WNFIN isn’t a contest. No one judges you. No one looks over your shoulder or counts your words. That said, sometimes it’s nice to know who is participating…or to add your name to a list of participants so you feel you are being held accountable for starting and finishing your project in the allotted time–30 days.
If you would like to add your name to the list of WNFIN/NaNonFiWriMo 2011 participants, you can do so by adding a comment here.
Here’s what we suggest you include in your comment:
- what you are writing about or the nature of your nonfiction project (actual describe it for us if you like!)
- how many words you plan to write each day or week and your final word-count goal
Then, come back at month’s end and let everyone know if you reached your goal. You can do that here.
Nina Amir will be reading all the comments; she’ll reply if she can. (She gets busy around October 30 and then doesn’t have as much time to comment as she gears up to edit and publish 30 days worth of blog posts. Please understand and don’t take it personally if you don’t get a reply when you sign in.)
Please do report in at the end with a status update. This is a great accountability mechanism that helps you complete your project. And Nina might, again, leave you a comment in return or mention you and your project in follow-up posts if you do something fabulous like:
- land a magazine assignment
- sign a contract with an agent
- secure a book deal
- self-publish a book
because of work you completed during NaNonFiWriMo! (That means publicity for you, your book, your blog…) Report your final status update on this page.
And please visit the WNFIN Facebook page to chat with participants and talk bout your successes and struggles and get support and make friends!
Good luck!
Hi Nina,
I’ve been writing for twenty years. Wrote three novels (unpublished), got a job writing for a small magazine (unpaid), and for the past two years have been working on a memoir. It won a first chapter award at a conference in January, where an agent told me he’d like to see the completed book. Plus he wanted to know about my platform. My book was still being workshopped; I had no platform. So I built a website, joined Facebook and Twitter. And then I developed a health issue that left me lethargic and knowing I needed to care about my life in general and my writing in particular, but not quite interested enough to care. Twitter? Maybe one post? What I believed would be my memoir’s final revision dwindled to a paragraph a day, tops.
I’ve reached a point where I now have enough energy and interest (enthusiasm is still too strong a word) to concentrate for a few hours at a time. But I’m in a bit of a vacuum – my writing group is quite small and meets sporadically. Last night, Oct. 31, I thought how I needed a better routine, and how I needed a community. Specifically, how I’d love to join a NaNoWriMo-type group for nonfiction. This morning over morning tea, I went through my Facebook page, one friend led to one site to another, and voila! Here you are!
Here’s my November plan: Finish my revision by completing the eight scenes that need inclusion, and figuring out which scenes need further cutting to keep the word count close to 90,000.
Post on Twitter once a day.
Post something on Facebook besides “likes” at least three times a week.
Write a killer query letter.
Thank you so much for this!
Good Writing,
Elaine
That’s great…and you’ll get ton’s of info on building your platform here, too.
Great, Jenn. Have you listed it on my blog?
I will be writing about the battle with breast cancer that my brother’s wife fought and lost, and what our family learned about God through it all. My goal is 14-15,000 words…a bit shorter than normal due to the intense nature of the subject!
Elizabeth recently posted..Holiness or Justice?
Dear Nina,
Thank you kindly for this opportunity – my project is my Eat Like a Pagan Recipe Book – which is started, recipes in place however I need to write about the food and fully explore for the reader why it’s best to get back to non processed where food is concerned.
I love this stuff – eat and breathe it, but am having a hard time focusing on doing the project. This will provide the structure and hopefully the impetus to get moving forward and then finish the book by the end of the month.
It is time,
Thank you for this opportunity!
April danann recently posted..Awakening Higher Consciousness Part I
First of all, thank you so much, Nina, not only for providing this opportunity but also for your many kind words of encouragement and practical advice. I’m writing a memoir of sorts – a compilation of essays; some long, some not; all about different times in my life.
I’ve had this idea for quite some time and have several essays written (but not edited and revised). They’ve been workshopped and I feel good about them and ready to continue write more. My problem is motivation . . . and lack of confidence. The latter I’ll need to sort out myself; for motivation I’d planned to use nanowrimo. I’m going to use their 50,000 word count as a goal but love the premise of not having to fulfill that count completely and still feeling that I’ve accomplished something. I guess this feels like a kinder, gentler way of achieving, hopefully, a real beginning of a long-time dream.
So once more, thank you!
I am getting a late start,but thought I should still sign up. My project is a series of essays how about endangered species in New Mexico which is where I live. The three species that I plan to write about are the Mexican gray wolf, the willow flycatcher and the silvery minnow.
I will be writing about ADD and the creative mind, and would like to be included here as participant to complete approximately 51,000 by the end of November.
Nina, I’ve decided to write “How to Generate Extra Cash Flow in 30 Days” and will attempt to write 250 words daily. That’s in addition to blogging a book and trying out the NaNoWriMo to boot.
I intend to go Achieve More Inspired Results, much thanks to you!
Angie recently posted..High Desert Look- a- likes
I’m going to charge forward and finish a book I started nearly four years ago. It is about the Zombie Apocalypse and it takes place where I live currently (rural PA)
My goal is to write at least ten new pages a day.
The Insomniac’s Dream recently posted..30 Days of Thanks: Day 1
Hi Nina! Just wanted to say “Thank You” for an excellent kick-off call today. I have narrowed down my topic and have a working title for my book: Falling Up: Making Life’s Changes Work For You. It will the second book that I plan to self-publish through my indie press–30 Minute Manager, LLC. My first book is going to the editor this weekend (Being The Grown-Up: Taking Care of Someone With A Terminal Illness) so it is a great time to work on a second book. Thank you again!
Hi Nina,
After reading your guest post on Cathy Hall’s blog last week, I decided I am going to go for it. Not only do I intend on writing my book in November, but I am going to attempt to blog it as well. I do not know if I will make this deadline because I am getting a late start. I am wondering if I should pull some of my current blog material to incorporate it, but I haven’t decided yet. Since it is already November 2, I had better get started.
I am writing a memoir of sorts about growing up with undiagnosed autism. I current author a blog about my life and thoughts about my Asperger’s diagnosis, and hope to build a larger platform from there. Now if only I can stick with it until the end. We will see…
I would like write an essay titled-”PEEPING INTO THE POETS MIND”. My words limit would be just 5000 words as this is a difficult topic for me!
Thanks for your kind advice and rousing the spirit of challenge in me!
THANKS!
Hi, All! — I’m going to continue working on my WIP. I’ve allowed life’s drama’s to sidetrack me lately. I’m looking forward to using the NaNo-energy of November to get me back on track.
To Cheryl D. — “Falling Up: Making Life’s Changes Work For You” sounds like something I’d *definitely* pickup. Good luck with it!
I’m in for the challenge and will continue to write shorts for my memoirs. My focus this November is to kick up my word count to 1500 a day and complete 50K by month end. Thanks for the network…I’m happy to join you here!
Sign me in, hope this is the right spot to do it. I plan to pull together ALL the bits and pieces of a book I’ve been working on that is part personal backstory and part self-help ‘how to’ about INVISIBLE GRANDPARENTING: Leave a Legacy of Love whether you can be there or not. It is about coping with and healing separation for the millions of grandparents who are unable to see their grandchildren for reasons out of their control. It shows ways we can transform negative energy to forgiveness, and it encourages us all to pass on memories, values and positive aspirations to younger generations, most of us many be invisible by the time or descendants ask questions about us.
Pat Hanson recently posted..Happy 10th Birthday!
Hi Nina:
Thanks for the challenge and the opportunity. I’ll be writing “The ABC’s of Economic Development for Small Towns.” Given that there are 26 letters in the alphabet and 30 days in November it should work out to a blog a day with room to spare.
Again, thanks for your encouragement and the opportunity.
Phil
Hi
I’m getting a late start. usually I can make up for that. I wrote a piece that I lost and decided that it was likely meaningful in some way. That I must have needed to start from scratch.
I am writing a non fiction piece about being lesbian parents twenty five years ago. So I am aiming for 1500-2000 words a day.
I had planned to to nanowrimo but I like that this is nonfiction related.
I just found this site! I wish it was easier to sign up for this challenge though. I want to participate by aiming for 25,000 words by Nov 30 which is 1000 words per day. I put together an outline of a how to build friendships book that will be a compilation of around 25 essays on different aspects of making and keeping friends. I plan to self-publish my work at the end.
Nina, somewhere along the line I signed up indicating my interest in participating. Life sometimes throws us a curve ball, and that is what has already happened in the first four days of the month. Family commitments are making it impossible for me to participate this year.
I wanted to make sure I was honest with you and to my commitment. By leaving you this note, I feel like I’ve done what should be done when one commits and then must take another route. I’ll look forward to next year!
Sherrey Meyer recently posted..Grammar Lesson #1
Sorry to hear that…maybe you can at least get part of your project done.
I am in! I signed up for NaNoWriMo, became a NaNo Rebel but still feel like a fish out of water. I have two non-fiction books I want to complete by the end of the year and a third I need to get a decent start on. Having initiatives like this gives me focus. My goal is 12,000 words per book. They are not meant to be massive reads, just how-to guides.
Cheers everyone and good luck!
Hi Nina!
I commented on 11/1 with the title of my book. Here is my full entry based on your instructions:
My book is entitled: Falling Up: Making Life’s Changes Work For You.
The book will have 30 short chapters, 500-600 words per chapter. The chapters will focus on common life changes/challenges and how to best navigate and manage them.
“I, Cheryl P. Derricotte do solemly swear that I wrote this whole book during the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge. I did not start this book prior to November 1.”
Thanks!
-Cheryl
Cheryl Derricotte recently posted..Welcome!
Did you already finish the book, Cheryl??? You need to swear when you finish, and then write your pitch! :~)
Hmmm. I thought I sent my comments in. I guess not! I didn’t discover this until October 31, so I’m behind in the game. I have a book to update and I have a new topic to develop and write. My focus for November is going to be on developing the new topic, which is weight management for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Much needed. Not sure I’ll get the daily posting in, but I am going to give it a try. the blog posting is going to be on joan.wordpress.com and the better topics copied to my website (joanmedlenrd.com). That gives me a little flexibility.
Hi Nina!
No my book is not written. I thought I had to pledge/swear! I will swear at the end–LOL!
–Cheryl
Cheryl Derricotte recently posted..Welcome!
My writing will be a mix of subjects
what the medical profession won’t tell you
anticancer diet/lifestyle
other stuff as the mood takes me
My aim is write 500 words a day. I normally write rarely, but I have something to say and I am going to say it.
Tx for this motivation
I cheated, I guess — I started my book on Oct 25. I didn’t really know there was a WNFIN, to be fair. And I’m also using NaNoWriMo to finish a fiction WIP, so I don’t really begrudge myself the 4 days I wrote in October.
But I’m at 25,000 words in my non-fiction project and that’s the first draft done! (And that’s including design/layout, too!)
I don’t really like the working title, but the subtitle is RELIEVING THE OVERWROUGHT DOG. I work in animal behavior, and a specialty for which I often receive referrals is dogs who are too excited, aroused, fearful, agitated, or fear-aggressive to be able to think clearly and learn well. This is a very approachable, non-academic guide for clients to follow along or owners of such dogs to get started on their own.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh recently posted..The Rise of Ebooks
I just found out about WNFIN so I’m adding myself kind of late but I hope I can catch up. I recently joined NaNoWriMo and it has worked wonders for me and my writing goals. I’ve had a couple of Non-Fiction writing projects in the works for a couple of years now and I so want to finish them. I started blogging in 2004 and I decided to turn a couple of my blogs into books. It’s just taking me quite some time to narrow down which of my blog posts to use and the editing is a long process as well. One of my favorite topics to write about is being in my 30s. Since I will be turning 40 in March, I’m hoping to crank out two books of my essays/blog posts written over the course of me being age 30-39. I would like to premiere at least one of my books on my birthday. I also write poetry, have over 100+ poems waiting to be compiled into collections to be shared with others. My goal is to, by my 40th birthday, have launched my long awaited writing career. Two of my current non-fiction book projects are 1) about my adventure as a single black woman in her 30s, various topics covered, and 2) a series of essays and posts reflecting on the recession, President Obama, pop culture, politics, and social justice. I was waiting for the re-election of President Obama to finish the 2nd book so I’m hoping to finish it first. I’m self-publishing both on the Fast Pencil publishing publishing platform. I thought that would be a good place for me to start, nice and slow. I look forward to finishing my writing projects and sharing the results with all of you.
I’m late coming to this as I just found about the nonfiction challenge. I have a project I’ve been thinking about and writing down all the facts about for some time now, and as it will only be about ten-twelve thousand words, I still have a chance to finsh it in time. It’s about healthy eating and weight loss, provisionally called ‘How to be Slim and Healthy Forever’. Yes, I know there are hundreds of books out there about this subject, but this is not a diet book. It explains the ‘how and why’ to enable you to quickly choose and cook satisfying, tasty and simple family meals that will make you lose weight and stay slim for the resst of your life by understanding the way foods work in the body. And it doesn’t mean giving up those ‘sweet treats’ that we all love. It will also have companion recipe books for those who want them.
I’m hoping this challenge will push me into finally getting it all together and finishing it by the end of the month.
y
Nina: I had absolutely NO idea it was possible to be listed here as a participant of WFIN. So sorry I did not list my project sooner! As of November 1, my goal has been to write daily gratitude blog posts on my personal blog as well as on a local online news service. No specific word count in mind, just consistency. So far, it is day 25 and I have nailed both of my targets. I am very seriously considering turning my almost 60 daily gratitude blog posts into a book. We shall see…
Amanda socci recently posted..Day 25: Gratitude for Glad & Ziploc Products
Hi, Nina: I thought I had signed in right after the kickoff party but as the month draws to a close and I returned to the comments, I don’t see mine here. Do you know what happened or maybe computer gremlins? Anyway, I’ve been busily writing away for the month, having committed to the writing contest on a memoir about living with chronic depression. Thanks, Jacqui
Jacqui recently posted..Upcoming Appearance at Alexandria, VA Main Library
Go check if you signed in on the status update page. Some people mistakenly did so there, which still works.
I signed in on this page much earlier in the month, but didn’t complete all of the steps required. Here goes!
October is a month of autumn color, of blazing red and orange setting our world aflame, yet it is also a month filled with the color pink, the pink of battle and grief, the pink of breast cancer. Mine is the story of a beautiful young woman, Kristina, how she fought and lost this battle, and how a beautiful God has won her war. It is my story too, though. It is the story of my family and how we also fought, how we kept on living even when one whom we loved had died, and how we met God in the middle of the ugly. This is, in fact, the story of all of us, of all humanity. We all live in the midst of both the ugly and the beautiful. We all fight the battles of life and death that we will, in the end, always lose, at least at first glance, and we all meet our God right in the middle of all of it.
The book has 14 chapters and 14,000 words.
Some of the book was put together using former blog posts I had already written, but much of it is original, written only during the month of November. I, Elizabeth Giger, do so solemnly swear.
Elizabeth recently posted..Moments
Drats. I copied in the long pitch instead of the shortened version. So very sorry. Here is the short pitch:
Mine is the story of one young woman’s battle with breast cancer, of my family and how we also fought, and how we kept on living even when one whom we loved had died. It is the story of all who live in the midst of both the ugly and the beautiful, and how we all meet our God right in the middle of it all.
Elizabeth recently posted..Moments
Well, the month has come to a close and I did not finish a full book. However, I am delighted with how much progress I made on my second book: Falling Up: Making Life’s Challenges Work For You. Thank you Nina for this great fun and cheers to those who did finish a book!
Cheryl Derricotte recently posted..Welcome!
I am currently living on a ship, traveling the world. Unexpectedly, this has left me a lot of free and creative time, and I’m happy to say that I have successfully written a travel memoir in the month of November! Crazy, and I’m so proud. The book, in a nutshell, is about one woman’s journey traveling South America by bus, which tests whether the relationship she left at home is stronger than one she might find on the road. It’s also about her quest to battle some of her demons, and all the crazy characters that lend a hand along the way.
It’s a true story, and it’s my story. It’s been an absolutely amazing process writing this! Now… where to go from here?
Oh, and “I, Kelly Lewis, do solemly swear that I wrote this whole book during the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.”
Man it feels good to say that!
Don’t forget to email everything….
Don’t forget to email everything before midnight.