Take Your Exams, Give Thanks and Write a Novel
Abbi Webb, Assistant Editor
Graphic by Jordan Pumpelly
Amidst the busiest month of the year for college students, some are taking on yet another task this November: to write a novel.
Some North Greenville students are choosing to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), a 30-day challenge, lasting the whole month of November, that helps motivate students to complete a 50,000-word novel.
According to the NaNoWriMo website, the challenge is for anyone who has ever had a fleeting thought about writing a novel.
Jackson Dame, a senior Media Ministry major at North Greenville, said he and several other students are participating in NaNoWriMo, but he began the process of writing a second draft for his own book at the beginning of October.
“The challenge was similar to NaNoWriMo’s guidelines, but more designed for my needs. I’m about to finish my goal and finish the book,” said Dame.
Dame said his short non-fiction book, titled “Ex Materia” will be finished by the end of November.
“It’s a book full of creative principles and musings on how creativity and the Bible relate,” said Dame. “I think it has some great messages for Christians who enjoy creativity and the arts.”
NaNoWriMo can be beneficial to writers who need a little “push,” but it also creates a community of writers who are encouraging one another along as they work toward a common goal.
“Setting a goal and a deadline pushes me to get the work done, but even more than that … I have built-in accountability to finish my project,” said Dame.
NaNoWriMo’s website helps keep writers writing through an interactive network called My NaNo. By interacting with other NaNoWriMo participants, writers can earn badges. In addition, NaNoWriMo provides numerous resources for writers looking for inspiration and pep talks from well-known authors via NaNo Prep.
You can find more information at nanowrimo.org
