For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's a world-wide writing event where the challenge is simple. Write a novel of 50k words or more during the month of November. Thousands upon thousands participate every year, and it's the craziest fun you could ever imagine.

I'm confused. Is it a "national" competition (i.e. only open to Americans) or is it open to everyone, anywhere in the world?

Also, are there any other rules? e.g. Does all of the writing have to be done between 1st and 30th November, or is it OK to submit something that was started before then?

I'm confused. Is it a "national" competition (i.e. only open to Americans) or is it open to everyone, anywhere in the world?

I'm not completely sure on this one. But I have come across people from other countries who were taking part.

Also, are there any other rules? e.g. Does all of the writing have to be done between 1st and 30th November, or is it OK to submit something that was started before then?

Yes, all of the writing has to be done in November. But if you really want to work on a previously-worked-on project for NaNo, just deduct the words you've already written from your Word Count when you submit it. As long as you write 50,000 new words in the month of November, you're fine.

~Riella

Actually, NaNo doesn't really let you work on a previously started novel. The goal is to write a novel during the month of November, not to write 50k. The 50k requirement is to keep people from writing four page novelettes. NaNo isn't big on rules but the two that are there are biggies: write only during November and write you entire novel during the month.

Of course, if you want to continue a novel you already started you can always be a NaNo Rebel, but they do generally ask that you don't verify your book on the NaNo site.

Gah! I completely forgot about November... I might skip out only because I just started a story last week (I suppose I could be a rebel myself Though it's currently handwritten... ah well I guess I'll have to type it up eventually.)

Good luck to all you Nanoers!

Hooray for NaNoWriMo I've done it once before last year and won with 54k. I've been looking forward to this years NaNo with great impatience I have done all the CampNaNos and won everytime (though this August I just barely, barely made it). This year I'm planning on doing something a little crazy, I'm not going to make 50k but 100k, meaning I plan to write two novels, and to ensure that I actually write both of them, I made two accounts, each for its seperate novel. When I told my sister De this she looked at me and asked 'wild, is that even legal?'
The reason I'm doing it like this was that I have two ideas and for the life of my I couldn't decide which one would be best to do, so I decided to do both. I don't know if I'll be able to write at least 50k for each of them, but I want to try and challenge myself. My first novel is one that I started doing before, but I hated the way it came out, so I scraped it, deleted everything I wrote and didn't think about it for a long while. Now I think I'm ready to start from scratch again. The second novel is a part of a book series that I am going to start writing, it's sort of fantasy style I guess. I've planned just about everything for both novels, but there still are some plot holes that I need to work out before November comes around.

Yaaaaay, NaNo!

Like Gymmie, I think this will be my fifth year participating. And I've got at least three ideas bouncing around that I could work on, so my first big challenge will be settling down to one. (Because Shiny New Idea is actually slightly more my style than the idea I've been outlining. Why are satisfying endings so haaaaaarrrrrddddd to find?)

Good luck with doing two novels, wild rose! I did that one year. It was fun, but I can't remember how I did it.

Actually, NaNo doesn't really let you work on a previously started novel. The goal is to write a novel during the month of November, not to write 50k. The 50k requirement is to keep people from writing four page novelettes. NaNo isn't big on rules but the two that are there are biggies: write only during November and write you entire novel during the month. Of course, if you want to continue a novel you already started you can always be a NaNo Rebel, but they do generally ask that you don't verify your book on the NaNo site.

I've asked the admins before, and they said it was fine to work on a previously worked on novel, as long as the word count you submit is made up entirely of words written in November. So unless the rules have changed since I asked last year, it should be fine. That's also the way most people I know have done it, and they verified theirs.

~Riella

I am excited for this NaNo (this will be my 4th time participating). As for what story I'm writing...

See my username? The "stardf" stands for Star Defenders, a group of space protectors with special skills that I came up with a loooooong time ago. Those who have read the Ditto Story may also remember my Star Defender characters, Isaac and Nerrha.

Well, this time around I will be writing my very first official Star Defender novel! It centers around Isaac and Nerrha and when they first join the Star Defenders, and their daily life and the small adventures they get into during their first two years with them. This is actually a brand new imagining of the Star Defenders, so Isaac and Nerrha aren't quite the same people as they were in the Ditto Story (Isaac's backstory is much different, in particular), and some of the mechanics I've used there have been changed or discarded here.

All in all, though, I can't wait for this November. This story has really been a long time coming, and I really am excited for it.

I'm confused. Is it a "national" competition (i.e. only open to Americans) or is it open to everyone, anywhere in the world?

To my knowledge, no. I believe I have seen NaNo groups scheduled for meeting in locations in different countries, so I don't think it is only in the U.S.

I'm really excited about NaNo this year! I have roughly a month or so to think up a story. This is the hard part. I've got a character (An itinerant story teller is who the character is going to be. My mom was telling me about these and I instantly got inspiration for an interesting character), but I have not decided on the specifics. Now... I'll finally be Outlining or planning, at the very least, for my first time ever. I usually like winging it, but that was just a nightmare last year, so I'm not going to do that. If all else fails, I'll do a frame story: anything to make me write, as I haven't done any serious writing for some time.

URgh. Now to think of a plot. I don't think I've ever done a plot for a full story. Writer's block has got me.

EDIT:
RE: usernames: Just remembered, thanks to Lia's post! My username is InkRain on there, for anyone who wants to add me.

Hmm... I can't see how I'd have the time to write 50,000 words in a month, having a full-time job. When I wrote my first novel "The Ruddigore Dichotomy", which was 66,000 words, granted, I wrote it on and off in bursts but it took me three years to write!

I have participated in NaNo three times in the past ('06, '07, and '11) but only finished the novel once ('06) because the other two years were during college and graduate school. I doubt I will have time this year, though I do enjoy NaNo. I have assignments due every week in October and I'm sure that will keep me busy enough. If I do attempt NaNo this year, I will possibly attempt to write a screenplay for a television episode. The idea was put forth in a group of my friends via Facebook recently and the idea has settled in.

The TV show in question would be Doctor Who.

I may or may not actually finish NaNo. Knowing myself, chances are I will start it. It's just, I'm trying to get 50K done in October, so I might not feel up to the challenge once November comes around. *shrug* It would be kinda sad to break my 'winning streak'- I completed 2011 Screnzy, then 2011 NaNo, and 2012 Screnzy, so. *shrugs* We'll see. I'm already not doing too well on my October book.

I have never participated in nanowrimo, but I might give it a try this year. I've started writing a novel numerous times, but have always given up after a few chapters.

While camping yesterday, I was just thinking about the upcoming NaNo and this traditional thread. (Being outdoors often helps me thinking about writing projects).

Hooray for Ditto Story characters, stardf! Have fun creating a new backstory for Isaac and Nerrha. I did something similar; my 2010 NaNo story explored the backstory of Erik and Abby - how they met, childhood, etc.

This will be my 4th NaNo; the 3 previous entries have expanded the universe of my own Ditto Story characters. I only 'won' in 2010, though once each story was completed they were well in excess of 50k.

(Actually, I didn't finish last year's story. It has a beginning and end, but some of the middle parts are missing. I put brief descriptive place holders in some sections, hoping to write more later).

I'm not quite sure what this year's project will be, but often the idea comes to me as we get closer to November 1. One option is to actually finish NaNo 2011. I'm also considering expanding the alternate multiverse that I originally wrote as a one-off for April Fool's Day - my fellow DS writers have done a nice job of running with that plot.

Have fun with your time travel story, Gymfan! (I just realized that though my stories are set in a fantasy universe I've not yet written a time travel bit...maybe that would be something to try this year!)