NaNoWriMo: Bah humbug

[a_t_rain]

AAARRGHH, why does NaNoWriMo have to be in November? That's pretty much an impossible month for students and academics. Also, why do I suddenly have a spanking first line in my head now*, when I most assuredly don't have the time to do anything with it?

Oh well. Good luck to everyone on the f-list who's buckling down and making the attempt. I don't think I ever will.

* For the curious: Jonathan first realized they were different from other children on the day they went to see the woolly mammoth calf at the zoo. And yes, I do have a plot to go with it, sort of.

Comments

[malinbe.livejournal.com]

I always say the same thing! Every year I want to do NaNo, and every year I end up covered in papers and exams and it's absolutely impossible to write 50000 words of anything, let alone something that's not garbage.

Who came up with the date, anyway? Why not April? April's quiet!

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Heh, I think April may be the only month worse than November for those of us on the US academic calendar. Can't please everybody, I guess :)

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much an impossible month for students and academics.

That's always annoyed me too. OTOH, I think it can work in a strange way because your mind's already focused, if that makes any sense. In the summer, I work, I go home; there's nothing to stimulate my brain. This time of year, I'm pretty much forced to think anyway.

That said, I haven't gotten anywhere with NaNo, but I think that while school is a bit of an obstacle, it's more that the beginning of the month was really confusing for RL reasons, and frankly, I'm still a little confused about certain RL and academic things. It's just a difficult time right now to try and write a novel in a month, as much as I wish it wasn't, because I'd really hoped that this would be the year I actually finished something or came close. :/ (Although never say never - I'm hoping I can get something done tonight.)

I do wish it were at a quieter time, though. I'm just hesitant to say it's all academics, since I know someone who is a double major taking quite a few classes and has already accomplished a lot of writing. But that's definitely part of it.

Maybe I'll just try and work on that short story idea I had.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I turn into a lazy slug in the summer, but I think I probably wouldn't if I'd made a commitment to write a novel.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

This is the first year that it's been even plausible for me to do NaNo (one useful thing about being unemployed?), and already I am failing pretty miserably. ;)

[snorkackcatcher]

I tend to look at NaNoWriMo-ers with about the same slightly bemused feeling I get for people who decide to run a marathon -- it probably feels great if you make it to the finish line, but whether it's worth all the pain is another thing. :)

[tempestsarekind.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know! If NaNo were in the summer, I could at least *try* to do it concurrently with my (still nonexistent) dissertation. But with teaching and grading and at least feeling guilty about said dissertation (guilt is very arduous work), there's no way.

Really, why not July or something?

[lilacsigil.livejournal.com]

There's one in March as well, I think.

November's actually a good month for me - it's the start of the really hot weather (my thyroid issues mean that hot weather is not my friend) and doing nano helps me get into a really solid routine.

[chocolatepot.livejournal.com]

I think the only reason I won last year is that for once I didn't have any Fall term papers.

Thanksgiving also always screws me over, because so much of it involves traveling and Being With People - I end up busier than just going to classes would be.

January would be the perfect month for me - two weeks off of classes in the beginning and no holidays, I mean, really.

[kokopoko.livejournal.com]

I've only gotten 1600 words. Ugh.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I know. It's exactly the same for me. If it was May, now, that would be another tale...