Writing a Novel in 30 Days: Matadorians Participate in National Novel Writing Month

Photo: mpclemens

Four Matador writers take partial in the 2010 annual National Novel Writing Month.

Known by participants as NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month was started in 1999 by freelance bard Chris Baty as well as 20 alternative overcaffeinated yahoos. Of the twenty-one original participants, 6 managed to finish the task of essay 50,000 difference in the singular month. Since 1999, the contest has grown to include over 167,000 writers in 2009. This year, Matadorians take up the challenge.

I was equates to to talk with four NaNoWriMo participants to find out what inspired them to pointer up, what theyre essay about, as well as how their novels have been progressing during week one.

Miranda Ward, A Literal Girl

Alright, so what done we confirm to give the contest the go this year?

Ive longed for to experience for the past couple of years, though we never felt the resources were utterly right initial we was working upon my MA, afterwards Id only accomplished it as well as longed for the break. This year would substantially have been the same we was starting around saying, Oh, Id love to, though Im only not certain Ill have the time. though the friend forked out to me which when he participated final year, his wife had only given bieing born to their initial son.

I unexpected remembered: its supposed to be the challenge. (Also, Im not which bustling we have the day job. Most people have day jobs). What clinched it for me was the support we perceived when we tentatively voiced which we was starting to do it.

Ive primarily created nonfiction in the past, so we consider NaNoWriMo will be great for me in the accumulation of ways. Its the bit beyond my comfort zone, though more importantly, we wont have the time to ! obsess o ver details, word choice, research, editing, rewriting. Itll be the much-needed lesson in vouchsafing loose. we dont consider Im about to coop the Booker-prize-worthy square of fiction, though we do idea which by the finish of the month, Ill be feeling creatively invigorated (if the small tired).

What have been we essay about? Have we selected the setting?

Although where plot is endangered we have only the vaguest clarity of what is starting to happen, we do know which my novel is starting to be widely separated into 3 parts, any partial set in the different place: Greece, England, as well as Kenya. In the way, any environment is starting to be the arrange of secondary categorical character. The categorical impression herself is an American, though shell never be seen in her home nation we similar to the thought of essay something about someone whos geographically dislocated from her birthplace.

Talk to me next week as well as it will substantially turn out to be about something utterly different.

How is your initial week going?

Slowly! we didnt write the singular word upon the initial day, which automatically set me back. But Im an glorious (and practiced) procrastinator, as well as we still have plenty of time.

On an emotional level, though, its starting well we still feel pumped as well as optimistic about it.

MaryAnne Oxendale, Ephemera as well as Detritus

Why did we confirm to do NaNoWriMo?

It was the combination of dual things, or rather, dual people: Shantiwallah, aka Marie Szamborski, from MatadorU kept adventurous me upon Twitter to do it as well as be her essay buddy, as well as another lady upon Twitter, an American home schooling her daughter in Vancouver. She kept articulate about how she as well as her nine-year-old were both attempting it as partial of her daughters edu! cation. The approach she phrased it was, she was modeling risk-taking.

I motionless to do it partly since of their support as well as partly since we am not as well as never have been the novella writer. It scares the crap out of me, to be honest. Im great during outline as well as thats what we do in my blogging, though we have no genuine story of perplexing to write long, illusory narratives. Its the self-challenge. we have no thought if we can do it.

What as well as where have been we essay about?

Um, since it was such the final minute decision to do this (like, final week) we didnt have most time to devise it or outline it or anything. Im kind of flying by the chair of my pants. Ive set it in Shanghai, though it involves the 15-year-old girl, the deaf lip-reading cat, as well as (sigh) the couple of well-educated as well as learned monsters who have been searching for the co-worker who had unexpected dead upon the legal holiday to Yangshuo.

It sounds absurd, though Im perplexing to make it as casually normal as possible. Its kind of about instrumentation as well as fitting in to the place (or not).

So today is day three, how have been things?

Ahead of schedule (just over 5k words) though now, day four, Im sleepy as well as have the lot of schoolwork to do as well as feel utterly overwhelmed. 1600 difference the day is utterly hard.

Tilly Berendt, A Canterbury Tale

What done we confirm to experience in NaNoWriMo?

Ive regularly been penetrating upon the thought of essay the novel though as the master procrastinator we never managed to get past which stage. we motionless to do NaNoWriMo really last-minute; we figured this would be the best approach to get the ball rolling. Of course, my interference comes by when we know we have the word-count we have to reach any day; Im really utterly bad du! ring sta ying upon top of that!

What have been we essay about? Have we selected the setting?

Im essay the historical novella novel about the climb as well as tumble of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec in Montmartre all nerdy, right? He was such an engaging guy; he once pronounced which love is when the enterprise to be desired takes we so really bad which we feel we could die of it. That should give we some thought of where Im starting with my plot. Its not starting to be the intrigue by any means, we couldnt live with myself if we did that, though rsther than an insinuate demeanour during Henris struggles for acceptance.

How was the initial week of novel writing?

I am ridiculously behind! So ridiculously behind which we wont essentially divulge my word-count during the moment its horrifying. But hopefully we can get down to business as well as locate up soon. My initial couple of days were really dedicated simply to figuring out what we longed for to write about as well as afterwards doing the necessary research.

Kristin Conrad, Kristin | My Life as well as Times

So youre obviously already doing the great amount of essay in your purpose as Co-Editor of Matador Nights, what done we confirm to pointer up for NaNoWriMo?

I had heard about NaNoWriMo before, as well as every time it had been either right after the fact or months away, so we never remembered it during the right time. But this time, thanks to which lovely Radar post, we was reminded of it during the right time.

Have we motionless what youll be essay about?

I am essay about family groups as well as relations secrets as well as the complicated dynamics. It is set, as far as we know right now, in the small town, though the categorical impression is the traveler, as well as Im not certain nonetheless where shell finish up.

Ho w have been we feeling about your progress?

The initial week has already been severe as well as is starting slowly (wont say my word count as we already feel behind!), though Im hoping which it will get better. Theres the sincerely large partial of my thoughts which is saying, Really, what do we consider youre doing? You consider we have time for this? The other, smaller part, is saying, Well, why not. And we consider which its most simpler to attend to the incomparable partial its simpler to not do something. But, its the things which have been the most important which come from listening to the why not? side of your brain.

Also, there is, we feel, an inherent terror when sitting down during the computer or with paper as well as the coop as well as only creation something up. But sitting down as well as actively facing which fear any day is something which Im blissful Im eventually creation myself work upon as well as something which but the deadline, its even more difficult to do. As Hemingway said, There is zero to writing. All we do is lay down during the typewriter as well as bleed.

Community Connection

Have we thought about fasten in for National Novel Writing Month?

Share some support for these writers as they pierce toward their idea of 50,000 difference by November 30th!