writing thoughts

[cornerofmadness]

After seeing the word nano bantered about last week I had to go look it up...hmm writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. I've been since trying to figure out the advantages of this and have to admit I see very few beyond, the novel's done...and even that's not really true. Most publishers/agents won't look at anything under 75,000. In a month you'll get 50,000 words, most of it shit, no doubt. The site readily admits that. This isn't something you could shove on a resume. I'm not sure an agent would be impressed you whipped something out in a month (okay granted no one is going to just submit it after this, everyone would, one imagines, then take the time to fiddle with it and improve it, add those 25,000 words that are needed etc).

Okay so I have a novel. I've also deprived myself of the basic joy of writing one, ie. watching the characters grow, spending time with them and relishing their story. Does this reflect in the writing? I'm sure it would. Oh course, probably one of the points of this whole exercise is to get away from enjoying hte characters so much you never finish you novel. THat happens a lot.

So would i try this? I don't know. I know I can write 50,000 words in a month. I routinuely write 30-50K every month, mostly fan crap that gets me nowhere but its fun and I like doing it but sometimes it is at the cost of my original fic.

I think my biggest concern with this exercise is what happens afterwards. Those on my flist who have done this before, can you tell me, do they plan on putting this up on their site somewhere? (I tried to find it but when your dial up slows to 2 kbps on a regular basis, it's not possible to navigate anything. If they do, then absolutely not. I wouldn't do this. Posting entire novels (or links there to) can take you out of the running for ever selling the thing and there's not point in writing it (for me) if I couldn't market it.

On the other hand, if they don't post it, it could be an interesting exercise even though I know I probably have enough commitments already that I wouldn't get it done.

Comments

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

Well, it only took Goethe something like, oh, his whole life, to write Faust...... so maybe there is something to this deadline lark? ;)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

yes, that's what I'm trying to avoid and you can tell where he set it aside and when he picked it back up decades later...I VOLUNTEERED to read that in HS. Shoot me.

[esmerelda-t.livejournal.com]

You can tell? For some reason I find that hillarious, does Faust suddenly start complaining about kids today and how music isnt music anymore, just noise?

I read Marlowe's version, but not Goethe's, I think I'll wait for the inevitable Disney version one day.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

It's been nearly 20 years (shoot me again) and I don't remember what but it was more of a suddenly none of the characters are acting like they were in the beginning and the tone changed and it doesn't reconcile well, the ending to beginning. I