That would be rad

Once upon a time there was a thriving annual writing challenge called NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month, held every November from 1999 through 2024. I’ll let Wikipedia fill you in:

National Novel Writing Month, often shortened to NaNoWriMo (/ˌnænoʊˈraɪmoʊ/ NAN-oh-RY-moh), was a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that promoted creative writing around the world. Its flagship program was an annual, international creative writing event in which participants attempted to write a 50,000-word manuscript during the month of November. Well-known authors wrote "pep talks" in order to motivate participants during the month. The website provided participants, called "Wrimos", with tips for writer's block, information on where local participants were meeting, and an online community of support. Focusing on the length of a work rather than the quality, writers were encouraged to finish their first drafts quickly so they could be edited later at the writers' discretion. The project started in July 1999 with 21 participants. In 2022, 413,295 people participated in the organization's programs. Writers wishing to participate first registered on the project's website, where they could post profiles and information about their novels, including synopses and excerpts. Regional volunteers called "Municipal Liaisons" helped connect local writers, held in-person and virtual writing events, and provided encouragement.

But NaNoWriMo officially is no more. Accusations, scandals, and various dissatisfactions contributed to the shutdown of the website this year. Personally, despite thinking about it several years in a row, I never took part in the challenge while it was still going. I actually found out about the shutdown last week after deciding to go for it this year. Oops, too late! But not really, because it’s totally possible to do a self-challenge. And that’s what I’m doing, with goal of 50,000 words during November towards a “literary nonsense” novel.

Again, take it away Wiki:

Literary nonsense (or nonsense literature) is a broad categorization of literature that balances elements that make sense with some that do not, with the effect of subverting language conventions or logical reasoning.

In some form or other, I’ve been writing in this genre since I was a teenager. It’s just how I naturally creatively write. Granted, it’s quite a bit harder (for me) to write than normie prose, but it’s way more fun and satisfying. I think of it like manufacturing a completely legal and safe (?) psychedelic drug. When I read the stuff I write, I feel like my brain is experiencing a (mostly temporary) rewiring. Representational thinking is right out. You gotta go with the flow and see where it takes you. Tune in and turn on. It’s experimental writing, it’s sizzling synapses, it’s nothing expected: all subversion and transgressiveness. It’s fun!

As of last night, the end of Day 5, my stats were: 8999 total words for a daily average of 1799.8. To hit 50K by the 30th of November, I need to average at least 1667 words per day. So far, so good.

Back in 2017 I wrote a zine-sized booklet of experimental/literary nonsense, much akin to the material I’m writing this month for NaNoWriMo. I called it YOU KNOW IN CHUNKS. My fond goal for the current challenge is to turn my writing (plus some other material I have written over the intervening years since YKIC) into a novel-length book. That would be rad.