Supercide: My Plans for NaNoWriMo

Since I've been trying to write fiction in my spare time, I thought the NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, would be a fun challenge to take part in. My understanding of the rules is they are pretty lax, and there really isn't much in terms of prizes for "winners", but the challenge itself is what interests me.

Basically, you need to write a full novel starting on November 1st and finishing before November 30th. It must be 50,000 words, and be verified as such via the website. Just a first draft? In a month? No problemo.

I've already come up with a concept for what I plan on writing on, and while flipping through my documents, I stumbled upon an outline I forgot I had drawn up for the plot structure. So I'm very well prepared to start writing, and I don't think such preparations are against the rules. If they are, I can probably come up with a different idea and still write a whole first draft in a month.

The story I have in mind is titled Supercide. It's a story where a mad scientist successfully creates the kinds of controllable biological mutations that are usually called "superpowers", but then those serums are stolen and his reputation destroyed. The book centers around both his attempts to restore his own reputation, and how the world reacts to the sudden appearance of super-powered individuals. I don't plan on it being quite as dark as Watchmen, but it also isn't going to be as campy as many other super hero stories.

What's important to note is that this is only the first draft that will be completed during this challenge. If I'm going to go through the trouble of writing this whole novel, then I'm going to publish it, but only after extensive proofreading and editing. All of that, though, will occur well after November, and probably take a month or two at least.

Anyone interested in writing fiction as either a career or just a hobby may want to look into this challenge. Establishing a deadline for yourself, even if it's largely arbitrary, can help a lot with actually completing something. For more information, you can check out the challenge's official website here.