Well, it’s about mid October now and you know what that means? November and NaNoWriMo are right around the corner. In a few short weeks I will once again embark on a quest to write a 50k+ word novel within the month of November, but this year I have added a bit of a caveat in the mix. I plan to write the novel on my iPad.

Why, you may be asking yourself? Well, because one of my major goals for the iPad (yes, I have goals for my electronics) is that it become a super portable writers desk of sorts. So, the best way to put my goal into motion is to actually attempt to write something substantial on it, and NaNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity. I have been mentally psyched for NaNo ’10 since I finished my last novel in late November 2009 so I think that excitement and energy will help me tremendously with the slightly daunting task of writing a complete novel on an iPad. Obviously, the iPad is a decent word processor, so it’s not an impossible feat, but I believe that the lack of a physical keyboard and even the use of the bluetooth Apple keyboard at times will be a major test of not only what the iPad is capable of in terms of extended writing sessions, but also how it can fare as a tool to keep a writer on track through the use of brainstorming apps, note taking, and reference.
Currently, I am researching useful applications for the task; software that will help me keep my ideas flowing but also give me the ability to quickly multi task when necessary. {Any suggestions on apps would be helpful and appreciated!} Of course I will be attempting to chronicle my NaNoWriMo + iPad adventure here on The Pink Mac- you guys will keep me motivated and accountable! It will be an attempt because, lets face it, it’s difficult enough to write 50k+ words in a month without adding blogging into the mix, but since this is a subject near and dear to me, I am going to try very hard to get both done!
So, in the meantime, before NaNoWriMo begins, I will give you guys some updates on apps for writers and my general progress preparing for my November challenge! So Stay Tuned!
{Image via here}

2 Comments on NaNoWriMo 2010 and the Quest for the iPad Novel

  1. I, too, will be doing NaNo this year. Have participated two years before, but haven’t finished, hoping third time’s a charm.
    I’ll be using my iPad as well, with BT keyboard. I think it’s the perfect writers’ combo, especially when matched up with the right apps.
    Right now, Im planning on using My Writing Nook and Index Card, though Notebooks is also appealing as it syncs with Scrivener on my Mac. But if I do the whole thing on My Writing Nook, I won’t need that feature…
    Anyway, there’s my two cents. I look forward to seeing how it goes for you, me, and all the other iPad NaNoWriMo’s out there!

  2. Heather,

    Thats great that you too are attempting an iPad Nano novel. I am very interested now in looking into the app you mentioned called Notebooks. Since we do still need to upload our novels to their site for the word count verification, I would love to be able to sync my novel with my Scrivener as well. I used Scrivener last year and I found it very useful. Thanks for the great tip and good luck to you this year!

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