It means National Novel Writing Month, if you don’t know (and as a visitor of this blog, you probably do).  So what does National Novel Writing Month mean?  From November 1st to midnight of November 30th, people are encouraged to write 50,000 words of that novel they’ve always meant to write but haven’t because of work, or because the kids just set the couch on fire again (which, as excuses go, is a darn good one), or because talking about how great your novel will be when you finally write it is a lot more fun (and easier) than, you know, actually writing it (which, as excuses go, is a mighty poor if popular one). 

There’s no doubt that NaNoWriMois a good thing.  It challenges people to man up (women included) and get words on the page, which is the most essential skill for anyone who wants to be a writer.  So why has it taken me nearly half the month to mention it?  Because I forgot.  Why did I forget?  Because to me, it’s never been particularly memorable.  When I say that please understand that the first and only year I tried to take the NanoWriMo challenge of 50,000 in 30 days—2004, I believe—I approached the experience with much of the enthusiasm that most aspiring writers do.  I’d already completed a 250,000-word novel (my first) at that point, so I didn’t have problems with production and thus wasn’t as impressed by my daring to accept the mark as most would be.  But I’d never sat down and tried to write 2,000 words a day, which was about the pace I set for that month.  (I write 6 days a week.)  I expected a genuine challenge.  By the end of the month, I had well over 50,000 words, and they’d come, well, not easy, but what does one say that means almost as easy as easy?  Whatever the word, my NaNoWriMo experience was that. 

I may have tried again the next year, but that summer I wrote a 150,000-word novel in three months—including revision.  And I didn’t even have a deadline for that one. 

So the whole motivate the writer by daring him, insulting his manhood, that kind of thing, hasn’t really worked since.  Now the only thing that goes through my head when I think of NaNoWriMo—which, you can tell by the timing of this post, I almost never do—is that for this month, at least, I’m not quite so odd as usual.  Everyone else is trying to write books by the bushelfull as well.

For those making the effort, good on you all.

For those not making the effort who should be, eternal shame upon your house.

For those who do this all the time and sometimes wonder what all the fuss is about every November, comrade, I done been there.

(For those wondering about the dialectical expressions, take it as a hint for NaNoWriMo: if some word comes, don’t take time to ask why.  Just leave it and move on.  After all, you’ve got 49,999 more to go.)