November NaNo-Bites by Cassidy McKay

November NaNo-Bites

by Cassidy McKay

What is it about November that brings together thousands of people, all in a frenzy to write 50,000 words in thirty days? NaNoWriMo.

November is National Novel Writing Month, and the creators of http://NaNoWriMo.org invite everyone to try their hand at the fun. You can join in, even if you're not a writer. After all, every published author started out sometime, somewhere, with their first story. Why not let NaNoWriMo be your start?

I have participated in the madness for several years, and hope to actually finish on time this year. That's part of the lure: you have a set amount of time to write a set amount of words. You're just supposed to write. Editing and all that jazz come later. Of course, I can never do that…nor can I stay on just one story. But that's just me. Your mileage may vary.

Are you the next Nora Roberts or Stephen King? The next Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling? Maybe you're the next C.S. Lewis or William Shakespeare, who knows? Unless you put pen to paper, or fingers to computer, nobody will ever have the chance to read what lies hidden inside your head (okay, sometimes that's a good thing!).

Writing can be a lonely profession. We've all heard the stories of the closet writer who never sees the light of day, working on his/her next big hit, only to be found mummified years later. No? Well, it must have happened at one point, right? Or zombies--yeah, that's it. The writer toils alone in his/her in-depth research for a book, finding the one sure thing guaranteed to stop a zombie invasion. If only they could finish the book so it can be published and save the world! But, I digress…

The NaNoWriMo website gives us all a chance to join forces in November and rejoice (or commiserate) with others who share the same passions and challenges. We have the choice to meet other writers at local write-ins (which could be at a library, coffee-shop, book store, etc.), get support online and off, and challenge ourselves and our friends with daily word count quotas.

Having someone to cheer you on daily when you might not feel like writing or life barges in on you is a wonderful thing. It's like a kick in the pants to get off your duff and get your daily word count done. Getting a fresh outlook or opinion on a story idea or character can help navigate roadblocks when your story stalls, and bring a fresh enthusiasm to your writing.

Whichever way works for you on your own journey—whether it be down the road of fiction or non-fiction—I encourage you to check out the fun at http://www.NaNoWriMo.org and see if you can meet the challenge!

Jax and I are doing it. Are you?

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Cassidy McKay is an erotic romance writer with a twisted sense of humor, an overactive imagination, and clearly too much time on her hands. Based in Washington, she enjoys the rain forests, beaches, and still hasn't seen even one sparkly vampire or werewolf (but not for lack of trying).

Her most-laughable writing-related story: When her eldest son told friends at school that his mom would creatively annihilate them in one of her books if they pissed him off (no, I didn't, but you've got to laugh at the idea).

You can see what else Cassidy is up to at her websites and blog:

http://www.cassidymckay.com (erotic romances)

http://www.ashlynbarre.com (sweet romances)