Writing the Great American Novel in three weeks with NaNoWriMo
Wes Giglio
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The Great American Novel goes hand-in-hand with the American Dream, but many budding writers are either too busy or too intimidated to put pen to paper—or these days, fingers to keyboard. Fortunately, November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and the Chicago Branch of NaNoWriMo has just the thing to get people’s asses into gear: a month of intense, four-hour weekly writing sessions for newcomers and veterans alike to crank out a 50,000-word novel by the end of the month. Decider attended a recent meeting to file these encouraging rules from the program directors and aspiring authors. Should you feel inspired, the next meeting is tonight at 213 W. Institute Pl.
1. Just finish it already
NaNoWriMo focuses first and foremost on getting writers to 50,000 words: It’s the rare instance where quantity takes precedence over quality. Last year, more than 100,000 writers attended the sessions worldwide, according to Chicago host Stacy Ratner (who’s working on her sixth novel), and about 15 percent left with a completed novel. For them, it’s an opportunity to work under a deadline with some colleagues in the trenches—it produces results because it’s demanding but not critical. It’s not about the bragging rights of writing a great book, but just being able to say you’ve written one at all.
NaNoWriMo focuses first and foremost on getting writers to 50,000 words: It’s the rare instance where quantity takes precedence over quality. Last year, more than 100,000 writers attended the sessions worldwide, according to Chicago host Stacy Ratner (who’s working on her sixth novel), and about 15 percent left with a completed novel. For them, it’s an opportunity to work under a deadline with some colleagues in the trenches—it produces results because it’s demanding but not critical. It’s not about the bragging rights of writing a great book, but just being able to say you’ve written one at all.
Consequently, very few of the writers are willing to talk about works in progress or even exchange manuscripts at the end of the month. Following the introductions that take up the first five or 10 minutes of a NaNoWriMo session, the room is dead quiet except for the pitter-patter of fingers on the keyboard, and Decider wasn’t able to pry much more than a genre or a few plot details from even the most experienced writers in the room. It’s a young-adult novel that starts in a hospital, and is the third entry in a dystopian sci-fi trilogy, set a millennium into the future. Remember: Don’t judge.
2. Don’t edit until you’re finished
A lot of books die on the vine when their authors can’t get past the first chapter because they’re endlessly judging the plot, characters, and prose, and editing accordingly. The goal is to overcome self-consciousness and doubt by blitzing it with nearly free-associative storytelling.
One of the writers, Michelle Springer, says this philosophy allowed her to finish her first novel. She’s on her seventh book, which is the first she’ll attempt to publish. The challenging format works, she says, because it circumvents her excuses by imposing deadlines and putting pressure on her to finish, forcing her to throw caution to the wind. While there aren't any rules forbidding writers to work on their novels outside of the "wordstorming" sessions (and many do), the home isn't the best place to bear down and spew. Open Books, where the sessions are held, has plenty of comfy (and often inflatable) couches, chairs, ottomans, rugs, and tables, and enough electrical outlets to plug in wherever your heart desires. Banging out the novel in-session might seem challenging, but for Springer it’s gotten easier over time: “My first year I finished mine with 11 minutes to go in the final session, and last year I finished early.” The “final session” is a 15-hour (sometimes longer) blowout at the end of the month—a panicked-typing party fueled with coffee, friendly competition to finish, and huge, delicious blueberry muffins.
A lot of books die on the vine when their authors can’t get past the first chapter because they’re endlessly judging the plot, characters, and prose, and editing accordingly. The goal is to overcome self-consciousness and doubt by blitzing it with nearly free-associative storytelling.
One of the writers, Michelle Springer, says this philosophy allowed her to finish her first novel. She’s on her seventh book, which is the first she’ll attempt to publish. The challenging format works, she says, because it circumvents her excuses by imposing deadlines and putting pressure on her to finish, forcing her to throw caution to the wind. While there aren't any rules forbidding writers to work on their novels outside of the "wordstorming" sessions (and many do), the home isn't the best place to bear down and spew. Open Books, where the sessions are held, has plenty of comfy (and often inflatable) couches, chairs, ottomans, rugs, and tables, and enough electrical outlets to plug in wherever your heart desires. Banging out the novel in-session might seem challenging, but for Springer it’s gotten easier over time: “My first year I finished mine with 11 minutes to go in the final session, and last year I finished early.” The “final session” is a 15-hour (sometimes longer) blowout at the end of the month—a panicked-typing party fueled with coffee, friendly competition to finish, and huge, delicious blueberry muffins.
3. Don’t write to get published
According to the meetings, another trap is writing for some imagined, future publication. It diminishes your accomplishment and cripples your ability to get through a story by allowing the imagined pressure to prevent you from finishing before you even start. And let’s face it: You probably won’t be published. Of the 25 people who gathered at Open Books last week, none has been previously published—even the regulars with several tomes under their belts.
But that’s not to say it’s impossible: Sara Gruen, bestselling author of Water For Elephants, started that novel in the NaNoWriMo program, and many of the current participants will be shopping their books to agents and publishers. But, at least during the program, they won’t be writing to fulfill the imagined expectations of audience and publisher. They’ll be writing, like participant Tim Peacock says, “Just to write.”
According to the meetings, another trap is writing for some imagined, future publication. It diminishes your accomplishment and cripples your ability to get through a story by allowing the imagined pressure to prevent you from finishing before you even start. And let’s face it: You probably won’t be published. Of the 25 people who gathered at Open Books last week, none has been previously published—even the regulars with several tomes under their belts.
But that’s not to say it’s impossible: Sara Gruen, bestselling author of Water For Elephants, started that novel in the NaNoWriMo program, and many of the current participants will be shopping their books to agents and publishers. But, at least during the program, they won’t be writing to fulfill the imagined expectations of audience and publisher. They’ll be writing, like participant Tim Peacock says, “Just to write.”
4. Sign up
NaNoWriMo is ongoing, and there’s still plenty of room. The next “wordstorming” session is tonight at 6 p.m., and it isn’t too late to get started.
NaNoWriMo is ongoing, and there’s still plenty of room. The next “wordstorming” session is tonight at 6 p.m., and it isn’t too late to get started.
