Get plotting, Tar Heels! It’s National Novel Writing Month

While Halloween may elicit emotions ranging from fear to glee, it is the 30 days after that intimidate and excite writers worldwide. 

November marks the beginning of an intense, month-long challenge hundreds of thousands of writers undertake: National Novel Writing Month.

The challenge, also called NaNoWriMo or NaNo, invites people to write 50,000 words over the course of November. On average, this requires writing about 1,667 words a day, though many writers utilize their weekends and the Thanksgiving holiday to meet the goal. 

By the end of the challenge, winning participants have a novel-length piece of writing, as well as improved skills and habits. Heather Thompson, 13-time NaNo winner, said developing writing habits and having words on the page are equally important to the word count goal itself. 

Many writers have even gone on to revise and publish the works they wrote during the challenge, according to the NaNoWriMo website.

Taking on NaNo is a daunting task, but the challenge encourages community connection to complete the goal. The official website is both a source of information and a social platform, allowing users to create an account to track their progress, share their story information and connect with others. 

Participants can even join NaNo regions to meet up with local writers for writing sessions, celebrate milestones together and more. 

On Sunday, Oct. 29, the Wake-Orange-Durham counties group hosted a kickoff event at Chapel Hill Public Library. The participating community members encompassed a variety of ages, experiences and writing genres, but the overall excitement for the upcoming month was shared by all. 

The group, run by municipal liaisons, is offering events for almost every day of November. Many days include various events to ensure all members in the community have a chance to participate. 

Thompson, a municipal liaison, said that after her first year of NaNo, she discovered the large community behind the project and the difference it made in participation.

“I really love the community, especially in this area, because they're very generous and they're super fun and it's always a very motivational space to be in," she said.

Nineteen-time participant Katrina Nash, explained that while the challenge is intimidating, the rush of the win is worth the effort. 

“It feels so good,” she said. “And then you know, you also have a draft that you can edit into something that you’d be willing to let other people read.”

UNC graduate student Katarina Harrison, a eight-time winner, has always been in school when she’s participated in NaNo. 

She said it is hard to strike the balance required to succeed in the challenge and stay on top of school work, but she said the effort is worth it.

“The deeper you go into it, the more it's like, 'Okay, this victory is a sign that I have put something I care about ahead of things that other people try and put in front of me,'” she said.

For UNC students looking to take on this year’s challenge but lacking the community to spur them through the ups and downs, the Wake-Orange-Durham counties NaNoWriMo group is a great place to start. 

However, for those looking for more student-oriented NaNo communities, UNC’s Back Page creative writing club is encouraging members to take on the task. 

Back Page is doing weekly check-ins with NaNo participants, offering prizes to those on track with the writing goals and emphasizing collaboration and support among the UNC student NaNo community.

Regardless of how much preparation NaNo participants have done before November, the next month will be an exciting time for writers looking to complete the challenge. 

Nash encouraged those considering taking on the challenge to move past trepidation and jump right in.

“Just do it,” she said. “It's so much fun. Definitely go to events if you can — write-ins are fantastic for motivation, and we have an amazing community.”

@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com