Comments on: What NaNo Has Taught Me

By: Kim Priestap

Kim Priestap — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:02:38 +0000

This is my first NaNo. What I've learned is that I love writing fiction, something that surprises me. Almost all my writing experience to date has been non-fiction.

By: Carrie Wilson Link

Carrie Wilson Link — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:41:19 +0000

I swear I'm going to do this one of these years! You are inspiring me!

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:00:29 +0000

One of the most important lessons Nano taught me was to put my own work, my fiction, be it contracted or not, FIRST.

I do my first 1K of the day every day before I start hitting the contracted work.

I started that during Nano (when I wrote 2500 words a day so I'd hit 50K before Thanksgiving). When I do that FIRST, put my fiction FIRST, instead of waiting until other stuff is cleared off and I "get around to it", my head is screwed on straight, I feel I've already accomplished the most important part of my day, and my entire workday is more streamlined and more productive. Then, if I finish other projects and have the time, I go back and work on the fiction some more, but I've already got my quota in for the day, and all the stress is gone BEFORE I start the rest of my working day.

It's helped me enormously in focus, esteem, and in the quality of work i give to my clients, because I don't resent the time spent away from my own work.

I started applying this outside of Nano, and it's been a great help.

Fiction first. Client projects when I officially start my day.

I have an article up on the realities, pros and cons, of Nano, up on the SDR blog:
http;//thescruffydogreview.wordpress.com

By: Gabriella F.

Gabriella F. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:28:04 +0000

I'm like Eileen. I'm just not a fiction writer. I have no ideas!

But I will say that I love Project Runway! But I finally gave up on it a few episodes back. Love Tim, Heidi, Michael, and Nina, but there was little of Michael and Nina this season. And the designers this time around were boring and simply couldn't hold a candle to the best of the previous seasons.

I'll be back when it starts again in January, though.

Have a great vacation, Lori!

By: Eileen

Eileen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:49:01 +0000

I don't do NaNo – I'm just not a fiction writer. But my 14 year old daughter has been bitten by the bug, and she has been participating in NaNo. She started off strong and then petered out, and then began to despair that she wouldn't hit the 50K mark. She was ready to quit, but I encouraged her to not be a perfectionist, and just do what she could. Now she's at the point where she's thrilled to have done as much as she did, and it's taught her a lot about process along the way. I hope she continues to do this every year; it will really help her develop not only her writing skills, but also persistence and dedication.