![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
NaNoWriMo: After Thoughts
Dec. 4th, 2009 08:58 amSo I meant to make a post right after NaNo ended to talk about it a little more than just my END post, but I've been lazy. But I don't feel like sleeping so I shall make this post now.
This was definitely my best year for NaNo. Not only did I win for the second year in a row (my third time ever... been doing it since 2004), but I won without any crazy tricks (no contractions-replacement or two-name protagonists this year), and afterward I was already feeling like there was so much more I could've said, instead of the usual pulling teeth to get to 50k. Usually when NaNo is over I feel a great dissatisfaction, but this time I feel like I want to do NaNoEdMo and see what happens when I try and edit this thing. Don't get me wrong. It's a lot of shit. But such as is usually the case with NaNo, in the midst of all of that, there are some unexpectedly great things, and that's what makes it worth it.
I think it definitely helped that I got involved in real-life NaNo meetups this year, and I'm pretty sad that Monday's Thank God It's Over party is the end for this year. I am so fortunate to have such an excellent region, where I can go to these write-ins and everyone greets you like they know you, and you get to bury yourself in writing if you like, or converse with other people who are writing, or just sit and listen to all the incredible and nerdy and lulztastic conversations other people are having around you about things like superpowers and regional rivalries and Harry Potter. And with an amazing ML, Zhie, and the people helping her, who like... made us color-coordinated goodie bags and helped provide snacks and organize locations. Geeze.
NaNoWriMo is so great that way in general, I mean... in their stats blog this year, they asked about the increase in members and whether it made the whole experience better or just more crowded, and to me it's like... NaNoWriMo does not decrease in quality as more people get involved. Unlike other forums or projects that start small and end huge, I don't see any people who are oldbies or elitists in NaNo or "missing the good old days". They always seem so eager to encounter people who are doing it for the first time, and to cheer them on and give them tips. I think it's the whole personal, non-competitive aspect. The forums and the write-ins are just a supplement for something that you are, ultimately, on your own in doing, and that thing has not changed much from the first couple times NaNo happened to today. The community reminds me of [tos]sers and Nerdfighteria -- these groups that are just so full of... joy, and non-judgement. I love that I can go on NaNo boards and ask these weird questions (that are NOTHING compared to other questions asked -- and no one ever wants to know why you want to know) and people come answer me. The community is so huge that I probably won't remember their names later, and probably no one but me will notice they posted there. But just because I wanted to know, even being a complete stranger, they answer me. Just because they feel like it. Because they have the answer, or can speculate. How awesome is that?
So yes, I'm proud of my 50k and my certificate to hang on my wall above my other two. I hope all of you who also made it feel good too, because you should. If you didn't make it as far as you wanted or you didn't work up the courage to try this year, COME JOIN US NEXT YEAR. It's not easy, I won't lie. But it's worth it. And you're never alone.
Coming soon to LJ posts (either here or at my RP journal depending...):
What To Do With My Spare Time Now That NaNo Is Over: I have a fanart project that is epic but it's killing my soul. Also, I'm trying to actually do my homework now!
Word of Your Body/Walking In Space Mashup: I'm OBSESSED.
Team Wells: I'M ON IT, AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE TOO!
The first part of Jake Epstein's Profile of the Month JUST went up. RACHELLE'S QUESTION BETTER BE IN THE SECOND PART IT IS SO GOOD. That's not really a coming soon LJ post but a potential coming soon LJ post.
Now I better sleep.
This was definitely my best year for NaNo. Not only did I win for the second year in a row (my third time ever... been doing it since 2004), but I won without any crazy tricks (no contractions-replacement or two-name protagonists this year), and afterward I was already feeling like there was so much more I could've said, instead of the usual pulling teeth to get to 50k. Usually when NaNo is over I feel a great dissatisfaction, but this time I feel like I want to do NaNoEdMo and see what happens when I try and edit this thing. Don't get me wrong. It's a lot of shit. But such as is usually the case with NaNo, in the midst of all of that, there are some unexpectedly great things, and that's what makes it worth it.
I think it definitely helped that I got involved in real-life NaNo meetups this year, and I'm pretty sad that Monday's Thank God It's Over party is the end for this year. I am so fortunate to have such an excellent region, where I can go to these write-ins and everyone greets you like they know you, and you get to bury yourself in writing if you like, or converse with other people who are writing, or just sit and listen to all the incredible and nerdy and lulztastic conversations other people are having around you about things like superpowers and regional rivalries and Harry Potter. And with an amazing ML, Zhie, and the people helping her, who like... made us color-coordinated goodie bags and helped provide snacks and organize locations. Geeze.
NaNoWriMo is so great that way in general, I mean... in their stats blog this year, they asked about the increase in members and whether it made the whole experience better or just more crowded, and to me it's like... NaNoWriMo does not decrease in quality as more people get involved. Unlike other forums or projects that start small and end huge, I don't see any people who are oldbies or elitists in NaNo or "missing the good old days". They always seem so eager to encounter people who are doing it for the first time, and to cheer them on and give them tips. I think it's the whole personal, non-competitive aspect. The forums and the write-ins are just a supplement for something that you are, ultimately, on your own in doing, and that thing has not changed much from the first couple times NaNo happened to today. The community reminds me of [tos]sers and Nerdfighteria -- these groups that are just so full of... joy, and non-judgement. I love that I can go on NaNo boards and ask these weird questions (that are NOTHING compared to other questions asked -- and no one ever wants to know why you want to know) and people come answer me. The community is so huge that I probably won't remember their names later, and probably no one but me will notice they posted there. But just because I wanted to know, even being a complete stranger, they answer me. Just because they feel like it. Because they have the answer, or can speculate. How awesome is that?
So yes, I'm proud of my 50k and my certificate to hang on my wall above my other two. I hope all of you who also made it feel good too, because you should. If you didn't make it as far as you wanted or you didn't work up the courage to try this year, COME JOIN US NEXT YEAR. It's not easy, I won't lie. But it's worth it. And you're never alone.
Coming soon to LJ posts (either here or at my RP journal depending...):
What To Do With My Spare Time Now That NaNo Is Over: I have a fanart project that is epic but it's killing my soul. Also, I'm trying to actually do my homework now!
Word of Your Body/Walking In Space Mashup: I'm OBSESSED.
Team Wells: I'M ON IT, AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE TOO!
The first part of Jake Epstein's Profile of the Month JUST went up. RACHELLE'S QUESTION BETTER BE IN THE SECOND PART IT IS SO GOOD. That's not really a coming soon LJ post but a potential coming soon LJ post.
Now I better sleep.
