I’m participating in this year’s National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short. The annual event challenges budding writers to create a 50,000 word novel (or something that closely resembles a draft of one) in the month of November. That’s an average of 1,667 words a day.

Currently I’m on track, however November is shaping up to be a busy month. I’m hoping to stay ahead of my targets and fully intend to reach the 50k by midnight on November 30th.

My subject matter is quite straight-forward; a group of friends who go out, drink, date and balance growing up together with the threat of growing apart. It will be complete bobbins of course - I’m trying to write a novel in 30 days. But that’s not the point of NaNoWriMo. The point it for people who have talked writing but never done it to put their money where their mouth is and finish something. Even if it’s rushed and a total rubbish. I’m hoping there might be something in there worth editing or rewriting to a more complete draft though.

This year, the lovely people at GIST in Sheffield have organised a series of workshops called Write! Lab which have been a great support. The lab is not only great for NaNoWriMo authors like me but also anyone who wants to commit to writing anything in any format over the month of November. I’ll be recording my progress in the challenge on the GIST Write! blog as well as on Twitter.

Only 35,458 words to go…