People who write fiction regularly work on their writing despite not always having inspiration. The best way to get inspired is to be already working on the project–then, after you read a scene you wrote that stank, you realize exactly what should have gone there.

Otherwise, I see both sides of NaNo. I participated this year—not to win, and certainly not to write a draft that I would end up using, but to see how quickly I could turn out a draft, for fun.

“A Bottle of White” is, at this point, still just a bunch of pieces. My characters have a lot of action but I skipped doing anything to do with setting and background – I wanted to know where they were going more than anything. And maybe it’s not ever going to be publishable (it sure isn’t now and I was always aware that it wouldn’t be on December 1st) but I have a new goal now. I want a total of 85k by the end of March. That’s a better novel length (my 50k is only 180 pages), and that’s plenty of time to edit and refine and make it better.

Maybe I’ll only ever publish it on CreateSpace.com and buy myself a copy for fun. I really don’t care. Now I know I can write every day and stick with it. I’m not afraid to try anymore.

Seriously, don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.

Most mere mortals have NEVER written 50k, let alone attempted such a feat in 30 days. Writing a novel, especially with holidays and waning inspiration, that’s a real accomplishment. Last year over 100,000 people signed up world wide, but only 10k people managed to finish. It’s HARD, but that’s what makes it exciting.

I find it to be a very liberating experience. I love the deadline. I’ve been doing NaNo for the past four years (inclusive), and I’ve become a better writer because of it. My writing speed has improved since joining up too — because I’ve HAD to write every day. (I used to think that the 1,667 words every day was daunting; 3,000+ words a day seems easy now!) I love the community too. In my area NaNo has helped to form a nice writing group that did not previously exist. We coordinate on the NaNo forums and meet up at a (locally owned) coffee shop.

Here’s the list of people who have gone on to be published after doing NaNoWriMo: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/402661 So, yes, this exercise can lead to success.

You are welcome to sit on the sidelines and say, “Oh, that’s easy, I could do that, but I’m not going to, because, uh, I don’t have anything to prove.” Or you could join in. It’s fun!

Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it!

NaNoWriMo teaches beginning novelists how to make a schedule and stick with it – if this novel of mine turns into nothing, at least I’ve become a more disciplined writer. Marathon writing? Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes I churn out 2000 good words in 90 minutes, sometimes 2000 crummy ones in 3 hours.

But don’t knock the quality that comes out of NaNo… people get published. NYT bestsellers have been born in NaNo marathons. It all starts somewhere.

I personally don’t object to writing a page a day for a year, and at the end of the year, you conceivably have a novel.. but trying to write ten pages a day, every day, seems unnatural to the writing process… unless you’re super inspired.

I don’t know. Writing just to be writing doesn’t seem right. (That sounds weird.) I think you should always sacrifice quantity for quality.

I love NaNo and without it I would not have a completed novel and be writing another one. It keeps me on track and keeps me motivated. I get to meet other NaNoers and we help each other along.

And it’s not just newbie authors either: one of my favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong is participating in NaNo, using the month to write the final book in one of her trilogies.

If writers sat around waiting for inspiration, then most of us wouldn’t write! And no, what I will have at the end won’t be a polished book, but no first draft is.

While NaNoWriMo might not be for everyone, for those of us that participate it can be a writing life saver.

By the way, I’m also gearing up for next September’s three day novel writing contest. :0)

While I was one of the earlier ‘protesters’ here, I do want to emphasize that my post was merely meant to be a part of a dialogue, responding to the arguments Deb put forth. Sure, I don’t happen to agree with her points, but it is her blog, and it’s her right, nay, her *job* to put her opinion up there. In fact, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her so impassioned, and I’m happy to see it. Had this turned into a dialogue about the post, that’d be one thing, but it’s turned into a full-on attack of a fellow writer, one who has done a lot of hard work to get you work.

Which brings me to my next point. To all who are offended by Deb’s post, remember she is a writer, too. Would you want someone to disregard the body of your work because of one story, novel, article? Because the reader didn’t like the tone, the theme, the what-have-you of one piece of writing?

I also would like to respond to my fellow ‘protesters’ who are now attacking Deb: You are also being disengenuous. And rather proving Deb’s point about how the participation in NaNo supercedes the process. NaNoWriMo is just a month-long event that works for some people. It’s a month to free your mind, write what comes to you, break down inner barriers, find passion for writing again. It’s nothing more. It’s not Obama coming to save the world from pending doom.