I took part in National Novel Writing Month in 2008 and twelve months later I am near the final edit of my novel, The Reformation. Though I am not taking part in the 2009 event, I have enough on my plate with the final edit, I do advise anyone who wants to try their hand at a novel to get involved.
Funnily enough, last year I thought I couldn’t produce 50,000 words in one month but by week three I was nearing my goal and the words have kept flowing since. My only advice is to keep your main idea simple and do not stop to edit. Just push forward, mistakes can be edited out. Take my word for it! Since completing my first attempt in 2008, I have re-edited, re-jigged and cut pages after pages, and added more, taken away more than I have ever done before in any previous attempts at a novel.
I also was reconnected with that feeling that I had lost in my previous attempts at a novel, excitement, frustration and a real desire to sit down and write it. This has not changed in the last twelve months. I can’t promise that will happen to you but it will make you more productive and give you a goal.
Take a chance, get involved with NaNoWriMo and get a badge like I did last year (see picture) – Andrew Oldham 29/10/2009
Andrew Oldham's Boneyard 