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This post is prompted by YA Highway’s newest Road Trip Wednesday question, “Are you going NaNo?” but it’s been a while coming. While I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year, mostly because I’m hoping to be working on revision notes on my newest ms in November, I did do it last year, with the end result being BEHIND THE SCENES, the manuscript I currently have on submission.
Obviously having used NaNo 2011 to write the manuscript that got me my fantastic agent is going to prompt me to say it’s a worthwhile endeavor, but even if it hadn’t, I would still think it something that every writer should try once, especially if you don’t have a writing community of your own yet. Why? Here are three reasons I’m a huge NaNo fan:
1. I respond really well to deadlines. NaNo makes you set very real, finite writing goals that push you forward and may shock you with what you can achieve. And the best part is, that no one’s actually judging you – you’re doing this for you. Just don’t let that knowledge slow you down 
2. It’s a really good lesson in management of both time and writing structure. Any time I’m asked for writing advice, I always give the same three-word phrase: Always Write Forward. If you stop to revise during the drafting process, you’re just going to get bogged down and you’ll never get anywhere. Even if you know this intellectually, participating in NaNo forces you to put it into practice by driving home that revisions do nothing for your word count.
3. Community, community, community. How many times has having other people in similar situations helped bolster me forward? Whether it’s through Word Wars or the #amwriting/#amrevising hashtags on Twitter or a million other ways, just knowing there are buddies can make a world of difference by instituting a friendly sort of accountability, not to mention people to ask advice from and commiserate with. Plus, the organizers do a fantastic job communicating encouragement and organizing events.
So no, I’m not doing NaNoWriMo this year, but I certainly haven’t discounted it for 2013!
Great post! I have found so much value in participating in NaNo. The first two years I didn’t have much of that community, but this year I’m so much more connected. I’m so excited for it.
NaNo was such a huge part of learning how to actually finish something. I haven’t looked at the first MS I completed since typing “the end” in 2007 (because it was so painfully horrible and I knew it), but what I learned from that experience has been so helpful in completing things since then!
I’m doing it for the first time. Looking forward to it! It’ll be so fun to follow others too.
What a motivating post for Nano! Good luck with the book which is on sub.
I did NaNo for the first time last year and loved it. It’s now my standard for how I do every first draft when it comes time to write actual words. While it may not end up being for everyone, I totally agree that everyone should try it at least once. Great post.
It’s encouraging to read that your 2011 NaNo novel is currently on submission. It’s already a NaNo success story, but I hope it goes “all the way” soon!
I just want to get my current WIP written, so I’m starting it over for NaNo. Of course, I hope it’ll end up good enough to revise and edit for querying, but even if it’s not, it’ll be satisfying to have it written (after all, I like the premise, and the characters), and I’ll be able to move on to something else.
All the best with submissions, Dahlia!
I’m in the same place as you (except for the agent part). I did NaNo last year but will be revising during it this year. However, I did adopt a NaNo model when I drafted my current WIP, targeting a specific word count in one month. If I don’t set those kinds of goals, I’ll never get through to the end, so I’ll be forever grateful to NaNo for giving me a framework to get through those first drafts, which I hate. I’ll be much happier revising during November
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I’m doing it for the first time this year. Definitely looking forward to joining that community.
Great post! I plan on using NaNo as a motivator and for accountability. I’m not starting something new, I’m finishing something that I started last year during NaNo. It’s just a great excuse to get my butt in my chair and get some serious writing done. I’m one of those folks who revise while I write, but that works for me (usually before I start writing each day it gets me into the groove). I’m not hell-bent on pounding out 50,000 words during November, I just want to make sure I’m seriously working on my WiP with others around me doing the same thing.
Agreed! With all you said!
It’s a shame you won’t be able to participate this year =( But I understand. I wanted to go for CampNaNo in June and August, but couldn’t join because of revisions and more revisions.
I’ll come poke you for next year when time comes