Do you want to write a novel, but never seem to be able to find the time? Then you should give NaNoWriMo a try. The challenge of NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, is to crank out an entire novel during the month of November. Your goal: 50,000 words. Quantity, not quality, is the name of the game.

With 30 days in November, that averages out to 1,667 words per day. It may sound impossible, but it’s a blast to try. And you don’t have to feel bad if you don’t make it to that 50,000 words, because every word you write is more than you had the day before. Sure, a lot of that first draft will suck, but that’s the point. Get it all out in November and then you can spend the rest of the year editing and refining your novel so that it doesn’t suck (as bad).

NaNoWriMo doesn’t start until November 1st, so why am I mentioning it now? I thought I’d give everyone a heads-up so that you can start preparing. While you can’t start writing until 12:00AM November 1, you are welcome to create an outline, brainstorm ideas, and ready yourself mentally for this challenging feat.

Last year I signed up at the last minute, and with no preparation and very little idea what my story was about, I still managed to get in almost 40,000 words. I highly recommend that you take some time to prepare if you’re planning to join in on NaNoWriMo. I think a little plotting and character development prior to November 1st would have really helped me reach that elusive 50,000 mark.

Writing 50,000 words in a month isn’t not easy, but as I mentioned before, it is a lot of fun. I found that one of the great benefits of NaNoWriMo, for me at least, was that it reminded me of how fun writing can be. The perfectionist in me went away for 30 days and all I worried about was whether or not I was on track for my word count goals. I also met some great new people. There are meeting groups in almost every area of the world, and I joined fellow NaNoWriMo writers for write-ins and a little social interaction at a nearby Barnes and Noble. I participated in the online forums, too. They’re a great place to get feedback, share ideas and brag about your progress (or whine about your lack thereof). And if you make it to that 50,000 mark, you’ll get “an official web icon and certificate.” It’s not a million dollars and it’s not a publishing contract, but having all those words finally out on paper is a huge reward in itself.

So if you’re interested in joining in on the madness that is NaNoWriMo, sign up, read the FAQ, and start outlining, plotting and getting your story together. Just remember, there’s no writing allowed until November 1st.