NaNoWriMo is Coming - Do I Take the Challenge Again?

NaNoWriMo approaches in November.

For those that don't know, it's National Novel Writing Month. I've participated since 2008, so of course I'm thinking about it this year, too.

Technically by the "rules" you're supposed to start a brand new story, but that's not on my plate right now. If I do participate in the 50,000 words in 30 days this year, I'll probably rewrite the sequel to The Art of Healing Heroes.

I have a lot of works in progress. Many of us don't know what we're working on until midnight of Nov. 1st.

It'd be hard to sit out, though. I've gotten my 50k in '09, '10', and '11. It's a community thing, a race, a challenge, and it pushes you to put the inner editor aside and just write. Get the words down. Edit later. Some even push for personal goals of 100,000 words in the month or more. Others race to get their 50k in the shortest time, forgoing sleep and daylight. Honestly, my brain is usually fried come December, but I don't regret any of the years I've done it. 

But, I don't know. Maybe I'll save myself the stress this year. Maybe last year's horrible November of life makes me pause and consider further than I normally would. My roommate brought home the worst stomach flu I've ever had that kept me in bed for four days, and then had two weeks of vacation that month without prior notice to me and Tech Guy, and Roommate's idea of "vacation" is watching movies 24/7 so I had no peace except when Roommate slept. There's been at least a little bad luck in every November I've done NaNo, so I'm starting to get gun-shy, like in the "Oh dear God what's next?" kinda way.

If you'd like to learn more about NaNoWriMo, visit www.nanowrimo.org  If you've done NaNo before, what was your experience?