Overachiever

Overachievers in Nanowrimo are those who consistently and purposely strive for more than the 50,000 word goal.

History

Nanowrimo is a challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days. For most non-professional writers (and some professionals) this means banging out 1,667 words per day all month. And it can be a struggle. But, as with many challenges, there are those who take the word count as a minimum. These are the overachievers.

Every year, there are a scattered few who manage, through determination, discipline and great typing speed, to write double or more the 50,000 word goal. They usually have a thread in the This is Going Better Than I'd Hoped forum to chat about their accomplishments and how far behind their overachieving goals they are.

Well Known Overachievers

Lazette Gifford: On the Nanowrimo forums, one of the best known overachievers is Lazette Gifford (Zette). Zette is a professional author in her own right, so has cultivated her discipline. This allows her to write copious amounts every November. In 2003, she wrote 156,345 words. In 2005, she wrote 200,000 words. In 2007, she wrote 210,575 words.

However, in spite of her amazing volume of work, she is well loved on the boards. She gives back to the community with a free ebook "NaNo for the New and the Insane" that offers a wealth of valuable advice on getting the most out of every day in November.

Kateness: Kate has been taking part in Nanowrimo since 2005, and consistently crosses the 100,000 word mark. In fact, her first year, she wrote 500,343 words. This, of course, led to much questioning of her honesty, but she insists that the numbers are for real. According to her blog, she writes quickly as a matter of course and has a huge competitive streak with things she is good at.

The Quest for a Million Words

After the word count bar limit was upped from 200,000 to 999,999 in 2007, people have set out to max out the word counter by aiming for a million words. The first Wrimos to succeed at this were Hanxa, Delayra, and Caeraerie in 2008. Kateness and Caeraerie hit the million words in 2009. In 2010 the word count bar limit appears to have been reduced to 500,000 words, but that hasn't stopped several Wrimos from aiming for the million word mark. Will they succeed? Only November will tell.

The Future of Overachievers

As Nanowrimo continues to grow, the number of overachievers is likely to continue to rise. Even so, they will still only ever comprise a small percentage of the overall participants.

As of 2009, a new group has emerged - Milwordy. These individuals strive to write 1,000,000 words, but over the course of 12 months instead of only in November. Nanowrimo is often used as the starting point for their efforts.