Well, it's the 18th of November. Today those participating in NaNoWriMo should have well over 25,000 words written. Many are far beyond that and many are done. Way to go! to those who are done and those who are ahead. You can do it! to those who are still trying even though they're behind. There are still almost two weeks to go. You can do it.
I am a first time participant. I have managed 42,198 words at the time of this post. I realize that this doesn't necessarily mean I'll make. But I think my chances are pretty good. :o)
All that aside, I wanted to share my experience at this halfway mark. I have enjoyed the ride so far. It's been a lot less stressful than I'd anticipated and I like having a clear goal in view. The words have come easily, something I had not expected. I chose to write a genre I have never written before so I expected quite a bit of writer's block. I have been using this exercise as an opportunity to "Write Through It" when block threatens.
I have heard both sides of the argument in regard to the efficacy of this exercise. Some feel it is of supreme benefit to crank out the first draft without worrying too much about editing. Others believe it is never a good idea to write in such a free fashion, that it is better to edit as you go and try to get as close to a finished manuscript as possible in the first draft.
I was always of the latter group on this particular subject. Unfortunately, I am a procrastinator at heart and have often allowed this fault to take over. I have many, many manuscripts that were started years ago and remain unfinished. I am hoping this "competition" will help me with this issue.
So, what do you think of NaNo? Whether you are a participant now or in the past or just observing the race, I'd like to know what you think.
1 comment:
You're doing fabulously on NaNoWriMo -- congratulations!
NaNo can be all kinds of things to all kinds of people. Some participate just for the fun of it. Some, as I did back in 2007, participate to get over a bad bout of writers' slump/block. Some writers participate to give themselves a good kick in the can to quick-draft a story that can be honed and polished later. My participation this year is a direct result of having already had the mother of all monster outlines for a story I've been trying to get to come together for a year, which finally came together. So the words are flowing well, and my draft should be pretty clean, story-wise, because of the snarls I already de-snarled in the outline.
So IMO, NaNo can serve all kinds of purposes for authors, aspiring authors, hobby writers, and folks who just want a fun challenge. :-D
You're rocking and rolling -- keep up the great work!
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