I have never participated in NaNoWriMo before, but that hasn’t kept me from being deeply cynical about it. This is probably because December always found the writerly listservs to which I subscribe bombarded with questions like, “I finished my novel in November. How do I get an agent?” I would roll my eyes, but others would patiently explain that perhaps a little revision was in order first. I understood their enthusiasm: when I finish a draft of a novel, I want everyone to read it, too. But, I know that it’s not actually ready yet, and a good waiting period for all readers — myself included — is in order. I guess that’s why I was unimpressed by the idea of writing a whole novel in a month. How good could a book written in 30 days actually be?

My ideas about NaNoWriMo started to change as I met more people who had come out of the month with (eventually) working and successful novels. I also took the approach for the first time of writing what I called a “skeleton draft”: the bones of the story to which I would go back and add flesh. Since I’m an adder-onner rather than a pruner,  this approach actually makes sense to me. So, while I took longer than a month to write my draft, I was starting to see how such an exercise could be useful.

I’m also a huge believer that you don’t become a writer by thinking or dreaming or plotting or talking about writing. You become a writer by sitting down and writing. NaNoWriMo provides the structure that people need to make writing a habit.

What really made me come around to the idea of NaNoWriMo, though, was hearing an interview with Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus,  on NPR’s All Thing Considered. She spoke about how she used NaNoWriMo two years in a row to build the world of her novel. To me this seems a perfect use of the month. True, it’s not actually writing a novel. But committing to writing 50k words that explore your world — that seems a priceless luxury.

Now that I’ve decided that NaNoWriMo may not be so bad after all, I would love to participate. However, this year I’m working on revisions of The Water Castle. I’d love to get those done by the end of the month. NaNoRevMo? Maybe next year I will jump in with both feet.

In the meantime, our booklist today will be books that came out of NaNoWriMo. Perhaps the best known success story is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. The Hub highlights more. Here are several more, some with tips from the authors, that I hope will inspire you to take the plunge.

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. See her Bookduck interview in which she dispels my misconception about the project: “There’s often a misconception that NaNo is about writing a book in a month. I mean, National Novel Writing Month. It’s there in the title! But that’s really not what it’s about. It’s about creating a first, very very rough draft that you can eventually — with a lot of hard work — turn into a novel.”
• My fellow Mainer Deva Fagan wrote the first 50,000 words of Fortune’s Folly in 2003, finishing her rough draft in December. She did a guest post on why it worked for her that year — and why it didn’t in a subsequent year, for Abby the Librarian, who ran a series on NaNoWriMo.
• Sydney Salter has had two successes with NaNoWriMo books: My Big Nose & Other Natural Disasters and Swoon at Your Own Risk. Like Deva, she worked into December to finish her drafts.
• Cindy Pon told me: “i wrote 35k of Silver Phoenix (the dreaded middle) using nano in 2006. i never used it with the intention of completing 50k in a month. i only wanted to push myself through the middle and establish a good writing routine. i wrote for about 40 minutes a night, 5 days a week, and averaged between 1k to 1800 words in those 40 minutes. i would say at least 28k of those words i wrote stayed in the novel.”
• At 19, Jessica Burkhart took part in NaNoWriMo and wrote what would become the first in her twelve book Canterwood Crest Series. If you’re a member, you can read her story at MediaBistro.
• If it weren’t for NaNoWriMo, it’s possible that Carrie Ryan’s bestselling Forest of Hands and Teeth would not exist: “It was the rule that says you have to start something new that made me write Forest — I already had several other projects going and so I had to come up with something new.”

To all those participating in NaNoWriMo 2011 — good luck and get writing!

Sydney Salter is the author of 2009′s hilarious My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters (which includes one of my all time top YA boy crushes). This year she’s back with Swoon At Your Own Risk.

Me: What is your theme song?

In high school, if I heard “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina And The Waves, I knew I’d have a great day. Now on those rare occasions when I hear that song, all those good feelings still flood back. I guess I should listen to the local 80s station more often…

(I feel the exact same way about this song, Sydney!)

Me:  Who/what is your favorite visual artist or favorite piece of art?

Oh, this question is so difficult for me–almost as bad as asking me to pick a favorite book or author. I love Grandma Moses–her charming scenes of maples and sledding–but I’m also inspired by the fact that she created artwork at an age when most people give up their dreams.

One of my favorite paintings is Picasso’s portrait of Dora Maar–the one hanging in the permanent collection at The Guggenheim. I bought a postcard version and keep it on my bedside table.

I also love John Singer Sargent’s portraits–he knew how to capture a person’s essence in paint. Suffice it to say, I love art, love visiting museums, and wish I were rich enough to collect more of it for my own home!

Thank you, Sydney!

Swoon at Your Own Risk is available now. Look for it at your local library, Amazon, or your local independent bookstore. Sydney recommends: Rediscovered Bookshop in Boise, Idaho for their knowledgeable staff and great middle-grade and YA section.

Character name: Kat
Age: 13
Biography:
Some people think I might worry too much–but they have no idea what missing Fiona’s mini-camp means. Our family vacation to Mexico is going to make me a social reject when I start 8th grade. But does Mom care? No!

What is your talent?
I can draw pretty well, but I keep those secret in my notebook.

What will you wear for the evening dress competition?
Anything but the stupid watermelon sundress my mom bought at the hotel gift shop! Does she think I’m nine?

Who is your escort?
I’d like to take Nando–he’s so smart, and nice (once you get to know him), plus he is kind of cute.

And now for the interview portion . . . If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
That prejudice would end. No matter what color you are, or what country you live in, we’re all humans! And that makes us a whole lot more alike than different.

Thank you Kat and Sydney!

If you want to find out more about Sydney, Jungle Fever or her YA My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters, please visit her website. You can order Jungle Crossing from Amazon or get it from your local bookstore.

So check them out today to see the full schedule of the week’s events and where the various posts will be showing up around the blogosphere. And don’t forget to accept the Body Image Challenge today! Everyone who accepts the challenge and reports back at the end of the week will be entered in the giveaway to win:

WINTERGIRLS (signed) by Laurie Halse Anderson
MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS by Sydney Salter
THE SECRETS OF TRUTH AND BEAUTY by Megan Frazer
MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES by Erin Dionne

Today we have Sydney Salter, whose debut My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters was released on April 1st.

Character name: Jory Michaels
Age: 17
Biography: I’m slightly disaster-prone and I’m searching for my passion, in the creative–and otherwise–sense of the word. But everything will change for the better once I save enough money for a life-altering nose job!

What is your talent? Well, it’s not driving. Not yoga. Not movie criticism. Definitely not soccer. And I’m not going to like making jewelry because my mom is totally getting into it (can’t the woman find her own stupid hobby?). I’m still kinda trying to find my passion, so can I get back to you on that?

What will you wear for the evening dress competition? A burkha? Or maybe an evening gown with a ski mask?

Who is your escort? Why can’t I enter this pageant after I get the nose job?!? I don’t know. Tyler is just a huge flirt. Wooster Tom acts interested, but he never calls. And Gideon–well, he has his own nose issues. I’ll probably have to take my brother Finn. But then he’ll just win the beauty contest himself. And end up with a dozen new girlfriends.

And now for the interview portion . . .What’s the biggest challenge facing today’s youth?
We’re supposed to be so perfect. We have to look perfect. We have to do well in school. We have to have amazing boyfriends. We have to have interesting hobbies. We’re supposed to be good at absolutely everything. Some of us are just plain ordinary! But that’s like not allowed.

Thank you Jory and Sydney!

My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters is available now from Amazon or from your local independent bookseller.

For more about Sydney, please visit her website.