By Brittany Abuhoff
Staff Writer

50,000 words in 30 days: that’s how much you have to write in order to be deemed a “winner” of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

Since 1999, when San Franciscan Chris Baty started NaNoWriMo, the program has grown from having 21 novelists to over 300,000.

According to Grant Faulkner, Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, “National Novel Writing Month is a wonderful opportunity for people to dive into their imaginations and do one of the most crucial things in life: create.”

Aspiring novelists can join the site and begin writing. The site contains a forum, where you can discuss ideas with other members, and regional groups where you can plan to meet up in person to do a write-in or do one online.

According to a press release by Editorial Director Timothy Kim,  “926 volunteer Municipal Liaisons will coordinate hundreds of local, in-person writing events, working with their local businesses, libraries, and community centers to bring creative writing into 575 cities and regions.”

In 2005, NaNoWriMo also launched a Young Writers’ Program to bring novel writing into classrooms around the world and develop students’ confidence and goal-setting abilities.

The classroom version allows students to make goals for themselves—anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 words—and achieve together online and in the classroom.

For more information on National Novel Writing Month, please visit www.nanowrimo.org.