NaNoWriMo Discussion '10

[Radin]

Congrats Reffy! xD

Next year i'm going to bull-train my way through with this, kinda excited.

[Jenny (Reffy)]

Thankies, Radin! :] I'll definitely be going for another year. Its addictive >.>

[James]

... This is really not the time to fall behind schedule... but I am.

[Jenny (Reffy)]

Nov 26, 2010 14:45:08 GMT -5 James said:

... This is really not the time to fall behind schedule... but I am.

C'mon, Agro! I know you can do it! Nose to the grind-stone, and all that!

[Meleta/Isoldaa]

Congratulations, Reffy, if I haven't said it already! I'm not going to make it in time for this one by a long shot, but I should've known better anyway. November/December are always hugely busy months for me - but with work now too, it's 10x worse : /

[James]

I need to hit 2.5k a day for the final three days.

I think that's possible.

[James]

I'm exactly half-way into the novel basically and I just need a break. And throughout the whole thing, besides editing, I haven't sacrificed quality for quantity (I hope) and I'm not starting now. But, I did better than I actually expected and the book is finally moving on, so I'm happy.

[Jenny (Reffy)]

Grats on trying, Agro! You rock for having given it a bash. Got close this year and some awesome ground-work has been laid for later editing.

[NotAlice]

Meh. I'll probably try NaNoing again next year. This year was just too hecktic. Missing a week out because of exams was a lot of words to fall behind, and the idea of trying to catch up when already behing was pretty daunting. It would have helped to have actually had an idea rather than starting soemthing new every day too XD Next year.... Next year....

[Jenny (Reffy)]

Finally! A good pep-talk. One that isn't saying "give up" >.< heh

SPOILER: Click to show

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

Is procrastination a problem for you? Really? You think you have a problem?

Here's procrastination: The organizers of NaNoWriMo asked me three months ago to write this pep talk, and I'm only writing it now, after blowing three deadlines, after avoiding ten reminders. I was asked to write a pep talk for NaNoWriMo, and I'm actually writing it after the month started. So whatever procrastination problems you have, I probably have you beat. I'm the worst, and I'm getting worse every day.

It's a very strange thing, because we all think writing should be fun. That is, when I was temping through most of my twenties, wondering what it would be like to write for a living, hoping for such a life, I thought it might be pretty sweet. I thought if I ever got to write for a living, I would feel pretty lucky, and that I would be so appreciative that I would bound out of bed every day and, like a goddamned adult, I would write as much as I could every day, and get work done in a reasonable amount of time. Again, like an adult.

Instead, I need, on average, 8 hours sitting on my writing couch to get one hour of work done. It's a pathetic ratio. I stall, avoid, put off and generally act like someone's making me do some terrible job I never wanted to do. I blow pretty much every deadline I'm given.

Just like I blew the one for NaNoWriMo.

But then, when things are late, and I'm feeling like an idiot, and I feel like I'm letting down someone (like the people at NaNoWriMo, and you), I finally dig in and get started. And then I write, and I write in a fury, and I even, sometimes, enjoy writing.

And that's why I love NaNoWriMo. It gets you started. It gives you the impetus to finally start, and/or finally finish. Knowing there are thousands of others out there trying to do the same, who are using this ridiculous deadline as cattle-prod and shame deterrent, means goddamnit, you better do it now because you know how to write, and you have fingers, and you have this one life, and during this one life, you should put your words down, and make your voice heard, and then let others hear your voice. And the only way any of that's going to happen is if you actually do it. People can't read the thoughts in your head. They can only read the thoughts you put down, carefully and with great love, on the page. So you have to do it, goddamnit. You have to do it, and you can step back and be happy. You can step back and relax. You can step back and feel something like pride.

Then of course you'll have to revise it ten or twenty times, but let's not talk about that yet.

Write your goddamned book now. The world awaits.

D

Dave Eggers is the author of Zeitoun and What is the What. You can learn more about his work here.

[Jackal]

Nov 29, 2010 7:14:14 GMT -5 Jenny (Reffy) said:

Finally! A good pep-talk. One that isn't saying "give up" >.< heh

SPOILER: Click to show

Dear NaNoWriMo Author,

Is procrastination a problem for you? Really? You think you have a problem?

Here's procrastination: The organizers of NaNoWriMo asked me three months ago to write this pep talk, and I'm only writing it now, after blowing three deadlines, after avoiding ten reminders. I was asked to write a pep talk for NaNoWriMo, and I'm actually writing it after the month started. So whatever procrastination problems you have, I probably have you beat. I'm the worst, and I'm getting worse every day.

It's a very strange thing, because we all think writing should be fun. That is, when I was temping through most of my twenties, wondering what it would be like to write for a living, hoping for such a life, I thought it might be pretty sweet. I thought if I ever got to write for a living, I would feel pretty lucky, and that I would be so appreciative that I would bound out of bed every day and, like a goddamned adult, I would write as much as I could every day, and get work done in a reasonable amount of time. Again, like an adult.

Instead, I need, on average, 8 hours sitting on my writing couch to get one hour of work done. It's a pathetic ratio. I stall, avoid, put off and generally act like someone's making me do some terrible job I never wanted to do. I blow pretty much every deadline I'm given.

Just like I blew the one for NaNoWriMo.

But then, when things are late, and I'm feeling like an idiot, and I feel like I'm letting down someone (like the people at NaNoWriMo, and you), I finally dig in and get started. And then I write, and I write in a fury, and I even, sometimes, enjoy writing.

And that's why I love NaNoWriMo. It gets you started. It gives you the impetus to finally start, and/or finally finish. Knowing there are thousands of others out there trying to do the same, who are using this ridiculous deadline as cattle-prod and shame deterrent, means goddamnit, you better do it now because you know how to write, and you have fingers, and you have this one life, and during this one life, you should put your words down, and make your voice heard, and then let others hear your voice. And the only way any of that's going to happen is if you actually do it. People can't read the thoughts in your head. They can only read the thoughts you put down, carefully and with great love, on the page. So you have to do it, goddamnit. You have to do it, and you can step back and be happy. You can step back and relax. You can step back and feel something like pride.

Then of course you'll have to revise it ten or twenty times, but let's not talk about that yet.

Write your goddamned book now. The world awaits.

D

Dave Eggers is the author of Zeitoun and What is the What. You can learn more about his work here.

Truth. Makes me inspired to try to finish my stuff by the end of the year!

[Sensar]

REFFY!

I forgot to congratulate you on your awesome!

Congratulations!

[The Drall]

REF.

You're the best.


For cereal. That was amazing, and I'm so proud You did fantastic! Stupendous, even!

Great job 3>

[Deleted]

Reffy is a veritable literary animal!!!!

/clap

[Jenny (Reffy)]

D'aaaaaaaaaaaaw! You guys! :] *Squishy fuzzy feelings* I love AWR.