It’s a question that every writer gets asked at this time of the year. And no, it’s not “so when are you going to get a real job?”. It might even be worse than that, because if you’re asked it then it means the other person takes you seriously as a writer (or at least they’re humouring you).
Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?
To which my response is always the same: nope.
National Novel Writing Month takes place every November, where writers set themselves the challenge of writing 50,000 words over thirty days. This equates to around 1700 words per day. Not an impossible amount. Hundreds of people accomplish it every year. So why not me?
Firstly, I have nothing against NaNoWriMo. I think it’s a fantastic idea and a great way to kick off writing that novel you’ve always dreamed of. There are communities built around the project where writers can make friends and support each other. However, I think there are a number of conditions that need to be met first: you can’t just wake up on the 1st of November and expect to write a novel.
Perhaps my biggest problem is that NaNoWriMo is in November. I’m a couple of months into my second year of university, so tutors are quick to hand out coursework deadlines. Also, editorial work for Vices and Virtues is underway so I’m juggling email admin and spreadsheets and the like. The summer holidays would be a much better time for those in education – although for busy parents this may not be the case!
Also, to write a novel you must first have a novel idea. If you’re going to blast through the first draft in one month then you must have a clear idea of where you want the story to go, or be prepared to hit the backspace key quite a lot. Some writers have every scene numbered before they even type chapter one, but others like to meander a little as they write. I’m somewhere in the middle; it takes me quite a while to come up with a plot I’m happy with, and trying to write it too quickly would likely mean I’d make a wrong turning.
Finally, I feel that writing a novel before it’s ready and all the ideas have had time to “cook” can potentially kill all enthusiasm for your story. If you spend days and days of not enjoying what you’re creating, there’s a danger you’ll end up with something you’re not happy with. Something half-baked. Of course, there’s always editing and re-drafting, but if you fall out of love with your novel there’s a very real danger you won’t pick it up again. The Last Pyromancer, the first of my YA fantasy trilogy, has already been drafted, but I know I can’t start on the second book just yet. I don’t have a clue what happens. To start now would mean to end up in a mess. But then, that’s just the way I work. And what do I know? I’ve never tried to write a novel in a month.
That’s not to say that NaNoWriMo isn’t a good idea. Even if you don’t make it past day thirteen, or halfway through you decide your hardened space detective would be happier collecting butterflies for a living, you’re still writing. You produced something you might not have done otherwise. To write that first word, you had to believe you might be capable of writing a novel. And that’s half the battle. But it’s certainly a challenge, perhaps a challenge that asks too much of those of us who are unsure, or don’t feel we’re ready for such a big task.
That doesn’t mean you have to feel left out during November. You can spend the time doing some spring-cleaning, planning out your novel and updating character profiles. Or you could write 200 words a day. Even half that much adds up to a decent-sized short story over a month. Know what you’re comfortable with, then push just a little bit beyond that. Achieve things that you’re proud of. It’s not a competition, after all.
Writing a novel is an achievement, whether you manage it in thirty days or thirty years. Be proud of what you’ve done so far and don’t feel pressured into something you’ll stress over.
In any case, there’s always next year.
*
First of all, apologies for the delayed post: a coursework deadline leapt from the ether and sapped me of all my energy (writing references, the horror!). On Saturday 14th November I was interviewed by Ady Dayman on BBC Radio Leicester, along with Dale Anthony Church, editor of Carers of the Cosmos, and Charles Huddleston from the Carers Centre. We talked about how the anthology came about and how the charity supports carers throughout Leicestershire and Rutland. You can get a link to the free e-book (where you can read my story, Silver Lining) by donating here. If you want to hear me blather about giant moths, you can listen to the interview here.
My flash fiction Ghosts will be appearing in Sinister Saints Press’ In a Flash… anthology. It was previously longlisted for BRILLIANT Flash Fiction’s September Freestyle Writing Contest, and it explores our preconceptions of other people. Submissions are still open if you’d like to get involved.
Writing has been slow lately. The Last Pyromancer is looking at some serious rewrites that will ultimately strengthen it, though it’ll means shifting some characters around. I’m starting work on a few more short stories for December. I’m currently reading Brandon Sanderson’s Alloy of Law after being blown away by the Mistborn trilogy. I can see myself reading everything he’s ever written – I might have to clear a room in my house!