A gentleman named Eric Rosenfield has posted an entry on the "Wet Asphalt" blog called "Why I Hate National Novel Writing Month, and Why You Should, Too."

Rosenfield rails against NaNoWriMo something fierce. Clicking on the above paragraph will allow you to read it all for yourself. Seeing as how I'm participating in NaNo this year -- partly to encourage one of the students at the school where I work part-time, who is also doing so, partly so I'll get my ass in gear on Goblin Precinct -- I obviously don't agree with Rosenfield's premise, but there's one line in particular that made it clear to me, at least, that he's missed the point:

As for National Novel Writing Month, they seem to care more about making you feel good than about anything having remotely to do with storytelling.

In fact, NaNo has nothing to do with storytelling whatsoever and it never has. NaNo isn't about storytelling, it's about professionalism.

If you want to become a pro writer, one of the most important components is to meet your deadlines. If you don't, you won't get more novel contracts, as book publishing tends to be on a schedule. In addition, you have to have the self-discipline necessary to put your butt in the chair and put one word in front of the other. If you don't finish it, you can't get it published in any form.

What NaNo does is encourage people to put that butt in that chair, to actually write instead of talking about writing. More wannabes than I can count talk about wanting to be a writer but never finding the time, as if time were something that rolled under the couch. One of the hardest things about being a pro writer is achieving the self-discipline necessary to finish what you start -- or dream about.

There are other exercises to help with your creativity. NaNo isn't about that, and to be depressed by its disconnect with storytelling is like being depressed that your chocolate chip cookie doesn't contain any pork chops.

(Thanks to Nick Minecci who drew my attention to this article on Twitter. This blog entry is an expansion of my two-tweet reply to Nick's query as to what I thought of the article.)

Current Mood: awake
Current Music: "Don't Crash the Ambulance" by Mark Knopfler