On November, Nanowrimo, and Exploration

by Dianna L. Gunn

In spite of the rain and cold keeping me indoors, when I heard that November's Penumbra issue was going to have an exploration theme, I thought it was perfect. Not because American Thanksgiving celebrates taking land from the natives or because of any historical feat, but because November is the month of Nanowrimo.

For those of you who don't know, Nanowrimo is an annual challenge to write 50, 000 words of fiction in a month. The motto of quantity over quality along with the large community and tight deadline forces you to just write, without holding anything back. It's a great way to discover whether or not you actually have a novel in you. Along the way you'll learn more about yourself and about writing than you thought possible, even though you probably won't want to look at the draft when you're done with it.

Even after eight years, I consider every Nanowrimo an exploration. Each year I start with a story—usually the bare bones of one—and explore all its avenues. I travel through the world I've created for this year's novel, learning everything there is to know. I discover my character's darkest secrets and their greatest joys.

Year after year, I also discover things about myself. I've discovered that, if left alone for a month with no ability to go outside and only a computer to keep me company, I can write 300, 000 words in 30 days. I've discovered that this behaviour leads to tendonitis, which I still struggle with. I've also discovered that if I'm actually trying to do well in school, I can't accomplish anywhere near that word count.

Similarly, in one year of working at Penumbra I've learned a lot. I've learned what it takes to build a successful magazine, how difficult it is to manage a blog when you're relying primarily on other people, and how awesome it feels to see the slow but steady climb of readers. I've also learned that even I have a burn out point, and that as much as I want to be superwoman, sometimes I have to take a step back and refuse extra duties.

This November, I planned to discover a whole new world with my writing. I'm also hoping to find new ways to make Penumbra shine and to bring our blog—and the eMagazine itself—to new audiences all over the world.

What did you hope to discover this November?

Dianna L. Gunn is a young Canadian fiction writer who specializes in dark fantasy. She also writes poetry, generally dark, which is her way of dealing with life. This insightful author hosts a website covering every aspect of fiction writing and interviews with noted guest authors.

Learn more about Dianna L. Gunn on her website and follow her on Twitter.