It's December, and I'm re-emerging from a month of novel writing. As you may or may not know, November is
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, a world-wide event in which determined individuals of all ages strive to write 50,000 words in 30 days. This year, I wrote a zombie novel and it was a blast. For the past five years, I've written 50,000 words each November. That's two sci-fi novels, one sci-fi/detective novel, a fantasy novel, and a zombie novel. Outside of NaNoWriMo, I've only written one novel and a bunch of short stories.
People quibble over whether or not it's productive to write such a huge amount in one month, which amazes me. There's no doubt in my mind that it's useful to write vast quantities if you want to become a writer! The most effective way to learn how to do something is to do it, and the whole point of NaNoWriMo is to stop talking about how you're going to write a novel someday, and simply write one. This year I wrote more dialogue than I've ever written before in my life, and I learned a ton. I came out at the end of it realizing how to make characters sound real and unique, which has always for me been one of the hardest parts of writing.
If you want to be a novelist, try NaNoWriMo one year. At the end of it, you'll probably know whether or not you really want to be a novelist. And you'll have gained firm proof that you can produce a rough draft, because you'll have one in your hands. It might not be pure gold, but it's a step in the right direction.
