November is National Novel Writing Month! NaNoWriMo is an annual creative writing project which encourages authors of all ages to write 50K words in one month. Here are some books which started out as NaNoWriMo projects.

Water for Elephants

Goodreads rating: 4.07

When Jacob Jankowski jumps onboard a passing train, he is pulled into the world of a second-rate circus, barely staying afloat during the Great Depression. He’s put in charge of looking after the circus menagerie which is where he meets Marlena: the gorgeous star of the equestrian act.

Water for Elephants is a story of how love and friendship can survive in desperate and trying times.

Fangirl

Goodreads rating: 4.12

Cath and her twin sister, Wren, have been part of the Simon Snow fandom since forever. It’s brought them closer together and acted as a balm to soothe the pain of their mother leaving. Over the years, Wren has slowly moved on but Cath is still a dedicated fan. Now, the girls are entering college and Wren doesn’t want to be her roommate. Cath is left to fend for herself in a world outside of fan-fiction. And it’s much harder than she anticipated.

Fangirl is a cute and quirky coming-of-age story. I’m not a huge fan of Rainbow Rowell’s work and I felt this story dragged on for a LONG time. However, the characters are quite relatable. Rowell captures the struggles fangirls (and boys) face when they are forced to leave fantasy behind and face the real world.

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1)

Goodreads rating: 4.15

Despite the supposed “peace” in the world, letumosis, a plague, has hit New Beijing. It’s suspected that the Lunars have orchestrated this illness. Thus, the fate of the world comes to land on the shoulders of a cyborg/gifted mechanic. Cinder has always felt the outcast. She’s loathed by her step-mother and is a second-class citizen. When Prince Kai brings in an android to be fixed, Cinder is placed in the middle of an ongoing political/intergalactic struggle; a struggle which forces her to look past the surface and catch a glimpse of the secrets around her.

I had no idea Cinder (and quite a few of Marissa Meyer’s books were written during NaNoWriMo. The Lunar Chronicles is quite an interesting series although the last two books deteriorated in quality.

If you’re interested in joining NaNoWriMo, it’s not too late! Sign up here. There’s also a Young Writer’s Program which is an extension of the main organisation.