i'm going to write a novel

if you know me, or you've been reading my blog semi-consistently for a little while now, you know that a dream of mine is to write a novel.  i can't really remember the when or why of it, i just know that i've always wanted to do it, i've always wanted to write.

so obviously, my problem has never been the desire.  it's been the dedication, sadly enough.  every time i feel like i can and will sit down and write, i find an excuse not to.  or i do and i get sidetracked by the technical aspects of writing, and when a person gets bogged down by all of that grammar and editing and whatnot, it's really hard to maintain a workable level of inspiration.

SO, with all this in mind, and not without a certain amount of apprehension, i've signed up to participate in NaNoWriMo!  if you're unfamiliar with the national novel writing month program/challenge, here's how it goes:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2008, we had over 119,000 participants. More than 21,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:
What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.
Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

have any of you done this before?  how did it go?  i have an idea in my head (the same idea i've had for about 2 years now and have failed to write), but i don't know if i should outline it before i go or what.  i'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences.  and if anyone else is participating, let me know and we can be writing/pep-talk blogging buddies!

wish me luck come Nov. 1st!