"...her secret is patience..." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Shop Talk Thursday: NaNoWriMo Anyone?

I have no idea if I'm going to do NaNoWriMo this year.
I have to be honest and say I really like this idea. I tried participating last year but life just got in the way of my writing plans. Don't you hate when that happens? It's been happening a lot lately and I don't like it. So while I'm still deciding whether or not I'll be giving it a try this year, I decided to make a little pro list and share it with you. 
1. 50K writing goal. 
    What I like about this is that it's totally doable. 50K may seem like a lot, but the great thing about NaNoWriMo is that it's been proven to work and 50K is really more like nothing big. Whether or not it's actually publishable 50K depends on you, but getting that many words on paper is a huge accomplishment. 
2. Accountability
    This is probably my favorite part of NaNoWriMo. Whether you are starting out as a write or have been writing for years, discipline is still something that we all struggle with sometimes. Should I write or should I watch that episode of The Walking Dead? Should I write or should I make sure my dragons on DragonVale are all fed? Seriously, these are all problems we encounter. NaNoWriMo helps with that and it's the best. 
3. Setting habits. 
    This kind of follows in what I've already said. Writing every day, just a few words a day, will help you become a better writer. It will build that constant need to sit in front of a computer and get some words on paper. That accountability will become a habit and then you're good to go!
None of these items on my list are anything new. If you google pros of doing NaNoWriMo you'll probably run into many websites and posts that say the same thing. However, its a good reminder as any to have and I thought I'd put in my two cents. 
Also, if you do decide to participate in NaNoWriMo or just want a little writing encouragement, YA Highway (yes, I know I talk about them a lot) is doing this --> Carpool Of Encouragement  You guys should definitely check it out. And if you're still having doubts about NaNoWriMo, check out my awesome CP website, Farrah Penn, and let her give you her opinion (because it's awesome). 

So what do you think? Are you participating this year? 
(I'm kind of talking myself into it)

Have a great day!
Valia 

2 comments:

Jaime Morrow said...

I think you have some great pros here. I like NaNo for those same reasons. Though I came nowhere near the 50,000 word goal last year, I wrote 19,000 good words that I've still been working on since then (off and on). My goal is to finish it this year. The best part has got to be the accountability of others and the motivation this brings. But you're so right about creating good habits. I'm all about routine and making sure I stick to a daily writing schedule. On days where I deviate from this, I get very little done, if anything.

Great post! :)

Bonnie @ A Backwards Story said...

I agree! Real life has been harsh lately. I wanted to be done a draft of the project I keep stopping so I could feel good starting something new, but that hasn't happened. I really want to do fantasy, though, because I'm so hung up on the fact that the other piece is contemporary. I want to just get back into writing and solidify a new idea and find where I'm going with that. I don't usually get 50k because I don't want to write a mess I'm going to trash. I'd rather take my time and build up something real, and if I can, I'll feel accomplished! Let me know if you do it and we can support one another :)

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