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jackThere are many reasons why NaNoWriMo is an incredibly useful exercise (it helps people get from "having done some writing" to "having written a novel" even if that novel is still short, rough and unpublishable; it helps people write without worrying that it's not perfect, and thence learn about their writing style as a prerequisite to actually improving it; it's fun; for more practised authors, published or not, it's an excuse to work in a blitz with lots of moral support; etc).
There are also many reasons why NaNoWriMo is unlikely to immediately produce a publishable novel (most novel are longer than 50k words; most authors can't write a nearly publishable first draft but need extensive reworking, typically many times as much work again as writing the first draft).
But as far as I can see -- all these are pretty obvious to most people, professional and amateur alike, and pretty clear from NaNoWriMo FAQs.
But AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN, I hear a conversation that goes like this:
A: Ha! I'm doing a NaNoWriMo novel. Then I'll be a rich published author and you'll all bow down to me.
B: You idiot, it doesn't work like that. NaNoWriMo is fooling people into thinking this! Evil!
Except that I've never met anyone, ever, who DOES think (A). I just hear endless whining from people think people do, and then lay into the NaNoWriMo concept. It's like criticising amateur football for not being professional football. No, it's not, but everyone seems happy with what it is, and some people do progress to professional football -- and pretty much no-one progresses to professional status from anywhere EXCEPT amateur status.
There are also many reasons why NaNoWriMo is unlikely to immediately produce a publishable novel (most novel are longer than 50k words; most authors can't write a nearly publishable first draft but need extensive reworking, typically many times as much work again as writing the first draft).
But as far as I can see -- all these are pretty obvious to most people, professional and amateur alike, and pretty clear from NaNoWriMo FAQs.
But AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN, I hear a conversation that goes like this:
A: Ha! I'm doing a NaNoWriMo novel. Then I'll be a rich published author and you'll all bow down to me.
B: You idiot, it doesn't work like that. NaNoWriMo is fooling people into thinking this! Evil!
Except that I've never met anyone, ever, who DOES think (A). I just hear endless whining from people think people do, and then lay into the NaNoWriMo concept. It's like criticising amateur football for not being professional football. No, it's not, but everyone seems happy with what it is, and some people do progress to professional football -- and pretty much no-one progresses to professional status from anywhere EXCEPT amateur status.
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Date: 2010-11-12 06:37 pm (UTC)I also think it's a stupid time of year to do it because the end of the year is really busy for me. I'd much rather have it in June. I was told that it couldn't happen it in June because, "Everyone has kids and we can only do this when they're in school." I wouldn't mind focusing on my writing for a month, but I'm not going to short my familial obligations during a crucial time of year because other people are busy when I am free.