How do I win National Novel Writing Month? What are the prizes? Is there an entry fee? You win National Novel Writing Month by writing 50,000 words of your novel between November 1 and November 30. There’s no limit to how many people can win! There are no prizes for finishing your novel, but the NMSU Library is offering some prize drawings at the end of the month for everyone who participated in any of the Write-In sessions.
Does my novel have to be in English? No! Write in the language that you feel most comfortable with.
When do I start writing? What if I’ve pre-written parts of my novel? Can I keep going after the month is over? NaNoWriMo officially starts at midnight on November 1 of every year, so that is the moment after which any words written count toward your 50,000 word count. Anything written before that doesn’t count for the month, but can certainly still be included in your novel. If you still have more to write once the month is over, keep going!
I finished! What do I do with this thing now? Whatever you want! We encourage you to submit it to the NaNoWriMo site so that you can continue to receive support and encouragement from authors from all around the world. You can try to have your work published. You can revise it and keep expanding it. It is your novel, so you can do whatever you want with it.
Help! I’m stuck. What do I do? To start with, there is a community of local authors that are eager to support and assist you. Connect and network with other writers who attend workshops and see how you can help each other. The librarians at each workshop can also connect you to writing resources. Additionally, the Writing Center at NMSU offers assistance with writing projects, including creative writing. And don't be afraid to take a break and come back to your writing later. Tackling a problem when you've taken some time away from it might highlight new solutions that weren't previously apparent.
Do I have to be an NMSU student to participate? No! Anyone can participate in NaNoWriMo. For our in-person events, we welcome community members as well as students to participate. For community members, consult this parking map for free, metered, and visitor parking.