Comments on Pens Fatales: NaNo, I Owe Ya

Thanks for posting this. I am over 22K into my nan...

2009-11-12T07:50:47.137-08:00

Thanks for posting this. I am over 22K into my nanowrimo novel. This is my third time out. I finished in 2007 and 2008 and expect to finish again with "Vanishing Daphne". I've been thinking that this will be the last nano I do until I get these 3 manuscripts edited and sent onward to their fates. This past July, I decided to devote myself to writing. I did a lot of the 'big edit' on my first nanovel July-October, cleaning up the issues born of writing quickly. It should be ready to send out in the spring. I, too, would like to offer a HUGE thank you to nano for showing me where my wings are and forcing me to use them!

PCN, you know I believe in you, girl. and Gigi ...

2009-11-02T22:06:58.404-08:00

PCN, you *know* I believe in you, girl.

and Gigi - you've already proven you can do it, and then do it again and then once more for good measure. :)

Sophie -- You have wonderfully summed up the brill...

2009-11-02T21:49:17.472-08:00

Sophie -- You have wonderfully summed up the brilliance of the NaNoWriMo challenge. It's the end of Day 2 and I've got 4,400 words of a story that didn't exist 3 days ago. Much of it isn't any good, but in less than a month I'll have the bones of a book that I can edit.

Oh Sophie, love this post and photos. You just kic...

2009-11-02T16:23:30.697-08:00

Oh Sophie, love this post and photos. You just kicked me in the pants and told me to stop making excuses.

As Gary mentioned, I'd do NaNoWriMo, write furiously and then stop Dec. 1 because the holiday craziness begins. I'm going to try and keep going because someday I want to see my books in the store window and maybe visit Random House, too!

oh, my my - thank you gary for the kind compliment...

2009-11-02T15:20:42.143-08:00

oh, my my - thank you gary for the kind compliment but i have you snowed. Today i mostly stared at my words and pushed them around, listlessly.

LGC - you are absolutely right, of course. I look forwrd to the day when I take a measured, contemplative approach to a book. I know that day is coming. I just know it's not here yet.

And R - yeah yeah yeah, my fangirl side is out in spirit!

I've gotta add... I sat down this morning and...

2009-11-02T14:29:23.094-08:00

I've gotta add...

I sat down this morning and the first thing I thought was, "Sophie does 3,500 words a day. Get going Gary, you slacker."

So there you are Sophie, you're an inspiration.

I love this post -- you took a tool and made it yo...

2009-11-02T12:02:38.223-08:00

I love this post -- you took a tool and made it your own. I love that we're NaNo fangirls together.

Sophie, you've made spectacular use of a great...

2009-11-02T09:24:57.883-08:00

Sophie, you've made spectacular use of a great tool. When we're unpublished, anything that gets us writing is worth doing. I've seen a number of excellent but unfocused writers use NaNoWriMo to create real careers.

That said, writing too much too fast remains a problem for a lot of popular fiction authors. Publishers want books on schedules dictated by marketing rather than writing goals. When I was writing reviews, I was extremely frustrated with the large number of books I read that had been written too fast to begin with, and not revised anywhere close to adequately. The premise may be brilliant. The basic story may be compelling. The execution is too often rushed and lacking. But this is a problem for multi-published authors well into their careers. NaNoWriMo seems to function best for the talented writer who needs a kick in the pants to learn that fierce determination you describe so well.

I'm revising this month, too. It will take every bit of tough I can find for me to quit dragging my heels and get on with it.

Wow, I admire anyone who can write quality work at...

2009-11-02T04:11:09.485-08:00

Wow, I admire anyone who can write quality work at that pace!

I worry that most NaNoWriMo writers stop dead come December. Nor does NaNoWriMo reward revision, which is 90% of good writing for mortals like me, and 50K unrevised words is probably not going far unless you happen to be Shakespeare.

How did you manage to turn NaNoWriMo into long term good habits? I think few do.

My personal mantra btw is, "It's not going to happen by not doing it." (Sorry about the awful double negative...) Which I repeat to myself at least once an hour as I produce my remorseless 1,000 words a day.