"Better yet, DON'T write that novel."

[ChibiGingi]

Well, last I checked you didn't participate in Nanowrimo for any cash prizes or quick get-rich-quick, but you did it to help build discipline and keep yourself set on a certain goal. You know, to prove that you can at least do it.

Yeah, this isn't going to be my best writing, but people like me who spend too much time plotting, building up the world, scheming and putting off into absolutely EVERYTHING is in order, it teaches us to do the simplest and yet the hardest part of writing. To write.

I understand the importance of edits, rereading and such, but you can't really get started as a writer if you don't write. One step at a time...

Not sure why she thinks not a lot of people read anymore. *looks at bookshelf full of books, all of them read and is in desperate need of some more*

Nope, I sure as hell don't read. Nope. They're all there for decoration.

[BehemothApproximately]

Desi the fuzzy fluffhead

BehemothApproximately

That's a very good point; the success of the Kindle should mean something.
[I wonder if the Nook is following in terms of success.]
Out of curiosity, do you know how much it has made?

No idea, but it is "Amzon's number one best seller".
And they're expanding on the concept.

Faaantastic.
smile
Good to hear.

[YunaZeal]

I read the article, and the first thing that came to mind as I read was that she’s missed the entire point of National Novel Writing Month—the fact that it was started in the spirit of “Okay, so you ‘ve always said that you’ll write a novel, but you don’t get to it; so here’s a challenge for you.” NaNoWriMo specifically says that what you’re working on is a first draft, holding heavily to the old adage that “Writing is Re-writing.” The entire point of this challenge is simply doing it.

While I agree that the people who think that these first drafts are publishable are misguided, the author seems to think that everyone who participates is of that mindset. This blanket assumption is wrong. As I read the article, I detected a strong element of “Oh, look at the real writers out there, we don’t need any more.” It reads like an anti-pep talk. What I can’t help but wonder is if someone gave her a similar speech before she became a writer.

I can already tell you that I did participate in NaNo this year. I’ve got my count validated, and am getting ready for editing. I don’t think that I can wait for National Novel Editing month to get started on that. But I plan on having others look over my work, doing some serious editing, and then having an actual editor friend of mine help me work out the last of the kinks before I do anything else.

[MrsMica]

I think she's being overly critical and missing part of the point of NaNoWriMo. Yes, a big part is about learning to write every day, but authors who already understand that participate any way. Why? Perhaps because it fosters the author community in a bigger way than what you usually see with writers groups and online forums like this one. There's something special about writing a novel at the same time as all your novel-writing friends.

She says we should focus our energy on encouraging reading. What I see is a lot of energy focused on reading - but mostly for little kids. The libraries do a lot for all age groups and schools have summer reading marathons. It's just that none of it's quite to the scale of NaNoWriMo. I would participate in a NaNoReaMo - I'd enter in what book(s) I was reading and how many pages I'd read v. how many pages total. I could see December being a perfect month, when all those novelists are supposed to be letting their novels sit for a bit. wink

[Navean]

I don't think she's missing the point of NaNo at all - she clearly states at the beginning how laudable it is - she's saying that too many participants are missing a major aspect of NaNo. That ends up degenerating NaNo in and of itself.

[elfmaiden93]

I bet she's just jealous because she couldn't write a novel in a month and thus wants to discourage everyone else from doing it so that she doesn't have to suffer from an inferiority complex

[Ev3ryb0dysFool]

How is anyone supposed to read if no one writes?

[paisley park]

Kitsune Voss

well considering that in order for people to read some has to be writing Im all for nanomo

What is Nanomo...?

She's jelly of our skills, I guarantee. You gotta have atleast some kind of writing skill to win; which tells me I gotta be good for something since I'm working on my fourth win.

[SaintlySiren]

For me, this whole discussion feels so odd because I have never met writers who don't read.....yes there are bloggers but they're not writers, they're more like people who keep journals.

Yes, readers are fading off as the world grows more visual and less witty but without writers to inspire a new generation to read, what are we really saving?

Despite how much books like twilight and such are considered crap, they have done something great. They have coax people who would normally not think twice about reading into doing exactly that and with great excitement.

So I don't understand why she considers a new swarm of writers such a bad thing even if they're writing crap.

[eduardo galpaleano]

SaintlySiren

For me, this whole discussion feels so odd because I have never met writers who don't read...

You'd think that, but they aren't hard to find. It is usually the case, though, that they have stopped reading. In a thread discussing this article, there were no less than ten people who prefaced their responses with, "Sure, I haven't had the chance to pick up a book in a while," and some of those 'whiles' were over a year. By my standard, and likely this author's standard, if you haven't read a book in a year... you're not a reader. There are a lot of writers who HAVE read, or who have a couple of favorite books they reread often, but they aren't really readers. Is someone who likes Twilight and only Twilight a reader? No. I don't think so. I watch Gordon Ramsay, but I don't think of myself as someone who watches TV, because I only watch Gordon Ramsay.

[the hidden ghost]

Ophiucha

SaintlySiren

For me, this whole discussion feels so odd because I have never met writers who don't read...

You'd think that, but they aren't hard to find. It is usually the case, though, that they have stopped reading. In a thread discussing this article, there were no less than ten people who prefaced their responses with, "Sure, I haven't had the chance to pick up a book in a while," and some of those 'whiles' were over a year. By my standard, and likely this author's standard, if you haven't read a book in a year... you're not a reader. There are a lot of writers who HAVE read, or who have a couple of favorite books they reread often, but they aren't really readers. Is someone who likes Twilight and only Twilight a reader? No. I don't think so. I watch Gordon Ramsay, but I don't think of myself as someone who watches TV, because I only watch Gordon Ramsay.

I've seen them here in the WF occasionally, too. Newbie authors (who never last very long here) who claim they don't like reading but still want to be writers, or don't read so they aren't "influenced" by previously published work.

According to my boyfriend, they show up at university, too. People who are doing journalism courses (or other, unrelated-to-writing courses) but are in a few Creative Writing classes as a side thing who write but refuse to read, and the "I don't want to be influenced" type.

[MasterZodiac89]

I have to admit, I agree with almost everything she said. You see books like Harry Potter and Twilight, but then, how many of those squealing fans at the movies actually read the book first? I admit, I saw the first twilight movie, but never actually read the book because vampires don't really intrigue me, yet my best girl friend said "I love how Edward looks!" and when I asked her if she ever read the book, her reply was "it was a book?"

These days, I do take try to take time to read more even when my schedule is a bit hectic, and as far as writing goes for me, I have gotten into a habit of writing down a story here on Gaia, letting others see my work which includes rating it and making comments and such, then taking my work and revising it in real life should I choose to publish it. I hope we do encourage readers more.

[Devetaki]

Freakishly Human

My friend linked me to an article last night that is intended to discourage people from participation in National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. The author of the article, Laura Miller, feels that people should read rather than write. I thought I would link the article here and see what others feel about the article and about nano.

I am participating in nano this year and have made it further than I ever have in the past. I am working on a novel I have been planning for years. I plan to revise this novel and maybe eventually get it published one day.

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/11/02/nanowrimo/index.html

There is the article. What do others think of it?

When I started reading that article, I thought it was discouraging too, but the writer does make some very good points. To produce good writ, you should read. To create publishable material, you need to revise your writ. Makes perfect sense to me. Also, it must suck to be an editor in general and have to deal with people who think they should be published just because they successfully finished the challenge. I haven't met other writers where that was the case, though. They care about their work, so they -do- read to learn more and they put a lot of effort into perfecting their work.

Regardless, I'm still going to participate in next year's NaNoWriMo, and I fully support writers who take up this challenge. It doesn't matter to me if writers produce a lot of crap on the first go. I don't think it should be published, I think lots of effort needs to go into making a great piece of writing, but that's why I love NaNoWriMo so much. Without it, I'd fall into a rut and stay there.

Good luck, FH! I hope to read your novel, one day.

[Katastrophic_Kate]

I understand her frustration that so many of these writers blow off the revising, editing and re-writing process when they choose to submit something. It is essential if you want to get published and a lot of beginning writers don't know the time and effort that has to go into writing a novel. However, I find her argument that the good books would still get written even without this huge event goes both ways. Piles of crap would still be written as well. As an editor that is always going to be your job. Wading through the crap. If you don't like it, you're probably in the wrong business.

I also understand her concern that a lot of people who will never be dedicated enough to be professional writers, are wasting their time trying to speed write a novel that is going to be crap anyway. However, that is their business not hers. If they feel the need to write a novel to feel like they have accomplished something in their lives, then so be it! Besides, you never know until you try.

Personally, I've always been way too busy in November to even give it a try, but I think it would do me a lot of good. I tend to self edit to the point of giving up before I even get through a chapter. Forcing myself to keep writing no matter what means that I can put my editing skills to better use later when I have a draft.