General FAQ
The Basics
How often do you do this?
Every November!
Who will read my novel when I'm done?
Anyone you want. Last year, some people swapped novels afterwards and it was a hoot. But it's entirely up to you. No one will read your novel until you're ready for them to.
Do you edit or publish the finished products?
We'd love to be able to publish everyone's work, but our connections to the fiction-publishing world end at Kinkos. You are welcome, however, to put excerpts from your novel-in-progress up on our site.
Does NaNoWriMo own to the rights to novels written during November?
Nope. All words are yours and yours alone. Novels emailed in at the end of the month for word count verification are deleted, unread, after being verified.
Is there a fee to participate?
There's no sign-up fee, but we do ask ably-financed participants to contribute something towards hosting and administrative costs. The amount is up to you.
Do I need to have a personal website to participate?
No.
When can I sign up?
October 1, 2006
When is the cut-off date for sign-ups?
November 25, 2006 (hope springs eternal).
When do I start writing?
At 12:00:01 am local time on November 1.
How do you win? Are there judges? What are the prizes?
The way to win NaNoWriMo is by writing 50,000 words by midnight on November 30. Every year, there are many, many winners. There are no "Best Novel" or "Quickest-Written Novel" awards given out. All winners will get an official "Winner" web icon and certificate.
Can I handwrite the novel?
Absolutely. We can't verify your word count, but verification is just icing on the NaNoWriMo cake.
What if I start and don't finish?
That's ok. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
What if I hit 50,000 words but I'm only halfway through my story?
The 50,000 word limit is a threshold, not necessarily a stopping place. Reaching 50k and realizing you still have a lot of wrapping up to do is a good thing---it gives you something to come back and work on later.
How many novels have been written through NaNoWriMo?
1999: 21 participants and six winners
2000: 140 participants and 29 winners
2001: 5000 particpants and more than 700 winners
2002: 13,500 participants and around 2100 winners
2003: 25,500 participants and about 3500 winners
2004: 42,000 participants and just shy of 6000 winners
2005: 59,000 participants and 9769 winners.
Has anyone had their novel published?
Quite a few! Jon F. Merz was one of Team 2001's winners; his NaNo book The Destructor was published by Pinnacle Books in March 2003. Lani Diane Rich, sold her 2002 NaNo-penned manuscript, Time Off For Good Behaviorto Warner Books, and it came out to great reviews in October 2004, and won the Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best Debut Novel eight months later. Her 2003 NaNoWriMo novel was published by Warner Books as Maybe Baby in 2005.
We had several sales of NaNoWriMo novels in 2004 and 2005. Sarah Gruen's Flying Changes began as a NaNoWriMo novel. Rebecca Agiewich sold her 2003 NaNoWriMo book, Breakup Babe to Ballantine in 2004; it'll be hitting stores in May of 2006. Dave Wilson sold his 2004 NaNoWriMo Manuscript, The Mote in Andrea's Eye, to Five Star/Gale; it'll come out in June 2006. In fall of 2005, Gayle Brandeis sold her 2004 NaNoWriMo manuscript, Self Storage, to Ballantine in a two-book deal. Around the same time, Kimberly Llewellyn found a home for her 2004 NaNoWriMo manuscript, Cashmere Boulevard, at Berkley Books. It's due out in summer 2007.
Francesca Segre sold her 2003 NaNo manuscript Daughter of the Bride to Berkley Books; it came out in March, 2006.
Why 50,000 words? Isn't that more of a novella?
Our experiences over the past seven years show that 50,000 is a difficult but doable goal, even for people with full-time jobs and children. The length makes it a short novel. We don't use the word "novella" because it doesn't seem to impress people the way "novel" does.
How do you define "novel?" Does fan fiction count? What if I want to write interconnected short stories rather than a novel? What if my story is largely autobiographical, or is based on a real person? Can I still write it in November?
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.
Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?
NaNoWriMo is all about the magical power of deadlines. Give someone a goal and a goal-minded community and miracles are bound to happen. Pies will be eaten at amazing rates. Alfalfa will be harvested like never before. And novels will be written in a month.
Part of the reason we organize NaNoWriMo is just to get a book written. We love the fringe benefits accrued to novelists. For one month out of the year, we can stew and storm, and make a huge mess of our apartments and drink lots of coffee at odd hours. And we can do all of these things loudly, in front of people. As satisfying as it is to reach deep within yourself and pull out an unexpectedly passable work of art, it is equally (if not more) satisfying to be able to dramatize the process at social gatherings.
But that artsy drama window is woefully short. The other reason we do NaNoWriMo is because the glow from making big, messy art, and watching others make big, messy art, lasts for a long, long time. The act of sustained creation does bizarre, wonderful things to you. It changes the way you read. And changes, a little bit, your sense of self. We like that.
Is it true there's now an official guidebook to NaNoWriMo?
There is! Director Chris Baty compiled all of his tips, tricks, and caffeine-intake strategies in a book called No Plot? No Problem! Along with Chris' long-winded ramblings, the book also contains eloquent, sage, and hilarious tips from NaNoWriMo veterans, who should probably know better by now.
The Rules
Can I write one word 50,000 times?
No. Well... No.
Can I participate if I'm not American?
You bet! We are very proud to be an international event, and don't consider the "National" in the title to refer to the United States. This is an event for all nations. We'd change the name to "International Novel Writing Month," but InaNoWriMo doesn't roll off the tongue in quite the same way.
Can I write in a foreign language?
Sure! Foreign-language novels are great.
I have a lot to do in November. Can I start in October and end early?
No. One of the best things about NaNoWriMo is the way it spreads the agony of creation throughout a large community of co-sufferers. For the pain to be properly distributed (and thereby diminished), all participants must be working on the same deadline.
Do I have to start my novel from scratch on November 1?
Yes.
This sounds like a dumb, arbitrary rule, we know. But bringing a half-finished manuscript into NaNoWriMo all but guarantees a miserable month. You'll simply care about the characters and story too much to write with the gleeful, anything-goes approach that makes NaNoWriMo such a creative rush. Give yourself the gift of a clean slate, and you'll tap into realms of imagination and intuition that are out-of-reach when working on pre-existing manuscripts.
Does that mean I can't use an outline or notes?
Outlines and plot notes are very much encouraged, and can be started months ahead of the actual novel-writing adventure. Previously written prose, though, is punishable by death.
Can anyone participate in NaNoWriMo?
No. People who take their writing (and themselves) very seriously should probably go elsewhere. Everyone else, though, is warmly welcomed.
Can I share writing duties with a partner?
No.
Is there a minimum age to participate?
No. All ages are very welcome. In fact, in 2005 we'll be launching NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program, which will create a mini site and self-contained message board for all participants 12 and under, as well as those participating as part of a K-12 classroom group. While we encourage novelists of all ages to write with us, federal law does require we get a signed permission form from the parents of children 12 and under. You'll see that form when you sign up.
Can I use NaNoWriMo to write a screenplay?
Screenplays are great, but outside the scope of NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo is a forum exclusively committed to the timely production of crappy novels. Wait and write your crappy screenplay in December.
If I'm just writing 50,000 words of crap, why bother? Why not just write a real novel later, when I have more time?
There are three reasons.
1) If you don't do it now, you probably never will. Novel writing is mostly a "one day" event. As in "One day, I'd like to write a novel." Here's the truth: 99% of us, if left to our own devices, would never make the time to write a novel. It's just so far outside our normal lives that it constantly slips down to the bottom of our to-do lists. The structure of NaNoWriMo forces you to put away all those self-defeating worries and START. Once you have the first five chapters under your belt, the rest will come easily. Or painfully. But it will come. And you'll have friends to help you see it through to 50k.
2) Aiming low is the best way to succeed. With entry-level novel writing, shooting for the moon is the surest way to get nowhere. With high expectations, everything you write will sound cheesy and awkward. Once you start evaluating your story in terms of word count, you take that pressure off yourself. And you'll start surprising yourself with a great bit of dialogue here and a ingenious plot twist there. Characters will start doing things you never expected, taking the story places you'd never imagined. There will be much execrable prose, yes. But amidst the crap, there will be beauty. A lot of it.
3) Art for art's sake does wonderful things to you. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you want to take naps and go places wearing funny pants. Doing something just for the hell of it is a wonderful antidote to all the chores and "must-dos" of daily life. Writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives.
The Community
Will participants meet each other?
This year's participants all over the world will get together to drink coffee, steal plots, and partake in the highly therapeutic variety of whining known only to amateur novelists. At this point, most cities and college towns in the English-speaking world boast a NaNoWriMo chapter, and there are new chapters popping up throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa as well. So odds are good there's a party or NaNo write-in near you. Check the Regional Lounge in the Forums for your area and see what's going down in your town.
How can I get in touch with writers in my area?
The Regional Lounges of the NaNoWriMo chat forums are the place to meet up with co-sufferers in your area. Another thing you can do is check out the Municipal Liasions page of this site, starting October 1, 2005. If your area has a Municipal Liaison (a volunteer organizer who oversees local events and get-togethers), you can just send them an email and they'll tell you what's going on in your area.
Municipal Liaisoning sounds pretty cool. Can I be the ML for my area?
Maybe! Some areas already have high-functioning, monstrously encouraging MLs who have spent the last three or four NaNoWriMos honing their cheerful whip-cracking skills to an Olympic level. Other areas are ML-less, and could really use someone with a little organizational moxie. Starting September 1, you can drop our ML Headmistresses an email to find out what the ML situation is in your area.
Tell me more about the "Thank God It's Over" Party.
At the end of November, all participants (regardless of final word count) get together to celebrate and show off parts of their novel and jump up and down and shake their heads at the folly of what they have just done to themselves.
Visit your area's regional lounge in the NaNoWriMo forums to find the closest party to you.
What's the deal with your laptop lending library? Do you really send free laptops to participants?
We do loan out laptops out to computer-less Wrimos for the month of November. All of the machines in our library are charmingly clunky, but they've made a world of difference for aspiring novelists who don't have a computer at home. Our laptop library is currently at capacity, so we can't take any more donated computers for the time being. And if you're interested in checking out a laptop for the 2006 event, please drop us a line in September.
Did you know there is a group in Vancouver that writes novels in a weekend?
Yes, and they are fools. Everyone knows that any deep and lasting work of art takes an entire month to make.
I would like to form a strategic alliance with NaNoWriMo to promote my software/website/chinchilla farm. Who can I talk to about this?
NaNoWriMo's business model is woefully prehistoric and almost completely devoid of synergy. We don't form partnerships with outside companies, and we like to keep our site as ad-free as possible. If you have an exclusive offer you'd like to extend to NaNoWriMo participants, we can post it on your behalf in our Marketing Forum. Just drop a line to info@ care of this website.
How do you pronounce NaNoWriMo?
NAN-no WRY-Mo.
Oh. I've been saying it NAN-no WREE-Mo.
That's ok too.
The Finances
Do you realize how long this FAQ page is? I've been scrolling for three days now.
Sorry! Almost through.
Can I donate to NaNoWriMo in a foreign currency?
Absolutely. All donations, regardless of national origin, will be loved and respected here at NaNo headquarters. Our bank charges us $5 for every foreign check deposited, though, so if you are sending a check in a foreign currency we ask that its value be over US $5.
Are you a non-profit? What's your organization's fiscal status?
We are not a non-profit, though we're currently in the process of applying to become one. While we're not yet an official charity, NaNoWriMo does share the goals and practices of a non-profit, including complete transparency in fiscal matters, and a strong investment in philanthropic causes. In 2004, we raised $6500 for our Cambodian Libraries project, and $14,000 in 2005 for our Libraries in Laos program.
I thought my donation could potentially be tax-deductible, though. How can you offer tax-deductions without being a non-profit?
For the last four years, we have been working with the wonderful folks at Media Alliance, a media-oriented non-profit in San Francisco. Along with doing great advocacy and teaching work, they also help small organizations fundraise through a process called "Fiscal Sponsorship." As our fiscal sponsors, Media Alliance brings us under their 501(c)(3) umbrella, which allows us, through them, to offer tax-deductible status on large donations or corporate matching-gift donations. In order to have your donation be tax-deductible, please email donations(at)nanowrimo(dot)org. We'll send you all the info you need for making your gift tax deductible.
Is NaNoWriMo volunteer-run? Can I help out?
While generous, dedicated volunteers do perform a number of important NaNo-duties, we rely on a part-time staff of paid employees for most of the core work of organizing and faciliating the event. Interested in working for NaNoWriMo either as a staff member or volunteer? We'll post all job openings on the Breaking News page.
Is it true you're building a NaNoWriMo library in Cambodia? Or was that just a weird dream I had?
It was no dream! In 2004, we teamed up with children's literacy non-profit Room to Read to establish three NaNoWriMo-sponsored libraries for kids in Cambodia. Room to Read partners with the local communities to help find space for the libraries. Room to Read then provides all the books, printed in both English and the local language, and pays for staff training as well. We donated 50% of our net proceeds to Room to Read in 2004 and 2005 -- over $20,000 in all -- which was enough to create ten libraries for kids in communities that could otherwise not afford them. Those libraries are all up and running now! We'll be participating in the same program in 2006.
I'd like to write an article on NaNoWriMo. Can I interview some of the participants in my area?
Absolutely. We've put together a Media Kit stuffed with useful information about getting in touch with participants and other journalistic FAQs. After you've read it, just drop us an email us -- press(at)nanowrimo(dot)org -- and let us know what we can do to help you with your article.