*NaNoWriMo (the organization) has been in the news recently for unhappy reasons. In this post I’m talking about the concept and writing practice, not the organization.
’Tis the season. No, not the one with the decorative gourds. (Wasn’t this a day, rather than a season, not so long ago?) Nor the one with the feathered bird and the cornucopia, nor the one that overshadows them all in the halls of retail. I’m talking about November. I’m talking about NaNoWriMo Season.
Back when it started in 1999, NaNoWriMo was a somewhat kooky niche endeavor for novelists-to-be. A lot of people had a good chuckle over the idea: Write a full novel in one month? Ha!
Now, NaNo has turned into a widely-practiced annual tradition with all kinds of spinoffs. I’ve seen the concept used for nonfiction, poetry, flash fiction… You name it, someone has figured out how to apply the idea to their writing endeavor of choice.
Though NaNoWriMo started out as an activity by novelists, for novelists, there’s plenty we can learn from the concept, no matter what genre we write. And, a few habits which are best to avoid!
What We Can Learn from NaNoWriMo
Writing every day
The original challenge still stands: to write 50,000 words during the month of November. To have any hope of achieving this goal, you need to be ready to write…every day.
Spend more time writing than re-reading
Lots of writers (myself included) like to re-read a part of what we last wrote at the start of our next writing session. In the best-case scenario, this reminds us of where we were so we can easily continue. The shadow side of this tendency is a black hole of time-suck, in which we don’t actually write anything new. You don’t have time for that if you’re trying to hit 50k!
Writing rather than editing
As with re-reading, you don’t get time to edit during NaNo (unless you’re one of those who comes in with a draft that you’re planning to edit during the month…one of the many variations).
Just. Keep. Going.
Starting out with a plan
As basic as that plan might be! It’s hard to jump into a novel-length project out of the gate on November 1st if you haven’t thought about your story in some way beforehand. Even a little bit. No, the pantsers do not need to become planners, but a basic sketch of a story, idea, and/or a character is incredibly useful.
Working when you’re not inspired
As Peter De Vries (or William Faulkner) may have famously said: “I only write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”
This is a muscle we build with practice. Leaving behind the sense that we need a flash of inspiration to write is hard. But it’s also true. And liberating.
The perfect book that lives in our heads can never compete with an actual book that exists in the world. But once we prove to ourselves we can do it, it gets easier to do again. #writingcommunity #writerslife Click To Tweet
Done is better than perfect
The perfect novel (or other book) that lives in our heads can never compete with an actual book that exists in the world. Maybe the reason we’ve only been thinking about our book rather than writing it is because the writing isn’t all that easy? But once we prove to ourselves we can do it, it gets easier to do again.
It’s about the process, not the product
Movies have a way of romanticizing the creative life and painting a rosy glow around the activity, while conveniently creating a montage of the frustration that comes before the breakthrough work. But the work is the work. Breakthroughs are a bonus, and usually followed by more work, anyway.
Bad Habits NaNo May Leave Us With (if we’re not careful)
The reasons NaNoWriMo can be wonderful have their shadow side. They can be the genesis of a few lousy writing habits, as well.
Feeling pressured to work on that ONE scene or story
I’m a big fan of creating a writing habit, as readers of this blog will know. However, nobody says you have work on the same thing every day.
Should we persist on hammering away at that one project when we can’t see straight? No. This can be counterproductive in many ways, not least of which is editing said project to death (a real risk).
Does that risk mean we need to interrupt our writing habit? No! Use the time to read from a craft book. Or pick up an unrelated writing prompt. Write in your journal. Or go back to a different project (which should now look fresh to you). Choose to do something fun. That involves writing.
Falling into the trap that words = success
Having a bunch of words arranged in sentences and paragraphs does not alone guarantee you’ve got a compelling story. It can be easy to forget about the plan and the need for narrative tension under the great pressure of Making My Word Count Today.
Word count is a great tool when used well, but always remember that word count isn’t the goal. A good story is.
A bunch of words arranged in sentences & paragraphs does not alone guarantee a compelling story. Remember that word count isn’t the goal. A good story is. #writingcommunity #writerslife Click To Tweet
Thinking that one month is all it takes
It’s important to remember that, in its original conceit and incarnation, NaNoWriMo is a generative process. It’s not meant to be the final word. Indeed, your first draft may not be done yet, even if you’ve reached the 50,000-word mark. And you will want to revise as well. One month is only the beginning.
Bottom Line: The True Gift of NaNoWriMo
All of which brings us to what I believe is the true gift of National Novel Writing Month. The gift isn’t a completed novel. The gift, in short, is this: a fun, potentially collaborative way for us to create a writing habit.
No writer is an effervescent ball of light and creativity all the time. We can be grumpy and uninspired and still be excellent, productive writers. NaNoWriMo is a great way to encounter that and learn it in a slightly absurd way, possibly making new friends in the process. Enjoy!
…and remember to take a small break at the start of December.
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Writing like your pants are on fire? You might want to get an evaluation on the calendar for when you’re done.
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