have participated but I was on a field trip to Universal Studios with a bunch of 8th graders yesterday when I found this out - no real chance to write an outline. ("Hey kids, I'm going to sit this one out.") He he.

BrentCarnduff
BrentCarnduff

@ginidietrich @dcaplick @MSchechter Good luck everyone!

DebraCaplick
DebraCaplick

Got my first 2,000 done (I will need that cushion before the end of the month!).

bdorman264
bdorman264

Sounds kind of scary to me; it's sounds like the push that could get me started, but I don't know. I would like to say I'm busy and have too much on my plate but you have already shamed me by all that you have to do. 

 

I think I'll get my hair did instead.

 

Good luck. 

wabbitoid
wabbitoid

I heard my name.  Am I in trouble?  :-)

I do a lot of initial reviews of works - there's a score sheet that I use to get into important elements like character, plot, opening, etc.  If anyone else would like to make use of this service, please let me know.  The easiest way is by using my real name, Erik Hare, as a gmail address (how's that for anti-spam?).

Howie Goldfarb
Howie Goldfarb

I commented on @belllindsay 's post about James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. No one has ever deciphered it. People think he was drunk and mad. It was written using 60 languages. And it surely has 50,000 words. And to this day know one knows if it was brilliance or gibberish. I have to believe we can do that here on Spin Sucks with the community. We each add one word then pass it around. Plus JK Rowling has nothing going on these days maybe she can help edit it.

KevinVandever
KevinVandever

I'm doing it! I already signed up. Cool to see you are doing it, too. I have a couple ideas, but will decide for certain this evening. Good luck to all who attempt it. 

NancyCawleyJean
NancyCawleyJean

Good luck, Gini! I bet you have it done by November 15, and it will be fabulous!

KateFinley
KateFinley

Wow. Ok this is kinda of a short notice but I'll think about it today ... but I did just commit to no TV for the month ... hm. I'm really excited for you to do this though! I will totally buy your novel. Also, I need to buy Marketing In the Round ... I'll do that now. So maybe I'll just read that?! I'll let you know.

ExtremelyAvg
ExtremelyAvg

 @ginidietrich Okay, with less than 2 hours left in day 2, I've gotten started. My project is going to be the sequel to a book I haven't finished, yet (it's at 30K). I've written 626 words. 

 

Tomorrow, which will be a long day at work, will be tough, but I plan on thinking about the story. I should be able to get some writing done in the evening, but I'll be well behind by day 4. Sunday will be key and I'll need to have a huge day. Still, I've done it before, so as long as I'm back in the ballpark by the end of the day, I should be fine.

Latest blog post: The Race is On

aspinchick
aspinchick

 @ginidietrich Thanks. 13-year-old girls...2 hours from home. Traffic all the way back from LA. Heh. I'm not a drinker, so  had some funnel cake at to console myself.

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