NaNoWriMo, HămBōCrăMō, and Showing Opposable Love

Posted On October 28, 2019

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) officially begins November 1 at 12:00:01 a.m., and since I’ll most likely be sporting a massive sugar buzz from binging on Halloween candy, I’ll be writing.

NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that focuses on writing fluency education, including a Young Writers Program and Camp NaNoWriMo.

Every November, NaNoWriMo rolls out a web-based creative writing program that challenges participants (Wrimos) to write 50,000 words (1,667 a day) from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. In 2017, over 300,000 people participated.

Throughout the month, they offer encouragement from prominent authors and writing tips. If you create a free profile, you can join regional communities, find writing partners (buddies), share your project with others, earn virtual badges,

and my favorite, take advantage of their interactive word count tracker.

This is how I started, and finished, the first draft of Opposable. This year, I plan to remove a huge, bloody chunk out of Spire.

Check it out for yourself and join me!

NaNoWriMo

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So what’s with this HămBōCrăMō malarkey? Well, HămBōCrăMō (Hammond Book Cramming Month) is something I devised to keep my lazy ass writing during the eleven months that aren’t November. It’s worked with varying degrees of success, but always hangs around to make me feel guilty when I’m not writing.

This year, I’m repurposing HămBōCrăMō. Since it’s short for book, not writing, I’m pledging to read 200,000 words (that aren’t mine) during November. That means I must write 1,667 words and read 6,666.66 words a day. The TV’s gettin’ unplugged.

I saved the best for last. Opposable is getting a makeover and will rise from purgatory early next year. All the components are in place; new artwork, professional proofreading, a tighter narrative, and a singular vision for its place in the Halteres Universe.

Let’s give Opposable some love. I still have plenty of free NARCs from the first print run, and I’ll be running some deals on the eBook soon. If you have feedback, now’s the time. Tell anyone you think might be interested. I have free swag!

Do it!