NaNoWriMo: Good or Bad

So, I've heard from a couple of people about how HORRIBLE NaNo is for producing good writing. My instant reaction is NO DIP, SHERLOCK, IT'S A ROUGH DRAFT. But, I do not say that. I take a deep breath, I remind myself that I'm going for PEACE AND LOVE and acceptance(notice the lack of upper caps? haha! that totally was just for the laughs though, acceptance is important) and then I think about whether or not they are right.

You see, I'm 5k words behind. Actually, 4,805 words behind. But that's only because it's 1:24 a.m., and I'm writing a blog post instead of working on my wordcount. I swear to you, an hour and a half ago, I was only 3,000 words behind! It's so unfair... That was all a bit rambly, actually it wasn't I just caught myself, but the POINT was; I just broke the...awshiz, I forgot what we wrimos call it. Third wall? Something along the lines of that. I yelled at my character...and counted it in my word count! I just kept rolling! But you know what, you see that other post I have, the writer's block one? Yeah. That's what I was talking about. KEEP WRITING. Because, as soon as I got that done, it just flowed! It flowed like it was the river from HEAVEN or something(I just made that up, don't hunt through the Bible for it 'cause you think you missed something majestic). The words were seriously pouring out of me though! I felt awesome! I wrote 1,000 words in 14 minutes.

What haters are hatin' on, though, is that we wrimos don't focus on quality. We just spit the words out and edit later. Or at least, that's the plan. Some wrimos don't edit. Some wrimos count it as a trophy, and move on. You know what? That's fine. I don't think anyone should be hatin', so long as those wrimos aren't submitting said terrible piece of crap. Because, honestly, we all produce a giant pile of CRAP on the 30th. Don't try to deny it! If you deny it, you suck! No fellow wrimo can hold their head up and say they just wrote GOLD. If you think you can, wait ten days. Read the first sentence. Now come over here for your 'writer of CRAP' medal.

Do I think NaNo produces good, quality writing? No. No, I do not. I think it produces rough drafts. I think it produces the screaming five month old that matures into a CEO. I think NaNo is the kick in the butt that every lazy writer needs--I do NOT think it produces publishable material, and I do sometimes think that, if one does not get in the habit of editting, it does produce bad habits.

And that's my two cents on it.

#writersgottawrite

Writer's Block?

I know I'm not the only writer out there that sits down to the laptop, typewriter, notebook, whatever your personal tool is, and nothing comes to mind. How intimidating is it to open up an MS Word document and just STARE at it--it's blankness is terrifying! At least notebook paper has lines! So what do I do when I get writers block?

1 - HOT CHOCOLATE. It's my number one inspirational drink, and even the process of making it helps. You're getting away from your writing zone, doing something that only requires half of your brain, and that usually means my imagination is wandering all over.
2 - Take a Walk. It's so cliche, but it works! Getting out in the fresh air, seeing the way nature works, marvelling at beauty you can't even hope to get close to--very inspiring!
3 - Naps! Napsnapsnaps! I am a huge cat napper. I nap all the time. BUT, THIS REALLY ONLY WORKS FOR ME. See, I tell myself stories while I am trying to go to sleep. Being able to lie down with no distractions, relax, and let my imagination entertain me...Best thing everrrrr.
4 - DO NOT PLAY A GAME. No, I'm serious. I used to do it all the time. "Oh, whoa is me, I have no muse! I KNOW, I'll play a VIDEO GAME and all will be well, it will restore my creativity!" Um. No. You'll get sucked into the game and never write a single word. I'm for serious.
5 - If worst comes to worst, and you can't get ANYTHING no matter what, just write. It doesn't matter what you're writing, it does matter how CRAPTASTIC it is(hey, point number one, give yourself permission to suck for your first draft) and it doesn't even matter if you're following a logical timeline. Just write; that's the only REAL cure for writer's block.

:) That's what I usually do. BTW, if you're having trouble with that 'just write' idea, then here's another one: Join an rpg. I mean a proboards or invisionfree writing style rpg. It's really good to have a little diversity in your writing, especially if it's a longterm writing project.

NaNoWriMo Freak Out!

Has anyone out there ever attempted NaNoWriMo? For those of you not in the know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month--A month where you write 50,000 words or more! It's pure torture, you hammer out so many words a day,  you tear your hear out, you HATE yourself, and yet I continously do it...Why? I'm not a masochist?

OH YEAH. It's because I ADORE that feeling of being a part of something HUGE. I love the support system that NaNo has, I love writing with other people, I love the finished product that I have on day 30. And I'm doing it again. Yes, that's right folks. It's way into July, which is the test run of Camp NaNoWriMo. And I'm doing it. WTH, MAGGIE? WHY! That's what I'm saying! Why?

I love it, and even if it feels like death while I'm going through it, I know it's worth it in the end. Only, right now I'm three days behind on wordcount, I'm flying to South Africa on Sunday, and I have no motivation to write.

Save me, nonexistent readers!