This month, I ask:
If you do NaNoWriMo, why do you do it? If not, why not?
Listen, I had fully intended on doing NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. I signed up. I had my plot 2/3 done. My mind was cooking with great plot twists, conflict, and cliffhangers. I could picture the characters, the setting, even some paranormal tricks.
Then I got sick.
Work got complicated.
“Open” weeknights and weekends got filled.
I got overwhelmed.
It was a tough decision to make, but I have decided NOT to do NaNo this year. Sure, I could use a kick in the pants to get writing again (haven’t worked on a new project since summer). I could even use the challenge to shut off my internal editor.
But I’m not going to.
Why?
Well, I’ve done NaNo before (in 2009) and was successful, so I know I can plop down 50,000 words in a couple weeks. Those were my panster days. Super fun, but they left me with uber-long character sketches with little plot to speak of. Scenes turned into rambling concoctions of “this, then that.” “Filler” chapters slogged the middle. It took 100 pages for the story to “get going.” I ended up cutting more than I kept.
Two years later, I’m not so much into plopping as I’m into careful consideration and mindful building of a solid structure.
Okay, so this slows me down a LOT, but I end up with a much better quality draft. And I’m more content.
Your turn to dish. Do you NaNo? If yes, then why and if no, then why not?
Check out Lydia’s response next week!
