Wyn’s post reminded that National Novel Writing Month is right around the corner.
I was a “winner” last year and the year before, churning out of 50,000 words in 30 days. Too bad it was 50,000 words of crap.
The thing about banging out about 1700 words a day, at least for me, is that you sacrifice quality for speed. One could argue that speediness forces you to write and not overthink. But a huge part of writing is just sitting there thinking, as well as rewriting the same few pages or chapters again and again.
I suppose NaNoWriMo is good for people who have trouble getting started or finishing. Once in a while I’ll feel stuck, but usually I’m able to finish stuff.
Getting in 50K words in 30 days isn’t writing for me, it’s typing.
There’s something to be said for slowing down, and putting pen to paper. For feeling the pen in your hand, your hand moving, seeing your writing. My work is always more robust when I handwrite it, whether or not that robustness is warranted. While I’m typing is when I edit and cut, and sometimes add.
Skipping the handwritten phase and going straight to typing makes my work thin and rushed. It’s actually sort of detrimental.
So that’s a long way of saying I won’t be doing NaNoWriMo this year. Besides I’m taking a writing class and am working hard on my memoir.
well, it sounds like your workshop is really helping you with your memoir so why cloud it up? (plus the name is really annoying.)
That is a shitload of writing.