Return to Nanowrimo
Well, it's that Nanowrimo time of year again. This will be the fourth time I've participated. The first two years, I succeeded in writing crappy novels, neither of which have I gone back to. Last year, I failed miserably. There was a lot going on, my girlfriend (now fiancee) was moving in, and my time was seriously curtailed.
This year I expect to get back on track and write another crappy novel. Usually, I start off with a general idea, maybe a character and a scene, and then ramble on in any direction I choose. This year, I may take this guy's advice and take a more planned out approach. We'll see.
I'll try to keep some kind of updates about it here, but probably nothing very in depth. Anybody else participating? (Link found at Morrow Planet.)
4 comments:
I'll be giving Nanowrimo my first shot this year. It seems the key is to ride the line between commitment to the goal and not taking it all too seriously. At any rate, I am excited about the idea of an artificial defibrillator for my flatlining fiction practice...
Would be curious to hear any other advice you may have.
Mike,
Thanks for commenting. I've been reading your blog for a little while now and like it quite a bit. Actually, I knicked this link from you and forgot to credit you. I'll correct that immediately.
As for advice, that's like the blind leading the semi-sighted. My first time out was my most successful. I had a good idea of a plot and a character. Then I started writing, scrapped the plot after the first 2,000 words, and another character took over as the protagonist. You just never know how these things are going to go.
I would say staying loose is most important. If the writing is leading you somewhere else, follow it. When you try to dictate where things go, it all gets bottled up.
Also, stick to doing your 1,666 words a day strictly. Inevitably, you'll get behind. But those 5,000 word days (or more) can be a bitch, so don't let yourself get too behind.
I'll see if I can't post more about my experiences as I go along.
Brian.
Hi Brian,
Thanks! Don't sweat the link credit...and I'm glad you're enjoying the blog.
I appreciate your response...whether blind leading the semi-sighted or not, I'm pretty hungry for other people's opinions on how to sweat out Nanowrimo. I really like the idea of "artificial" deadlines and restraints...for some reason my creative mind is most free when starting from a rigid set of parameters. I have a pretty solid lead on what I think my story will be, but I also am well aware that the outline will probably get chucked by about 11/10...
Best,
MM
Mike,
If you get to 11/10 with your outline, then you're doing pretty well.
I feel the same way about restraints. With my background in journalism, I feel more natural writing to a deadline, which is why I first started with Nanowrimo.
Good luck with your story.
Brian.
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