YES!
Happy National Novel Writing Month, everyone! I usually use NaNo to work on a project that I will later revise over and over (and over!) in the hopes of querying or submitting or self-publishing. But the last couple of Novembers, I changed all that up. The focus now? Fun!
Don't get me wrong, I still take it seriously. Writing is what I do, a huge part of who I am. And sure, if at the end of the month I have a story that has legs, no matter how shaky, I'll consider walking the project down one of my usual paths. But if it doesn't have legs? If all it has are thick nose hairs that have rooted themselves into the ground? That's okay, too.
This November, it's all about the creative muscle. If you've been coming around here for any length of time, you know by now how much I hate exercising but somehow, working that creative muscle makes me so very happy. Working that creative muscle feels a lot like play. And I don't play nearly enough anymore.
I've got wild cliffhangers and plot twists galore! I use exclamation points everywhere! I've got lurking monsters and poor, unsuspecting characters! (Because, really, what else are those monsters going to eat?)
So, if you need me, you know where to find me. You don't? I'm in my writing cave. Come on in. I'm all the way in the back. I know it's dark. Watch your step. That noise behind you? Oh, that's nothing, nothing at all . . . .
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Are you having fun this November? What are you up to? NaNo-ing? Working on another creative project?
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I've got a first draft full of dialogue and empty of so many other things. I'm pondering where to start for the second draft.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Nano.
One of these days, I've got to write something in the horror genre. Still waiting for a great idea. Humans are still the scariest monster to me.
Writing dialogue can be a lot of fun. And so can writing monsters. :)
DeleteGreat attitude! I think if writers would try to *enjoy* writing more, we'd have a lot less angst. My November got off to a rocky start, with the website down, but oddly, I came back with a bit calmer attitude about my writing. It's all good!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to apply this sense of freedom and fun to writing after NaNo as well. It's tricky because I need deadlines, too, or else I would never get anything done. :)
DeleteGood for you on the calmer attitude!
Just write like a maniac and enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteNow I have that song in my head - "She's a maniac, maniac, on the floor and she's dancing like she's never danced before...." Of course, I'd have to change "dancing" to "writing." :)
DeleteGood for you!!!! Says the kindred excited writer. It should be for fun. I get sad for my writer friends who have so much talent but have allowed the industry to destroy their spirit. I would rather love it for a lifetime than make a million and hate it forever. It's my bliss.
ReplyDeleteAnd if no one likes it or wants to publish, well I guess that never stopped Emily Dickens. See who got the last postmortem laugh there.
See ya when you emerge from the cave!
This! - "...I would rather love it for a lifetime than make a million and hate it forever. It's my bliss." :)
DeleteI wanted to NaNo this year (last year was my first time doing it and I really enjoyed it), but I have a bunch of edits for clients this month.
ReplyDeleteThere's always next year! And don't forget the two Camp NaNo sessions, one in the spring and one in the summer.
DeleteKeep having fun in that creative cave, mwahahahahah!
ReplyDeleteOh, I will! :)
DeleteHi Madeline, for the book I am revising, I'm trying my best to write cliff hangers, but its just not happening :(
ReplyDeleteMaybe look at it as if you were the reader? Ask yourself what would make you HAVE to turn the page, HAVE to read on to the next chapter, etc. Keep at it, Rachna - you'll get it!
DeleteHaha! I'm not going back there! Great way to go into Nano! I might go that next year...
ReplyDeleteSmart move. :)
DeleteLove your attitude to NaNo! I might have to try that next year, just to move myself out of my little cozy mystery rut :D
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways you can experiment! Trying a new genre, sure, but also don't forget being a NaNo Rebel.
DeleteNo NANO for me, but I am starting a new writing project. Best of luck with your literary play!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project! I hope you're having fun with it.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteWishing you all the best with NaNo. I like it very much that you are writing just to exercise your creative muscles.
Have a lovely month of November.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Thank you, Pat! I hope you have a wonderful November, too.
DeleteHave fun in your writing cave!
ReplyDeleteIt's very cozy in here. :)
DeleteYes!!! I'm having fun with this NaNoWriMo, too! See the exclamation marks. :) Yesterday, I spent a paragraph writing about stew and cheese bread (I was hungry) and then had a scene where characters discussed the value of dragon snot (yes, I am that mature), and then used the line "they were doomed." Oh yeah. Maybe it's not awesome writing, but I am having fun and definitely getting creative.
ReplyDeleteHappy November!!!
Hmm, did the dragon snot enter into the stew and cheese bread recipe at all? Now that would be gross! :)
DeleteHope NaNo's going well for you! I signed up, but life has just been whacking my hands away from the keyboard. I've got a whole 800 words to my name. Still, 800 is better than nothing, right?
ReplyDelete800 words is nothing to sneeze at! Keep at it, Loni - it's early days yet. :)
DeleteAbsolutely! I just need to be reminded of that sometimes. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm NaNo-ing, and I'm ahead in the daily word count, but I'm not feeling the story yet. We'll see how the rest of the month goes, I guess.
ReplyDeleteHave fun in the writing cave!
I hope you feel the story soon. When I get stuck, I switch things up a bit - write a scene from a different POV, write a backstory scene, play with the tense, etc. If that doesn't work, I go eat a cookie. :)
DeleteCongrats on Nano. You've got the right attitude to win. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna! I hope so. :)
DeleteI've never done NaNo, but every time November creeps up on me, I think I should. Maybe next year.
ReplyDeleteYou could always get your feet wet with one of the Camp NaNo sessions. They're looser in terms of the "rules." :)
DeleteHA... "thick nose hairs that have rooted themselves in the ground." What an absolutely delightful way to put it! I can tell... you ARE having fun! (And I'm glad.) Writing SHOULD be fun.
ReplyDeleteI have no clue where that description came from, but I just went with it. Glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI'm having so much fun with NaNo, too! It's really been a break from me, from switching to my heavy third draft novel, to a lighthearted first draft. Definitely needed this breath of fresh air.
ReplyDeleteSometimes that breath of fresh air is all we need to get those creative juices flowing again.
DeleteI love your attitude, Madeline, and I hope that you are having an awesome time at the back of your cave! This is my get-it-done month; I have so many appointments scheduled that I don't want to look at my calendar ~ LOL! But it's great to have a chunk of time at home to cross some biggies off my list. Meanwhile, I'm squeezing in some fun and ramping up my writing, now that my cataract surgery is behind me. Have a fun-filled, wild November!
ReplyDeleteI love when we can cross "biggies" off our list. It feels so productive! Good that you're having fun and ramping up your writing. Happy November to you!
DeleteI LOVE your enthusiasm! Writing is so very important, and such a big part of ourselves - you are exactly right!
ReplyDeleteNow if only some of the people in our "real" lives understood that. Sigh.
DeleteI haven't done NaNoWriMo for a couple of years now as it always used to give me headaches. I used to put *way* too much pressure upon myself. I might return to it one day - at least I know now what my limitations are. Sounds like you're making the right approach. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteYikes on the headaches! I do understand that, though. Even though I'm having fun, I still put pressure on myself to "win."
DeleteWell, have fun with it. I admire all you tackling NaNo. Go, girl!
ReplyDeleteI'm going! :)
DeleteFun changes everything. Especially when we write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (check out those exclamations!!!!!)
ReplyDeleteNo offense to the other punctuation, but I've missed those exclamation points!
DeleteThat image of nose hairs stuck to the ground got to me! Glad you are having fun writing. No NaNo for me, but I'm happily writing, too.
ReplyDeleteI really don't want to know what it says about me that I came up with that description. But I'm glad a number of you enjoyed it! :)
DeleteHi, lady! Thank you for visiting my blog and for writing your post. I love my writerly friends.
ReplyDeleteI love the activity of writing during November and the unity it creates. Kudos to you for joining NaNo! Is it bad that I don't do it since I know I can write 50k within a month? I've written a few books already and I'm using this month to push myself to getting a book out by Christmas. *snort* Let's see if I can, if not, there's always next year!
Love ya!
♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
You're welcome!
DeleteYou gotta do what works best for you! :)
I'm doing NaNo too. Congrats on sticking to the writing cave. Happy Belated IWSG!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with NaNo, Juneta! :)
DeleteGreat post! I love your approach to NaNo. I like the fact that I'm goal-directed, but sometimes it really gets in the way of the fun. I'll have to try your approach one of these years, because, really, writing should be fun. What's the point otherwise?
ReplyDeleteI do need the goal, too. I will have fun this NaNo, but I will win, too. I hope! :)
DeleteI didn't sign up for NaNoWriMo this year because I signed up for knee replacement surgery instead. Next year, however, I hope to get a full 50,000 words done in November. Maybe.
ReplyDeleteWho needs knees when you can NaNo?! :)
DeleteJust kidding, of course! I hope the surgery goes/went well and the healing is fast. Next NaNo, you'll probably do twice as many words to make up for this year. :)
I definitely am sort of trying this month! My focus is for stories I never finished. :) I sort of NaNo failed at the start but maybe I can recover!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could be a NaNo Rebel and get those stories done?
DeleteI love your attitude. Write away!
ReplyDeleteMy attitude is fizzling a bit, but I'm still here, still hanging in and still having fun. :)
DeleteGood for you! It needs to be fun before anything else. Easy to forget that, especially with NaNo and the mad rush to get words down. Good luck for the rest of the month.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nick! I've had to re-adjust my plan a bit, but I'm still having fun. :)
DeleteI'm way late to this post, but I "cheated," using NaNoWriMo to get further along in the book that was supposed to be released in June 2019. Yeah, just a tad late.
ReplyDeleteI got my 50,000 words, but it was still brutal, even though I started with about 38,000. I think I did most of my writing in the last week. That's what teaching will do to you.
It may have been brutal but you did it, JH. Good for you!
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