NaNoWriMo

[mollycase]

If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, the short non-rant answer is that it is a program to get people to write a 50,000 word novel in a month even if the words suck and there is no market for 50,000 word fiction pieces. I complained in my blog about the fact that a number of my professional writer friends seem to be dating or even married to people who participated in this peculiar exersize and used it as an excuse to be extremely inconsiderate and selfish. Ever since, I have been receiving semi-literate emails from participants telling me I am practically the antichrist for having an opinion different from theirs. Seriously, only one email came across as well-written and considered enough to deserve a response and most of the flames I have received are barely English.

I respect the opinions of people here, so I thought I would stop by for a reality check. What do you think? If you have never heard of this thing, please just drive through.

[Nudemuse]

I did Nano this year and won. I am a published author. I think it's a decent exercise. It does breed a bit of discipline, and really a good number of authors I know are frequently inconsiderate and selfish when in the throes of working on something. I suppose it really depends on your view of what is and isn't selfish or inconsiderate.

Being that I hadn't written a complete novel before doing and finishing Nano (amongst quite a bit of stress not related to writing) did remind me that it is work, and I do have to work at it. But that's just my view. Some people see it as an excersize in futility which it can be. You can say fairly that anybody can churn out 50k worth of rubbish and say WOOO look I wrote a book.

As with anything of this sort there's going to be a slice of the population that thinks it's an abject waste of time and a bunch of other slices who'll enjoy it. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

That's just my two cents. Or five really.


And if some of that doesn't make sense I'm fucking exhausted and that's about as coherent as I get.

[Cerberus]

[sheramil]

What do you think?

my two cents.

i tried it a few years ago. i didn't find it to be a pleasant experience; i didn't finish the work and i felt very bad about that. i understand one of the points is to have fun, but at the time i was taking writing very seriously. i have a similar attitude to deadlines as Douglas Adams did. yeah, i should lighten up. yes. erm.


I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
- Douglas Adams

[franziska]

I did it this year, and last. I haven't made the 50 thousand words yet, falling hideously short both years, but it's a way for me to have SOMETHING interesting to write.