Beyond the Bounds of November: The 10k Club

NaNo is a fantastic event. A great challenge, a good way to meet like minds and an excellent way to get a lot of words written. Unfortunately some folks; me, for example; have a problem. The problem is that the words we write during NaNo are the [i]only[/i] writing we get done through the whole year. And if one wants to turn writing into something more than an entertaining hobby, one must write more often than thirty days out of the year.

But what can we do, who are unable to write without the encouraging structure of NaNoWriMo? I have found the answer. We take that structure; the challenge, the support, the unrelenting peer pressure; and we turn it into something we can do all year long. 50,000 words a month is an unreasonable goal to set every single month. Leave 50,000 to November. For the rest of the year, I propose 10,000.

Why 10,000? It's an attainable goal, one that can be reached without sacrificing all contact with the outside world. 10,000 words in 30 days is fewer than 350 a day, not even 2500 a week. In November, some of us average 2500 a day. But being easy to achieve doesn't make 10,000 an insignificant number. 10,000 words in a month is progress. If you reach the goal consistently, every month for ten months, you've written a novel. If you begin with 50,000 in November, and continue with 10,000 every month after that, you've got a novel in six months.

A reasonable goal, that can be repeated indefinitely without interfering with normal life, that promises tangible, sizeable results. Just what the writer ordered. So how do we start?

To paraphrase Alan Moore, I did it three months ago: http://z3.invisionfree.com/10kClub/

We've been active since August. Though only a couple of us post wordcounts at this point, there are a few who are preparing themselves, or participating incognito for the moment. The more of us there are, the more it will feel like the real thing.

We are a community created by NaNo veterans, dedicated amateurs and semiprofessionals, for anyone who wants to write more, and needs someone to write with. Come for the wordcount, come for support and resources, or come for the community.

[b]PLEASE NOTE:[/b] The 10k Club is not intended to compete with NaNoWriMo in any way. While there will be a wordcount thread for November, the forum will be largely inactive for the duration of NaNo, as the majority of our members will be focusing our attention here, where it belongs. Come and introduce yourself, jump in for October if you feel up to it, but make sure you're back here on November 1st. I don't want to steal writers away from Betty and Heather. They work hard for us.
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