To Write a Novel or Not to Write a Novel...?

National Novel Writing Month

http://www.nanowrimo.org/
It's here again. I believe it was this time last year that Rob blew my mind with the prospect of writing a 50,000 work novel in the month of November (I mean right before Christmas??!! - as if there's any better time).

We both punked out and it's been on the back burner all year, until the topic came up again last weekend.

So, should I write a novel in November or not? I know the obvious answer: Of course you should! Why not? Which is what made me originally think, "Yea, I should. Why not?"

But what keeps me from signing up?
I don't have a laptop. No, it's not a necessity. I'd prefer to write by hand, but my typing has gotten so fast that it's unrealistic to even consider it. Computers at both home and work will allow me to spend any time I would spend on the project anyway, well, working on the project. If I whined enough, there's probably someone in my life who would loan me a laptop for one month anyway.
Whatever I write, it's going to be crap. I don't even have any ideas developed enough for anything this long. Besides, 5.83 pages a day pretty much guarantees it's going to be crap. Of course in my procrastinating college days, any well-marked papers I wrote were completed in a similar time crunch.
This will almost certainly cut into my peanut butter eating TV time. OK, tivo.
The most intimidating possibility for me is that about 20 pages in, I'll completely lose interest, and face either giving up, which is not in my nature, or waste the rest of the month just completing the assignment, essentially going through the motions, which is more like me - unable to cut my losses on any investment.

The reasons to do it are obvious: Practice, using a skill that has been gone essentially unused for years; fun, a project; catharsis, how great to unleash thoughts that no one ever has to read.

Will I do it? I still don't know. Did I write a blog about this last year at this time. Now, that I think about it, I think I actually did. Hmm, doesn't bode well for NANOWRIMO.
5,941 views 12 replies
Reply #1 Top
You are thinking too much about it....just do it.

I have like five novels laying around here all done except the last chapter...pfft......

If you lose interest, so what? You may pick right back up with it next year or a few years from now.

I have a novel I wrote in college, I was taking a creative writing class and everyone was FORCED to read it....a captive audience...and almost all the guys HATED it...........buwhahhaha. Anyway, it is done except the last chapter...I lost interest in the story. Maybe someday I'll finish it, but probably not.

So just do it and stop thinking about it.

That's my opinion for what its worth.
Reply #2 Top
I remember your blog from last year! You introduced me to NaNoWriMo! I would write a novel, but I honestly think any book I write would be better served by time spent working out the little things (plot, character, etc). Or maybe I'm just being lazy? Although I also must consider my TV/peanut butter time...
Reply #3 Top
I started one last year too but I ended up getting too far behind because of other stuff that was going on. I eventually realized that there were too many days days thinking "I can make it up over the weekend." However, I think I still have the file on my laptop harddrive and I still like the story concept. I've always wanted to write a novel. My main problem is that I'm better at writing anecdotes (and I'm really bad at fighting scenes or battles) and I have a hard time forming the main events into a story with flow.

I think that you should try again. Even if you only write 10 more pages, that's 10 more pages you didn't have.

--Cari
Reply #4 Top
Thanks for the encouragement, guys.
Tova and Cari, you're right. Not everything has to be a means to an end, or ending, in this case. It's just overcoming my laziness at this point. I totally appreciate your opinions.

Cordelia, anything I write would certainly be better served by some preplanning, but diving right in like this removes any pressure to perform.

I'm currently enjoying "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon. I recommend it. And I'll probably finish it off this weekend, just in time to start thinking about....
Reply #5 Top
JUST DO IT :o) I'll read it to the cats... they'll love it... especially if you develope characters that are based off of them ;o)

Mark Haddon huh? I need new pleasure reading.
Reply #6 Top
Well, I signed up last night. I have 15 hours before I can start writing, and nary a story idea. Help?
Reply #7 Top
I took a writing seminar thing once before college and they used to give us something to write a story around. First they had us write about a window. Then they had us write about a door. Then they had us write about a road. We could incorporate the door, window, and road into the story any way that we wanted to, and people got really original. They were all short stories, but a few people wove them together. My point is, sometimes all it takes is a starting point. So look out a window, or a door, or look down a road, and see where your imagination takes you.
Reply #8 Top
I've been considering doing the whole novel in a month thing too, but my ideas just aren't developed enough yet and I need to work some more on dialogue and character writing before I jump into something like this. I'm just having a blast right now developing the framework, science and history for my SciFi world. Hopefully by next year I'll have the basis for a really good story ready to go

I wish you tons of luck on the project. I think it would be really cool if you posted your daily or weekly progress here, so we could all see your masterpiece take shape Or failing that, maybe a regular piece about the process of writing the novel. Could provide some pretty interesting reading
Reply #9 Top
Kim: Try Seventh Sanctum for story ideas - it has a random story generator.
Link

I got that link from RavenBlack's blog Link
She hasn't been around for a while (sadly). I think she's working on a book of her own!

Good luck!
Reply #10 Top
Actually Kim, in addition to the link I think you should let us know what genre of book you'd like to write and we can all chip in with ideas. THAT could be very fun (for us. Perhaps not so much for you).
Reply #11 Top
Thanks for the ideas. I'm thinking of somehow incorporating the deadline into my story, like making the book self-aware. It might not be so fluid, but it'll be on my mind anyway. I'll check out that link, Cordelia - thanks for adding that.

Zoomba (and Cordelia), you're obviously more serious about writing than I am. I can totally dig that. It would make a lot more sense to devote time to plot, character, theme, etc. But I know if I don't sit down and just write something, I won't ever get started. Plus, it's a project, hopefully leading to a real sense of accomplishment in 30, 29... days. My boyfriend has also signed up to write one, so our house is going to be pretty wild for the next month!

I'll keep you guys posted.
Reply #12 Top
Did you know that life is strange, life is sad. Life isn't normal and life makes me mad.
But no matter how much I hate it... life must go on.
When I have a sore spot,
When I hit my head.
When I have an earrache,
When I could be dead.
No matter how much I hate it.. life must go on.
Cha, cha, cha.

You've got it in ya.. I know you can do it. Write away!!!!