by Anne R. Allen
Okay, I’ll confess: I have never been tempted to join in NaNoWriMo. That doesn’t mean I don’t admire the heck out of people who can do it.
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in a little over month. You can’t argue with that kind of success.
But some writers prefer to spend more time writing the first draft and less time fixing it later, so NaNoWriMo doesn’t work for them.
Others don’t respond well to the “boot camp” mentality needed to participate in NaNoWriMo. It can even do them physical or psychological harm.
So What Exactly is NaNoWriMo?
For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo stands for “National Novel Writing Month.” The “nation” of the title was originally the USA, but NaNo is now a worldwide event with over 600 regions on six continents.
NaNoWriMo was started in 1999 by a young San Franciscan named Chris Baty—and 21 of his verbally ambitious friends. It challenges you to write a complete novel in a month. That month is November.
And it’s why so many of your online writer friends disappeared from groups and forums on November 1st.
Anybody who finishes 50,000 words by midnight November 30th is a winner. There’s no prize but a badge for your blog. Completion of your novel is its own reward.
“Winning” NaNoWriMo doesn’t help you get an agent or publisher. In fact, when you send out a novel that started in NaNoWriMo, don’t mention it in your query. Agents see so many unedited, sucky-first-draft NaNo novels in their slush piles every December, the phrase can be the kiss of death.
However, hundreds of NaNoWriMo novels actually have been successfully published after they’ve been edited and polished. Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Hugh Howey’s Wool, and Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl all started as NaNo projects.
To enter, people needed to register at NaNoWriMo’s site before November first in order to have their word count verified at the end of the month. It doesn’t cost a thing.
Why Join in NaNoWriMo?
NaNo can benefit a lot of writers:
- Perfectionists who need to silence their inner critics.
- People-Pleasers who have been rewriting the first chapter of their novels for years, trying to please every beta reader and critique group who’ve read it.
- Wannabes who have always thought they “had a novel in them” but never could get around to it.
- Writers who have a bunch of half-written novels in their files, but never seem to be able to finish them.
- Extroverts who tend to “talk out” their story ideas in bars and coffee shops but never sit down at the keyboard.
- People who thrive on group energy.
- Writers who love to have an excuse to stay out of the holiday-saturated marketplace and maybe even skip that Thanksgiving dinner with your political-ranting Uncle Jake.
The process of forcing out the words allows many writers to knock down the walls of self-criticism they’ve built in their heads and get to the heart of their stories.
These writers find NaNoWriMo an exciting, liberating experience.
But NaNo Doesn’t Work for Everybody.
- Some people can’t deal with the push-yourself-beyond-your-limits mentality necessary to “win” NaNo.
- Others prefer writing the first draft to editing.
- Some have physical disabilities that make it hard to keep at the same task for long periods of time.
- Professional writers may have other writing obligations like magazine articles, blogs, and columns to write as well as marketing duties, so they can’t devote a whole month to one writing project.
- Many have family and job obligations that make it impossible to reserve that much time in one month. Especially right before the holidays.
Most of those are true of me.
Why NaNoWriMo Can Be Dangerous for Some Writers
I’m not alone in my lack of a personal desire to join NaNoWriMo. Fonda Lee, whose Jade City came out from Orbit on November 7th, wrote about about his NaNo “failures” on Chuck Wendig’s blog .
Fonda said: “I have what feels like a dirty secret: I write slowly. You know how some writers do word sprints where they shoot for a thousand words an hour, or aim for twenty thousand words in a weekend? I’m not that person.”
The post resonated with me. I have quite a bit of self-discipline, but I tend to go catatonic when I’m pushed beyond my limits.
In my daily life, I’m already pushing myself about as far as my limits go, and if I push beyond them, I don’t have bursts of insight, I have bouts of suicidal despair.
Studies show there’s a physiological explanation for this. Recent scientific research shows that if you use the part of your brain devoted to intense analytical thought for too long, it can trigger depression, which afflicts the same part of the brain.
The Andrews and Thomson Brain Research
Researchers Paul W. Andrews, and J. Anderson Thomson Jr. showed there’s a link between the kind of deep thought needed to think through something complex, like plotting a novel, and the “rumination” that is a classic symptom of depression.
It’s as if you get stuck in a dark part of the brain and can’t get out.
This has happened to me, with dangerous results. Depression and anxiety run in my family, as does suicide, so I don’t take chances with my mental health anymore. I know that no matter how much I love being “on a roll” with my writing, I need to take regular breaks to go outside, listen to music, socialize, or do anything that will take me out of that “deep thought” part of my brain.
If you have tendency to depression or anxiety, and you are feeling your mood sinking during NaNoWriMo, take a breather.
Just because you have talent for deep imaginative thought doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do it for long stretches at a time.
The Highly Sensitive Writer vs. a Boot Camp Mentality
Why does a lot of intense brain activity have a bad effect on me, but can be exhilarating for other people?
I’m one of those people that psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron called “Highly Sensitive Persons.”
Yes, this is a real thing. It’s a biological difference that occurs in about 15% of the general population. But the percentage of writers who are HSPs is probably higher.
HSPs have heightened senses. We see more, hear more, and experience things more intensely than other people. We’re more likely to have allergies and food sensitivities.
We also hear dog whistles and other ultrasonics and are overwhelmed by intense smells, tastes, and loud sounds. (A neighbor kid loved to torture me when I was a kid by blowing a dog whistle in my ear. He refused to believe I could hear it.)
HSPs often have to withdraw into a safe, darkened place to meditate and “reset” our senses after we’ve become overstimulated.
HSPs are Sentinels, not Warriors
Some people will say HSPs like me are just wimps. But that’s because those people’s senses don’t work the way HSP senses do. That’s like a non-hearing person telling hearing people they’re wimps because they run out of a building when the fire alarm goes off.
HSPs don’t need to be fixed or medicated, and we’re not better or worse than other people. We’re just different.
HSPs are the canaries in life’s coal mines. The human race has always needed us, because we sensed danger before the rest of the tribe. We are meant to be shamans and sentinels, not warriors.
And a lot of us find we’re pretty good writers. HSPs tend to have vivid imaginations, and with more empathy than most people, we can “get into the heads” of many different characters.
But boot camps are for warriors, so they don’t work for a lot of us. That level of intensity can make us crash, like a computer with too many tabs open.
If you think you might be an HSP, here’s a quiz from Dr. Elaine Aron.
If You’re Not Enjoying NaNoWriMo, There’s Nothing Wrong with You
I’m not saying that all HSPs will slip into depression if they immerse themselves in NaNoWriMo. Some people—sensitive or not—find the structure of something like NaNo helps them do their best work.
They’re more likely to sit down and spill what’s in their imaginations onto the page if they have a deadline or some other outside incentive to get it done.
But if you’re an HSP participating in NaNoWriMo, do take frequent breaks and drink lots of water. (Showers and baths often provide a soothing way to calm down, too.)
And if you find NaNo is making you miserable–whether or not you’re an HSP—or you’re really unhappy with what’s coming out on the page, don’t despair. You haven’t failed. Listen to what Fonda Lee says:
“You can take your time, build your skills, and write toward your singular vision slowly and in stages. If NaNoWriMo works for you, fabulous. If it doesn’t, fabulous. Like me, you can stink at it year after year and still end up with a bunch of books to your name. Don’t confuse speed for progress.”
Slow Writers are Good Writers, Too.
Remember NaNo is essentially a game. Most NaNo books take many months to edit and revise, so the bottom line number of hours needed to complete your book is probably equal whether you “win” NaNo or not.
There’s nothing wrong with composing your first draft slowly. I wrote about being a slow writer last year and found my words resonated with a lot of writers.
Many successful writers do not write fast. It took Tolkien 15 years to write the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And even in the digital age, many writers don’t churn out novels at lightning speed. Michael Chabon took 5 years to write Telegraph Avenue, and Donna Tartt and Jeffrey Eugenides take about 10 years each to produce a novel. Plus everybody knows George R. R. Martin writes slowly. Fans complain, but he’s not exactly a failure.
So if you don’t fit in with the NaNoWriMo crowd, don’t despair. You’re in good company.
***
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) November 12, 2017
What about you scriveners? Have you attempted NaNoWriMo? Did you “win”? What motivated you to enter? Do you find a”boot camp” mentality works for you? Are you a Highly Sensitive Person? Do you enjoy the first draft part of the writing process more than the editing part?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
The first book in the Camilla comedy-mystery series
Ever wanted to kill off a snarky critique workshop leader who stomps on new writers’ dreams? Yeah, me too. And I did it in this book.
The always-polite Camilla Randall meets murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong at a dodgy writers’ conference in the California wine-and-cowboy town of Santa Ynez.
And it’s only 99c or the equivalent all the Amazons internationally.
also iTunes, Kobo, Inktera, Scribd and NOOK.
Also available at Google Play.
It’s also in paper at Amazon , Barnes and Noble and Walmart
“Beneath the froth, Allen’s mordant satire of the US publishing establishment – and the media’s madness – is spot on. Highly recommended and great fun!” Dr. John Yeoman.
I’m with you, Anne. Part of what I enjoy about being a writer is having a flexible schedule. NaNoWriMo forces a rigidity that I’m not willing to experience. At least for now.
Kathy–That structure works great for some people, and I have a pretty structured life, but I do need time to take care of my house and health. Losing that time can lead to some disasters I don’t need to put myself through. And yes, there has to be some time for spontaneity and human interaction.
I didn’t know that about sensitive people, especially writers. That does give you limits that you need to respect to stay sane and happy.
I am a slow writer. 350 words a minute. Tops. Which means to hit the daily minimum to win NaNo is around five hours. Have I done it? Yes. I won in 2010 and came really close in 2012. I think the only reasons it works for me is that my wife is understanding and allows me those hours every day for a month, I outline to death before I ever begin, and the fact I am one lazy writer. That last one may sound like it wouldn’t help me, but without the push of winning NaNo, I tend to write even slower and with less motivation. I’m lazy, but with a goal in sight, be damned if I’m not going to hit it!
And both of those manuscripts I wrote went on to be published books.
Ha ha, Alex. Did you really mean 350 words a minute? 😉 That’s faster than I can write.
Alex–Haha. Per minute would be qualify as a superpower. But I do realize you mean per hour. And there’s nothing wrong with that. So congrats on doing NaNo in spite of being a slow writer.
But if you write 5 hours a day and have a day job, you do need some super-helpful family members to pick up the slack. You’re lucky to have that!
This is a comfort to read. I want to write fast. I started writing at 55. I wanted a published novel by the time I was 60. Time moves so fast the older you get. I’m 61. I might have a decent novel finished this year. I can write a lot. It’s just that a lot of it needs to be cut.
The questionnaire was an eye opener. Thanks for sharing.
Ann–I think what takes the most time is learning craft and getting to know the crazy ways of the publishing business. NaNo teaches you to write your first draft fast, but it doesn’t help with the editing and revising–so I think it comes out to about the same amount of time spent in the end. But each book teaches you to write the next one, so it gets easier. And usually faster. 🙂
Elaine Aron’s work is amazing. She helps so many people who have always felt “different’ but didn’t know why.
Never even tempted! 🙂
Ruth–I think long-time pros don’t need it. 🙂
Thanks – once more. And to misquote Robin Williams’ Mork, “Nano, Nano.” Sorry about that.
CS–Just don’t give us any of your Orkian shazbot!
Your perspective is fascinating, Anne, and it resonates powerfully with me. I took that “HSP” test and scored 20 (at 14, you’re considered HSP.) It’s interesting that there’s a name for this, and I wholly agree with you that we don’t need to be medicated (!) or fixed, although it doesn’t hurt to find strategies that work for us to mitigate some of the stress.
I’ve never been drawn to NaNoMo; of course, I write short stories, so maybe that’s a moot question. I don’t like pressure, and I tend to be very perfectionist when I write. Which has a strong side and a weak side: I enjoy revising, and do so extensively, but I tend not to even finish stories when I feel the bones of it aren’t extremely good, which is seldom. In other words, if I’m not pretty sure that the story is worth writing. I’m at quite an impasse at the moment.
Tricia–A lot of short story writers tend to be perfectionists. I wonder if more HSPs write short stories than novels? I strongly recommend Dr. Aron’s book the Highly Sensitive Person. It really changed my life! It was so great to know I wasn’t “crazy” and there are other people who hear ultrasonics and “read minds” the way I always could.
I joined NaNo a couple of times in the early days but never made it through the month. I agree that it can be a good motivator for some, but I’m a reactionary and if someone tells me I HAVE to do something, you can be pretty darn sure I will do the opposite. I work well under deadlines, but only if they are MY self-imposed ones. And like you, I have too many other responsibilities to commit to that many words in a day. But kudos to those who continue with their projects into editing and revision toward a polished ms!
Eldonna–We seem to be of like minds. All you have to do is tell me I HAVE to do something, and I’ll put my rebel shoes on and get the heck out of there. Also, I always have my best writing ideas when I’m doing something else. (Standing in line at the supermarket is good.) But if I’m just staring at a screen, nothing happens. I think my muse is a rebel, too. 🙂
Super-sensitive person here but will always have a soft spot for NaNo: some years back, when a medically-induced crisis of self had me NOT writing for a very long time, it got my perfectionist butt in the chair and words flowing on the page and, paradoxically, forced me to do a pretty good outline, because NaNo doesn’t wait till you feel like writing the next scene; I had to be able to jump ahead and write whatever my brain WAS willing to work on.
I’ve spent most of my NaNos since revising what I had and enjoying the camaraderie of the forums. Mainly I wish I’d had this back when I was a student writing in the void.
This year NaNo (and the time-change) pushed my sorely-lacking discipline a step further: by 7am I’m in the coffee shop writing before work. The new house has been making so many demands this first year, kicking my butt, I’d forgotten what “me” time felt like. Anyway, fellow NaNo writers inspired the schedule change–which I actually said wasn’t gonna work but promised to try.
Even though I seriously want to be a good writer I’m still largely a recreational one, but this new habit may yet translate into a beyond-NaNo writing habit. New house, garden and all.
Gabriella–The community of NaNoWrimers is fantastic, and that’s probably the biggest draw for a lot of writers. We work “in the void” so often, and finding community is tough. But during NaNo–everybody’s right there in the forums. And often they meet in person too. Our Nightwriters club just had a writing session yesterday.
That’s why I said not all HSPs have a bad experience. Sometimes having fellow writers to give you energy and urge you on is exactly what you need. I’m glad to hear you’ve been enjoying it.
And congrats on the new house and garden! ‘
Your detailed scientific descriptions were an incredible boost to my self-esteem! I always thought I just had to admit being a wimp. Thanks Anne. Writing slowly is all I’ll have as long as I’m a day-job dilettante.
Will–Nope. you’re not a wimp. We’re the wizards, not the Orc-slayers. 🙂 And an awful lot of writers have day jobs. Writing doesn’t pay as well as it used to. We all have to pay the bills, and only a tiny handful of writers can do it 100% from book sales.
I am HSP and have the heart condition to prove it (SVT induced by loud noises.) Haven’t been to a movie in 20 years, as the noise level sends me to emerg. Was greatly relieved to find I was not alone when medicine recognized this condition.
Although I tell my students about Nanowrimo and encourage them if they want to try it, I also warn that it’s not reality. Professional writers of many books do so by writing every week. Writing is built into their lives; it isn’t a manic activity for one month of the year.
Melodie–More evidence that we’re somehow related! I find the sound in movies painful too. Luckily as I age my hearing has diminished a bit so I no longer hear the high-pitched whine of TVs and electronics that are “on” but not playing. That was painful.
“Not reality” is a good way to put it. If you’re going to be a pro, you have to establish a writing process that works every day of every month, not just one manic month.
Hi Anne,
I signed up for NaNoWriMo – my second go. Surprisingly I ‘won’ last time. This year I don’t think I have a hope in hell. However…what I like about NaNoWriMo is that it forces me to focus on a project. My books are non-fiction and I tend to write them in bits and pieces and then try to put the pieces together in a coherent fashion. Rather than using work as an excuse to not get anything done on the latest book, I find that the book is always in my mind. As I drive kids hither and yon, I’m thinking through the content of a chapter or I’m piecing things together in my mind. I may not actually complete the 50,000 words, but I certainly have a better mental framework for the project…and some words in a Word Doc by the end of the month.
Barb–It sounds as if NaNo may work well for nonfiction. I’ve just finished a nonfiction book and had the same experience as you did. I had bits and pieces of it written for ages, but couldn’t get myself to sit down and put them all together. It’s so much harder to do than write a novel. I think that’s because writing a novel is like hanging out with friends. It’s full of characters you want to get to know better. And you want to find out what will happen to them. So you look forward to sitting down to the page.
But putting bits and pieces of information together to make a coherent whole takes a whole lot more discipline. At least it did for me. And it does require intense focus. If NaNo provides that for you–great!
I’ve “competed” in NaNoWriMo a few times, although rarely have I hit the magic 50k words. The real value to me has been in the sense of community as I bat out a first draft. Plus, I’ll admit it, I love the way the website lets you track word count.
But what is dangerous, is how so many folks feel once they have finished a month of intense writing the book is . . . DONE! NaNoWriMo promotes deals to get the book into print asap, buy a book cover that’s ready for Amazon, etc. There is a rah rah vibe that you have finished a novel and it is ready to go on 1 December. New writers think that their hastily written draft is ready for a global audience, which is rarely, rarely true. Few of us are Dickens.
So to use NaNoWriMo as a writing tool, to jumpstart your content, to experiment with the direction of a novel, or even to simply practice, it is a terrific thing. But to believe you’ll come out of it with an immediately publishable book is not realistic.
Sorry to sound cranky 🙁
Carmen–I think the sense of community is the major plus for a lot of people. Writers need to get out of their mental “garrets” and NaNo is a great way to do that.
But you’re so right about the NOT-done books! If you think you sound cranky, you should hear the agents! In December their inboxes are so full of crappy, unedited manuscripts that one even advises not to query in December at all, because the slush readers start to hate everything.
I figure you can dash off your first draft in November and spend 6 months to a year revising, or you can spend 6 months to a year writing a more polished work. Both ways takes about the same amount of time to arrive at a publishable manuscript..
Like you, I usually find NaNoWriMo’s emphasis on cramming a lot of writing into a single month off-putting (and November is a really bad choice for something like this, IMO), but this year I was ready for it.
You said “Recent scientific research shows that if you use the part of your brain devoted to intense analytical thought for too long, it can trigger depression, which afflicts the same part of the brain.” Well, that’s exactly what my problem has been lately — I’ve done nothing but edit other people’s work for the past year, and found myself drifting toward the Slough of Despond. I was desperate for a creative outlet, so I decided to give NaNo a whirl this year. I had a plot, I just needed to sit down and write. Having a little extra incentive (NaNo) to write every day has helped, because I’ve already written more than 25K of my first draft, and I expect to have done about 3 times that by the time the month is over. So even we HSP Sentinel types can benefit from NaNoWriMo, if we have the right mental approach. (I don’t do all the social stuff, but I do occasionally brag about my word count on Facebook, because that’s one less kitten video I need to post.) 😉
Most years, NaNoWriMo would drive me crazy, but this year I think it’s saving my sanity.
Lisa–Andrews and Thomson didn’t include this in their research, but I have a theory that any “repetitive motion” of the brain can probably trigger the problem. So anything that’s a break from the same-old/same-old will probably do you good. Sounds as if NaNo is providing that break in your case.
I know that editing triggers depression in me, too. When I worked as a freelance editor, I definitely got “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” of the brain. It’s tough to be always on deadline and working too many hours on the same manuscript.
Congrats on the 25K words!
I love Nano. This is my seventh year participating, plus I usually do Camp Nano in April and July as well. I scored 21 on the HSP quiz, so yes, I think I qualify.
I never saw Nano as “boot camp”. What I loved about it was that it gave me permission to focus on my writing for a month. I said ‘no’ to any other commitments in November. I have had seasonal depression, with November being one of my worst months, and I could just focus on my creative life. I had a reason for putting off Christmas preparations until December, when my depression would be less.
I learned a lot about what I was capable of with Nano. I have published Nano and Camp Nano books. I do write the rest of the year as well, usually with a word quota of 5,000 words per day while drafting. I write a pretty clean first draft, and I enjoy both the drafting and the editing stages.
P.D. Congratulations! You’re one of the ones who feels liberated by NaNo. (And it sounds as if you’re one of the ones who relishes the excuse to get out of onerous family obligations like listening to Uncle Jake’s rants.) 🙂
Whenever I’ve tried to do Nano, I find that my word count outpaces my forethought. Doesn’t matter if I had an outline or not. Eventually I’ve written beyond what I had planned, and I start writing garbage. Characters spend pages introverting because I’m trying to pad the word count. 1000k a night is comfortable for me. I write 50k in two months. In fact, I just wrote three novels back to back. I can’t do November–I’ve gotta have my downtime. 1667 words a night is just a wee bit too much for my brain.
Kessie–I’ve had writing sessions like that often. I try to write past my limit for one reason or another and I chase one shiny thing after another and lose the plot. Literally.
Every so often there’s a good idea in there, but the clean-up is usually massive and it takes me longer to fix it than if I’d just taken more time in the first place.
I’m doing NaNo this year and I agree with and empathize with many of the things you wrote. My “mental” approach to NaNo this year is to look at it as a discover draft. Not a first draft per se, and I have an outline, but it’s great for reinforcing the writing habit and giving yourself something to work with later, even if it’s a page one rewrite. Having a well written, completed novel after one month is not realistic and isn’t worth the stress.
Brian–I love the idea of a “discover” draft. I think that’s what some people do when they outline. just heard from a friend on Facebook who says she writes 1600 words on a novel in 15 minutes. 1600 words takes me about two days. That shows that we all have very different processes. Now I could write an outline that fast. But then I always throw out my outlines somewhere around chapter 5. 🙂
I’ve never been tempted by NaNo. My full-time job hours increase in November which may be the main reason. But also, I cannot write garbage. As a former English teacher, it is simply not in my makeup to write a sloppy first draft. I revise and rewrite constantly as I’m going forward. When I’m finished, my first draft is really a second, so I wouldn’t come anywhere close to the goal. But even working full time, I manage to complete one novel a year.
Fred–I’ve always figured that NaNo, like April Love is for the very young. (Are you old enough to get that reference? Haha.) People who work retail, or are preparing a house for the holidays, cooking and cleaning and taking care of family–are not going to be able to take November to write a novel.
We’re lucky if we can write a shopping list. And if we work full time, too? Fuhgeddaboudit!
And if you’re a grammar maven, you can’t let stuff sit on the page. It hurts the soul.
That’s a lot of assumptions. Many people are able to write a very clean draft quickly. If you can’t, that’s fine, but don’t assume that everyone writes the same way.
I have always worked full time through Nanowrimo and Camp Nano, for most years was also homeschooling, and sometimes training for a half-marathon, managing the women’s ministry for my church, or cooking for a food fair at the same time.
P. D. Well, I guess you’re just a super-person. Better than the rest of us. Congrats!!
For the whippersnappers here’s April Love and Pat Boone in all his young glory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=von9jW-_eqI I thought he was pretty wonderful when I was 8 years old.
I have never been tempted to participate. For me, a highly HSP, it would be similar to going into the ocean, which I can’t do either. The relentless waves, the relentless pressure; must produce this many words now, and now, and now again. Couldn’t do it!
Christine–That’s a great metaphor. That kind of pressure is like swimming in the ocean as opposed to a lake. I grew up very happily swimming in lakes and even Long Island Sound, but the open ocean was sooooo scary! Too much going on. I did it, even right after ice-out in May in Maine, but I’d never do it again!
I took the test and scored 23! I have long suspected that I was HSP but since so many people dismissed my concerns and even think I’m exaggerating, I have learned to keep quiet about it. (A part of me also doesn’t want to believe there’s such a thing.) Sounds do set me on an edge. So much so that I have to wear earphones at work to tune out all the background noise. It almost causes me physical discomfort. I can’t wear wooly clothes, especially if they are synthetic as they feel like scratches on my skin. Seams in socks hurt too. I’ve always thought everyone was like that though!
It explains a lot though. Why I can’t stand untidiness in a room (too much sensory input from all the clutter), why I’m drawn to minimalism (it pares down our lives to the very basic, so less overwhelm) and why I hate having too many choices in anything haha.
Anyway being a HSP with Type A tendencies, I tend to push myself to extremes, often to my detriment. I often end up sick after an extremely challenging effort at something. In fact, I actually fell sick after my first Nanowrimo! So yes, I’m drawn to Nanowrimo because of the challenge and have participated in all of them and won all of them. However, my first Nanowrimo didn’t produce a workable draft – I hardly used a single word from it. The second one I was “rebelling” so I wrote several projects but didn’t complete any 😛 This is my third Nanowrimo, and I hope to produce my first workable draft.
The current Nanowrimo is less arduous than my first because I have a detailed outline. My years as a journalist has also trained me to write very fast – I can write up to 2000 words in an hour. On a good day I write about three to four hours, but usually I write only an hour a day. It always reassures me that I only need to write an hour a day, and interestingly often go two hours because I’m “in the flow”. That helps my HSP-ness I suppose? This Nano, I only write one-to-two hours a day as apposed to the four-six hours of my first Nano.
But I think Nano works for me as I under write my first drafts and only add in more detailed stuff later. I don’t sweat the small stuff when I write my first draft – so that helps too. If you labour over every word it will slow you down significantly.
That said, I don’t quite believe Nano is for everyone. Nano works for me only because a) I under write my first drafts b) I type fast c) I’ve perfected my writing process to the point where I can write even uninspired and in a short amount of time.
Elizabeth–I highly recommend Dr. Elaine Aron’s book THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON. It literally changed my life. I started taking care of myself instead of beating myself up for not being calloused enough. We’re just different.
Writing an hour a day sounds like an excellent writing practice. I certainly don’t have your output, but I always write at least that much per day. The dangers come when you write for 8-12 hours in a day. That’s too much for some brains.
A lot of times I don’t even write every day, Anne. I used to feel guilty about it, but I now realise that’s my way of processing things. I have to let go of my need to be competitive and stuff. For example, yesterday, a friend of mine completed a 10k day. Yup, she wrote 10k in a day! I know I possibly can do that, but I probably won’t like myself very much after that. I wrote about 4k in two hours and felt that “down” sensation right after where I got quite depressed about my life. I remembered what you said in your article and realised that’s probably my overstimulated brain reacting.
Thanks for the book rec! I will look it up and perhaps it’ll help clear things up for me.
Elizabeth–I’m glad my article helped you process that. Fast is just one way of writing. Lots of great writers write slowly. Do read D. Aron’s work. Her website is a good place to start–that’s where the quiz is that I linked to.
I’ve a lot of respect for NaNo writers (Marissa Meyer’s “Cinder” is one of the great success stories), but it was never for me. I’m too extroverted; I need to socialize, and NaNo + day job = no socializing. I also think November is uniquely terrible for NaNo: you lose at least a day to coming down from Halloween, two more days to Thanksgiving and/or Black Friday, another day for elections, and usually a weekend for whatever geeky blockbuster is being released mid-November (new Harry Potter/Hunger Games/etc). Suddenly, you have about 24 days to finish a novel, >2000 words a day. So nope, not for me.
Irvin–I agree that November is not the best month for people with families and job obligations. Since “the Holidays” starts with Halloween now and really doesn’t let up until January 2nd, it’s the worst time to have a huge, solitary task. Unless, of course, you want an excuse to avoid the Holidaying altogether. 🙂
I’d first heard about this “thing” back in ’08 and after I’d read about the requirements, I thought it was much ado about nothing. If you’re gonna write, you’re gonna write and you don’t need a yearly “contest” in which the only reward is writing a slushie novel.in which to do it.
Personally, I’m a mega slow writer, even when I’m passionate about a particular story I’m writing. I don’t have the time to put myself under a pointless deadline like NaNoNaNoNaNoNaNo (channeling Mork from Ork).
G. B.–I think some people thrive on group energy, so joining in feels like fun. But if you don’t have that need to “join the club” then there’s no incentive. I’m a slow writer too, so I empathize. Several Morks have showed up here today! 🙂
I didn’t know what to think about NaNoWriMo – I don’t normally write my first draft in a month, but new at writing novels. I look at the prolific writers, ie James Patterson, and think wow! I have been doing them in about three months – and then having them read for story plot and then editing them a couple of times. This is how I do it. This is my first NaNoWriMo and I find the pace acceptable, I am ahead of their schedule although behind the one I set for myself, not a problem. I expect to make 50k, unless the horrible happens and my story runs out! The synopsis I put on the NaNo page is already wrong and the quick cover has become misleading to the content. This happens to me all the time, it is why I find putting something on my page about my up coming book(s) difficult. I have no idea where they are going to go! I have even changed the Main Antagonist twice, it started off as the mother, then became the daughter and now it is a prissy woman that the mother knows. Why, it fits the story that has become better. Ut-oh – I might have to change it again now that I let slipped that spoiler out.
So what do I think about NaNo as a first timer. I am pretty much motivated once I commit, so that something that I need, but I found the letter from Dean Koontz to be excellent for just about any application and I plan on using all of his points to help a friend of mine stay motivated in another field. I have told him it all before, but Dean did a better job of it. I think it is refreshing to see people that actually want to help each other succeed in comparison to many of the FB people who I don’t believe want to be negative, but do so.
I enjoy the self competition and knowing that I have to get a minimum amount of words done – I didn’t compare it all with boot camp in any way. It simply isn’t that tough. I mean the worst that can happen is you don’t write 50k words. This shouldn’t be seen as some do or die event, it’s not. It is about competition with yourself and sharing some some fun at the same time. I never would be talking about his if I had not participated. Does it make me feel good to meet the daily goal, yes. I didn’t find it crushing when I didn’t even write yesterday.
After much long windiness and no editing (be kind) I would say that overall it is a good experience so far. I will break 25K today and I am happy with that.
I don’t see many aspects of it working for me all the time, although it might for some, but certainly there is always something to learn. It is an interesting challenge and worth doing, at least once.
Great Article as always! Thanks! Vince
Vince–I do that too. I write an outline and usually end up ditching it by about chapter 8. New stuff keeps coming into the story and taking it more interesting places. And I often don’t know who the murderer is until the end. We’re in good company. Agatha Christie didn’t either. After she wrote the ending, she’d go back and put in the clues. .
Being Male…The HSP, isn’t the best thing to be stuck with, But I have it to the tune of 17 on the test…
It fits me to a “T” … When I listen to that little voice in my head warn me of things…It works,, But learning to listen is a skill in its self,
When I try to explain to people that I feel what you feel in touch….well 🙂
We are looking at houses to buy..mid-Century because they have a better feeling then New does, you feel the life that lived in them… good and bad, We have walked out a few because the vibe was wrong.
Yea trying to explain this to other Alpha-Males is no-doer 🙂
But it does make writing easier because we can let the Character lead….
C.A.–That’s a very interesting observation about houses. They do have “vibes.” I remember looking at houses that looked perfectly fine, but I wanted to leave immediately. But I couldn’t explain why.
I think lots of people have those sensitivities but don’t realize it. I used to work in a little antique shop and I’d do this experiment and it would work every time: I’d choose four or five objects in the store in the morning and pick them up and give them a little dusting and loving care. When the customers came in, they almost always picked up those same objects–and often bought them. I suppose most of the customers wouldn’t have called themselves “sensitives,” but they were tuning into something.
Great post! I am currently involved in my first attempt at NaNoWriMo even though I know I’m a slow writer. The past couple of years l slipped into a severe case of the doldrums where my writing is concerned. The creative spark was still there, but the drive to write was not. I dove into NaNoWriMo in the hope of recapturing my drive. I managed to get out 11,000 words in the first week before I burned out. But I have since allowed myself to continue on at my own pace. Even though I won’t hit that 50,000 word mark by the end of the month, I consider myself a winner. NaNoWriMo has done what I did not seem able to do myself–get me writing again. I love the line by Fonda Lee: “Don’t confuse speed for progress.” I feel good about my writing at this time. I am making progress!
Leanna–Since NaNo jump-started your creativity, that’s definitely winning! Congrats.
I took that quiz and am a HSP. But I already knew that. I do participate in Nano, but have never gotten 50K words and don’t stress over it. At least I don’t think I do. But I use to help me push through getting words on the page. My first novel, The Art of Healing, is the result of a Camp Nano. I wrote 21K words, the most I’d ever written on anything, so I felt like a winner.
Jeanne–It sounds as if you’re an HSP who knows how to take care of yourself. By joining in but not actually “competing” you can have the fun and none of the stress. Congrats on finding the path that’s right for you!
The analogy about the canary in the coal mine really resonated with me. I was one of the children of the ’70s who was discovered to be allergic to artificial ingredients in processed foods. I used to think it was unfair that such an allergy would affect me and no one else I knew, but as I grew older I realized that perhaps the purpose of my allergy was that of a canary in the coal mine, a warning to others to avoid artificial ingredients.
Since then it’s been revealed that artificial food dyes are carcinogenic (they are petrochemicals, after all).
I’ve never taken part in NaNoWriMo because I’m a slow writer and see no need to change that.
Robert–You are certainly not alone. I know a number of people who are allergic to all that stuff. What really gets to me are artificial fragrances. Automatic coughing fit when I get near the detergent aisle in the supermarket.
I think people who really enjoy the writing process sometimes want to savor it. Doing things fast often means you don’t get to enjoy the journey as much.
Great article, Anne. I completely agree with your breakdown. I did NaNo once and though I liked the pressure, there were things about it that didn’t work for me. Now I do it unofficially… basically, I dedicate a month to writing, but write the way I like to write.
Loved this Anne. I’m with you girl. I don’t have the time or inclination to hop on the Nano train but applaud those who do. And nice to know you are a fellow HSP. I visited the link, scanned the questions and just knew I’d pass with flying colors. LOL. 🙂
Debby–We tend to have a lot of empathy, which can be good and bad. Sometimes with so many rotten things going on out there the way they are now, we feel traumatized all the time. But talking it out with other HSPs helps. 🙂
You are bang on Anne. It can be so taxing on our emotional systems. And yes, it’s important to find like-minded souls to expel all we are harboring – emotional release. 🙂
I took part in NaNo a few years ago. I wasn’t bothered about winning, I just needed something to get me started on a book I’d been putting off for ages, and NaNo worked well for that. I didn’t finish the first draft in a month – more like three – but I was happy with that. The rewriting and editing took longer, of course, but at least I had something to work with. As they say, you can’t edit a blank page!
Annabelle–It sounds as if you approached NaNo in exactly the right way. I think for beginning writers it’s a fabulous way to jumpstart your writing. Congrats on writing the book in three months. That’s still an amazing achievement!
As a procrastinating perfectionist, I like that NaNoWriMo forces me to sit down and write. Last year at this time I decided to finally take the plunge and start working on a novel. However, without a looming deadline to spur me on it made it that much harder. I worked a little here and there and managed only three chapters which by October I decided to scrap and start over. Before starting NaNoWriMo, I worked on character arc and a basic outline. Now, I’m surpassing the minimum needed every day and am using this time to write the story interspersed with an extensive description of which each scene needs to contain. If I need to research something more fully, I have a note at the proper place. I find this hybrid method to be working well. It’s become my live action outline and I’m learning to sit down and write everyday. At the end of the month it will in no way resemble an actual novel, but it will give me a good head start in becoming serious about writing.
Cheryl–You are exactly the kind of person that NaNo is great for. When you’re all alone and think you want to write, but there’s always something more pressing–housework, yard work, family obligations, work work, friends problems, or just wanting to get out in the world. That’s when NaNo’s structure is just what you need to carve out that time and get that book started.
Using NaNo to research and outline is also a great way to do it. Writing character sketches can often give you insight you’d never have if you just went scene to scene. Congrats on getting that novel off to a good start!
Hey Anne,
You know I have a kind of love/hate thing with NANO. I took a shot at it a couple times when I was much younger and never ‘won.’ And did find it exhausting and not very gratifying.
But then I also did it last year – I had a book I was planning anyway, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have a little cheer leading along the way and I wanted to connect with other writers as well. As it turns out, I ‘won’ and went well past the 50K words (I still would argue that 50K isn’t quite a novel) as well. But after all was said and done, I didn’t derive much pleasure from it. The constant emails and somewhat remedial live videos did nothing to motivate or inspire me. I simply spent a lot of time writing book 2 in a trilogy that I had planned to write anyway. So for me, it was kind of meh.
I don’t think it had any particularly negative effect on me but I wouldn’t say positive either.
I do think that every writer should try it once – just for the experience. If you don’t reach the golden 50K that’s okay. the experience can tell you a lot of things though – can you write fast? is fast write utter schlock when you write it, or do you pretty well? how you do by writing under pressure? can you demand and get the free time to put in that kind of writing schedule? do you like to write fast? To me, these are all good things for writers to learn about themselves and could help them tremendously as they pursue their careers.
For example, my day job is copy writing and if you want to survive you have to develop ways to write fast(er) or you’ll die of starvation. You can’t take five years to write website copy. So I have found ways to write quickly – for my day job. With fiction, I don’t write slowly but I definitely take my time in the editing and revision stages.
LOL – I think I’m blathering at this point. All in all, I’d say doing it the few times I did was okay for me and I learned things about myself and my own writing skills. But NO writer should ever feel they have to do NANO. And if they feel they must, they probably shouldn’t.
Annie
Annie–“If they feel they must, they probably shouldn’t” Very good advice. 🙂 It’s true about writing fast. We learn by doing. Work as a copywriter or a journalist for a few months and you’ll learn.
NaNo can definitely help a lot of new writers. Certainly the videos, etc, are aimed at beginners. So it’s like taking a writing class, which is usually a big help.
I only signed up for NaNoWriMo once, and I dropped out a couple days later. The whole thing intimidated me. For the first time, I was paralyzed when it came to writing. Just couldn’t write. Obviously, it’s not for me. But I have great admiration for those who persevere, and even more for those who emerge with a completed draft. Hats of too them. Alas, I just have to poke along at my own dreamy pace.
Elizabeth–I’ve always been paralyzed by pressure like that too. I was when I was in 1st or 2nd grade. I remember a teacher ordered us to copy some poem perfectly, not making any mistakes, I hardly ever made mistakes and had good penmanship. But when I was ordered not to make any, I kept messing up. I ended up in tears. It totally traumatized me. Some people need that kind of pressure to do their best work, but I do my worst.
I usually write or edit for a month, and then take a month off. I can easily finish a full rough draft in one month anyway (even outside of NaNoWriMo I’ve written multiple 100,000 word projects in one month – not multiple in the same month mind you). So for me, NaNoWriMo is just a fun way to write as much as I possibly can in a month, and I plan everything in advance.
That said, there is nothing wrong with writing slow. NaNoWriMo isn’t necessarily just about trying to win. For a lot of people, it’s a reason to try to write something, and if you’re in a region with local events, it’s an opportunity to meet other writers. In a sense, that’s a lot more important than whether you win or not.
healed–It sounds as if NaNo is great for you! Sounds like you probably don’t have a day job or kids to take care of. Cranking out the equivalent of War and Peace every month would be the end of some writers, but others seem to thrive on it.
No, I have a day job. I just naturally write fast (usually somewhere between 2-3 thousand an hour) and I have endurance to back that up.
On days off with a well planned bunch of chapters, I can write in the realm of 11,000 to 15,000 in one day. In fact my personal record is just under 21,000 words in a day. I wasn’t able to talk properly after that one though. Wouldn’t recommend.
It’s been SO liberating for me!
Nina–I’m glad to hear it. I know you’re a writer who’s more comfortable with the short form, so NaNo is probably great for breaking down some barriers for you. Congrats!
I’m an HSP, but I never thought about it in terms of NaNo. How interesting. Explains my utter reluctance every year to participate. I did log on this year, but . . . I just can’t. For a lot of the reasons you describe. Thanks so much for this article! Gives me a new perspective.
Amanda–You’re exactly the kind of person I was hoping to reach with this. I’m getting lots of comments here and on social media from the super-persons who can crank out War and Peace in 15 minutes, feed the baby, grease the car, and powder their nose at the same time. I’m happy for them. They must all be billionaires, with so many books out there in the marketplace.
But I don’t know any of those people. For which I am grateful. HSPs need to surround ourselves with other people who are empathetic and sensitive. People who bully themselves also tend to bully others. So enjoy the peace and quiet of November and maybe spend the month writing a haiku or a sonnet. The world doesn’t actually need more words. It needs more thoughtful words.
I don’t think I’d get as many stories out of my head if it wasn’t for NaNoWriMo. I started in 2007 and friends and family know that November is my month, and that I will be far less available than any other time of the year. It’s a tradition in our house.
I suffer from anxiety and depression. However, November is one of the highlights of my year. I’m big on stats and spreadsheets, and word count targets keep me going. I get excited when I’m close to milestones.
So far the next stage (editing) has snared me so none of my previous NaNo’s have been released into the wild, but that’s about to change in 2018.
And I’ll look more into HSP. It read like you were describing me.
Brian–I know just what you mean about “getting the stories out of your head.” That’s why NaNo works so well for some people. If they have the structure of NaNo they work better. I’m glad to hear it hasn’t triggered your depression.
And best of luck with the editing! It can be a bear, but it’s worth it when you see your book actually make it to the marketplace.
I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo a couple of times and ‘won’ because of my competitive nature. The progress of others kept me going to the finish line, however, it always left me mentally exhausted (I felt like I was participating in a race the whole time and had constant headaches). Being a slow writer, procrastinator and used to writing the shorter form, NaNoWriMo took me out of my comfort zone and taught me ways on how to improve. I found NaNoWriMo helpful in that I now know I need to work with some kind of an outline and use a timer to help get those words down in order to control that perfectionist streak. I don’t think I’ll participate again, but it has been quite a learning curve.
Thanks so much Anne for the information regarding HSP. Like others have stated, I always suspected that was the case for me and I think my sensitivity only increased after having both my children. I have a tendency on picking up on things that others can’t, so it’s good to know I’m not alone. I took the test with a high score and I’d be interested in reading the book.
Debbie–I wrote this post exactly for people like you who have tried NaNo and found it made them feel unwell and stressed. I’m glad to hear you had good results to balance that out. I’m so glad I could introduce you to Dr. Aron’s work.
And do remember that most of our great classic writers wrote slowly. Not Shakespeare or Dickens–but they were writing the ‘pulp fiction’ of their time. The world has room for both kinds of writers.
I loved this post. I have never been a fan of NaNo and have absolutely no desire to start. Though I haven’t tried it, the idea alone stresses me out lol. I am also not a fan of counting my word count. There is something annoying about that to me (though I don’t look down on those who do count, it’s just not for me.) I am also very sensitive. I can’t take too much over stimulation. Counting words and trying to beat the time, that’s too much lol.
Yecheilyah–There is NO reason to do NaNo if it isn’t fun. There’s no prize, no reward, nothing but the thrill of pushing yourself. But some people are already pushed beyond their limits and more pushing could literally kill them
People who try to guilt trip or bully others into participating in something that could do them harm are proving their own insensitivity. Insensitivity doesn’t usually make for good fiction. Give them a wide berth and keep doing your own thing. 🙂
I am a slow writer, and probably sensitive as well!
But this year I stumbled upon NaNoWriMo and accidentally wrote the first, exploratory draft of a novel, after having had this idea for 35 years that I’d probably write a novel, “when I was ready”.
I really struggled to just turn off my internal editor, but I managed to do that (along side frantic plotting!) and ‘won’ at 50,123 words.
Now, I switch back to slow mode, and for the first time, I have something that I can rewrite over and over, until it becomes a novel.
I wouldn’t have started if it wasn’t for NaNoWriMo. I do consider myself a slow writer, but I think that there’s a lot of value in learning how to produce a draft quickly, exploratory, because then – when the dust settles – I have something to work with other than a blank page 🙂
Jacob–Congratulations! You’re exactly the kind of person who benefits from NaNo. It obviously got your juices flowing and you didn’t fall into the depression trap. It’s great when it works that way. Happy editing!