Professional writers walk off job just as amateur writers start.

Here’s an interesting contrast: Professional writers down in Hollywood are walking off the job (they want more money), at the same time thousands of amateur writers are attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days (they want a challenge).

The Writer’s Guild of America is striking because they want a bigger cut from all the new revenue streams that keep popping up, like DVDs and the Internet. I don’t know enough to comment on their demands, but I do know that they have hilarious timing: they decided to strike during National Novel Writing Month. Every November, thousands of enthusiastic writers try to finish a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Last year, there were almost 80,000 registered participants and 13,000 who actually finished their novel. In contrast, about 12,000 WGA members are striking.

I wouldn’t expect the Novel Writing Month folks to produce the same quality of writing. After all, if you’re trying to spit out 50,000 words in 30 days, you obviously have to choose quantity over quality. However, I love the refreshing reminder that you don’t need to be a professional to write. You just need to sit down and do it.