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St. Paul, Minn. — You've probably met someone who declares "I'm going to write a novel one day," or perhaps you've said so yourself.
For thousands of people around that world, "one day" starts at midnight Oct. 31. It's the beginning of National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for short, which aims to provide that most potent of writing tools -- a deadline.
Participants try to write a 50,000-word novel by midnight on Nov. 30. Think about the challenge for a moment -- that's 1,600 words per day. Thousands of people around the world have signed up, including some brave souls in Minnesota.
According to the NaNoWriMo Web site, more than 40,000 authors worldwide have signed up, and 227 Minnesotans are among them.
Two participants in this year's event are Twin Citians Cory Strode and Rick Beddoe. This is Strode's third year, while Rick Beddoe is a first-timer.
They spoke to MPR's Greta Cunningham about why they've signed up. To listen to their interview, choose the audio link in the right column.