Skip to main content

Who Else is Joining the #NanoWriMo? #writing

Ok, people. I’m doing the NanoWrimo this year.

I’ve heard about it for more than a decade, but never been tempted to join the madness.

Nanowrimo openBut this year, three things changed mmind about NanoWriMo:

  1. I need to get a second novel going. I have a premise in my head, have begun to do research, even written in a few character voices to get to know them better. If I do a little more of research and planning, I might just get something going. Then, I can use December to hack out the rest of the draft, and at least by January, I’d have something to work with.
  2. I’ve written 45k words in 20 days this year, and then again, about 20k in 15 days. Granted, both were rewrites, but, I know I can put in some serious word count.
  3. I took way too long to write my first novel-– and the lessons I learned told me I need to be fully immersed in the world for the spell of time I’m writing. Everything falls into place when I do that–so Nanowrimo–1667 words for 30 days– seems like just what the doctor ordered.
  4. NanoWriMo has a good community feel to it. At the very least I’d feel less alone when I’m drafting. A few of my writing friends have thrown their hat into the ring.

So, I’m BiswasD on the NanoWriMo site, and am actively looking for buddies during my prep session in October. Also, toying with the idea of a group on twitter for word sprints. I have a few writer friends on there– if you’re on Twitter and want to join in, let me know here, and follow me @damyantig . Will follow you back and add you in our Nano Twitter Group.

I’m writing a book about a mother and daughter, with a female villain. There shall be murder. I’m not sure of the genre yet, but it will involve crime. So wish me luck!

Are you joining the NanoWriMo? What good books have you read lately? Any recommendations of books with female villains, and/or mother-daughter relationships? Any news you’d like to share in the comments?

Please join Daily (w)rite on its Facebook Page in case you would like to be heard by this community. If you liked this post, you can have biweekly posts delivered to your inbox: click the SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL button on the sidebar.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

126 Comments

  • biancarowena says:

    I’m doing nano this year!!! I finally reached the daily word count yesterday, still have to put in my words for today. Oh and btw I’m posting a Bloggers Q&A tag soon and I nominated you in it! 😀

  • cherylfoston says:

    Great post! Very informative.

  • Thank you so much for following my blog….im amazed, you being such a pro and me a mere dabbler…thank you..
    I wish you well in your writing endeavour…
    Kind regards.
    Georgina
    Dorset Uk

  • rosieways says:

    I’m eager to get started with my first NanoWriMo but admit to feeling a little apprehensive. I”vet not yet completed an entire novel, although have several part written. I’m hoping that this challenge will give me the impetus to actually complete something worthwhile.

  • jmathur says:

    Good luck for all of your endeavours Damayanti Ji.

  • I’ll be participating in the NaNoWriMo 2016 too! 🙂
    Had started once, but never quite got to the finish. This time around, I’m positive 🙂
    Good luck to you too. You can find me as The MoodyWriter.

  • Zophia says:

    I myself written few stories, lots of short ones and two big ones, it’s hard. Planning plot and driving it in flow, and it can get tiring, few good chapters are not good. I would love to join that group. As for your story it’s unique, mother and daughter relationship(: … you can play with that theme a lot. I mean they can have mixed feelings, love is there (attachment) but disatisfaction, they want to stay away but really long for that relationship, however no one is going forward. They can travel somewhere and there can be trouble with murder where daughter gets caught but Mom sides her, something like that. You can make charactors complex and play etc… its a very good theme.

  • I wish you the best of luck in Nanowrimo and I’ll be adding you on twitter too! It will be quite the challenge but by the sounds of it, you’ll handle it quite well 🙂

  • All the very best! You’ll ace it!

  • aj vosse says:

    Good luck… remember… if it’s not fun it won’t be enjoyable… or successful! 😉

  • Since I don’t write novels, I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines. Don’t forget to eat and sleep! 🙂
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMore dot com)
    – ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder –
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

  • Dayo Adewoye says:

    Hello. Thanks for following my blog.

  • I did NaNoWriMo for a few years in school, but never actually met the official word count goal. My favorite part was the community. I went to a lot of local events and ended up really getting to know my (now) husband better, met lots of new friends some who I still see monthly. Eventually realized I enjoy reading and writing about books more than writing fiction, but it was a really positive thing in my life when I needed it. Hope you have a great experience!

  • Shom says:

    If you are one who has a tendency to procrastinate on every darn sentence like I do, NaNoWriMo should work great. I know of a fair few writers who got their first draft done there. As someone said – the first draft does not need to be great, if just needs to be written. And a forced 1000+ daily word limit can really make the ‘just get it written’ happen.

  • You know, NaNo works for some people, and it doesn’t for others. I get obsessed with numbers. Unhealthily so. If I don’t make the days word count, I get freaked out, and that adds stress which disrupts the creative process. Therefore, I cheer on everyone who is jumping in. I’ll be waving cheesy pompoms from the sidelines!

  • Misha says:

    I’ll also be doing NaNo too. I can’t remember if we’re buddies yet, but my NaNo username is iceangel, if you want to find me. 🙂

  • First of all thank you for reading my blog, and second of all I’m taking part in my first NaNoWriMo this year! And I’m sure you’ll have no problem with the word count 🙂 By the way I think your a great blogger 😀

  • lynnefisher says:

    Sounds scary but exciting – never knew about this. Keep us posted and enjoy.

  • rhbblog says:

    Thanks for the follow; had a quick tour around your blog and look forward to reading more….

  • Good luck with the challenge Damyanti.. and sounds like the word count will not be a problem for you. If ever you would like to promo short stories or your novels on the blog please do let me know.. As you will have seen from the promotions there are a number of options.. A new one coming out this morning. Thanks for your visits to Smorgasbord it is very much appreciated. Sally

  • I’ve never tried NaNoWriMo, but it seems interesting enough. I’m always looking to write with others. I’m taking forever to finish my first novel honestly. Also thanks for stopping by blog!

  • rosieways says:

    I’ve made the commitment to take part in the NanoWriMo because I have to force myself to actually finish something! I have so many ideas & unfinished stories that something has to change. NanoWriMo gives me a structure & time scale in which I need to actually complete something. This will be my first time, a NanoWriMo virgin. The prospect is scary but exhilarating. I’ve begun to formulate my ideas, now all I have to do is write it ?

  • pjlazos says:

    I’ve heard about this for a long time as well, but am worried that I won’t have the time with all my other commitments. I don’t want to set myself up to fail, but I, too, have just started another novel and I need something to make me stick to it rather than all the other writing projects and blogging that seem to distract me. Let us know how it’s going. You continually inspire me to take next steps, Damyanti. Perhaps this will be yet another.

  • Hi Damyanti! I will be participating in this, my 6th #NaNoWriMo, and I love it! I find it a great opportunity to revisit my manuscripts and finish off the ones I abandoned previously. I used #CampNaNoWriMo earlier this year for the same purpose, so now I have a collection of drafts in the editing stages…
    http://catherinegreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/im-campnanowinner2016.html

    I do believe we follow each other on Twitter, I will look you up (I am @SpookyMrsGreen) 🙂

  • mitchteemley says:

    What is it about deadlines? May this one push you to glory, Damyanti!

  • ravenavery says:

    I’m thinking about attempting Nanowrimo this year, it seems pretty daunting since it will be my first time. I’ll definitely be checking in on twitter. Good luck! 🙂

  • Tina Basu says:

    Wow great – I havent taken part in NanoWriMo ever! All the best

  • Amit Misra says:

    Watch any Indian daily soap, you’d get plenty of ideas 😉

  • I am doing Nano this year. I have participated 4 years, this will be my fifth. I find it very useful for keeping the momentum going and I always plan well ahead of time so I don’t find it that hard to reach the finish line. I couldn’t sustain that pace of writing for more than a month, but it’s a great way to get you to write daily.

  • Go you! I’m so tempted, but at the moment I’m up to my eyeballs in work! Will be checking your blog to see how you progress! 🙂

  • I won’t say “good luck” ’cause I know you’ll slay this. So I’ll just say…”Enjoy!” 🙂

  • Arti Jain says:

    All the best for NaNoWrimo! And thank you for all the posts about ‘short story writing tips’. These posts urge me to get on with the business of writing, so thank you:)
    I’ve just finished reading a wonderful book, ‘Hotel du Lac’ by Anita Brookner which explores the mother-daughter relationship at various levels.

  • jazzfeathers says:

    Yes, I an doing NaNo… but you already know that 😉

  • Rian Durant says:

    You’re such a temptress, Damyanti! You got me into AtoZ and while it was a bit of a stress, I had such a wonderful time and met many bloggers I follow until now. I think I’ll have to hold my horses this time, though because although I have a plot (more like 3 plots) I simply have no time and I’d hate to fail the mark.

    Good luck with your project!

  • Alexis says:

    I am hopelessly behind the times. I have no clue what you are talking about but if it involves writing, I’m going to look into it for certain!

  • I want to, Damyanti! If I do, I’ll definitely link up with you on Twitter and such. I tried once, several years ago, maybe 4-5, and got what was then my highest word count at one time. Something like 15-20K. For now, though, I’m on the fence. I’m not terribly sure what to write about; I have lots of plots and characters swimming around in my nogging, but none (yet) is demanding that I write about him/her. So, I’m wracking my brain about some mother-daughter books . . . Elizabeth McCracken—An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir—wrote an awesome book, but it’s on stillbirth. Many classics, as you know, touch on families, like Anna Karenina’s line about all dysfunctional families being unique; also, Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury comes to mind with its messed-up siblings. Ab Snopes is a good character to study for father-son relationships, like in one of my favorites “Barn Burning,” a short story mostly about Sarty Snopes, Ab’s son. I will be interested to see what you come up with, with respect to mother-daughter tales. I thought you had an awesome start in the mother-child infanticide story, which you had received publication for recently.
    All that said, good luck to you, Damyanti

    • rosieways says:

      Go for it LeighW.Smith, I’m absolutely overwhelmed with commitments & a week ago had a slight stroke, but I’m going to give it my best shot. Jump off the fence girl!

      • Oh my goodness. That’s terrible; I hope you’re doing okay. That’s definitely a strong endorsement and push for me to do Nano. Thank you, Rosieways!

  • I am tempted to give it a shot, for the first time ever! Let me give it a final thought! Thanks for this post!

  • How exciting, another novel! Wishing you well as you plan and work on this new venture.

  • Sounds exciting! I like a good murder mystery! Best wishes! 🙂

  • Christy B says:

    Wishing you all the best with this project!~ I hope it inspires you and that you get a lot of writing done 🙂

  • I LOVE NaNoWriMo. I mean, it’s crazy and SO HARD, but it’s also so much fun. And it’s the perfect amount of motivation! I’m julie-beth over there, if you want to follow.

  • Nick Wilford says:

    I think you’ll really take to NaNo! It really has a great atmosphere of encouragement and it’s definitely an exciting month. Based on your high wordcount skills, I think you’ll rock it.

  • Good luck! I’m doing Nanowrimo this year!

  • Have fun, Damyanti. I did it for the first time last year. It was pretty intense and wore me out. I ended up getting sick, which helped me reach my goal. It was a great experience but make sure you take good care of yourself for the month. I’m not participating this year, but will still dedicate the month to some intense writing 🙂 Good luck with reaching your goal. 🙂

  • Congrats on deciding to partake in Nano this year! Feel free to look me up: fantasy_writer42

  • mdellert says:

    Guilty! I’ll be a WriMo in November: @MDellertDotCom! See you there! 🙂

  • mynamisan says:

    Goodluck

  • cathum says:

    Sounds like a firm plan, so I’ll add some good luck wishes to the mix.

  • ~shakchat。 says:

    Good Luck. Kill it.

  • Good luck and have fun! I hope the mother and daughter don’t die. 🙂

  • Sonya Rhen says:

    Good luck! I highly recommend NaNoWriMo. It’s the best motivation for word counts. I have done it since 2008, but unfortunately due to family issues wasn’t able to finish last year and they continue, so this year is out as well. I do hope to be able to do it again next year. Stock up on dinners in the freezer, etc. It’s crazy, but super fun and a very supportive community. The twitter on NaNoWriMo also does daily word sprints. Happy Writing! 🙂

  • No NaNo for me, but I will be pushing my word count in solidarity with you and others who are participating. –I loved this line “There shall be murder.” It just tickled me pink.

  • Jim Kane says:

    Damyanti,

    I am in again this year. I heard a song and immediately had a plot line in my head! Have done some research and will be doing more in the next couple of weeks. This will be the third time I have done it! I love it! Look forward to seeing your progress here and on Twitter (I am jim_kane_57 and I follow you!)
    Jim

  • Hi, I’ve linked up with you on Twitter. I’m no doubt joining Nano again. I’ve moved from WP onto a blog page to support my writing, and post all sorts of stuff about books etc on there http://www.christieadamswriter.com
    Have you signed up to Niume yet? They have lots of booky stuff, as does Pinterest of course

  • Oh I wish I could be a part of this this year.. but busy with prior commitments. But all the best to all who are going to be a part of it this year.

  • cleemckenzie says:

    Good luck with your NanoWriMo!

  • ReGomes says:

    I tried NanoWriMo in 2014 and I loved it. I might do it again this year, still haven’t decided. The idea of routine and daily writing can be very helpful for sure. Good luck!

  • Good luck with this! I’m going to try AtoZ this year–which is probably enough deadlines for me. I’ll be watching you, though.

  • shainorton says:

    Joooooinnnn ussss. Oh, wait, you already have. Awesome!

  • ccyager says:

    Not this year for me. I write so slowly, and I may be changing jobs during that month, so I would not be in the right place mentally to do it. Good luck!

  • Not this year. Will be too busy reading the IWSG entries. Good luck, though!

  • upasna1987 says:

    Hey Damyanti,

    Thanks for reminding me about this. I am joining in for the first time. I will be writing a A love story hidden behind the lies. I searched for you on http://nanowrimo.org but could not find you. I think I would need your help every now and then- have lots of questions in my mind.

  • All the best for NaNoWriMo! I’ve heard so much about it but I haven’t been able to make up my mind about taking it.

  • arlene says:

    Good luck 🙂

  • annologist says:

    Hey Damyanti, I’ll join you for NaNoWriMo as I also want to get through draft 1 of my second novel. I’ve started it several times but not happy so am back to the drawing board planning, planning, planning. My blog is flatwhitesandnotepads.wordpress.com and I’m on Twitter @Annhirst. I’ll come find you on there. See you in the ether! X

  • Julia Lund says:

    Exciting! Wishing you stamina, enthusiasm, determination and so much success. Enjoy ?

  • smitchjack says:

    I wish you all the best with this. Word sprints are not how I create my best work but I know many fine authors who rely on them.

  • I started NaNoWriMo last 2 years & reached nowhere.. 5000 odd words. Work wise, November is one of the busiest months for so committing so much space & discipline is very difficult. I will try my best this year as well. all the best to you 🙂

  • All the best Damyanti for NaNoWrMo. A bookthat I read recently or rather heard the audiobook and the one which moved me was A thousand splendid suns. I am sure you must have read it too.

  • hilarymb says:

    Hi Damyanti – absolutely … all the very best for NaNo … along with all the millions of others. Not my favourite thought .. so I’ll be here just quietly getting on with things … Well you seem organised and rarin’ to go … so enjoy – cheers Hilary

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks for the wishes, Hilary, very kind. I’ll drop by your blog soon 🙂

  • Parul Thakur says:

    All the best for NaNoWriMo! Will cheer you all along.
    On mother-daughter, my favorite is Not Without My Daughter. It’s a book that I can reread. The story, the pain and the love there is just so real and touches the heart.

  • Vidya Sury says:

    Yes, Damyanti, I am joining the NaNoWriMo this year, too. Will be my 6th year. I am a draft expert and except one biography of sorts, I’ve restricted myself to non-fiction. Hoping to actually show a draft the light of day this year. Kudos to you for the groundwork. That’s the perfect way to prepare. I am sure you’ll ace NaNoWriMo and would love to be your buddy! I’m Vidya Sury there and @vidyasury on Twitter. Mmwah!

  • WOW! So I guess we won’t be seeing many blog posts during this time. 🙂 Make sure you take care of YOU during the time – and best of luck during the entire process. I know you will produce some great work.
    xx,
    mgh
    (Madelyn Griffith-Haynie – ADDandSoMuchMore dot com)
    – ADD Coach Training Field founder; ADD Coaching co-founder –
    “It takes a village to educate a world!”

  • nabanita says:

    All the best and hope this year is a success too 🙂

  • Would love to check out more about the Nanowrimo, will definitely check their site out.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Please go ahead, and buddy me, if you do. Thanks for the twitter share!

  • Birgit says:

    I’m certain you will find ample support and you seem to have a good handle already on what you want to write about.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks Birgit. I don’t have a good enough handle yet, but hope to have it by the time I begin.

  • sevenroses says:

    I published my novel in 2005 called The Dance of the Bhuleshwar Brush (daksha hathi) which had a strong mother daughter strand running all through it! I have finished around 30 chapters of flower stories and am now wondering whether to put them into a book…..

  • dehelen says:

    I should also say, I’ve written three novels, I’ll be working on the 4th in November. I did NaNo 4 years ago, and it is finally being published this month. Two other novels are already published.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Wow, congratulations on all the publications! Shall check out your site.

  • dehelen says:

    I searched on NaNo for BiswasD but didn’t find you. I’m there at dehelen. I hope we meet up there! I’d love to be part of the team.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      I found and added you! Though I really don’t have a clue on this Nano gig, and will look forward to learning from veterans like you 🙂

  • Good luck with this, Damyanti! I’m sure you’ll do great. I hope you find a lot of support within the NaNoWriMo community.

  • Go well with it. The premise sounds engaging for the reader, so should keep you engaged as a writer too.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Thanks, Sean. In the first draft, I hope to keep myself engaged…then worry about readers later 🙂

  • I’ve written four novels, each taking anywhere from 6 to 9 months. Like you, I have a premise and some characters. Maybe let’s do that immersion thing and knock out a good first draft.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Yes, Joseph. I need to shrink my novel-writing time a bit. The whole novel-writing gig was so overwhelming that I guess I took longer than ever. So are you signing up for Nano for the full-immersion thing?

      • I wasn’t even considering until I read your post and it got me thinking. I think I might do it. I’ve always been a believer in writing every day once you start a project. This would just intensify that practice.

        • Damyanti Biswas says:

          Great. Half the reason I’m signing up is that others are, too, and at the end of it I shall be bound to produce certain word count. I usually toss the first draft anyway, but at least I shall get a handle on the characters and setting.

  • Kate says:

    I’ve been doing it for years. You can find me as “eoen” if you want to buddy me. 🙂
    It’s always good for a kick in the bum.

  • melindaxcher says:

    This seems interesting! I just signed up thanks to you, hahaha. I have just finished reading The Improbability of Love, and it was a good mystery/romance novel for me!

  • Widdershins says:

    I’ve done it two years previously, and enjoyed both, but it’s not compatible with how I write. Good luck and have fun. 🙂

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Haha I’m going to figure out this year whether it is compatible with how I write 🙂 Thanks for the wishes, and thankyou for stopping by!

  • I have been writing one poem per day since NaPoWriMo in April, so I think it is time to step up my game and do this years NaNoWriMo. So I will be writing my fingers off in November too.

  • Nam H Nguyen says:

    So I tried it last year and suffered a major case of burn out.
    I don’t know how you manage.
    I wrote some 3000 words a day, and by the end of it – I was majorly dissatisfied with my work.

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      I don’t know how I’m going to fare. It is exhausting, I’ll give you that, but I’ve discovered that it is easier for me to write in sustained bursts when I’m writing a novel. Like everything else, it is practice. I’ll try and hit big word counts in the beginning (based on the prep I’m doing now) and then ease out towards the end. We’ll see, I guess.

  • violafury says:

    Dang! I’m NOT going to be doing it this year! At least I have no plans to; I have too much to do before I go to Japan and my better 2/3 will be back in town and with me for a good part of November. As I have not seen him since last May, we are going to take some time together. The best of luck though, D, and I know you will have a wonderful manuscript to show for it at the end! Next year, maybe we can do it together? <3

    • Damyanti Biswas says:

      Enjoy your time with your better 2/3 :). I dunno what I’ll have to show for it, but looks like I’m going to put on some wordcount! If I survive this year, we shall do next year. Yep.