I hope this post doesn’t put a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. So let me preface it by saying this: I think NaNoWriMo is awesome. I think it’s a great way to get authors, agents, and publishers banding together in the pursuit of one tangible goal with us all on the same team.
So why do I not do it?
I could simply say, “because I don’t want to,” and leave it at that, but that’s not what a blog is for, right?
I’ve tried to do NaNoWriMo before and I failed. Miserably. Some people believe that any writing you get done during that month is progress and would consider it a success, but I don’t subscribe to that philosophy. I had a daily word count and I lost steam on day three. I’m just not a fast-paced writer.
I like to take things slow. Feel out the story. Take time to plan and make sure my outline is what I really want to write. Basically, to write as I can each day and not be upset if it’s a paragraph or pages. It’s hard enough to write a short story in a week, let alone a novel in a month!
Plus, if I’m being honest, it’s not very enjoyable for me.
Writing is an escape into a part of me I don’t get to access during my regular work hours. It’s a place I go where I can be free to truly express myself without fear of judgment. (Until people read my work, but that’s a different matter.)
I don’t want it to become something on my to-do list. And when your planner is your best friend, it can be a very easy slip. For that reason, I don’t participate.
I may try again in a future November, but for now, I will content myself with gaining wisdom from the agents willing to share it this month, and working on my short stories for your enjoyment.
Do you participate in NaNoWriMo? Why or why not?
This Stage of Life 