NaNoWriMo: For the Win!

Only a few days are left before November is officially upon us, which means so is National Novel Writing Month, a.k.a. NaNoWriMo, and the stakes are higher than ever before.

Not only is each participant personally challenged to write 50,000 words in 30 days, but the Atlanta Pandas have challenged Seattle's Hydrophobic Ducks to a battle! For six years running, since 2004, the Seattle team has led all regions--from Adelaide, Australia to Waukesha, Wisconsin--in total word count and donations. Envious of our caffeine-fueled verbosity, and with an average word count just 400 words higher than Team Seattle last year (ATL: 30,971 words per WriMo; SEA: 30,571 words per WriMo), the Pandas have dared the Hydrophobic Ducks to a battle of the averages in 2010.

No problem: November promises to be as gray and dreary as ever; local WriMos have been scouting locations (look for toy rubber duckies on tables at cafes, bars, and libraries next month) for weeks; and caffeine is not yet a controlled substance. Team Seattle already has twice the writers signed up (SEA: 1647 WriMos; ATL: 887 WriMos), so our position is strong to hold the title for absolute word count--team members just need to step it up a little, individually.

The Sunbreak will be keeping tabs on the Hydrophobic Ducks and our bamboo-crunching nemeses all through the month of November. Check out Facebook or follow on Twitter for 24/7 news and updates.