National Novel Writing Month is upon us again. Well, almost. Actually, November is the month (un)officially dubbed National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo, for short). Each year, thousands of people from all over the globe converge with the goal of pounding out an original work of fiction of at least 50,000 words in length. And I do mean pound. While 50,000 words may not seem like a lot on the surface, and it's technically not really a novel but more of a novella, when you actually sit down at your desk and begin scribbling out the words on a notepad or typing them on a laptop, it's easy to see how big a number 50,000 really is.

Luckily, the entire ethos of NaNoWriMo is "No Plot, No Problem!" Taken to heart, it means that the only goal during the month of November is getting the writing done. There is absolutely no need for a cohesive plot or a well-organized cast of characters. Plot points can be dropped just as quickly as they are picked up, characters can be killed (and revived again) at any given point, logic is thrown out the window along with grammar, spelling and, in many cases, good taste. After all, the entire point is to exercise your creative muscles, get your brain thinking in new and powerful directions and, most importantly, have a great time. Who cares if your novel makes any sense? December and January are for editing and revising. November is for writing. Come hell or high water, just get the words down.

This will be my third year participating in NaNoWriMo. I "won" last year, meaning I finished my 50,000-word quota, but not the year prior, due to my November 2002 wedding. I've always dabbled in fiction writing but never really shared it with anyone outside a few select friends and family members. Because of this, I've always had a real problem finishing works I've started. Once I fully commited to NaNo, I was fully determined to hold myself accountable, so I shared the news of my participation with everyone I knew, even allowing them to see my novel unfold as I wrote it online. Despite (or maybe because of) that leap of faith, I finished and, while my novel will never see the light of day, it was a satusifying step for me; taking a project from start to finish, regardless of the quality. For me, it was simply a matter of getting it done.

So, here we go again. Instead of annoucing my NaNo plans to my inner circle, I'm annoucing it to all of you. I'm hoping you can all help keep me accountable for my 50,000 words next month (that's around 1667 words a day -- I've done the math). And if any of you out there are interested in learning more about NaNoWriMo, check out their Web site and sign up. There is absolutely no cost to participate. All you need is an open mind, a good deal of determination, and a sense of humor. If you do sign up, please let me know and be sure to keep in touch in November, as we embark on a voyage into crappy pseudo-lit... together.