November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) , a month-long sprint when writers try to finish a novel in thirty days. For most, NaNoWriMo is just a challenging creative exercise, but some popular books have actually made it to the finish line and beyond. Below is a list of some books that were started during NaNoWriMo and are on our shelves now!
It took Erin Morgenstern several Novembers to finish The Night Circus, but her efforts were rewarded with the successful publication and glowing reception of the novel when it released in 2011.
Rainbow Rowell was already a published author when she decided to try NaNoWriMo. Although she was skeptical of the process, her novel Fangirl (2013) was born of this effort.
Sara Gruen struggled to complete the writing challenge, but Water for Elephants (2006) went on to become a successful novel and film.
Hugh Howey began Wool in 2011. It was originally self-published but was so popular that it was picked up by major publishers and the film rights have already been sold.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2009) by Carrie Ryan is the first part of a trilogy that has also been considered for filming.
Cinder (2012), Scarlet (2013), and Cress (2014), parts of the popular series by Marissa Meyer, were all finished in the same month as the author tried (desperately) to win a contest for the most words written during NaNoWriMo.