Comments on: NaNoWriMo, Running, and Pie

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:19:14 +0000

Interestingly, I think that internal deadlines get easier, too. I find bribery works wonders. I’ve earned LOTS of new music and pairs of boots by meeting self-imposed deadlines.

By: Heather Kelly

Heather Kelly — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:36:31 +0000

Christine–Phew. I was stressing out. Thanks for letting me off the hook. I think the most important thing for me is that NaNo comes with a deadline. I find writing that writing without a deadline can make me wallow needlessly in a draft. I imagine this changes when you have agent and editor letters, and deadlines built in. But I love that during November I need to try to get stuff finished in a timely manner.

Internal deadlines don’t work too well for me. I need to have a whip cracker. Not that I’m lazy, but life is full, you know. Accountability is a good thing.

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:16:31 +0000

Not at all! I posted this for conversation purposes. Disagreeing is encouraged! And thanks for your kind words about CLAIRE.

By: Heather Kelly

Heather Kelly — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:15:22 +0000

Oh, PS–I loved Claire de Lune. I can’t wait to pick up Nocturne!!

And, I hope that my above comment didn’t just seem confrontational, or defensive. I know people get heated about the whole NaNo thing. I like that it works for some people, and I know that it doesn’t work for others. Everyone has their own way to write–the most important thing is for each writing to find what works for them!

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:15:11 +0000

The camaraderie, sure. That’s great. The problem is, if you “lose” NaNo, if you can’t keep up, then you’re on the outside looking in. Having a writing group is a great idea, and Twitter is like a virtual water cooler for all the authors I know. If NaNo helps someone find that, awesome. And you can TOTALLY get in an every-day writing habit with less than 1667 words. In fact, that’s sort of my point. I think it’s EASIER to get into a daily writing habit with, say, 500 words. If it’s 11:30 p.m. and you haven’t written, 500 words is a lot easier to face than over 1500, you know?

By: Randi

Randi — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:15:09 +0000

I get what you mean here, but for a lot of people, NaNo is the push they need to really start writing and realize how fun it is. I’m doing it myself this year to finish up a novel I abandoned about a year ago that a lot of people liked. NaNo is a motivational thing for a lot of people, and a chance to connect with writers in their area and do something with a lot of people that’s pretty fun. I’m really enjoying it myself. And most people doing this don’t actually aim to finish. Just to get a good grip on the ideas running wild in their minds.
I was a bit hesitant about NaNo too, but it’s working out a lot better than I thought it would.

By: Heather Kelly

Heather Kelly — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:06:42 +0000

I love the energy which surrounds NaNo. It is an excuse for me to wear my writing hat every day of the month. I agree that writers who aren’t used to trying to write big wordcounts every day may very well be in danger of burning out.

But my writing friends in my area are trying to get together a few times a week to write together. That camaraderie is worth its weight in NaNo gold.

Right now, my goal is not to pump out 1667 words a day. But it is to ride the tide of NaNo energy, and to spend one month filling every inch of available time writing. I LOVE writing during this month.

I fully agree with your marathon analogy. NaNo may not be beneficial for the weekend warrior writer.

But the energy, the conversation, the friends? All worth it for me. And the habit of writing every day? A great habit to have at the end of the month.

Oh, and I agree–FOR THE LOVE OF PETE don’t send that novel to an agent after NaNo. Take a year and revise. Or longer. The faster the draft, the more revision is probably necessary.