For aspiring Hemingways, right now is a particularly appropriate time to shake off the writer's block and glue yourself to a keyboard, because November is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. (No, I didn't just make that up; it's the official abbreviation.)
Signing up is simple and free at NaNoWriMo's website. Then, the race is on. The goal is for participants to write a 50,000-word novel before the clock hits midnight on Nov. 30.
For point of reference, 50,000 words is just over one word per minute for the entire month. But since we're already a few days into November, you might have some catching up to do.
The event is run by a non-profit organization in Berkeley, Calif. As explained on NaNoWriMo's website, which is a compelling work of literature in and of itself, the movement began humbly in 1999: That first year there were 21 of us, and our July noveling binge had little to do with any ambitions we might have harbored on the literary front. Nor did it reflect any hopes we had about tapping more fully into our creative selves. No, we wanted to write novels for the same dumb reasons twentysomethings start bands. Because we wanted to make noise. Because we didn't have anything better to do. And because we thought that, as novelists, we would have an easier time getting dates than we did as non-novelists.
They must have gotten a lot of dates because the event has grown prodigiously. Last year more than 250,000 writers participated, of which nearly 39,000 finished novels. About 2,000 of the participants were grade-school students. All told, the 2011 class of NaNoWriMo logged more than 3 billion words of fiction.
To encourage writers to meet their goals, the organization provides several creative confidence boosters, such as pep talks from established novelists like Lemony Snicket. NaNoWriMo also has forums where writers can commiserate and offer support to one another.
While there are badges and banners for writers to use to spread the word about their participation, another way to do so is by tweeting.
Anyone else doing National Novel Writing Month? I wonder if I can reach my goal of writing 50,000 words about spaghetti-o's.
— Mikey Heller (@yoyorobot) November 3, 2012
Twitter is actually a big part of how the NaNoWriMo keeps people motivated to write. Using the @NaNoWordSprints handle, staff and volunteers from around the world set up "word sprints," which are periods of time ranging from five minutes to an hour when participants are prompted to write continuously.
"The sprint leader gives people warning that a sprint is about to start, tells them how long the sprint will last, and offers an optional writing challenge for those who might be a little stuck and need a suggestion for something to write about," NaNoWriMo's community liaison Sarah Mackey tells Mashable. "The focused writing time is remarkably effective, and having that virtual community writing alongside you is another great motivation."
Since there are various people all over the world leading the word sprints, they go on for about 20 hours each day.
There is already a long list of authors who have had their NaNoWriMo work published. So, whether you plan on writing about SpaghettiOs or Alphabet Soup, the time for procrastination is officially over. Brew a yourself a pot of coffee and show the world you're the next James Joyce.
Image courtesy of Nicole Lee, via Flickr
BONUS GALLERY: Twitterature: 14 Connected Authors Worth Your Follow
On Travel Channel's No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain is brash, opinionated, foul-mouthed and memorable. On Twitter, as @Bourdain, his personality is prominent — much like in his memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which is being reissued in October.
Bourdain's frequent tweets shed insight into his daily life and adventures with his wife, Ottavia.
After all, we know you're itching for more pictures of edible sheep testicles.
Austin Kleon, author of Newspaper Blackout and Steal Like An Artist, writes consistently clever tweets and believes creativity is for everyone.
He's known for his sense of humor and hand-drawn creations, and when given a platform to talk to readers, he excels. Kleon also shares witty and interesting articles, along with smile-inducing quotes.
Cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley is best known for the Scott Pilgrim comic series.
His tweets are exquisitely odd, but it seems he always has time to respond to his followers. As a frequent hashtag user, his skewed sense of humor is intriguing.
The Scott Pilgrim series re-released in full color at the beginning of August, and he shared the experience with followers by posting pictures of characters.
Warning: His randomness is addictive.
Although Chuck Palahniuk's Twitter account is managed by Dennis Widmyer, it's fun to follow this account for behind-the-scenes access to the author.
The account is very interactive, a chance to look into events and interviews with Palahniuk that would be difficult to otherwise find.
As the bestselling author of Choke, Fight Club and Survivor, we hope he's spending his time writing the next book.
Most famous for her Twinnings English Breakfast Tea and Red Room of Pain, E. L. James is a great follow.
The author of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is one of the most frequent tweeters on this list, with constant updates about what she's doing.
Whether the books rubbed you the wrong or oh-so-right way, you have to give James props for keeping a brave face to haters and chatting with readers.
Look out for movie updates on her page.
Harlan Coben's books and Twitter account have something in common: they're all thrilling.
He's a football fan who interacts with readers, reviewers, other authors and even Chris Christie.
Coben tends to contribute witty political commentary to the Twittersphere, but his most notable trait is giving random, quote-worthy advice.
Example: "Advice to authors who are seething over negative reviews: Do you know what writers never get negative reviews? UNREAD authors."
Jackson Pearce is funny. While that's not new information, she's still worth a follow.
The successful young adult author of retold fairytales is a frequent vlogger, and her witty voice subsumes every tweet. Plus, scroll through her Twitpics for a good giggle.
The self-described cat keeper and adventurer releases her newest novel, Fathomless, on Sept. 4.
"Governor of Jennsylvania" Jen Lancaster authored Bitter is the New Black, If You Were Here and Generation X.
Lancaster challenges herself and laughs at her experiences both in her books and on Twitter. Her personality transitions exceptionally well from camera to tweet, so follow and don't be shy — she won't be.
Some authors annoy their followers by oversharing personal details, but Jennifer Weiner isn't one of them.
Much like her writing career, Weiner's Twitter presence finds the perfect balance of personal and professional, and she's fun to follow.
As a reality TV junkie, Weiner frequently tweets about The Bachelor and other celebrity news. Always willing to give advice, she converses with hopeful and current authors quite often.
John Green's Internet legacy is astounding.
He's one-half of the infamous Vlog Brothers. Better known as "nerdfighters," fans loyally follow him from across the globe. His Twitter presence is broken into two accounts: @realjohngreen and @sportswithjohn.
On his original account, he discusses everything from computer problems to the philosophical meanings of his novels. His sports-driven account erupts whenever Liverpool plays.
At the risk of sounding unprofessional, he's just so freaking awesome.
Lauren Morrill is one of those rare authors who tweets more about other books than her own. Her first novel, Meant To Be, releases in November, but she's clearly an avid reader, too.
She asks her followers for book recommendations and tweets about her fun experiences — like being an extra on the set of The Vampire Diaries.
Morrill is steadily gaining a follower base, and when she shoots to the top of the bestseller list this fall, you'll want to be one of them.
Margaret Atwood is a serial retweeter.
For a woman who spent so much of her life writing, her Twitter page is dedicated to giving others a voice.
She recently announced her partnership in creating a bird-friendly brand of coffee, and she crusades for the future generation's education by encouraging others to get involved with programs, events or groups.
The man who has been scaring children for decades is incredibly active on Twitter. He connects to his follower with comedy and fun facts about bones and rabid beavers.
In his spare time, he asks followers for questions. When he sees quirky or interesting news, he shares it. When he plans an event, he invites the Twitterverse.
Wes Moore's Twitter account reflects his extraordinary life.
His first book, The Other Wes Moore, tells the tale of two men with the same name. Although their stories seem interchangeable, one currently serves a life sentence in prison, while the other becomes a Rhodes scholar, Army veteran, entrepreneur and writer.
Most often, Moore tweets about events, his novel and outreach programs — this socially conscious account will bring a unique perspective to your Twitter feed.
We know he's dead, but Shakespeare did say, "I will follow thee to the last gasp with truth and loyalty."
On Travel Channel's No Reservations, Anthony Bourdain is brash, opinionated, foul-mouthed and memorable. On Twitter, as @Bourdain, his personality is prominent — much like in his memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, which is being reissued in October.
Bourdain's frequent tweets shed insight into his daily life and adventures with his wife, Ottavia.
After all, we know you're itching for more pictures of edible sheep testicles.
Austin Kleon, author of Newspaper Blackout and Steal Like An Artist, writes consistently clever tweets and believes creativity is for everyone.
He's known for his sense of humor and hand-drawn creations, and when given a platform to talk to readers, he excels. Kleon also shares witty and interesting articles, along with smile-inducing quotes.
Cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley is best known for the Scott Pilgrim comic series.
His tweets are exquisitely odd, but it seems he always has time to respond to his followers. As a frequent hashtag user, his skewed sense of humor is intriguing.
The Scott Pilgrim series re-released in full color at the beginning of August, and he shared the experience with followers by posting pictures of characters.
Warning: His randomness is addictive.
Although Chuck Palahniuk's Twitter account is managed by Dennis Widmyer, it's fun to follow this account for behind-the-scenes access to the author.
The account is very interactive, a chance to look into events and interviews with Palahniuk that would be difficult to otherwise find.
As the bestselling author of Choke, Fight Club and Survivor, we hope he's spending his time writing the next book.
Most famous for her Twinnings English Breakfast Tea and Red Room of Pain, E. L. James is a great follow.
The author of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is one of the most frequent tweeters on this list, with constant updates about what she's doing.
Whether the books rubbed you the wrong or oh-so-right way, you have to give James props for keeping a brave face to haters and chatting with readers.
Look out for movie updates on her page.
Harlan Coben's books and Twitter account have something in common: they're all thrilling.
He's a football fan who interacts with readers, reviewers, other authors and even Chris Christie.
Coben tends to contribute witty political commentary to the Twittersphere, but his most notable trait is giving random, quote-worthy advice.
Example: "Advice to authors who are seething over negative reviews: Do you know what writers never get negative reviews? UNREAD authors."
Jackson Pearce is funny. While that's not new information, she's still worth a follow.
The successful young adult author of retold fairytales is a frequent vlogger, and her witty voice subsumes every tweet. Plus, scroll through her Twitpics for a good giggle.
The self-described cat keeper and adventurer releases her newest novel, Fathomless, on Sept. 4.
"Governor of Jennsylvania" Jen Lancaster authored Bitter is the New Black, If You Were Here and Generation X.
Lancaster challenges herself and laughs at her experiences both in her books and on Twitter. Her personality transitions exceptionally well from camera to tweet, so follow and don't be shy — she won't be.
Some authors annoy their followers by oversharing personal details, but Jennifer Weiner isn't one of them.
Much like her writing career, Weiner's Twitter presence finds the perfect balance of personal and professional, and she's fun to follow.
As a reality TV junkie, Weiner frequently tweets about The Bachelor and other celebrity news. Always willing to give advice, she converses with hopeful and current authors quite often.
John Green's Internet legacy is astounding.
He's one-half of the infamous Vlog Brothers. Better known as "nerdfighters," fans loyally follow him from across the globe. His Twitter presence is broken into two accounts: @realjohngreen and @sportswithjohn.
On his original account, he discusses everything from computer problems to the philosophical meanings of his novels. His sports-driven account erupts whenever Liverpool plays.
At the risk of sounding unprofessional, he's just so freaking awesome.
Lauren Morrill is one of those rare authors who tweets more about other books than her own. Her first novel, Meant To Be, releases in November, but she's clearly an avid reader, too.
She asks her followers for book recommendations and tweets about her fun experiences — like being an extra on the set of The Vampire Diaries.
Morrill is steadily gaining a follower base, and when she shoots to the top of the bestseller list this fall, you'll want to be one of them.
Margaret Atwood is a serial retweeter.
For a woman who spent so much of her life writing, her Twitter page is dedicated to giving others a voice.
She recently announced her partnership in creating a bird-friendly brand of coffee, and she crusades for the future generation's education by encouraging others to get involved with programs, events or groups.
The man who has been scaring children for decades is incredibly active on Twitter. He connects to his follower with comedy and fun facts about bones and rabid beavers.
In his spare time, he asks followers for questions. When he sees quirky or interesting news, he shares it. When he plans an event, he invites the Twitterverse.
Wes Moore's Twitter account reflects his extraordinary life.
His first book, The Other Wes Moore, tells the tale of two men with the same name. Although their stories seem interchangeable, one currently serves a life sentence in prison, while the other becomes a Rhodes scholar, Army veteran, entrepreneur and writer.
Most often, Moore tweets about events, his novel and outreach programs — this socially conscious account will bring a unique perspective to your Twitter feed.
We know he's dead, but Shakespeare did say, "I will follow thee to the last gasp with truth and loyalty."
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