Comments on: NO to NaNoWriMo

By: Linda

Linda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:51:29 +0000

Ann, I’m sorry to hear of your experience. That was my biggest fear. I think it would be quite depressing to write all that for nothing. I’d rather work slower and end up with something viable. But to each his own. We just have to find what works for us and do it.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:09:19 +0000

Here’s one data point for your stats, Linda. Zero. I participated in NaNoWriMo last year, and the product wasn’t worth editing. Those 50,000+ words formed more of an awful anthology than a single novel. Although, I knew beforehand that I couldn’t write a decent novel in that amount of time. To make sure I wasn’t wasting effort, I attempted a prequel to RITN instead of using a virgin idea. The scenes that I wrote, however poorly, might add depth to RITN, because they answer many of my personal Why?’s.

I think you might be right about the genre mattering, by the way. All the NaNoWriMo winners that I personally know wrote speculative fiction. A problem with writing spec fic is the story can be lost amongst world building and research. During NaNoWriMo, if research isn’t already complete, then most of it must wait until December’s editing. There isn’t time to focus on anything but the story. The cool part is that sometimes the rush to develop the story puts the WB in perspective. One realizes what is and isn’t needed.

By: Deadline Junkie « Cathryn G-rant

Deadline Junkie « Cathryn G-rant — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:38:12 +0000

[...] some reason, Linda’s thoughts on NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), in which 100,000 crazed individuals around the globe [...]

By: mwgriffith

mwgriffith — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:01:07 +0000

Finally, someone who shares my point of view!

By: Tricia

Tricia — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:48:39 +0000

I want to play

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:55:26 +0000

Absolutely! Send me the code for the progress meter.

By: kasie

kasie — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:23:47 +0000

I was so not kidding. I’m totally going to do it. Are you with me? I will have a little progress bar off to the side on my blog starting November first. We must come up with some rules. I think laundry (when actively engaged in folding, loading, or putting away), making dinner, and of course all forms of cleaning within our homes should count.

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:35:47 +0000

Were you kidding? Because this is definitely something I would do!

By: kasie

kasie — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:26:16 +0000

Linda, I’m with you. I write every day as well. No need to add more obsession to my life. Maybe you and I should hold our own National House Cleaning Month. NaHoCleMo. We can put a little icon off to the side showing how many hours…better make it minutes….a day we cleaned. Our goal can be like 5000 minutes for the month of November. LOL Our houses would be cleaner than they’ve been in years. I might just do this. It would encourage some balance in my life.

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:54:04 +0000

Seriously, I think it would just frustrate me. I think I’d miss what I like best about writing, which is to have the story unfold before me with the little twists and turns my characters throw in. I’m not sure that would happen if I wrote so fast. I think I might end up with 50,000 words of a story I didn’t feel anything for and then there would be no way I’d want to spend time editing it.

I wonder what the statistics are for novels written during NaNo … I mean what percentage of them are actually edited, polished, and published?

I think NaNo appeals to a certain kind of writer, and maybe writers who write in certain genres. It’s just not for me.