The Pro's and Con's of NaNoWriMo

I realize that NaNoWriMo was a while back and ended nearly a whole month ago (where did December go, anyway?), and I'm sure you've also noticed that I've been conspicuously absent from the blogosphere lately, so I'm going to take this chance to recap November and all of its writing glories and pitfalls.

First, I did not make it to the end of November this year.  I think I actually stopped somewhere in the first week.  I'd like to blame it on the story itself, or the characters and their persnickety natures which made it impossible to get from one chapter to the next, but it's neither of those things.  I just couldn't get myself to commit this year.  I was distracted -- November and December really are notoriously busy months for me (and everyone else on the planet, I think) -- and I honestly wasn't sure how to move from one section of the story I'd written to the next.  That big writers block wall wins once again!

I'm not giving up on this story though, because I really do think it's one of those stories that sort of hits all the things I love about my favorite books, and isn't that the kind of thing we should all be writing anyway?  Not in a jumbled, lets-put-everything-into-the-same-pot, kind of way, but in a good, organized, I-would-have-written-those-books-this-way-if-it-were-me, sort of way.  And NaNoWriMo is the thing that got me writing it in the first place, regardless of whether or not I "won".

Will I do NaNo again next year?  Definitely.  I am going to reach the finish line.  I am going to get that t-shirt.  I am going to have a finished product one day if it kills me.  Okay...maybe not if kills me, but you know what I mean!  Until then, I'll keep plugging away at this one and will hopefully be working on something new when November rolls around again.

NaNoWriMo: Take 2

And so National Novel Writing Month begins...

My stats:

• My NaNo name: kahea (let's be friends)
• Years participated: 2009 (when I failed miserably)
• Novel type: Teenage lit with a paranormal twist
• Strategy: Outline beforehand, then go -- for lack of a better term -- balls to the wall.  Also, try to attend a few write-ins (any East Bay writers around?)
• Why I think you should do it: Because writing a novel seems like it might be a cool thing to try and, hey, you've got an idea so why not put it down on the page?  Plus, that streak of absolute Crazy in you has just been waiting to break free for a while now.  And I need some company and moral support.

So...care to try your hand at writing a 50,000 word novel with me this month?

on books, and writing, and writing books

let me be the first to say that NaNoWriMo is not easy.  it's been less than a week and i'm already behind.  and, boy let me tell you, being behind is not where you want to be.  but the beginning is always the hardest, i think.  and the words are starting to come easier.  i think the more i continue to tell myself that my sentences don't need to be perfect, and my description doesn't need to be exact, the easier it gets.  so while it's been stressful trying to catch up word-wise, it's also been fun. 

and i've also learned something interesting about myself and my writing: i need to see things.  for example, today i tried to write a description about the house that the heroine lives in.  and i'm sitting there thinking, and thinking and thinking.  and then i get my sketch pad out.  two ours later i have drawn out a blue print of the house, upstairs and downstairs.  all of a sudden, i can write it.  because i can see it.

so even if i don't make the 50,000 words -- and i will -- i think this month will be great for my writing and just...me in general.  wish me luck!

and because i've got books on the brain, i wanted to post these beautiful reprints of the penguin classics i saw while browsing around on black *eiffel.  so now, not only can you read and be intelligent, but you can do so in some serious style.  i'm pretty sure they're available at anthropologie, urban outfitters, and, of course, amazon.

i'm going to write a novel

if you know me, or you've been reading my blog semi-consistently for a little while now, you know that a dream of mine is to write a novel.  i can't really remember the when or why of it, i just know that i've always wanted to do it, i've always wanted to write.

so obviously, my problem has never been the desire.  it's been the dedication, sadly enough.  every time i feel like i can and will sit down and write, i find an excuse not to.  or i do and i get sidetracked by the technical aspects of writing, and when a person gets bogged down by all of that grammar and editing and whatnot, it's really hard to maintain a workable level of inspiration.

SO, with all this in mind, and not without a certain amount of apprehension, i've signed up to participate in NaNoWriMo!  if you're unfamiliar with the national novel writing month program/challenge, here's how it goes:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2008, we had over 119,000 participants. More than 21,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:
What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.
Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.
Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.
When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster and browse the forums. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

have any of you done this before?  how did it go?  i have an idea in my head (the same idea i've had for about 2 years now and have failed to write), but i don't know if i should outline it before i go or what.  i'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences.  and if anyone else is participating, let me know and we can be writing/pep-talk blogging buddies!

wish me luck come Nov. 1st!