posted
I have just realised what it is about NaNoWriMo that bugs me. It is the fact that it doesn't give a fig about quality, structure etc.
Maybe this is addressed in the sign-up for NaNoWriMo. I can't remember.
It would be great if, when you signed up for NaNoWriMo, you also had the option to sign up for a CritEditMo follow-up in December should you complete Nanowrimo.
As in, those who complete can go on to Crit/Edit the draft in the following month, say in groups of three.
Not suggesting I want to do it, but doesn't it seem like a logical extension...?
Maybe I am deluded.
[This message has been edited by hoptoad (edited May 29, 2006).]
posted
It's pretty clear if you read any of the nano explanation pages that the whole point is sheer quantity without regard to quality; I'm very surprised to see you realizing this now.
Nanoedmo is March, I believe, though that's significantly less successful and popular (and is not run by the official Nano organization). There's some talk of expanding official Nano activities to include screenwriting, creative nonfiction, uh maybe something else, and I think some kind of official editing period as well.
www.nanowrimo.org has all the details of the focus of Nano and the plans for future development, and contact info if you'd like to pass your suggestions on to the nano organization.
[This message has been edited by Beth (edited May 29, 2006).]
posted
Thanks for that, I did not know about NaNoEdMo.
quote: I'm very surprised to see you realizing this now.
You'd be surprised to see sort of things I don't realise. But the realisation was that it felt like there should be something like NaNoEdMo out there... somewhere.
My first post sort of missed the point of what I was trying to say.
[This message has been edited by hoptoad (edited May 30, 2006).]
National Novel Editing Month has come to a close. Here's to the final chapter, page and red pen mark!
The editors are crossing that finish line one after the other, with novel held high and a new sense of accomplishment at the tremendous task they've accomplished. And for all of you who participated in this, the final NaNoEdMo competition, a hearty congratulations!
Yes, I'm sorry to say, final. Barring a miracle, National Novel Editing Month will not be back next year.
the feeling of vasty nothingness returns the hollow where-to-from-here-ness
[This message has been edited by hoptoad (edited May 30, 2006).]
posted
Yeah, I don't think it ever got much traction. Partly I think the timing is off (I always wanted to start reworking in January, not March), and partly I think that trying to translate the crazed nano methodology to editing is sort of doomed by definition. And I think most nano projects need to be rewritten, not just edited.
posted
Well, it's not for everyone, certainly, and not everyone does it for the same reasons I do.
For me, it is a) fun; b) always educational; c) about the only novel writing I do because I am such a huge procrastinator.
Many people find that without the pressure to write *well* they actually write rather well. It's a way of faking yourself out.
About a year ago I heard an interview on NPR or some station like that. Someone did a study of people making pottery. One group was told to make the best pots they could; the other group was told to just make a crapload of pots. At the end of the study, the group that focused on quantity was actually making better pots than the group that was focused on quality, because they got in a lot more practice, tried a lot more different techniques, etc.
That's the basic idea behind nano.
I have not been so successful at the rewriting part. notebored had a 3-month rewrite thing that I signed up for but all I did was procrastinate on the novel and start a blog about evil robot monkeys. I still haven't found a good approach to rewriting novels (or short stories, for that matter).
When learning to draw, people are often afraid of 'wasting' materials.
Then you go to university and they say, Here is paper, conte, ink, charcoal, graphite and whatever else you need. Use as much as you want. Draw what you like as much as you like as fast as you like.
It's a liberation. Your work becomes freer and better, more expressive. You start building better pots - to borrow your image. Slowly, the 'I must not waste paper' mentality disappears and you start to wonder, what made me think it was a waste in the first place?
Maybe, I am starting to 'get' it.
[This message has been edited by hoptoad (edited May 30, 2006).]
posted
I tried it once. I got about 6,000 words of total crap before I realized that it wasn't for me. I write pretty well when I do it at my own pace. Trying to write a whole novel in a month, for me, just means I write a bad novel. I'm sure it works for some people, but I felt like I was wasting time. In the same 6,000 words, at my own pace, I can write several nice short stories, or several chapters that are good.
posted
I did my first Na No last year, doubly hard since I had to get it done either in the early morning or late evening.
The discipline just to sit down and get the word count down was wonderful, I have yet to experience quite the productivity that I had with it.
Sure the finished novel was terrible, but as one reader put it, there were some definite gems within. Enough to later create a whole series of stories off of. This year I plan on going into it with at least a hint of an outline. But after the analogy of the potters, perhaps not.
It was a lot of fun though, and I most certainly plan on doing it again. Maybe we could form a little Hatrack group to encourage each other on?
posted
I still have hopes for my 2004 Nanowrimo, and I did work on it for NanoEdmo in 2005. It helped a lot, but as most of you who have seen me around know, I still am not fulfilling my potential on this. I think I would benefit from some butt-in-chair diligence.
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posted
I had a blast with NaNo last year. I'm now in the Notebored novel group working through the same novel. I'm doing a lot of rewording, but the fundamental plot, main characters, setting, etc., haven't changed much. Yeah, it was sloppy, with too many adverbs and adjectives, occasional inconsistencies, and just plain sloppy phraseology. But I think it wound up being a fairly good story (and so far, the crits seem to agree.)
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posted
I did Nano 2005 for a few days, but I was just too consumed with worrying about the move at that time, and I had that job-thing so my working pattern from 2004 didn't work for me. But I plan to do it this year.
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posted
Thta's what I was wondering. Should I give it a bash this year. Novemebr is about the time I'm going to have some 'clear-air' at work and be home at a reasonable hour. I'm thinking that it can't hurt and could be a lot of fun.
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