Image via Poka0059 on Flickr

Every November, the acronym I dread the most is NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. Not because I hate writing, but because the weight of my past two NaNo failures still lingers overhead. Yet once again I will enter the gauntlet, pushing myself to write more than 1,500 words a night, knowing that it’s not about the word count so much as it is about the experience. Plus, I have the entire NaNo community by my side.

The objective of NaNoWriMo is simple: write 50,000 words by midnight on Nov. 30. NaNo is open to anyone and everyone–plumbers, high schoolers, CEOs and astronauts can all take part. To reach the total word count, participants are encouraged to write at least 1,667 words per day. Users who reach 50,000 before the end of November can submit their stories to receive a certificate of completion.

Some writers use NaNo to write a full novel, others write the first half or set a higher word count goal. 

By signing up on the NaNoWriMo website, users can access forums, local meetup information, pep talks and track their word count.

Toronto NaNo is a local website with its own chat room and meetup information. 

Established in 1999 with only 21 participants, NaNoWriMo quickly grew into an international event. The month November is chosen “to more fully take advantage of the miserable weather.”

Members have already logged more than 61 million words for 2012.

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Mollie Paige writes for the Toronto Standard. You can follow her on twitter @MolliePB

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