November is a special month for authors, both because of NaNoWriMo and because of National Author’s Day.
NaNoWriMo
NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It started in 1999 as a challenge: Write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days—writing only, no editing or rewriting. The point isn’t to perfect your story, but to write it. That first year only twenty-one people participated. Today, hundreds of thousands of people around the world take the challenge.
NaNoWriMo takes time and serious commitment. I have friends who’ve participated, but I never have. For me, it couldn’t come at a worse time of year. November is ultra busy with birthdays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving, and, for the past couple of decades, Christmas candy making. Since I usually write daily anyway, I’m already committed to writing. But for those who want to try their hand at it—and maybe need something to help hold them accountable—NaNoWriMo is perfect.
Did You Know…
- The NaNoWriMo organization became a nonprofit in 2006. They sponsor various other writing challenges, initiatives, and programs throughout the rest of the year. According to their website, they “provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people use their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.”
- In 2022, 51,670 writers met the goal and became NaNoWriMo winners, including 21,326 young writers.
- Of those who participated in NaNoWriMo in 2022, 87% claimed it had a positive impact on their life.
- In 2022, 78% of NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program participants said they were now excited about writing.
Honoring American Authors
In 1928, Nellie McPherson, president of the Bement, Illinois, Women’s Club, decided the best way to show appreciation to the authors she and her fellow club members enjoyed was to have a day set aside to honor them. She submitted her idea to the General Federation of Women’s Club. It took just over twenty years, but in 1949, the U.S. Department of Commerce made Author’s Day an official holiday to honor all American Authors.
Did You Know…
- Nellie McPherson was a teacher and avid reader.
- While recuperating in a hospital during World War 1, Nellie McPherson wrote a letter to Irving Bacheller, telling him how much she enjoyed his story, “Eben Holden’s Last Day A’ Fishin’.” Bacheller surprised Nellie by sending her an autographed copy of another story he’d written.
- November 1 is designated as National Authors Day.
Write, Write, Write
Writing is hard, solitary work. It takes time. Even the fastest writer can’t write a book in a day. It also takes persistence. A writer not only has to crank out the words but edit and weave them into a story someone wants to read. The right words don’t always come easy, but paraphrasing one of my favorite authors: If you don’t sit your butt in the chair and write, they don’t come at all.
Next time you pick up a book, think about the work that went into creating it. Remember, what will take you an hour, two, or even a day to read, took an author months to write and polish.