An idea, a month and 50,000 words. It's a challenge that's intrigued several writers in Butler County and more than 58,000 would-be authors worldwide.

Participating in the sixth annual National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, the registrants have decided to put their creativity to the test, seeing if they can complete a 50,000-word novel in one month.

At midnight on Nov. 1, registered writers began weaving tales that ranged from comedy to tragedy, science fiction to history.

Cynthia Closkey, a past NaNoWriMo participant and a municipal liaison for the program, said the goal for the event is quantity, not quality.

In fact, the only rules to be considered a "winner" are to write 50,000 words and to write them all during November.

This focus on production as opposed to excellence takes the pressure off the writers, noted Closkey, who said the event has helped her to get past writer's block in the past.

"What happens then is you don't have to overthink the book — and it comes out better, oddly enough."

Though Closkey has written for her own enjoyment for years — even leading workshops to coach other writers — the event attracts would-be writers from a wide variety of backgrounds.

According to the event's Web site, www.nanowrimo.org, participants include primary school students, amateurs and experienced authors.

Signing up for NaNoWriMo is free and indicates an intent to write a novel in 30 days, though many do not complete the task.

When the event began in 1999, a group of 21 friends set out to complete their own novels in one month. The friendly challenge inspired the annual program, which attracted 42,000 registrants and produced nearly 6,000 winners in 2004.

Mark McMillen of Saxonburg is currently making his second attempt to complete a novel during NaNoWriMo.

By Saturday, McMillen had completed about 10 percent of his current book and was hoping time off work over the Thanksgiving holiday would allow him

to catch up.

He said even if he didn't complete this year's attempt, he would continue to participate with the hope his word count would improve in the future.

Despite his challenges, McMillen is also inspired by his 19-year-old daughter Rosemary, who completed a novel last year and is participating again this year.

The McMillens are just two of several NaNoWriMo participants that meet each Saturday during November at Cummings Candy and Coffee Shop for a two-hour writing session.

Organized by Closkey, the writers bring laptop computers, word processors and pen and paper each week, furthering their progress and comparing word counts.

First-year participant Kathie Shoop of Oakmont attended last Saturday's gathering to work on her story about a group of teachers in Maryland.

Though the idea came from Shoop's experience working as a Maryland schoolteacher, she said the story, which had reached over 26,000 words, was purely fictional.

Though not as familiar with the career of her main character, AmyJo Casner of Harrisville was not letting details hold her back.

A second-year participant, Casner's book centers on female bull riders. To save time, the details of bull riding are made up, a part of the book that she will edit and correct after the Nov. 30 deadline passes.

Adding pressure to the 30-day limit, Closkey's mother, Susan Closkey, only recently decided to participate this year, leaving her days behind other writers.

As of Saturday,

Susan had completed between 400 and 500 words. Because of her late start, she needs to write nearly 4,000 words per day to complete the book.

Though nearly halfway through the month, Cynthia had completed less than half of her story, about 12,000 words.

Aside from sharing her word count with other writers at Cummings, Cynthia updates her word count on the NaNoWriMo Web site.

Once registered on the Web site, each participant is given space to create a personal profile called a library card. In this space, participants can add personal information, track their progress against that of other participants, and upload excerpts from their work for all to read.

Since there are no requirements on how much information is submitted or how often a library card is updated, some cards are simple while others are full of personality.

As a municipal liaison, Closkey uses the site to answer questions for regional participants and spread the word about the weekly gatherings.

Since there is no cost to participate in NaNoWriMo, donations from participants and organizations are used to fund programs that build libraries. This year's proceeds will benefit library building in Laos.

True to the site's casual nature, participants submitting donations are given halos on their profiles and are separated by donation categories such as "Superheroes," "Mighty Catalysts for Literary Righteousness," and "Cherished Friends."

Once the Nov. 30 deadline passes, participants will decide whether to shelve, share or edit their completed works in hopes of publication.

To date, seven authors have reported back to the Web site, announcing their novels would be published.

A word counter on the Web site verifies participants have reached their quota and issues online certificates that winners can print out.

After completing novels in the past, Susan Closkey has participated in a separate event, called National Novel Editing Month, where she devoted a certain number of hours into editing her work.

For daughter Cynthia, however, the results of the month are a chance to develop a daily writing habit.

"I'm using this month to remind myself that there is time in my schedule to write like this."