by Dan Gibson
 Sure, it's fun (albeit taxing) to take on NaNoWriMo, but what happens after? You've spent an entire month working frenetically on your novel. What can you do with your digital file and your dreams? We spoke to three published authors (Simon Haynes, Angela Korra'ti, and Kathy Cano-Murillo) who are also NaNoWriMo'ers about their experience with the project, how they benefited, and what December had in store for them.
Simon Haynes:
BtL: When did you first take on NaNoWriMo? Did you finish? What prompted you to try?
SH: My first attempt was in 2005, and I managed 50100 words for the month. I'm a procrastinator when it comes to writing, and I was attracted to the idea of putting everything aside to end up with half a novel.
BtL: What have you learned from the process? How has it affected your writing?
I know I really can write 50k words in one month if I really have to. (I also completed NanoWrimo in 2006, 2007 and 2008. NanoWrimo has allowed me to throw over the internal editor and just write.
BtL: Will you do NaNoWriMo this year/again? Why/why not?
SH: I would, but I have a 95,000 word novel to edit and I'm already way past my deadline. Therefore, I'll be editing in November instead of writing. (All four of my previous attempts fell at just the right time, immediately after I handed in one novel I'd be able to turn round a week later and start NaNoWriMo. This year it's not going to happen.)
BtL: What would be your advice to someone starting NaNoWriMo for the first time?
SH: Don't fall behind. Two thousand words missed today is two hundred extra per day for the next ten days - it's very hard to keep that up once you miss 2-3 days. Also, set yourself a daily target of 2000 and write that as 500 words in four short sessions.
BtL: What you you say to someone who finishes and is thinking about publication?
SH: Take a look at this pic: 
The red folder at the bottom is my 2007 NaNoWriMo effort, plus another 50,000 words of writing. Each slab of paper on top is another draft. The finished advanced proof copy was the result of 15-20 drafts & rewrites, most of them on the PC.
In other words, don't take your nanowrimo effort and start submitting to publishers. You're only one-tenth of the way towards a publishable novel.
Angela Korra'ti:
When did I first take on NaNoWriMo? -> November of 2003.
Did you finish? -> Yes.
What prompted you to try? -> Two fellow writers who are friends of mine were encouraging me to do so, and I felt it might be a good way to actually get into the practice of writing.
What have you learned from the process? -> How to get into the habit of writing every day, and not worrying nearly so much about making every single word perfect the first time through. Before I did NaNoWriMo in 2003, I often was paralyzed by worrying about little details with word choices, and never actually did the writing.
How has it affected your writing? -> It certainly made me take the whole idea of writing a novel more seriously. :)
Will you do NaNoWriMo this year/again? Why/why not? -> Since 2003 I've not tried NaNoWriMo again in a formal sense, mostly because I had gotten into the habit of writing all year round, not just during November, and I finished two more novels as well as the Nano novel. Since I already know I can write a novel, I don't really need NaNoWriMo as an impetus anymore. Additionally, I've had medical issues the last couple of years that have made it difficult for me to keep up the word count required.
That said, I do appreciate the group/community aspects of it all and will most likely participate "informally", just to advance writing goals I want to accomplish anyway. I've been doing sort of half-NaNoWriMo goals, setting myself a goal of 20-25,000 words, since that's been more doable with my life patterns as of late.
What would be your advice to someone starting NaNoWriMo for the first time? -> Far and away, the top thing I'd say is by all means, do not stress about it if you don't hit that 50,000 word goal. If your goal is actually to write a novel for serious publication, then NaNoWriMo is one tool out of many available to you. If you don't hit the 50,000 words, it doesn't mean you've failed at being a writer; it just means maybe that tool isn't necessarily the best one for you to use. Most importantly, even if you don't hit the 50,000 words, you can still keep going, and eventually you'll get that novel completed anyway.
What would you say to someone who finishes and is thinking about publication? -> First I'd say, yay! Go for it! My own NaNoWriMo novel, Faerie Blood, did eventually get accepted at Drollerie Press for publication and you can buy it wherever ebooks are sold now!
But then I'd say, on the other hand, I didn't get that sale immediately. And here's why.
Finishing NaNoWriMo was only step 1 in the process. I had to actually finish the novel as well, and I didn't finish the book at the end of November. But I did keep going, and eventually finished it in the middle of the following January.
Then at the sage advice of another writer friend, I stepped back from the book and didn't even look at it for six weeks. This was because I was still way too close to it. It was my brainchild, and there was no way I was going to be able to look over it with an impartial eye and start fixing everything that needed to be fixed in order to make it fit for publication.
Once I came back, though, I started the editing process. This meant not only reading over it myself and looking for flaws, but recruiting as many willing friends as possible to do the same. It meant also taking their critiques gracefully, which I can't stress enough. (If you're seriously aiming for publication, and you find people who are willing to proofread for you, take their critiques seriously and gracefully. And implement the ones which will make your novel better.)
Then, once the book was fit to be seen in public, it meant going through all the appropriate channels to find it a home: writing a synopsis, writing a query letter, finding editors or agents appropriate to the type of work I write and submitting it to them. It took me another four years and four drafts before I finally had a novel that scored a sale.
So hang in there, NaNoWriMo participants. If you're in it for the fun of trying to burn through 50,000 words with all your friends, more power to you! It is super fun. But if you're aiming for serious publication, be prepared to keep at it--because Nanowrimo will only be the beginning. Good luck and keep writing!
Kathy Cano-Murillo:
BtL: When did you first take on NaNoWriMo? Did you finish? What prompted you to try?
KCM: I found out about it in October of 2004. I truly believe the universe sent it my way. I had my idea and a rough outline, but was too chicken to start writing my book. I thought of every reason not to. Being a newspaper reporter, deadlines were part of my daily life. I told myself that this would be the biggest and best feature story yet, and that I would assign it to myself. It worked! I made a goal to write 2,000 words a night. I finished the day after Thanksgiving.
BtL: What have you learned from the process? How has it affected your writing?
KCM: I learned the value of a decent outline - because I didn't have one back then! The more you prepare before you begin, the less time you'll spend editing. As far as my writing, I learned that every action, scene, paragraph, word...they have to be there for a reason. Every ounce has to move the story forward. I learned that during the editing process. I had to cut a lot of great scenes because they had nothing to do with the overall plot.
BtL: Will you do NaNoWriMo this year/again? Why/why not?
KCM: Yes, it will be my first time since 2004. I will be writing my second novel, set to publish in 2011.
BtL: What would be your advice to someone starting NaNoWriMo for the first time? What you you say to someone who finishes and is thinking about publication?
KCM: Don't go into it hoping to get published. Go into it because you want to write a story and need that push. Have a solid outline, know your characters, practice using strong verbs as opposed to adverbs and adjectives, avoid clichés, set a schedule and stick to it. As far as publishing - I do not recommend pitching your NaNoWriMo manuscript right after the experience. NaNoWriMo serves as a way to get that first draft down on paper so you have something to work with. There is still editing to be done. After you've edited and feel it is ready to shop, pick up some writing magazines and look for agents.
The main thing is to keep the faith, do it because you love it!
|
