Rob posed some interesting ideas and questions in the previous post that I though would be worth discussing here. Rob, I hope you don’t mind me talking about what you wrote there, as I think you raised some good questions.
First, Rob said he’s been pondering NaNoWriMo for years, but had been reluctant to take part. One reason for that is he didn’t want to end up with “with pages and pages of garbage”. This is a good point. He also asks if “you use an idea you’ve been holding for a novel and potentially ruin it or make up something else and not be completely behind it?”
Thanks for the questions Rob. For the first part, I don’t expect to be writing garbage exactly, though some people may use that method to pad their work counts (maybe that’s why I never come close to 50,000 words). My philosophy is to not expect to write beautiful prose and perfect phrasing, but not to get bogged down by the internal editor. Hopefully I’ll be able to follow my plan and get a good first draft completed.
As for the second part, I think it’s important to use an idea that you believe in. I don’t think it’s possible for me to write 50,000 words about something I’m not interested in or entertained by. The idea is key to achieving the 50,000 words. Also, I don’t think you can ruin an idea by writing about it. I think an idea is more ruined if never used.
The beauty of NaNoWriMo for me is that it gives me a goal and a deadline, two things I really (pathetically) need to get me motivated. That’s why I like writing contests so much. If someone came to me and said, “Write a novel for me and when you’re done I’ll publish it”, I would get that thing done in a heartbeat. However, writing a novel without knowing if it will ever succeed and with no deadline is just so difficult for me to do. NaNoWriMo at least gets me started.
Just like last year, I bet you’ll hear from a few “established” writers how foolish NaNoWriMo is, just like last year. I’m really not sure why this is, but it will happen. I guess they feel threatened. That’s why it’s so cool that someone like Neil Gaiman will be involved (he’s one of the pep-talk people).
Again, I don’t know if I’ll achieve 50,000 words this year. I do know I’ll have fun and maybe even grow a little as a writer.
Anyhow Rob, if you have some free time and want to get crazy, you should try NaNoWriMo. If not, that’s OK too. Thanks for providing me with the inspiration for this post, though!
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I’m with you on the deadlines. I write every morning and am generally pretty productive, but I like the excitement and focus of a deadline. Like you, it helps me shut down that overly helpful internal editor and just get on with it. I wrote the bulk of the first draft of my second novel during NaNo 2005. I’m really looking forward to it this year!
I agree with you 100% I’ve been trying to post comments for a while, but my laptop won’t let me do it on your blog. I don’t know why. So here I am at my desktop saying “YAY for NANO!” I’ve been working through my outline and trying to fill plot holes in my mind so that I can concentrate almost wholly on writing without figuring out what needs to happen next during November. All my characters finally got names!
I’m glad to have a Nano-buddy!
deadlines and goals have the same effect on me, too
“I think an idea is more ruined if never used.”
That’s very sound advice. In fact, I just recently wrote about hording ideas and the negative effects that has in relation to weblog posts. I guess I should expand that train of thought into fiction writing as well.
I’m going to start sketching an outline this weekend and make a decision by next week. I think reading about you going through it will help motivate me as well.
I think NaNoWriMo is an excellent way to push past any fears about writing a novel for the first time. And you know, so what it it’s crap. A crappy first draft that you have to completely rewrite (ahem, like mine) is better than nothing. And if it’s not worth rewriting, it was just a month of your time, instead of feeling later like you’ve wasted a year.
But I’m one that needs schedules and deadlines, so it was great to push myself like that. Plotting is pretty necessary too, because on that kind of schedule, you don’t have time to stop and think about where you want your story to go. You either have to plan that out or just go with it and see where it takes you. I think it all depends what you want to get out of the experience.
Thanks all for the comments. I’ll write more later. I’ve been away from the computer all day.
Hoodie – I’m glad you were able to comment this time. I don’t know what could causing the problems.
Personally, NaNoWriMo is not for me – I really, really, really need to go back and edit! But I like the idea of a focussed month of writing, and am thinking of doing a personalised HelenNoWriMo to make a push to write part two of my current story. I will be following your progress, Struggling Writer, and all the best. I love your NaNoWriMo icon! That is a cool typewriter, it looks as if it has a little face. Do you think I could get one even though I’m not taking part? Helen cheated…!
I was thinking of the exact same idea as Helen.
You see I have that idea and semi-plot I monitor on my other blog and there’s just no motivation right now of completing it.
I’m thinking of writing it on the course of November, just as the NaNoWriMo goes by, as if I was participating it…
Deadlines work the same way for me – I know it’s nowhere near the same about of words per day and probably ten times easier than NaNoWriMo, but the HaikuWriMo I’m participating in has really given my poetic vibes a boost. I’m thinking about everything I see in terms of how it could be turned into a haiku or senryu, just because I know that I have to write a haiku a day for 31 days. :]
Helen – All you have to do is right click on the image in my sidebar and save it to you computer and then upload it for your blog. I got the image from http://nanowrimo.org in the Fun Stuff section. They need a “friends of nanowrimo” icon for those who aren’t writing but are supporting all of us.
SzélsőFa – that sounds like a near idea. I hope you find the motivation to write in November. You can do it!
Soph – I can definitely tell you are being inspired by HaikuWriMo . I’m enjoying your entries.
I think half the fun is seeing if you can achieve the goal! Write now, edit later.
Says the procrastinating writer…