Nobody's going to do it for you

[stacia_kane]

So as I come up for air, on my last free day this week (because tomorrow is Faerie's first day at nursery, and I will be holed up here on the couch finishing The Demon Inside, which I expect to have done by the time I go to bed Friday night pleasegods), I wander around the internets. (In between bouts of inspecting my daughters' hair. She's home

Comments

[ex_naomi_ja]

I think you're absolutely right about "nobody can do it for you," and I do think that NaNo could be counterproductive for new writers.

Having said, I've signed up because I want to see if I can actually write 50k in a month - a personal challenge. The last novel I completed took me over a year. Given that I type very fast, that seems ridiculous to me. I want to make writing my career, and that means pushing myself a little bit more than I currently do. Doing NaNo will hopefully get me back into the habit of writing every single day, regardless of my mood.

[stacia_kane]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I think it can be a fun exercise for some people, and I think more experienced authors who get too caught up in Ye Old Internal Editor's Dictates could benefit from the "just sit there and type" philosophy.

But yes, for new writers I think it can be very unhelpful.

[stacia_kane]

Hmm. Lack of sleep, maybe. I think I'm just irritated I didn't finish my book yet. Soon...I can't wait.

Isn't that odd? I get that too, where I feel fine but Stephen keeps saying "You look mad, what's wrong" or whatever.

[antonstrout]

Everytime I see the word preposterous now, I think of the Flight of the Conchords rap song "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous" and this verse:
They call me the Hiphopopotamus
Flows that glow like phosphorous
Poppin’ off the top of this esophagus
Rockin’ this metropolis
I’m not a large water-dwelling mammal
Where did you get that preposterous hypothesis?
Did Steve tell you that, perchance?
Steve.

Oh, and your post spells it all out better... I was just sick of everyone squeeing about it coming up and I just hit a wall after the nth post.

And you didn't pimp my NaNoWriDailiDeco!

[rhonawestbrook]

I am ashamed to admit how deeply I agree with both of you.

[stacia_kane]

Ashamed? Why?

[rhonawestbrook]

Cuz of Anton's Hippo!!!!!!

::giggles:::

[calendula_witch]

I totally agree, that the key to writing is to, well, write. As you said, as Stephen King said: Read a lot, write a lot.

Yet I did NaNo for the first time last year, and it was fabulous for me. My first novel took a year just for the bloated first draft; then another year in revisions, and I could still tinker with it today. My NaNo novel got to about 65K in November; I added a few scenes in December, sent it through two crit groups. It's now 80K and ready to query.

But beyond the productivity, NaNo was FUN. I went on a retreat; I went to write-ins; I met a ton of local writers who are still friends (and that's how I got into my second crit group). So NaNo is a great thing if you want some structure and community around your writing.

But, the bottom line is, as you say: you, alone, with the computer or quill pen or whatever. Your brain and the blank page/screen/stone tablet. And repeat. :-)

[dracschick]

*hugs*
feel better and do take care,
Chris

PS--Whatever gets 'em to write is good to me.