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In the following post, I explain what NaNoWriMo is and how it started. I also explain how you can win NaNoWriMo and therefore how to write a novel of 50 000 words in 30 days. 

However, this is the first blog post out of two. You can read both posts or you can skip to the second post in which I give you my top 10 tips on how to write a novel in 30 days. To read the second post click here.

Let’s Quickly Talk Numbers

If you’re a Stephen King fan, you would be well aware from his memoir “On Writing” that he writes at least 2000 words a day. That’s 50 000 words by day 25 of the new calendar year. 

Writing 2000 words takes on average anywhere between 2-4 hours. 

NaNoWriMo requires you to only write 1667 a day to reach the target of 50 000 words in 30 days. That is an average from 1.5 to 3 hours a day. That is anywhere between 45 to 90 hours in a month. If you’re a Netflix series binger, that is 2 to 4 seasons of 20 episodes lasting an hour long. 

In a month, there is 720 hours. 

If you sleep 8 hours a night, that is 480 hours remaining in the month. 

If you work 8 hours 5 days a week every week, that is 320 hours remaining that is completely yours. 

That is 14 to 28% of your free time spent writing. Of that average (note: average) 10 hour “free” time a day 70 to 85% remains yours to cook, clean, do chores, taking care of family, spend time relaxing, reading or doing activities or other hobbies. That is 7 to 8.5 hours belonging to you and your other obligations.  

Is it possible to write a novel of 50 000 words in 30 days?

The answer is a resounding yes. 

It remains a challenge to do so but it is definitely more than achievable. 

I have done it once before – with my second unpublished novel – back in November 2014. And, I intend to do it again in November 2020. 

In actuality, there are thousands of people that complete their first draft in this matter. They win the National Novel Writing Month challenge. 

(It is totally free to sign up and partake in). 

NaNoWriMo is the organization’s abbreviated name. 

Before getting into my top tips on how to write a novel in 30 days; I’ll explain what the NaNoWriMo program is. I will list the benefits of joining and dedicating yourself to write 50 000 words in just 30 days.

QUICK DISCLAIMER: If you’re not interested in NaNoWriMo skip the next segment below and head on right over to the tips by clicking here. 

What is NaNoWriMo? 

NaNoWriMo is the abbreviation for a non-profit organization called National Novel Writing Month. 

Anyone can sign up for free and take part in the challenge that runs every November. 

The start time begins in your local time on November 1st at midnight until November 30th right before midnight strikes. 

In order to win you would need to write 50 000 words during that time frame. The daily word count goal averages at 1667 words. You can write more or less than that daily, so long as you reach 50 000 before the end of the month of November. 

Either way, the NaNoWriMo website will display a graph for you and show your daily word projections. 

To participate and win you need take these steps:

1. Sign up for free here
2. Announce your novel 
3. Track your daily word count on the website during the month of November
4. Validate your novel with their tool once you hit 50 000 words

If you also want to keep a visual track of your daily word count goal, I created FREE word count calendars for you to download.

How did NaNoWriMo Start? 

NaNoWriMo started back in 1999 led by Chris Baty. It started as a fun challenge amongst a friend group of 22 participants in the Bay Area of San Francisco, USA.

The goal of NaNoWriMo is normally to start a brand new novel and write its first 50 000 words in the month of November. 

But nowadays, a lot people play around with the rules and decide to finish an old project. I am doing this with my 2020 project. 

So long as you write 50 000 words in the 30 days that is if you wish to win or wish to write 50k in 30 days. 

In the last two decades many established and up and coming writer utilize this challenge to write the first draft of their novel.

You can read more about the start and the tips from the founder himself in his book “No Plot? No Problem!” Chris Baty is the creator and his book is really helpful for NaNoWriMo Participants and for novelists in general. 

The novel breaks down the four weeks of novel writing and presents tips to help you. The book also covers the before and after process of writing your novel in 30 days. It is very insightful and contains tips to fight both personal and digital distractions. 

How do You Win NaNoWriMo?

On November 30th or whenever you hit 50k, you can validate your novel online with the NaNoWriMo validation tool. 

However, NaNoWriMo has no claim on your novel. The copyright and ownership of your novel remain yours. 

By validating your novel on their site, the NaNo team emails you your Winner’s certificate award and you have the self-accomplishment. 

The whole purpose of the challenge is to encourage you to write a novel and to fulfill your sense of self-accomplishment.

Essentially, you don’t win anything monetary. But NaNo offers their winners a bunch of coupons and crazy discount to writing related softwares, programs, and utilities. 

My favourite being Scrivener. 

Don’t know what Scrivener is? 

Don’t worry! 

I will talk all about Scrivener in the second part of this two part blog post series.

In case you miss the November NaNoWriMo, you can always set yourself the personal challenge. 

Additionally, you can join during Camp NaNoWriMo which takes places in the spring and summer time, respectively every April and July. 

The only difference with Camp NaNo is that you choose your own goals for your creative projects. You can decide to write something other than a novel and you don’t necessarily have to draft. There are other choices such as editing or polishing your novel. You can choose to write any amount you want in 30 days or less, etc. The 50 000 word challenge is lifted unless you set it for yourself. Read more about Camp NaNo here.

SEE ALSO: How to Achieve Your Goals (7 Simples Steps)

What are the benefits of writing a novel of 30 days?

1. It teaches that you CAN write a novel.
2. You will prove to yourself that you CAN write every day if you set that goal for yourself.
3. You can develop your writing speed.
4. It can also help evolve your problem solving skills when you push through the barriers in your novel AND in your life when you try to find the time to write.
5. It can develop and active the right side of your brain, aka your creative thinking. 
6. You will find yourself tapping into your creative brain much more often
7. At the end of the month, you will have words to work with. If you ever intend to publish in the future, you’ve done one big step of the entire process: drafting.
8. Drafting every day will help you form a writing habit that will carry over on non-NaNo months.
9. If you join the NaNoWriMo challenge, you will experience a sense of community and have accountability partners. OR, the non-writers will encourage you in your attempt of writing a novel in 30 days.
10. Writing that many words a day will help you stop editing and overthinking when you are creating.

Without further ado, I’ve compiled my top tips on how to write a novel in 30 days. It’s in a separate post, the part two of this blog post series. 

SEE ALSO: How to Write a Novel in 30 Days (10 Tips + Bonus Tip)

These tips will help you succeed in wining NaNoWriMo and writing 50 000 words in just 30 days. 

Click here to read part two. ✍🏼

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