National Novel Writing Month at Fordham

By Madeline Katz

The days seem shorter, the nights stretch infinite and the Fordham community punctuates the autumnal quiet with a steady stream of tapping on trusty keyboards. I say trusty because, well, these keyboards and their writers have been through a lot together — 1,000 words per day for the past month to be exact. 

This type of word count mileage is par for the course when you sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The program, started in 1999, welcomes thousands of writers every November to come together and write towards a completed novel each by the end of the month.The goal is fairly simple on the surface: 50,000 words in 30 days.

Emily Ellis and Stephen Bragale, both English majors at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, were up for the challenge. For Ellis, the writing marathon has become a tradition. She joined NaNoWriMo in 2015 and five years later, she’s still going strong. This year, she worked on a paranormal horror novel. It initially began as a paranormal romance before she decided to venture into an unfamiliar genre.

“I decided to do NaNoWriMo this year specifically because I had a story idea bouncing in my head and NaNoWriMo was the perfect excuse to get it out on paper,” Ellis said. 

She managed to fit her writing into a day already full of classes and clubs by working in half-hour increments. Although stressful and difficult at times, with clever time management, Ellis said, “Most days, I meet my word count by 10 p.m.!”

Bragale, on the other hand, preferred to write in one sitting. Whether at Quinn Library or at home, he sat down and plowed through 1,000 words in about 90 minutes. Some chapters took longer than others. He spent the better part of a week, for instance, researching medical jargon to depict a scene in the E.R. where a doctor attempts to treat a patient who later returns as an undead version of themselves. Precision and nuance are key when trying to refresh zombie fiction. 

“For the better part of the last 10 years, it's been sort of a complicated relationship between me and zombie fiction,” Bragale said. “I was really into it at first, but I sort of fell out of love with it. It just seemed like such a grind and so repetitive. And so I really wanted to make contributions, like the zombie sub genre that sort of captures what I think is missing.”

While trying to restructure the zombie narrative to create a more emotional and impactful connection with the reader, Bragale found it necessary to ground the story in a familiar reality. He imagined “what would it be like if somebody in your neighborhood came back from the dead and they were just decomposing while they're conscious.” No supernatural elements, barring their undead status, just people weathering a harsh world a second time around. In short, he allowed them to be vulnerable, he gave them soul so that they could feel and we could feel with them.

This sense of empathy extends to the larger Fordham writing community who participated in NaNoWriMo. Bragale recalled how “Jessica and Dr. Bly consistently posted comments in the group chat” which helped offer “a sense of camaraderie.” He also appreciated the guidance of his faculty advisor, Dr. Lea Puljcan Juric, throughout the process. In addition to Fordham’s group, Ellis was a part of the Northern New Jersey NaNoWriMo community. Groups like these helped them feel supported as they watched each other get closer to their goals, cheering and typing together.

“I would recommend NaNoWriMo to anyone who wants a creative outlet that is challenging and structured,” Ellis said. “It can be hard to find time for creative pursuits in college, so NaNoWriMo can be a great kick in the butt to get your artistic side flowing!”

The program also offers resources for writers to track their progress, stay connected, and get inspired from pep talks written by various authors. NaNoWriMo focuses on the joy of writing and what can happen when you maintain a consistent writing practice. November is the month where passion projects transform into novels. By the end of the month, you might even be so full of ideas that you keep writing full steam ahead into the new year.

“I was so passionate about the idea that the word count of a novel didn't even bother me, wasn't even a thing that intimidated me at all,” Bragale said. “It's not a matter of if I can finish this novel, but when.