Hello Lovelies! Welcome back to the blog.
Today I want to give you a little more information on NaNoWriMo in case last week’s blog post got you interested. We’ll be going over some of the Frequently Asked Questions, and for transparency sake, I am copying this all directly off the NaNoWriMo website. I do not own these words or this content in any way, nor am I making any money off of telling you about NaNo and its affiliates.
I love participating in NaNoWriMo, and if you’re interested but have questions, this post is for you! I will leave links to each question in the FAQ if you want to dig in further from the primary source. Just click on each one’s title.
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Why 50,000 words? And how do you define “novel”?
We’ve found that 50,000 words is a challenging but achievable goal for many people, even folks with full-time jobs and children. And, though on the shorter side, it’s definitely long enough to be considered a novel: 50,000 words is about the length of The Great Gatsby.
We define a novel as “a lengthy work of fiction.” Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you’re writing falls under the heading of “novel.” In short: If you believe you’re writing a novel, we believe you’re writing a novel, too.
How and when can I sign up? When do I start writing?
You can sign up at any time, year-round. To participate during National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November, just click on the “Sign Up” button on the homepage.
You can announce your National Novel Writing Month novel usually beginning sometime in September, and start writing at the stroke of midnight on November 1.
We also host Camp NaNoWriMo every April and July, during which you can tackle any writing project, novel or not.
You can also create an independent writing project and goal, and track your progress anytime of the year!
How do I win National Novel Writing Month? What are the prizes? Is there an entry fee?
You win National Novel Writing Month by writing 50,000 words of your novel between November 1 and November 30. There’s no limit on how many people can win! Just be sure that you’ve defined a novel on our site, and that you update your novel’s word count at the end of the month.
To win 👑:
Update your word count past 50,000 words.
You should then receive the 50K badge.
Click this badge, and you’ll see your winner goodies, and become an official winner! Your project’s progress bar will turn purple, your profile picture will add another pair of winner’s laurels, and you’ll see a new card on your dashboard that links you to your winner goodies.
You can also find your winner goodies by going to your dashboard, and clicking the link in the “Winner” tile there.
Every year, we also have several generous sponsors that offer participant and winner goodies. Check out some NaNoWriMo prizes here!
All of NaNoWriMo’s programs, including Camp NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program are free. However, we run on donations and we’re able to continue year over year because participants contribute something towards hosting and administrative costs. Because we’re a nonprofit, the donation is tax-deductible!
Can I participate if I’m not American? Can I write a novel in any language?
Definitely! We’re an international nonprofit with participants around the world.
You’re welcome to write in the language you’re most comfortable with.
Is there a minimum age to participate?
NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo are open to all writers 13 and older. Our Young Writers Program is open to authors 17 and under.
What do I do with my novel after the month is over?
The only requirement is to congratulate yourself on your hard work.
That said, many NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo participants revise their manuscripts—to publish traditionally, to self-publish, or just to share their stories with friends and family. We support this process during our “Now What?” Months, which take place in January and February, when we have targeted programming to support these efforts, but the resources are always available on the Now What? page.
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So, there we are. What questions do you have about NaNoWriMo? Are you participating this year? Let us know in the comments below!
Yes, yes and yes.