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I use NaNoWriMo as an annual kick in the pants. I'm already working on two new books (and my new Substack), but tracking myself on NaNoWriMo and encouraging other writers is a fun way to close out the year (plus it ends up giving me finished first drafts).

NB: I write novellas, so I "cheat" and work on two or three projects during NaNoWriMo in order to meet the 50k-word requirement. I also cheat in that I've usually already started the projects....

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I've done nano a couple of times. I think it's a great initiative and can work wonders for some people. The first time I did it was before I started writing properly, and I found it really useful for romping through a project from start to finish. It was a super rough end result, but it was one of the first times I'd completed an initial manuscript.

I attempted it a second time a few years back as a potential way to kickstart a new project (No Adults Allowed, I think), but found it to be too restrictive. By that point I was already writing regularly and had found a good rhythm, so the nano approach felt more disruptive than useful.

Traditionally published UK writer Elizabeth Haynes still uses nano to do her first drafts. I interviewed her about it back in 2018: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/article/nanowrimo-primer-with-elizabeth-haynes/

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Not trying to self-promote, but I already wrote about this, so for the sake of brevity and NaNo time management: https://tvansantana.substack.com/p/november-is-national-novel-writing

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My writing process is like cold brew coffee making so no nanoing for me, unfortunately. Have tried prompt writing which I can do but feels like slowly plucking out my fingernails with rusty pliers.

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I did NaNoWriMo when I first started out as a writer, but eventually realized that it doesn't really work for me. I need time to really consider where the story is going, and can't write from an outline in my first draft. Personally, I think it would be better for beginners to start out with short stories anyhow. Not because they're easier, but because they give you a chance to try out a bunch of different ideas and techniques without having to commit to a massive project.

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Nov 3, 2022·edited Nov 3, 2022Liked by Winston Malone

I was going to, and then changed to another story with two days to go, and when I started last night, only wrote 250-300 words before I hit a snag. This morning, I discovered that I have to research this things because it's true and if I screw this up, I'll be called a Racist, and Imperialist, and Colonial old Fuck, so I thought, nope, I need to take a second look at it. So I dug out an old story I started in the summertime and thought, yeah, this one. It's only 3500 words, which catches me up; it's a fantasy, and I don't need to do a lot of world-building. But I want to write more than 1600 words a day. 50,000 words doesn't feel like it will be long enough for a book. That's novella territory from where I sit. So, THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO TIME TRAVEL is officially underway.

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I tried it a few times, not so much to write something new, but to force my hand at tackling heavy revisions. I would break up a draft into sections according to the word count requirements and force myself to edit them on the schedule so by the end of the month I'd have a fully revised MS. It was somewhat handy for that. Of course, with a little discipline, I can do this on my own.

I deleted my account on principle when they instituted their new community guidelines that instituted censorship and speech codes. I never participated in their community, but when they asked for "feedback," I went on the discussion thread to respectfully lodge my concerns; my mildly dissenting comments were immediately flagged and removed. It all felt very surreal and soviet, so I deleted my account and now I refuse to support the site even in theory. Behind the cartoonish logos and awards, it's a dark place.

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Never done it. Seems like a good way for some writers to prolifically pump out prose. I write first drafts pretty fast anyway, then spend a year revising. To each their own. Very subjective decision, obviously.

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