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NaNoWriMo may mean a lot of things to a lot of writers. For some of us, it’s a pet project to find creativity, for some it’s a practice session, a Round Zero before embarking on writing the novel of their dreams. As a literary tradition, it’s more of a writing exercise than it is the first step of a publication journey.
That said, there are some authors who have managed to pen bestsellers and masterpieces in NaNoWriMo!
Water for Elephants — Sara Gruen
Told through the perspective of a nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, this acclaimed historical novel is set in the 1930s. As a newly graduated vet, he suddenly finds engrossed in the grandeur of circus life…amidst a strange, yet fascinating life.
Originally published in 2007, writing the book did not come easy for Gruen. The struggle was hard, and yet she persevered through the month. While she did not complete the official goal of 50,000 words, she did manage to right 40, 000 words in her. Pretty solid, if you ask us.
On perseverance, she assures us in her NaNoWriMo pep talk that getting stuck is just part of the process…
