By Travis Archie
The month of November is here and to some Gardner-Webb students, it is not just known for Thanksgiving. In the writing community this is the month for writers to express their imagination and impress others.
National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo is an annual writing competition that takes place for the entire month of November. To complete the NaNoWriMo challenge, writers must reach 50,000 words by the end of the month.
NaNoWriMo was first launched on July 15, 1999 in San Francisco, California by freelance writer Chris Baty. When the website was first launched 140 participants registered and only 29 completed the competition. That following year 5,000 people participated with 700 winners. In 2013 it was calculated that over 400,000 had participated in NaNoWriMo.
For the many competitors, they receive a “Winner” web badge and a certificate. Winners can also receive a free paper manuscript of their finished novel. Some winners have had their books published and have gained fame. A few examples are Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen in 2006, Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern in 2010 and Cinder by Marissa Meyer in 2012.
Gardner-Webb’s own Sigma Tau Delta and English Department are participating in NaNoWriMo, and have done so previous years. They welcome all students who wish to take the challenge. Students participating in NaNoWriMo are encouraged to meet at the Broad River Coffee Shop in the Tucker Student Center on Thursdays from 9:25 a.m. to 10: 15 a.m.; to engage in conversation with other participants about how each story is coming along.
For rules, registration and frequently asked questions visit http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/. There are also NaNoWriMo Preparation sheets on the display table at Dover Memorial Library.