National Novel Writing Month - write a novel in 30 days? :)

:coffee Hello again everyone. I was just wondering if any of you are taking part in National Novel Writing Month? Writing a novel in 30 days sounds like an excellent way to break up that writer's block, so I'm going to give it a shot. The website is located at www.nanowrimo.org if you'd like more information about this yearly event.

Who's with me?
:cheer

Re: National Novel Writing Month - write a novel in 30 days?

I can write a novel in seven days. In fact I have done so.

However it takes more than a mere 23 more days to edit it into acceptable shape.

If I took 30 days to write it carefully it would still require quite a bit of editing to make it acceptable.

Don't think this is going to work.

NaNo

...

Re: NaNo

Writing Again> The idea is first draft only, not edited final quality work. There's a NaNoEdMo a few months later for that

I'm planning on giving it a go this year. I didn't last year because I was in the middle of a few other things that I wanted to give my time to. 1600 words is about average for a good day for me... the question is if I can keep having good days?

I'm also going to do it without an outline. I've tried outlining the story I have in mind, and frankly the outline was _boring_. So I'm going to change the start around a bit, then see where the characters want to go.

Re: NaNo

I think NaNo can be very helpful, if a writer doesn't buy into the nonsense they feed. They stress quantity over quality and expect 50K written in thorty days to be garbage. That's silliness, and a very bad habit to get into.

50K in thirty days doesn't have to be garbage, and, in fact, even at two hours per day it's just about average writing speed. If the writer can put in three hours per day, it's well below average writing speed.

Shakespeare's play were nearly all written in two weeks, Sister Carrie was also written in two weeks, I, the Jory was written in nine days. Many of the classic novels were written in well under a month, and there have been literally hundreds of other novels that went from first draft to final in under a month.

I think NaNo can be very useful for getting a new project off the ground, and for teaching a writer to sit down and write everyday, no matter what. But the emphasis they have on quantity over quality, and that writing garbage is not only okay but expected is just wrong, and I think, dangerous.

Nano

NaNo is strictly for forcing people to write. You can edit if you want to, but that's the polishing stuff, the after-work. The point is for most people to get the words out--the hardest part for most of us.

I'm definitely participating. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this year. I haven't finished yet, although I came closest my first year, two years back. (43,000 words)

Re: Nano

Thanks for the link. I went to the site and looked around -- loved the sense of humour.

I might give it a try, though I'm kind of busy this year. I do have a story idea that's been on the back burner for far too long that I'd like to get out of my system. Let me think about it for a couple of weeks...

Re: Nano

They...expect 50K written in thorty days to be garbage.

Click to expand...

Oh boy. The ubiquitous they are at it again.
James--Garbage? Geeze--you should see my first drafts. Then we can talk. No wait--you write perfect first drafts. Never mind. Give me a decade.


To the NaNos:
My NaNo this year will be a Romance. Completely outta genre. I may not even murder anyone for a change. And I will infuse it with humor, cuz I'm way too serious.

There are folks who say this contest debases our art. I disagree. I've taught people to use computers, play instruments, read, hike, write. It all starts with a first step.

For the experienced novelist like me (or is it myself?) it's a way to get off center, stretch my talent. Like playing jazz by ear on my violin, instead of the usual articulate and nuanced chamber music, or blaring symphony.

This is a positive, inclusive happening. Everyone is accepted. It's a dent in world peace, man.

eace

Re: Nano

Oh boy. The ubiquitous they are at it again.

Click to expand...

Know we know who "they" is:
MO Man Legally Chnages Name to 'They'

Re: Nano

Whoa! Is that coming up again. I participated last year, and churned our about 55,000 words... I think. Anyways, it was over 50,000. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it this year, however. I'm working... er, trying to do a website, so that will keep me busy.

Re: Quality vs Quantity

I agree with James that your 1,666 words doesn't have to be garbage, and that the NaNo promoters do push that whole quantity over quality issue. I think they have a reasonably valid reason for their stance though-- to help those people who sit in their first chapter editing themselves to death and never going forward. The idea that you can turn off the internal editor and just write can be very empowering.

If you've never finished a novel or have never written on a schedule, I can see where just churning out wordcount can be an empowering and useful exercise. If you have more experience, I can see where approaching the experience in a more disciplined way would be more appropriate. Either way, it's a great way to get a jump start on a new project.

Re: Quality vs Quantity

I'll be doing it -- but as I'm in the middle of writing a novel at the moment, I'll be trying to add 50,000 words to the draft, instead of starting something different.

I don't think 1700 words (or whatever you have to do per day) has to be crap (after all, Stephen King says he does 2,000 a day). I'm certainly hoping that I won't just be writing garbage, but it is all going to be first draft stuff (and so somewhere better than garbage but much less than 'good' or even 'acceptable'.)

Cheers,

Euan

Re: Quality vs Quantity

Hi All,

Thanks for the heads-up. Sounds like fun -- in a masochistic sort of way -- and they're forming a Boston (Massachusetts) contingent at www.meetup.com

*I think NaNo can be very useful for getting a new project off the ground, and for teaching a writer to sit down and write everyday, no matter what.*

I see this as a great way to form a "write everyday" habit. As some of you may know, if you do something everyday for 21 days (or is it 30 days?) it becomes a habit.

Anyway, mine's going to be an historical erotic thriller with a bit of sci-fi thrown in. Really.

Re: Quality vs Quantity

I'll be doing it again this year. I finished at over 50K words two years ago and regret taking last year off.

My suggestion is to think out your plot beforehand and make sure you have a good storyline that will last past 50K words.

Jeff

Re: Quality vs Quantity

It might be good to have an outline and character sketches beforehand -- it will make your 2000-word-day more productive (and avoid writing incoherent crap).

NaNO

Actually, I only write perfect first drafts on rare occasions. Normally, I just write good first drafts that need a second, and on occasion, a third draft to be perfect.

Garbage is the term used most often at NaNo, and it's exactly what most there produce. Some even write a paragrapgh or two, then copy and paste it over and over until they have 50K.

Even the vast majority of those who do write some sort of story are still intentionally turning out garbage because that is the attitude at NaNo. Just get 50K written, no matter how bad, how silly, how putrid they are. Trouble is, you can edit garbage until the devil gets frostbite, and all you'll have is edited garbage. You can't edit garbage anymore than you can polish rust.

Writing every day doesn't mean a thing, and won't help anyone learn a bit about writing unless the writing one does everyday is done with an eye toward quality, toward structure, toward pacing, toward characterization, toward good dialogue. NaNo is eqivalent for most of trying to learn how to play the piano by randomly banging on the keys for two hours a day. At the end of a month you will be no better, and probably worse, than you were at the beginning because you've now picked up a bad habit.

NaNo is a way for most wannabe writers to lie to themselves. They can say, "I wrote everyday. I wrote 50K in only a month. I wrote a novel in a month."

No, what they do is bang randomly at the keys everyday for a month. That isn't writing. Then they're stuck with 50K of rust they may well waste many more months trying to polish.

50K a month simply isn't very fast writing. It isn't even fast writing, if you write in longhand. And garbage remains garbage, no matter how much it's edited.

Re: NaNO

I recently did 90k of pretty good stuff in 30 days. It's not garbage, and will need an draft or two maybe three to be commercially viable.

I think if approached right the 50k in 30 days can be a good deal, but to just simply bang out words and pad the story with things that don't fit to get that word count does not help you--50k of the best you can for a first draft will help you and you have to go for that rather than hey I can write crap.

Giving yourself permission to write crap is not the same thing as doing it on purpose to fill in word count. The give yourself permission to write crap is a way of turning off the internal editor that Will sit and spin in one place forever and not go on.

My crit group is doing their own version of a novel in 30 days this Nov. Some members are signing up for NaNoWrMo as well. But I fully expect them to come up with the best they can each day not garbage.

Shawn

Re: NaNO

James is quite right; there's a big difference between writing and putting words on paper.

And having a plot in mind will help you write -- you'll have something to write about which is half the battle.

Once again, I recommend The Unstrung Harp.

weird science

You know, there are some people in this world who are trying to do a positive thing as writers. Take the person who began this topic thread.

I don't understand, and don't want to, others, who reply to threads not to answer the question, but to expound on how the topic and goal is wrong, garbage, stupid. If you don't like their idea, my advice is to shut up.

There are folks who write "garbage" everywhere. Some are published. And people cheat on contests, and they will cheat on NaNo by copy/paste. I don't care, don't understand why you care, and don't want to.

I am focused on people being positive. Those who stretch themselves as writers. I played instruments by ear before I read music, and then took lessons. Playing by ear was more fun and expressive. This same can hold true for other arts.

-----------
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Writing every day doesn't mean a thing, and won't help anyone learn a bit about writing unless the writing one does everyday is done with an eye toward quality, toward structure, toward pacing, toward characterization, toward good dialogue. NaNo is eqivalent for most of trying to learn how to play the piano by randomly banging on the keys for two hours a day. At the end of a month you will be no better, and probably worse, than you were at the beginning because you've now picked up a bad habit.<hr></blockquote>

Random banging on the piano can inspire the ear to want to learn melody. Don't think so? Look at a little kid exploring those keys. I was one--and I play 5 instruments well, a few others poorly, and have been a pro musician in varied venues.

I connected with a few serious writers on NaNo last year. I ignore the kids. Let them have their fun. I met a writer in my town I'd not have met otherwise. She was awesome.

There is enough success in the world for everyone. If a cheater or liar goes around bragging they've written 3 novels, but all are "garbage", so what? I wrote 100 songs as a teen. So what? It was part of my process as writer and musician. Nothing is wasted.

I like this:
<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Giving yourself permission to write crap is not the same thing as doing it on purpose to fill in word count. The give yourself permission to write crap is a way of turning off the internal editor that Will sit and spin in one place forever and not go on.<hr></blockquote>

I don't recall anyone at NaNo saying they were writing garbage garbage garbage on purpose, or whatever James said. (but maybe they did and meant what we lovingly call "crap".) Obviously I wasn't looking for that mentality--I honed in on serious writers. I wasn't looking for a way to tear the project down. That's just me.

NaNo makes room for serious writers, and many do participate. They probably don't post to the boards over there often; they aren't into the playground aspect. Others are--let them be.

I hope that naysayers may one-day open their eyes. Or at least take your negativity to your own threads. People will reply for sure.

Go NaNoWriMo!

btw: A fine, accomplished writer in my workshop is interested in NaNo. His project demands he relive a few years he was in a war, very stressful. He may use NaNo to blast through the material that has dogged him. Sometimes bean counting has its perks.

<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/image/posticons/pi_bigsmile.gif" />

writing marathon.

For me, the NaNoWriMo experience was fun and liberating. It was like a word marathon where I set my goal and had to push through to the end, just as one would train and push themselves to run a marathon. I was really proud and happy to finish. I met up with some fellow writers too, and it was really fun to be part of this writing community.

If anyone's the least bit interested I recommend doing it. There are advantages and disadvantages to everything, but there's no reason not to it.

J

Re: writing marathon.

BTW, as far as I know, the rules allow for making outlines, character notes, research, etc. BEFORE the start of the month. And, since folks are pretty helpful about sharing their resources, it was during my first NaNo that somebody linked to Patricia C. Wrede's worldbuilding questions, and I got one of my worlds fleshed out. I find it helpful myself, and I don't think that we all need to have the same goal in mind to find it useful.

I'm going to do it

I've been stuck on Chapter 4 of my novel for a couple of months, so I'm using the 30 days to bust through my need for perfection and to get me back in the habit of writing every day. If I write crap, I write crap. I'll happily go along with Anne Lamott's mantra of sh***y first drafts, as long as it gets me back in the saddle.

Re: writing marathon.

I can easily knock out an engaging 30-50K novel in a week or so, BUT editing it is a nightmare! I am STILL working on editing a 30K novel I wrote a month or so ago. I start editing; I get psyched out, and I stop. It's a good story, my critique group seems hooked so far, but something still isn't "right" and the comma corrections are killing me. I had originally planned on having the novel ready for submission by the end of October, but I'm not so sure that deadline is a viable one now.
The writing marathon certainly sounds interesting, as a free writing experience. I'm not sure it's something I would do right now though, since the area I need to work on is editing. I'll definitely keep it in mind for next year.

~Kate
katestamour.com

Re: writing marathon.

I'm all for it and I hardly wait to start!arty :jump arty

I think it's an awesome idea and I felt sorry that I discovered it only in late April when it was too late to sign in.

By the way, I cannot sign in, as I get an error message "Could not register new user." I was wondering if anyone else has the same problem and I could not find any email for support.:ack .

Regards,

Pencilone

PS: I've just solved my registration problem (the combination of XP with Norton requires some fiddling with the security settings - e.g. adding the Nano site to the list of sites allowed to pass the firewall):rollin

I'm In

My goal for NaNo is to finish a fantasy romance that I've had started for a while that has been stalled at chapter 4 for about ..... 6 months or so while I work on transcription, Avon, and other things.

I need to get it done.

Good thing Satin (main character) isn't a real person or she'd be hitting me upside the head with anything she could get her hands on. :lol

~Jen