A Big Thanks

I was browsing the NaNoWriMo site when I came across this. It is a blog post by the OLL for Chris Baty, who will be leaving the NaNoUniverse to try to accomplish a professional writing career. You're probably wondering what's so special about that. Well, Chris Baty is the one who started NaNoWriMo in 1999. Without him, there would be no NaNoWriMo.

So, I would like to write a blog post thanking NaNoWriMo (and Chris B. of course) for the wonderful program. Let me start with 2010, my first NaNoWriMo.

Before NaNo, I was just tinkering around with Microsoft Word. I had a full writing world by that point, but no giant novels with just one plot (versus a giant novel full of short stories). I still dreamed, though. I dreamed about writing a giant novel with just one plot. The Magical World Warriors could star in it together, and it would be over 100 pages long.

I tried repeatedly to write this novel, but it didn't work. Until I found NaNoWriMo. Suddenly, a whole new world of opportunities was opened for me. I jumped into November 2010 with both feet. I didn't think I would win, to be honest. I was just doing it for the fun of it, and if I didn't win, I didn't win.

I won in thirteen days with 53,100 words.

I won in JulyNoWriMo with 51k in fifteen days.

I won again in AugustNoWriMo with 51k in another fifteen days.

And, I won again in November 2011 with 56k in seven days.

So, thank you, NaNo, and thank you, Chris Baty. You've made a ton possible for me that I never thought I'd be able to do. Have fun with your writing career and llamas!