I’ve spent a few years observing writers as they embark on the month-long writing bender that is NaNoWriMo. I’m a big fan of the core idea. Inspiring more people to take on creative projects is a great thing, and it’s especially great for writers that have a difficult time finishing their projects.
On the other hand, some of the rules and common philosophies aren’t necessarily positive. After all, what good is a month of intense writing if it produces sub-par work and bad writing habits? With that in mind, here are the rules I’m breaking, and why:
1) 50K Words: In NaNoWriMo terms, reaching the 50K-word goal means you win. But, did you really win? I read a tweet today that basically said, “Reached my word count for the day. Most of it sucked, but at least I did it,” which is kind of like saying, “I operated on your brain. Sure, I cut out the wrong piece, but at least I finished the operation. Do you really need a short-term memory, anyway?” If you write 50K words, 25K of which are unusable, you haven’t written a novel. You’ve written a long outline, and wasted a lot of time and creative energy. The better way – quality over quantity. Don’t sacrifice good storytelling just to reach a word goal. Which would you rather have at the end of the month – a gold star and 50K words, or no gold star and 35K words of a great novel?
2) Your project must be new: Some writers will drop all the projects they’re working on for NaNoWriMo. They’ll leave perfectly good stories, even if they’re going great, and scramble for a brand new idea just to comply with the rule. I’ve been working on my novel since the beginning of 2011, and I intend to have it finished before the year’s end. I love this book – the characters, the story, the rhythm – and I’m having an amazing time writing it. So, why would I abandon it for an entire month to work on something new? The whole point of NaNoWriMo is to finish a novel, right? That’s what I’m using it for – to finish my novel.
When you get down to it, NaNoWriMo should not be about rule-compliance. It should be about taking whatever measures you need to be a better, more disciplined writer, and to complete a great story. If you can write 50K quality words in thirty days, by all means, do it! And good on you for being that awesome. If you need to work differently, it doesn’t mean you can’t play in the same sandbox as all these other writers. It just means you’re building your castle a different way – your way. Take pride in that. Own it, write an amazing novel, and be the writer you’ve always wanted to be.
Ryan, I agree with most of your thoughts. Did you know that there is a group of NaNo Rebels who “break the rules”? They are usually embraced anyways. There are quite a few authors who actually don’t start a new novel. This year for NaNo, I – myself – have decided to not start a fresh, new novel, but to complete two of my works in progress – which will be at least 50k words together.
However, like any novel, a NaNo novel will be edited (or at least should…) a billion times over. I see most NaNo novels as detailed outlines anyways, so I think crazy plot twists and unrealistic dialogue is okay for NaNo.
I figured I wasn’t the only one, but it’s nice to hear it 🙂 Thanks for sharing. I love seeing so many people get excited about writing, and it’s fun for us all to be united by an annual event. I’m hoping to help the Nano newbies feel less restricted by the rules and get more into the spirit of it all. Thanks for your thoughts, Heather!
NaNo came at the perfect time for me. I’m querying my first novel and have had the second idea stewing for awhile. I needed the energy and push to break out of querying mode and get working again. I can see your point with people dropping projects just to do NaNo… I wouldn’t have done that, but I did luck out with the timing! I love the united energy that I feel and am stoked to see what I can get done! Thought provoking post, Ryan!
I agree. The principles behind NaNoWriMo – just write already! – are great. I wish I could work this feverishly all year long. But setting up a bunch of silly rules is ineffective. I’d rather write 10K words, locked and unchangeable because they’re awesome, than write 85K of nonsense that will need to be rewritten. I hate rewrites. I’d rather take my time and do quality stuff. If that means I can’t participate in NaNoWriMo, the boo-hoo!!
Yeah, Zac, I agree it’s an awesome thing to get people writing more. And this may be just what some writers need to get them over the hump and finish a project. I do think a reasonable approach to the rules is good, though.
I’m glad you’re able to use NaNoWriMo to your advantage, Morgan. Can’t wait to read your work! 🙂
Refreshing! Thanks for this.
I wish Nano wasn’t so rigid. I wish it were like the pirate code: more guidelines than actual rules.
Lol nice, Margaret! That’s actually how I’m treating this – stick with the spirit of it, but don’t worry about the rules that don’t apply to me.
Man, I needed to hear that! I’m in the same boat as you – been working on a novel this year, and don’t want to abandon it in the middle of revisions because I’d like to get it done by the end of the year. But I started a new project for NaNo, and I feel like both are suffering because my attention is split. Back to the original manuscript and I’ll work on a new one next year when I’m done. Thank you, Ryan. You totally rock!
😀 Glad I could help out!