A Word (50,000 Words, Actually) Of Advice

Astute readers of this blog may have noticed a certain link down at the very bottom of my sidebar. (And I know you all click on every one of those links, right? Of course you do.) I'm talking about the link that is prefaced with the title "A Very Special Thank You."

Tomorrow is November 1, which is also the first day of National Novel Writing Month. Why would this month and the people behind it merit a very special thank you from me? Because four years ago, in November of 2001, I wrote my first novel. It was the most exhilarating, uplifting and monumental thing I have ever accomplished — and I did it in 30 days.

Sure, that novel remains unpublished, as are the three I've written since then and the unfinished one I tried to write the year before. That's because they weren't very good. But I wrote them in 30 days for cryin' out loud. What did you expect? National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo to those in the know) is not about quality. It's about quantity. It's not about highly refined prose or book deals or getting a mention in The New Yorker. It's about challenging yourself to accomplish something most of us have always dreamed about but never dared attempt. The instructions are simple. Produce 50,000 words of original fiction in one month. Yet, it's the hardest thing you'll ever do, and the most rewarding.

I could go on and on with my personal stories about NaNoWriMo: my "failure" the first year, my subsequent triumphs, the genius of NaNo founder Chris Baty, the highs, the lows, the camaraderie of fellow wannabe novelists, the booze, the pills, the partying, the Star Wars fan fiction doubling as "creative writing." Those who have done it know what I'm talking about and those who haven't won't understand until they've tried it themselves. There will be plenty more to share as the month goes on. For now, I'll just leave you with this:

If you have ever, at any point in your life, contemplated becoming a novelist, or any kind of serious writer, then you must click on this link, sign up, and at midnight tonight, start writing your ass off. It will feel silly and frustrating and sometimes downright impossible. But there is no greater feeling in the world than waking up on December 1, going outside, turning to the first person you meet and saying, "You know what I did this month? I wrote a fucking novel."