Thursday, October 20, 2011

Quantity versus Quality

You still have five days to get in an entry to the contest. Don't stress too much about it. You could even consider it a mini-nano to get you in the mood. One entry came from someone's i-phone and I have to admit, it wasn't too shabby. I mean, check it for spelling, but even something not done to perfection gives you a better chance of winning than not submitting at all. I just like seeing people's creativity.

There are Nanwrimo rumblings on some of the blogs I am visiting. I have yet to offically sign up because I am a competitive individual and if I sign up, I will finish. So, do I want to commit?  I have completed it four times now and only done something with one of the projects. The something I did was clean it up, get some critiques, re-write, get more critiques, re-write, collect bucoos of rejection letters from agents, re-write and then get some more rejections. The fifty plus versions of it still clutter my hard drive. I don't know if I will ever approach that novel again. Although, I still love the concept, the idea of going back to it again is wearying.

So, I wonder, if nano is worth my time? Clearly, finishing, for me, doesn't translate into turning out something publishable. The only things of mine that have been published have been articles or short stories. I know I love doing it. I allow writing to be in first place for that one month and there is a feeling of accomplishment when I print out my certificate. Yes, I do print it out. I also usually find how easy it is to crank out 2,000 words a day and still get my responsiblities completed. Then, at the end of that time, I slowly move back into the hit or miss writing habits I had before.

Who am I kidding? I know the fact that I am considering it means I will be jumping into the heady love affair with words again. Maybe it is like relationships, at some point, one of them stuck. 

4 comments:

  1. Ha! I couldn't resist doing it either. It's too much fun!

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  2. I am debating it as well, which also means that I will end up doing it. I love the concept & the first year it showed me that I am capable of writing everyday & writing at a minimum of 1600 words. However, like you I have yet to produce the quality of writing I would like.

    Still up in the air. I have another reason for possibly skipping it this year (well two). I just finished my first legal thriller & I want to concentrate on polishing it & getting some critique partners & beta readers before I begin querying. I have also just started my second book & I am really into the writing. I am not sure I want to it on hold for an entire month. It is in the early stages, but to work on it would be considered cheating, wouldn't it?

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  3. I haven't done Nano because my timing is ALWAYS off. But someday I might, so long as I have a good, solid outline before hand.

    If you do it, good luck!

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