This morning I received an invitation to register for a webinar titled “Yes, You Can Write A Novel in One Month”  My first reaction was….one month? Really?  Who does that?

Apparently, 96,562 writers do—and the numbers are rising.  They’re all part of the National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo.  Here’s a quote from the organization’s FAQ page:

“National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought fleetingly about writing a novel.”  You can read more at http://nanowrimo.org/ and toss your (literary) hat in the ring if you’re so inclined.

Deadly Ties, the first novel in the Waterside Kennels Mystery Series, is just under 100,000 words and took me a lot longer than a month to write (years, actually).  So 50,000 words will probably be a milestone rather than the finishing line for the second in the series (already in the works).  Still…I confess I’m intrigued by the idea, and found myself hooked when I realized there are fellow writers in my part of the world who have banded together in the spirit of NoNoWriMo to jump into the action and get their work moving.

Since several reviewers have mentioned their eagerness to read the next book in the series (tentatively titled Death Tracks), I’m going to join the campaign.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress!