It’s that time of the year again, folks - time to deprive yourselves of sleep and sanity, to be replaced with copious amounts of coffee. It’s time for the National Novel Writing Month- NaNoWriMo.

I have taken part in NaNo every year since 2004, but only ever met the challenge that first year. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days. Founded by Chris Baty in 1999 in San Francisco, the challenge has grown from regional to national to international. People around the world engage in mini-contests along the way, to see who’s pumping out more words per day. Some of the friendly challenges are between regions - for example, Toronto usually teams up against another city to see which side will crank out more prose.

Coffee, as mentioned, is a staple. However, my personal NaNo choice is hot chocolate with cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Mmmm.

Some participants have detailed plans and character sketches all set up before the starter gun goes off at 12:01 on November 1. I never do - which might explain why I almost never finish the contest. At least this year I’m going into it with a vague idea - better than most years!

To get an idea of how to survive and thrive in the NaNo challenge, pick up a copy of Chris Baty’s book, No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days. National Novel Writing Month is not impossible - it just takes some planning, caffeine and dedication. And a touch of insanity helps, too.