| Each November, more than 100,000 brave souls take | | | | accepted the wager, feeling sure that Dumas was |
| part in National Novel Writing Month. The aim is simple: | | | | attempting the impossible and would lose the bet. He |
| write a complete novel in one month, beginning on | | | | was wrong. Dumas emerged from his office less than |
| November 1st and finishing on or before November | | | | 72 hours later clutching the finished script. |
| 30th. The only condition is that your novel must be a | | | | Not to be outdone, the American writer Jack |
| minimum of 50,000 words. | | | | Kerouac wrote 'The Subterraneans' - another fairly |
| It's a worthy cause, aimed at stopping people from | | | | short novel at 192 pages - in just three days too. |
| just thinking or dreaming about writing a novel | | | | Now admittedly Kerouac was a bit of an oddball, and |
| (something that most of us might do forever), and | | | | he probably stayed up all day and all night for those |
| instead actually getting on and writing it. That can | | | | three days to finish it. But when the muse strikes, it's |
| only be a good thing. It's only for a month, so it isn't | | | | always a good idea to stick with it if you can - even |
| going to disrupt your life for too long. And it's in | | | | if it means doing without food and sleep (but not |
| November, when nothing much else happens anyway. | | | | alcohol - in his case at least). Kerouac once worked |
| So, is it actually possible to write a novel in 30 days? | | | | as a sports reporter, which is undoubtedly excellent |
| Don't most novels take at least a year to write? | | | | training for anyone wanting to break novel-writing |
| Well, 50,000 words in 30 days works out at 1,667 | | | | records. |
| words per day - that's the same length as a short | | | | Speaking of records, let's consider the Guinness world |
| story or a moderately long article. Journalists should | | | | record holder at this event: Dame Barbara Cartland. |
| have no trouble achieving that - it's the sort of thing | | | | Dame Barbara was a prolific writer throughout her |
| they churn out every single day. | | | | long career, publishing 723 novels during her lifetime |
| And in fact some very famous writers have written | | | | and well over a hundred more posthumously. Her |
| much longer novels in a fraction of that time. Take | | | | most prolific year was 1983, when she published 26 |
| the example of Ray Bradbury, who wrote 'Fahrenheit | | | | novels - conceived, written and edited at the rate of |
| 451' in a little over nine days. Okay, it's not a | | | | one every 14 days. That record is unlikely to be |
| particularly long novel at 192 pages - but nine days is | | | | broken for some considerable time. Cartland is also |
| still pretty impressive. | | | | listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's |
| But nine days is by no means a record. Bradbury was | | | | top-selling author, with more than a billion books sold. |
| easily beaten by Stephen King (writing as Richard | | | | With all that in mind, let's return to National Novel |
| Bachman) who wrote one of his novels in just seven | | | | Writing Month. Yes, a whole month! It doesn't seem |
| days. Interestingly, King started using his Bachman | | | | so difficult now, does it? All you need is a great idea, |
| pen name because he was writing novels faster than | | | | and most of us have at least one novel cluttering up |
| his publisher was prepared to release them. One | | | | our heads dying to come out. I know I do. Perhaps |
| Stephen King novel per year was more than | | | | this is the year when yours finally gets written. |
| adequate, they said. The public won't accept more | | | | If you're thinking of joining the 100,000+ people who |
| than that. So along came Mr Bachman, and King's | | | | will enter National Novel Writing Month this year - |
| productivity (and indeed wealth) doubled. At the rate | | | | NaNoWriMo as the aficionados affectionately call it - |
| of one book every seven days, King would have | | | | here's some advice from a published writer: |
| needed another 50 pen names to keep his publisher | | | | - Try to make your novel longer than 50,000 words. |
| happy. As far as I'm aware he only has the one, so | | | | Most commercial novels are at least 80,000 words, |
| he must have decided to take things more leisurely | | | | so aim for that if you hope to get your book |
| after that! | | | | published. |
| But seven days is hardly a record either. One of the | | | | - NaNoWriMo is only about the process of writing. |
| world's most prolific writers was the Belgian novelist | | | | There's nothing to stop you planning your novel and |
| Georges Simenon, creator of the police detective | | | | writing a detailed outline before the event begins. |
| 'Maigret'. Simenon regularly produced up to 80 pages | | | | And similarly, editing your novel and turning it into |
| per day and could write a novel in just six days. And, | | | | something publishable can be done after the 30-day |
| yes, he too had a pen name that allowed him to | | | | deadline has passed. In fact there's another event |
| publish more books. But for him, one pen name just | | | | called National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo) that |
| wasn't enough; he had more than two dozen of | | | | caters for this process and takes place each March. |
| them! During his lifetime Simenon wrote several | | | | My typing speed isn't particularly fast - let's say 50 |
| hundred novels and novellas, as well as short stories, | | | | words per minute. If I was entering NaNoWriMo this |
| articles and autobiographical works. His famous | | | | year I'd set my target at 80,000 words or 2,667 |
| detective 'Maigret' appears in 75 of his novels, and in | | | | words per day. I'd have done the planning already, |
| a further 28 short stories. | | | | and I'd leave the editing for later. So, typing away at |
| Even more amazing - though not when you know | | | | 50 words per minute, it should take me less than 55 |
| the secret - is the story of the French writer | | | | minutes to achieve my daily target. Even the busiest |
| Alexandre Dumas. As well as being a prolific novelist | | | | person should be able to manage that - after all it's |
| whose works include 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and | | | | only for a month, and you'll have a finished novel by |
| 'The Three Musketeers', Dumas was also a | | | | the end of it! |
| successful playwright. He once placed a wager with a | | | | You can find out more about National Novel Writing |
| friend that he could write an entire play - one of his | | | | Month at |
| 'Boulevard Comedies' - in just three days. His friend | | | | Good luck! |