For those of you who aren’t WriMos – a brief explanation. A WriMo is a participant in NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, an international challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, run in November.

50,000 words in one month, it sounds daunting. 1,667 words each and every day and all this on top of work and family commitments. If you think this means that for one month you’d have to become a social hermit and abandon any thought of getting to bed before midnight you would be right. It is demanding, it is tiring, it is torturous and there’s no prize or promise of publication. So why did over 200,000 people around the world participate in 2010?

This is why becoming a WriMo is worth the journey.

·         It’s a motivator. You get a target - 50,000 words, a deadline -  30th November, pep talks via email, graphs to chart your progress, writing buddies and forums to spur you along.

·         You can meet and chat with likeminded people through the many forums or in person through local NaNoWriMo write-ins.

·         It doesn’t require perfect writing and discourages editing prior to finishing the first draft; NaNoWriMo is about unlocking the creative you.

·         Participation costs nothing and you can write anywhere.

If you’ve been dreaming of giving that novel a go, here’s an opportunity to get on with it, to turn dreams into reality. Find out more at the NaNoWriMo website http://www.nanowrimo.org/

If you’re not sure how to start, here’s a list of references I found to be helpful:

·         No Plot No Problem by NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty.

·         Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass.

·         Write Away by Elizabeth George

·         Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

Last year I participated for the first time. I did reach the 50,000 word target and complete the first draft of a novel. Prior to NaNoWriMo I would not have thought it possible. In the year since, I have edited the novel twice and paid for a professional assessment. To my delight, despite having much work to do yet, it isn’t rubbish.

Are you a Wrimo? Share your NaNoWriMo experiences here.