naomi_jay: (typewriter)
[personal profile] naomi_jay
I am well up for starting cults, all the time.

Anyway. If you're like me, about this time of  year, you start getting excited about Nanowrimo. The writing! The social events! The challenge of writing 50k in a month! It all seems brilliant and so easily done. Just, what? 1666.6666666666666666666667 words a day, and you're totally there! And who can't find time for 1666.6666666666666666666667 words a day, right?

And then you start, and for the first week you're full of enthusiasm and the muse is there with you, and you're powering through and thrashing the word count every day, and you're so totally winning Nano!

And then one of the following things happen:

1. You skip a day for some reason. Maybe you have a headache, or a social engagement you can't avoid. So the next day you have to write double. But you don't manage that, because writing 3332 words is suddenly really hard. And so you fall short and have to write more the next day, and the next, and the next, until finally you'd have to be writing, like, 7000 words a day to make that 50k goal, and we all know how much that isn't going to happen, so you give up and watch cartoons all month instead. Fail.

2. You suddenly realise that everything you're writing is utter tripe. You panic, flail, try to get back on track, but have lost all confidence, so you give up and watch cartoons all month instead. Fail.

3. That old recurrent arm injury flares up and you're in too much pain to even look at a keyboard. You give up and watch cartoons all month instead. Fail.

(You'll notice a theme here. It's failing and cartoons. Cartoons is how I remedy failure.)

Well, screw you, Nano! There are other ways we failures cartoon fans writers can achieve greatness in November! I'm officially gauging interest in an Anti-Nano Cult. If you want all the cameraderie and goal-setting of Nano without the pressure of getting to 50k, come join me. Set your own target and flip the bird at all those smug 50k-ers. Look, I'll be doing it. If you want to join me, leave a comment so I can figure out if it's worth getting properly organised and christening myself a High Priestess, okay?

on 2010-09-06 01:32 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] skarrah.livejournal.com
I'm totally up for joing the cult, oh mighty High Priestess.

on 2010-09-06 01:39 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Sweet! As the first person to sign up, you get to be my Right-Hand Minion! I'm not sure what that will entail yet, but it'll be awesome, I'm sure.

on 2010-09-06 03:35 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] skarrah.livejournal.com
Yay!

on 2010-09-06 01:40 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] dwg.livejournal.com
A couple of years ago, a few friends started [livejournal.com profile] not_nanowrimo where we set our own goals for the month either with one story or a bunch of short ones. It was hard to meet my meagre 10k goal, but HOMG SO HAPPY that I could actually do it. It...didn't really happen the year after. And then I think I started my November Project. But this is the kind of Anti-Nano Cult that I am down with. Also down with a [livejournal.com profile] kaz_mahoney's Summer Camp style cult. God knows I'm going to need it to get my Inception big bang written. *cries*

on 2010-09-06 01:43 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Consider yourself assimilated!

on 2010-09-06 02:36 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] nathreee.livejournal.com
I was thinking about starting to plod on Book 2 in NaNoWriMo, but I didn't think I's make it to 50k because I'll need to do research and outlining and all the things one needs to do for a Real Novel TM. I thought I'd just jump on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon and not get stressed out by not making the targets. But that's knid of what you have in mind here, right?

on 2010-09-06 02:46 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Exactly. Set a goal you know you can achieve and enjoy it instead of worrying about hitting a target you know you don't have time for!

The thing I like about Nano is actually the sense of community it engenders, and how fun it is cheering each other on and celebrating the achievements, so I figure we can have that without the stressy 50k bit in the way.

on 2010-09-06 07:24 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] micheleis.livejournal.com
Hurrah! I'm with you. I've always hated NaNo. 50k isn't a novel, I can't write everyday or I burn out and start dreading it/writing drivel. Most of the people I know of who write Nano never finish, or do anything decent with it. And November is such a horrible month for it!

on 2010-09-06 08:17 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Welcome aboard! I'll arrange virtual sunshine and cocktails for the month :)

on 2010-09-07 01:31 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] shalanar.livejournal.com
I came this way via dwg, and I am so down with this anti-nano. Consider me a signup! (and I'm friending you :D )

on 2010-09-07 01:22 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Nice to meet you :)

on 2010-09-07 08:12 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naeko.livejournal.com
I think I could join in! I have the worst time forcing myself to write, though. On the flip side, when an idea strikes me, I will literally wake up out of a dead sleep and HAVE to get it down somewhere. Stupid muse is just fucking with me, I think.

on 2010-09-07 01:22 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Yay! Welcome :)

on 2010-09-07 08:16 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] ozma914.livejournal.com
Hm ... I know Nano works for some people, but to me that many words in 30 days is uan unreasonable expectation for the average writer.

on 2010-09-07 01:21 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
So I can count on you to join the cause?

on 2010-09-10 09:39 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] ozma914.livejournal.com
Hm ... well, I don't want to diss the people nanowrimo does work for, but what the heck, they're writers -- thick skins, right? I'm in.

on 2010-09-07 10:32 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] acidamoeba.livejournal.com
A cult? I love cults! Will there be t-shirts?

Also, I would like to join please. :D Anything that distracts me from shiny, not-writerly things is a bonus, right?

on 2010-09-07 01:19 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
T-shirts and cult robes will be supplied as standard! Welcome aboard.

on 2010-09-11 11:08 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] wtfbrain.livejournal.com
You're not gonna make us do, like, participation things, are you? 'Cuz I'm totally in. :)

on 2010-09-11 11:45 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
All I ask is your absolutely loyalty and a weekly donation of blood and/or cake.

on 2010-09-11 12:33 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] wtfbrain.livejournal.com
Oh, good. That I can totally do. :D

on 2010-09-12 05:45 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] not-cynical.livejournal.com
This sounds like an AWESOME idea. I would definitely sign up for this.

(Um, hi! Here via [livejournal.com profile] dwg

on 2010-09-13 08:02 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] naomi-jay.livejournal.com
Cool, hi! Consider yourself enlisted :)

Profile

naomi_jay: (Default)
Dirty Little Whirlwind

February 2018

S M T W T F S
    123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526 2728   

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Mar. 14th, 2026 08:50 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios