Comments on: NaNoWriMo Just Around the Bend

By: Nikki

Nikki — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:22:39 +0000

NaNoWriMo is a complete kick. I participated unofficially in April 2005 and “won”. Since then I nearly forgot about it, luckily I remember about a week before the official start date. I love participating during the official month with the cool progress bar and graph on the site.

Happy writing!

- NJWriter

By: Cassie

Cassie — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:15:31 +0000

I’m a bit the same as Robin, I found nano in 06 and it really kicked off my writing – since then I’ve written four other novels, a couple of novellas and a whole bunch of short stories. Without NaNo I may never have really kicked that passion back into gear.

I think NaNo can be a wonderful thing for people, encouraging them to do something they might not otherwise try. I don’t NEED it now to write a novel, I have no trouble doing it under my own steam, but I know a lot of people use it as a crutch of sorts and only write during November which I guess is the other side of the coin – I tend to think that writing is a hobby for those people, not a driving passion. Which is probably where the debate starts to come in!

There are a lot of writers who think that anyone who puts out that many words in a month can’t be writing anything worth reading – which is very untrue – they also think that all nanowrimo’s only write during november, which is also not true, and these beliefs obviously mean that people who do nano aren’t real ‘writers’. Which is bollocks… lots of published authors do NaNo, and plenty of people who wrote during nano have had their work published eventually.

You have to look at the month as a way to get a first draft out, because it’s way better to have a finished first draft, than it is to have a perfect first chapter and nothing else. It’s also better to try and fail than to have never tried at all, because you don’t learn anything by not trying.

Hah! I thought I wasn’t a die hard nao-er, but I guess I sound a little like one. the truth is that I could take it or leave it, I’m participating as a means to kicking myself back into gear after having a baby last year, I almost didn’t sign up, but I have friends who are doing it and that’s what makes it fun for me – a little gentle competition, the extra support, knowing I’m not alone in this. It all helps! The site has been a blessing for so many people, and that has got to be a good thing

By: Robin of My Two Blessings

Robin of My Two Blessings — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:25:06 +0000

Well, without Nano I wouldn’t have started seriously writing. I found out about Nano back in October 2007 about a week before it started. Something struck a chord and decided to give it a try. Came up with an idea and went to town writing. Discovered how much liked writing, letting my imagination take flight. Amazed myself.

I think Nano is a great idea for inspiring folks to write, plus helps form a habit. A habit is supposed to take two weeks to form, right. The habit stayed with me most of the year, except for writing 1600 words a day. I’m joining in for a third time and loving the creative process, the brainstorming. NaNo works well for folks who need a deadline and work great under stress. Plus by the end of the month, you have 50k words or more that hopefully make up a passable story. Most of all its a challenge. And sometimes you just have to step outside that box and challenge yourself.