The leaves are beginning to change, the days are getting shorter, and the air is filled with a faint whiff of “I’m going to write me a novel.” Yes, it’s nearly November, which means nearly time for NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, wherein thousands of people around the globe attempt to write a novel in a month and opt for plot over pumpkin pie, turning points over turkey, and foreshadowing over football.
Are you participating? What do you think of NaNoWriMo? Is it a great opportunity to finally get over the hump and get that novel going? Or is writing best done when not in a mad dash?
Let this also serve as a preview for a NaNoWriMo themed week on the blog next week, wherein I will attempt to get those who are participating in the right frame of mind to write pages like they have never written pages before.
Sommer says
I kind of gave a quick glance through the comments and didn't see that anyone has plugged it yet, but we've already got a thread going for NaNoWriMo on Nathan's forums, everyone should come chat and keep us all updated on your status! I'm not participating in NaNo this year, but I will be cheerleading for everyone here in the forums.
Laura Pauling says
I'm not good at the mad dash. I don't work that way. I need a month to dream and plot, and then about 3 months to write. I don't want to do just to do it when it's not how I work best.
vnrieker says
WoOoOoOoOow…. o__O
Is this a real thing? I feel tickly little flutterings in my tummy already. I'm the slowest writer in the wooorld. No really, its true. It took me over a year to get down the first draft of one novel. Half a year later, I'm still rewriting it.
I have a sneaking suspicion my thoughts won't be able to keep up with my mad typing, thus alot of rewriting. But I don't care. I like rewriting. Makes me feel like I earned it. (^_^)
Bring it on, November! Wheeeee!
Emily White says
This is my first year doing it and I'm kind of scared. I'm really trying to test myself to see if I *can* write 50,000 words in a month. We'll see!
Vinyl and Mono says
I just had an agent request a full manuscript, and it will be several weeks before I get rejected, uh, get a decision. So it will be moe like NaNoWritheMo.
Ishta Mercurio says
NaNo – still undecided. My writing has been much, much better when I've used the "write, write, delete, write, think, delete, write, write, move/cut-and-paste, think, write, delete, write, write, think, write" method, which isn't really conducive to banging out pages. On the other hand, maybe if I did just try banging out pages, I'd have more to work with and the "write, think, write" phase could come later, with less deleting and more cut-and-pasting and rephrasing.
Maybe if I can reconcile myself to a much, much rougher draft than I've been writing, I can do NaNo.
And a week of pre-NaNo on the blog? I am PSYCHED!
DRC says
Instead of participating in Nanowrimo, I'm going to be entering the `National Finish Your Own Novel` month – NaFfYourOnol for short.
If I can add 50,000 words to my novel in progress I will be very pleased…
Cynthia says
It's seems dawnting and probably not, but I'm curious. How do you sign up?
Tom M Franklin says
nope. i never have and i don't anticipate ever doing so.
i have a 'long haul' approach to my writing; i don't try to rush too much when i'm coming up with characters, situations and scenes. the writing comes without the imposition of a 30 day deadline.
(i do give myself deadlines when i'm making headway in a story, but they're my own deadlines for what feels reasonable and doable to me)
— Tom
Mariam Maarouf says
I'm so not participating, but it's more personal than anything. I'm not the kind of person who can actually write a novel in a month, and if I can sit down enough to write at least 50-60K words, they won't come out even okay to me, and if it doesn't, I'll delete it without a second thought.
No, no, no, no. I'd rather write four to five chapters in my current WIP with proper research while promoting my upcoming YA novel (release in Jan, so there's a lot of work to do) and giving it a last round of revision before finished copies are printed and studying and working on my college essays and editing for the magazine I work for AND AND AND AND… Uff.. the list is endless. No Nano for me, not now, not ever.
A.L. says
I want to, but can't really do it this year. Too busy with school and other things. Have had a blast the last two years doing it, though nothing really worth adding to, cleaning up, and sending to an agent yet.
Good luck to those who do take a shot at it.
Chris says
I won't be participating in NaNoWriMo. I think one should have some sort of minimal plan in place (outline, character bios, etc) before attempting such a monumental task. I've been working on a novel for more than two years,part-time, but steadily, and have been overwhelmed with the time and effort I've put in just to get it to a decent 'first draft' (in my mind. It's more like a polished second draft, but needs about 25K words cut out of it.)
Maybe I'll have an idea, a plan, an outline and a work schedule all set by next Novemeber.
ChiTrader
Raleigh RoxStar says
I am getting back on the NaNo Wagon this year. I've participated four times before, but never finished. However, I now have two completed mss because of NaNo. So even when I didn't win, I did.
Joshua Peacock says
Yes, I am participating. God some ideas already… Your blog series next week sounds great!
Anonymous says
I've done it the previous 2 years, and will participate again this year. The 50,000 words is more than I'm capable of in a month but I didn't sweat that. I don't expect to complete an entire first draft. I still enjoyed participating.
This year I'm trying to prepare an outline before Nov. 1, so I have a flight plan. I've always done seat-of-the-pants writing up till now, and it can get frustrating. At some point you need to know your destination. Who knows? The 50,000 words may be possible for me with an outline.
I don't see why some people assume that the writing done during NaNoWriMo is necessarily poor quality. I've found that more sustained writing, every day, trying to meet that word goal, is better in quality. Either way, you'll need revision when the first draft is done.
Donna
MZMackay says
I'm participating. It gives me an opportunity to try and write new things and play with ideas I normally wouldn't touch.
Hart Johnson says
Definitely IN. I love the mojo created with everyone supporting each other (and pushing each other) and I've come to believe I end up with a cleaner novel if the first draft is written fast and holes filled in later, than if I write slowly and have the leeway to lose my spot now and again.
The real work is in the REwrite anyway.
Tricia Conway says
Absolutely! I enjoyed the process last year, though I suspect a lot of my "success" (if you want to call a draft a success) was due to the fact that I had a fairly comprehensive outline and character profiles already drawn up.
I've been mentally composting my 2010 NaNo idea since the summer and have been enjoying the research. I plan on spending this upcoming last week pulling my outline together and taping it on my wall.
50K words isn't impossible! I plan on doing it, hosting my mom for 2 weeks, hosting Thanksgiving, and, God willing, watching the Yankees in the World Series. It can be done!
Beth says
I tried Nanowrimo last year and didn't really get very far. THis year, I'm going to have an outline and a character bible prepared ahead of time, then I can just write the thing.
A3Writer says
NaNoWriMo, like anything, can be a great tool when used properly. I've unfortunately witnessed it used the wrong way, as well, but I think I've made it into something beneficial. This is my fourth year participating in NaNoWriMo, and I've learned the following from doing the event:
What NaNoWriMo is depends mostly on how it is approached. A lot of people approach it like a sprint. Start out quick as a shot, and race to the finish. When done, stop running. It doesn't matter if the novel isn't finished, the race is over when the allotted time is up.
For me, I look at NaNoWriMo as a faster jog in a year-round marathon. I do my best to write every day, so when November comes, I just pick up the pace a little. After November, it's back to the usual pace of writing and editing. In all of my NaNo years, I have always won the race, but, more importantly, I have kept writing the novel until it was complete, even if it took me almost to the next November.
My first NaNoWriMo back in 2007 is what got me on the path to a writing career. I had always had this vision of becoming a writer "some day" and would only occasionally write in chunks. NaNo really nailed home that I needed to write every single day to chip away at a novel, and actually get somewhere.
NaNo is a great opportunity to make an intense push on a work, especially on something that has been percolating for awhile. This year I haven't cleared other projects out of the way first, but I do have one that's been hiding in the recesses of my mind gradually inching its way forward, and I'm going to take this opportunity to see where it's been growing while out of sight. I'm excited, and am ready for the push.
Simon Haynes says
I participated 4 years in a row, skipped it last year because I was finishing my latest novel, and will have to skip it again this year because I'm STILL finishing that same novel…
Lyla says
I would like to… I did last year… but it's just not happening this time. Life is way too crazy for that kind of intense writing. Good luck to those who are!
Michael DeVault says
I'll be writing it "on the side" as I continue to lay the foundation for my next novel. Even have a story outlined for it. 🙂
bloggEm says
I will be participating in my first NaNoWriMo this year!
My sense (without having done it before) is that NaNoWriMo can be a great motivational tool to a writer when used appropriately – to get your ass in the seat long enough to pound out that first draft. I’ve been toying with my story’s concepts for months now and have spent October writing out an outline to work from so that I have a solid direction to work from. If I stick to my plan, I’ll take a break from it in December to regain some perspective (and catch my breath) and then start delving into revisions in January.
You definitely have to be mindful of how you use NaNoWriMo, though. A few weeks on Jeopardy one of the contestants proudly proclaimed that he had done NaNoWriMo FIVE times! (I think it was five.) He seemed to think this was an amazing feat in itself, but when probed more by Mr. Trebec, it did not sound like his merit had any merit other than its 50,000-word length. To each his own, I suppose. But if you’re a serious writer looking to create a serious work, then like just about anything else, you’ll need to use NaNoWriMo mindfully for what it is … a tool. How helpful it is depends completely on you.
Michelle says
It's Nano time!! I think No plot? No Problem! is the best book for writing I've ever come across, and I will be participating in Nano this year in the hopes of writing the sequel to the novel I wrote in April/May last year using the Nano method! I wholeheartedly agree with Chris Baty – the only thing that stops me from writing is the lack of a deadline!
Rebecca says
The first time I did NaNo, I got a serviceable first draft of a novel – 94,000 words (it's less now). I won't try that again, but it does surprise me that people think you can't get a working draft of your novel done in a month. I knew the shape, characters, what had to happen, etc. I suppose one could start blind and try to get 50k words, but I don't know anyone who has gone into NaNo with no preparation.
Second time, I got to the middle of a novel, and it will need more revision, because I was trying something new.
I will participate this year, but I'm not starting a new project; I'm finishing one. I'm writing along with my friends who ARE starting their new novels. Not exactly what the rules say, but as there is no "prize" or real competition, I figure there's no harm in using it as a motivational tool.
*WinterOne says
This will be my fifth Nano. As a few people mentioned here… I don't think I would have had as much drive as I do now to be a writer without the push of my first Nano. It re-energized my life-long goals and turned work into something fun and challenging – plus it gives a deadline to those of us who do not have current ones!
Instead of starting a new novel this year, I will be working on my WIP. Some might consider this cheating. I consider it utilizing a relevant source to make my words go even further.
Good luck to everyone!
Tracy Sharp says
Did Nano last year and loved it, as grueling as it was. I would love to do it again this year, but probably can't swing it for various reasons. I'm hoping to participate again next year.
I may do an unofficial thing, though, and write like a mad woman off the books.
David Larson says
I would, but I just started one on Monday and won't be done until probably November 18th. I'm gonna try to write a novel a month for the next 3 months. MG, YA, and a supernatural mystery. All relatively short, but still … The first one took me a year.
Hilary says
sure am! I've been in this weird rut where I'm having trouble writing because I'm too worried about whether it's any good or not. So I took a month off completely and will start again in Nov. I think it will be a perfect method to get me writing stuff I want to write instead of stuff I want people to read.
Kellye Parish says
I'm not entering for real this year since I never finish and I have a bazillion+ things to do over the next month or so, but I will be on the sidelines cheering on the scribbling mob.
I adore hanging out on the NaNo online forums, it's awesome to get in touch with so many like-minded lunatics…er…literary geniuses.
However, I'm intensely schizoid and consider writing to primarily be a solitary activity. I can barely write when my roommate is home, much less as a "team" sport…so the mechanics of NaNo (write-ins, etc…) really don't do much for me.
I already write in NaNo-like spurts throughout the year though, so I'm covered as far as the lunacy goes.
Leslie.Claussen says
I wish I could but I'm in college and never have the time.
Anonymous says
no – just working away on what i was already working on… but THE AWESOME GIANTS won't let me concentrate on writing!
My Inconvenient Body says
The idea of writing a novel in one month's time overwhelms me, but I think I would do wrong to judge someone's creative process and the quality of work it is capable of producing. While some may write like Van Gogh painted–vigorous and quick (with genius and gusto!)–I, for one, will continue to work like Cezanne, who painted the same mountain hundreds of times so that he could know it.
Robin says
This will be my very first NaNo ever! Can't wait to go to write-ins and meet other NaNo-ists.
Nancy says
This will be my 8th NaNoWriMo. Four of those years I made it to 50K. All four are decent rough drafts–that is to say, equal parts error and possibility.
In addition to participating, I am my area's Municipal Liaison. My NaNo season starts in August with event planning and doesn't stop until mid-December.
The biggest tip I offer my Wrimos is, "Don't expect to end up with you can sell. Aim for something you can edit."
Nato says
I'm most likely taking this year off … but only so that I can devote November instead to trying to find an agent for the novel whose first draft I wrote in last year's NaNoWriMo. I've done NaNo in three of the last five years, and it's been an absolute blast each time. Each book I've written has been less awful than the last, and I've met a bunch of really fun and fantastic people and had great conversations about writing. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who thinks, as I did once, that they can't possibly ever write a novel.
Stephanie McGee says
I haven't the time to participate. (Unless I wanted to just set myself up for failure.) I'm in school full-time and working, not to mention church and church activities.
RJ says
I'm so doing it! Last year at this time I wrote my first novel. Over the last year, I polished it and submitted queries (just this week). I'm now writing the second in the series as well as another YA novel.
Hollie Sessoms says
"foreshadowing over football"–blaspheme! Nothing over football! Nothing!
Alyson Greene says
I can't decide if I should do it.
I blogged about my indecision.
https://addictedtoheroines.blogspot.com/2010/10/to-nano-or-not-to-nano.html
Sheila Cull says
Yes. If I were Rowling, I wouldn't trade it in for anything either.
RosieC says
I love the idea, as long as the folks participating don't think it's finished when Nov. 30 rolls around. I expect my word count to be up, and only hope that it's not just the quantity the NaNo folks promote, but also quality. Really, it's just giving me motivation to work on something that's been rattling around in my head for a few months and I haven's bothered putting to paper yet. Should be that sadistic type of fun that we all secretly enjoy and never admit to.
Laura says
Dear Nathan,
Yes, absolutely! I love the camaraderie that NaNo affords me. Writing is a lonely, solitary art (sorry for the seeming redundancy; lonely speaks to the inward experience of writing, and solitary to the outward experience ). It really feels so much better when you're slogging away at your keyboard with (probably) millions of other NaNoers (you know they are in the same boat).
I wrote my first novel when someone in my Writer's Group told me about NaNoWriMo (2006). Being the dutiful writer that I am, I researched Christ Baty, purchased his book, and prepared myself for one of the newest and greatest adventures of my life.
I did not succeed the first two years. I wrote a novel, but it took me 6 weeks, not the 30 days NaNo requires. But the elation I felt carried me through to the next year where I started another novel (I didn't finish it because I went outside of my comfort zone and tried to write a thriller. I spent precious hours researching guns, bombs, and spy stuff, and not enough time writing.)
Year 3, my 16 year old daughter, also a member of my Writer's Group, decided to NaNo with me. Well, it worked!! (WE BOTH FINISHED!) Everyday we would see how far the other got, check each other's numbers, encourage and discuss characters, it was a fabulous experience.
Since beginning Nano I have become more prolific at writing. I have written several novels (finished and unfinished), I have over a hundred writing ideas with outlines and characters, and dozens of short stories and poems. One year I wrote 35 short stories. It's true! In my Writer's Group, you don't come to a meeting empty handed! 🙂
The quality of writing you produce doing NaNo varies. If you are a ticky perfectionist, you will be challenged by NaNo. (Challenged to finish that is). If you are a get-it-all-down on paper kinda' person (like me), then you can easily go back and edit later or during NaNoEdMo 🙂
I hope that answers your inquiry. This year will be year 5 for me and I am so excited!
Best regards and thank you for all of your wonderful emails, I often share them with my group.
Laura
Heather Wright says
I'm in! And this weekend is going to be dedicated to rounding up some characters to have fun with for the month of November. I'm posting writing prompts for NaNo at my site, if anyone is looking for inspiration. https://wrightingwords.wordpress.com
Missives From Suburbia says
Yes. I write all year long, but I am a freelance editor by profession, and it's hard to leave that at the door when I'm working at a normal pace. In the November maelstrom, my internal editor takes a nice, long vacation. Plus it's fun!
Lynn says
I'm kind of annoyed by people who "hate" NaNo because they feel like it's some kind of affront to their delicate writing sensibilities. NaNo wasn't created as a way to get writers writing publishable novels. It's a fun exercise for anyone who wants to do something crazy for the sake of it. A lot of people who do NaNo don't write at all outside of November. There's nothing wrong with that. If NaNo was selling itself as a Become A Writer Quick scheme I could see people slagging it – but that's not what it is.
Anyway, this will be my 9th year. I'm handwriting, something I've always wanted to try.
Seosamh o Hainle says
I LOVED Nanowrimo, last year, I had talked about writing a novel for years but it was not unitil I participated in NANO that I actually did. A time I will never forget, tiring though, I didn't actually start until the 6th of November. Will give it a shot again this year!!
Brenda Kezar says
I'm going to try it again this year. The first year I signed up, I "won" (2004 or 2005, I think), but I haven't been able to participate since.
This year, come hell or high water, I'm doing it! I've already started my pre-planning: getting to know my characters, getting to know my setting, doing some plot outlining.
I can hardly wait to get started!
arlenewritesromance says
I did the NaNo for the first time last year (but only got 25K written) and plan to try again this year.
I have a plot and characters in mind and am excited to get started.