Nano: Day 9 – Epiphany
It took me a while but I got there eventually…give me some credit people it’s been a long week! No, I don’t mean I finished, I don’t mean 20k and I certainly don’t mean I caught up with the suggested minimum cumulative word count.
Nope.
I mean I figured out why I’m doing nano. I’m doing it because I want to write.
See I told you it had been a long week.
Obviously I want to write, and odds are so do you. So why are we moaning about word counts, distractions, word wars, crap ideas? Well, because we’re human (and most of my followers are probably British so moaning squared).
I think some people like the sympathy, some like the attention, and some like the rush of being ‘naughty’ and rebelling against the system by not keeping up (ok that ones a stretch).
But that’s not the point. Unfortunately I can’t tell you the point. It’s up to you to figure that out for yourselves. I’m not trying to be a Mr. Myagi hard ass sort-it-out-yourself kind of guy; it’s just that the point is different for everyone.
For me it’s writing. Simple (no meerkat noises please).
I want to write. I AM a writer. And if I work harder on writing during nano it doesn’t matter why. It doesn’t matter if I don’t attend any meets, try out some dares or find a plot ninja. All that matters is the writing.
Everything else is just a bonus.
Now, I’m not one for dares and random plot lines just for sake of adding words. I don’t see the point. If you want to use silly things to increase your word count then just have a character say ‘jam’ seven hundred times in a conversation with his cat.
I’m not trying to be miserable (it comes naturally) or put anyone off from doing what they want, but I want a good basis for the first half of a first draft when I finish my 50k. I’m not doing this to say ‘wahey, I wrote 50,000 words in a month’. I’m using nano as a tool to give me a good boot up the arse for my writing. And it’s working!
Who gives a shit if I’m behind? Not me anymore. I had an epiphany.
I know this is hardly a rousing speech for the troops, but I’m sorry to say this speech is for me. If anyone wants to gleam something from my rantings then I’m glad I could help but for now I’m just epiphinating for my own pleasure.
If you don’t finish nano…no worries.
If you end up with a steaming pile of turd (figuratively speaking)…then who cares?
You have to find out what you want to get out of nano and set your sights on that.
Good luck!
*Here endeth the rant*
“Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there’s no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters…then all that matters is what we do. ‘Cause that’s all there is. What we do. Now. Today.”
taken from Angel (series 2, episode 16 – Epiphany)
Go writer!
Well said!
I am in complete agreement! I have used some Nano prompts, but they have helped the story. The best thing about Nano? It makes you write. I am 13k words closer to a completed novel than 30th October.
Happy Writing!
Well said! You ARE a writer and you know what, so am I.
Yesterday I read the week two chapter of the book the nano founder, Chris Baty, wrote. It included lots of helpful advice but I was appalled by the tricks for cheating with your word count. For example, if your character is called Bob, call him Bob Tiberius the Second Earl of Northumberland (I made that up) and automatically every time you mention his name you have added an extra six words to your count. Hello. I actually want to write. The 50,000 target is not the most important part!
I think next year I'm going to write a novel about a woman writing a blog. Cos then it would be easy!
Keep typing.
Agreed… And not only because I once said jam 700 times to my cat (end result? Totally not impressed with fruit conserves of any sort) but because you totally have a valid point. I mean, don't get me wrong, everyone does Nano for different reasons, but surely wanting to actually *write* should be one of them?
Great post. Great epiphany… Posiphany??
It could work.