The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Monday, November 6, 2017

No to NaNo?

       NaNoWriMo is a daunting challenge. If you are victorious, you get at least 50,000 words down between November 1-30.

      It's a short month. Why couldn't the NaNo people choose a month with 31 days? Why couldn't they choose a month that doesn't involve a huge family holiday... one that involves lots of cooking and baking and eating and recovering? Why couldn't they have made it a two-month challenge?





      I don't know. All I know is I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year, but with some modifications.

      Here are a couple of excuses I've used over the years:
  • I'm writing nonfiction. I'm not writing fiction. I'm not writing a novel. 
       Pshaw. So you're writing your memoir. So you're writing nonfiction. Be a NaNo rebel. There are others like you. You might want to read this article to find out the different possibilities.

       I've done thinly-disguised memoir during NaNo. I've used it as a way to nudge me along when it comes to word count. You could try this too.


  • There's no way I can write 50,000 words in one month.
        I've failed at this several times. The times that I "won" resulted in hot messes that will never be sent off to an editor/publisher.

        Last year I got 25,000 words down. It was my best writing (in my opinion) and I hope that soon I will be ready to start shopping it around. I was happy with that amount of words because I envision it being a novel for middle-grade kids. Kids' books are not 70,000-90,000 words long.

        This year I have the same goal. If I can get close to 25,000 words, and it doesn't make me want to hurl, I'll be quite happy.

        Will I "win" NaNoWriMo if I do this? No. However, I will be closer to finishing a big project than if I'd never started NaNo...

        Currently, my word count is 3,722. Already waaay behind.

        Which is fine by me...







11 comments:

  1. 50,000?! I don't think that many words can even flow through my (alleged) mind in a month let alone stay long enough to be written down! The turkey picture is making me drool. Must get some lunch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jono--And after you eat some lunch and shovel some snow (since you guys have already had a deluge), I think you should consider yourself wrong.

      I think if you tried, you might surprise yourself... Maybe not a 50,000-word surprise (I've failed at it a bunch of times), but you might end up with the beginning of something... something worth continuing with.

      Delete
  2. You're 3,722 words ahead of me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Val--But YOU are ahead of ME when it comes to retirement. So who's the winner here?

      Delete
  3. Yeah, way too much emphasis put on that word count rather than it just being a month where a writer picks a goal of what's needed and then makes THAT goal happen.

    So...um...yeah. Maybe change that goal to what? Enough words to give you a foothold into this new MG. And maybe that's 5,000 words. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy--Exactly. "One size fits all" isn't always the case. One size of a goal doesn't fit all writers.

      I certainly hope I get down more than 5,000 words, but I shouldn't speak so soon. I might get a major block today or tomorrow.

      Delete
  4. Your complaint regarding the month was one I always whined about, too, when I was doing NaNo. I mean, as the Thanksgiving Day chef, I was automatically shortchanged on days to write. Add a day job to that and kids still living at home, plus visiting relatives and, man, that 50,000 is a stretch. I think you're wise to ease the target the way you have. There's no reason to stress. And whatever you end with, it will be more than you had when you began. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa--That's right. Even if I lose at NaNo, I'm still a winner... as long as I get SOME words down.

      Delete
  5. Good for you! I think NANO should be in January... but yes, setting a goal of however many words is better than zero. I want to read your last NaNo, if you're willing to share...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynn--January (with the possibility of snow days) would be much better.

      I would greatly appreciate it.

      Delete
  6. I'm with Lynn. January is the lonnnnngest month of the year. And you
    are way ahead of me. Congrats for even giving it a go.

    ReplyDelete

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