Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? That’s the National Novel Writing Month, an event sponsored by a group of literary terrorists who encourage bored housewives and unwashed yokels to write an entire 50,000-word novel during the month of November.
NaNoWriMo’s growth in popularity is simply astounding. It was launched in 1999 by a group of 21 writers in the San Francisco area, but within two years had 5,000 “writers” participating in it. By 2010, the non-profit group that sponsors the event had over 200,000 participants.
There are surprisingly few people who are openly critical of NaNoWriMo — probably because actual published authors are understandably wary of offending the kinds of people who buy lots of books. But this event sucks, and to pretend otherwise is to humor the delusional, literature-destroying idiots that participate in it. Continue reading