NaNoWriMo or NaNoTryMo?

November is National Novel Writing Month, and writers around the world are working toward a goal of finishing a 50,000 word rough draft of a manuscript during the month. They're keeping track of their progress and encouraging each other at the official NaNoWriMo website.

My local writing organization in Colorado, Pikes Peak Writers, is encouraging their members (like me) who don't have it in them to crank out that many words in one month to set an alternate goal and work toward that. They call their project NaNoTryMo and are offering a number of "write-ins" to get writers working together on their goals. See the PPW website for information.


I won't be participating in the official NaNoWriMo site, because I'm working on an existing manuscript versus starting a new one. But, I've set a goal of 20,000 additional words on my current manuscript for November. That's continuing at my current goal rate of 5000 words/week. I already have about 35,000 words written, so if I meet my NaNoTryMo goal, I'll be at 55,000 words at the end of November.

This manuscript is the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series, titled Cataract Canyon. I need to finish the rough draft by mid-January, when I receive the galley proof for the second book, Wicked Eddies, to review & edit. So, I'm looking for motivation & encouragement to keep on cranking out those words! What will make meeting this goal especially hard is that I'll be touring November 11-18, cramming 8 events into that week to promote the trade paperback and ebook re-release of A Real Basket Case.

Are you a writer? Have you set a goal for yourself for November? What is it and what's your plan for reaching that goal? Are you working with a group of fellow writers so you can encourage each other? I hope so! Good luck to all of you NaNoWriMo and NaNoTryMo writers out there!

Hosting a Write-In

Today I am hosting a write-in at my home for Pikes Peak Writers' NaNoTryMo program, which is a variation of NaNoWriMo. Instead of participants pledging to write a 50,000 word new novel manuscript in the month of November, we're pledging to accomplish a significant writing goal that is a stretch for us and that contributes to our current writing projects. For some, that means editing an already drafted manuscript, and for others like me, it means finishing the rough draft of a manuscript that we've already started. And yes, many participants have officially signed up for NaNoWriMo also and are cranking out that 50,000 word manuscript.


The 6-8 PPW members coming to my write-in have been invited to arrive at 9 am or later. We will spend the morning writing on computers or paper, with or without music on headphones, while scattered in different rooms around the house. Then we'll convene for a potluck lunch and conversation from 12-1, resume writing in the afternoon and finish by 4 pm. I've stocked coffee, teas, sodas, and snacks and put out folding card tables and chairs for those who don't want to write at an existing desk or kitchen table or even on a bed or lounge chair in the house.

And there will be a "No Internet" rule! We can get on the Internet to conduct research for our work only, no email or social networking. So, you won't hear from me between 9 am and 4 pm today. Hopefully in the six concentrated hours of writing that I'll be putting in, I'll make a significant dent in my word count goal for my WiP (work in progress): the rough draft of the third Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery, which is now 3/4ths done. Please wish me and all of my write-in participants luck!