Nanowrimo Comes to a Close

I posted to the Rogues Gallery Writers blog at the beginning of the month about Nanowrimo. Today is the last day of this crazy, inovational contest that challenges writers to pound out a full manuscript in thirty days. At the time of this writing, my personal word count is in doubt. Will I make the 50,000 words required to complete a successful Nano run?

There are a few hundred thousand who will complete the contest. My hat is off to anyone who even stepped up and attempted this writing gauntlet. You have to have writing guts. You have to have desire. You have to have a personality that thrives on perseverance. Then you have to make it happen.

I have successfully completed this task once. I would like to think as I key this that I have done it again. The feeling of writing invincibility is tremendous. The feeling of "I can write a book in thirty days euphoria" overwhelms you. Completing a successful Nanowrimo novel is the equivalent of winning an Olympic 100 meter dash.

You are wasted. Exhausted. Anxious to do it again while you kick back and bask in the glory of achievement. The largest difference between completing Nanowrimo and the Olympics though, is that few if any will see your accomplishment. But isn't that the way of the writer?

Sure, we all desire notoriety and popularity in the book sales department, but few of us crave the physical limelight of being placed before the masses visually.

Nanowrimo has come to its 2009 end. A sad day, yet one of grand euphoria for those who cross that finish line. Another wonderful aspect of this contest is that there are a few hundred thousand winners. Unlike the Olympics where only one can be on top, here a multitude can feel the glow that comes from attaining a monumental task.

For those who did not enter, know this: When you see we Nano's out there cranking out product while you struggle for a meager word count, don't look at us with contempt. Know that we were once there with you - we simply found an answer and ran with it. You can do the same.

You don't even have to wait for November. There's a new month ahead of you and a whole set of new ones on the horizon. Compete in your own private Nanowrimo. No one has to know, but I warn you - when your word count begins to soar, others will notice the pimp in your writer's step. They'll ask what your secret is.

It's up to you whether you tell them or not.

Write on!