On National Novel Writing Month
I’m taking a 1credit course that involves just doing NaNo. Yes, I’m getting a graduate credit towards my MA degree for this. Ah, motivation.
There are many conflicting opinions about Nanowrimo. Some feel it is the only way they will ever get a novel done. Some think that it encourages bad writing and misleads people into thinking they’ve got something publishable at the end of the 30 days. Some feel even more strongly negative than that. Most, however, that I’ve run into feel it is a fun challenge. A way to turn off the inner editor and get to work.
I’m not sure what camp I’m in exactly. Would I do NaNo if it wasn’t on a dare (how I ended up doing it the first time) or for course credit? Maybe, but probably not. From my last experience, you get the first part of a very very rough draft, at best, out of the whole thing. This NaNo I’m trying to make it at least a full first draft by doubling the word requirements from 50k to 100k. 50k is just a really long novella to me.
I’ve got the first chapter. About 2200 words and counting now. I want 5k by the end of the weekend and then hopefully I can make Mon/Wed/Fri 8-10k word days because T/Th I have class.
Will I have a novel at the end? Sort of. I hope to have something I can work with as a rough draft. Will it be a pleasant read? Likely not, though I don’t engage in any of the random filler dares that people play with during NaNo a great deal it seems. I hope to have a few interesting characters and a somewhat coherent plot.
Anyway, I’ll update here as progress happens. And good luck to anyone else engaging in the insanity. Remember, it is supposed to be silly and fun.