This can’t possibly be real, right?
National Novel Writing Month (50k words in 30 days) is one thing. Writing a short novel in November is a big ask, but with a bit of planning and calendar clearing and discipline, it’s doable. Your novel may not be publishable – or even finished – but it is physically possible to write that much in the space of 30 days. I’ve done it, twice. Neither project was particularly good, but one may be salvageable.
And, as they say, the biggest benefit of NaNoWriMo is proving to yourself that you can create a daily writing habit and you can finish a short novel in 30 days, even if the prose is not great. The sense of camaraderie and accomplishment among the players is also very real. Many people “want to” write but never do it, and participating in NaNo proves they can, even if it’s a one-shot deal. For many writers, it’s the start of a concrete creative habit.
But a novel in THREE days, even a short one? That’s a bit irrational. The math weighs against sanity: 16,700 per day, 1,200 words an hour, assuming a 14-hour day. How much cocaine is involved? Wouldn’t your fingers cramp?
The website boasts that one winner was shortlisted for a literary prize (in Canada, but ok) and another was made into a film. I’m certain both writers coasted into that 3-day weekend with more than a dollar and a dream. I suspect some thorough outlining was involved.
That said, I’m a big proponent of cheating altering the scope and parameters of an honor-system contest so that it works for you. 15,000 words over a 3-day weekend sounds like a spectacular accomplishment, as does a three-day editing binge of a completed project. 50,000 words in 100 days is a big deal.
These mile-a-minute writing contests rarely produce publishable work, but there’s no reason you can’t take what’s good about them – specific, measurable, time-bound goals and a sense of accomplishment – and bend them to your will.
The dates for the next Three-Day Novel Contest aren’t announced on the website yet, but I presume it will be held over Labor Day weekend 2025. However, some workers in the US will have a three-day weekend to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 20 (or the inauguration – happy holiday, however you celebrate).
Anyone game?
PS – I am not.
PPS – Enjoy your holiday, if you get one.