NaNoWriMoWorKiDay
Here are two things you might like to get involved in. Both of them are very much in keeping with two of the main aims of this blog ‘community’: promoting optimism in oneself and in the wider world; and doing highly creative if possibly stupid things.
The first of them – and I realise I’m slightly behind the curve here – is National Novel-Writing Month, to be found at http://www.nanowrimo.org. The idea of this is quite simply to write a novel over the current month, a minimum of 50,000 words. The idea is supposedly to concentrate on quantity over quality and just bash through it without editing, producing something which might be dogshit, but is a substantial work all of your own, all the same. To judge from the spiel on the website, the rationale for this is partly to teach aspiring writers about ‘building something up without tearing down’, and partly just for sheer larks and so everyone can get drunk at the end and claim to be a writer.
As someone who spends most of his life either writing novels or reading them or thinking about them, and would spend still more of his life doing these things given the opportunity, I have mixed feelings about the idea. In a world which is already heaving under the weight of thousands of great books and hundreds of thousands of shit ones, is it such a great plan to encourage people to dispense with the ‘meticulous craft’ of writing and replace it with a crazed race to piss 50,000 words onto paper regardless of whether they’re any good?
But a bigger part of me feels that anything which encourages creative efforts has got to be good – unless they’re creative efforts to kill people, say – and without doubt, a lot of potentially talented writers are overawed by the sheer loneliness of the task and by how stupid it seems to attempt it. Lots of people on this blog, to judge from TYSICs, are itching to write something, or but have trouble knowing where to start or finding the motivation. If you’re one of these people, I reckon this would be a great thing to try. I know of one Watsonian who is doing this already. If you’re also doing it, or are going to now I’ve told you about it, let me know below.
The other thing, we can all get involved it. It is National Kindness Day on November 13. http://www.kindnessdayuk.com is your link for this. The idea is pretty self-evident – everyone in the UK has to do a Kind Thing. Obviously, it would be nice to think that most of us try and do this every day, rather than going for it on Nov 13 and then, after midnight, returning to our regular program of kicking over people’s pot plants and calling them ‘Fatty’. But still, kindness is in short enough supply, it seems a good idea to raise ‘awareness’ of it like this. And for a blog like this, it provides a great chance to align the sort of stupid challenges I sometimes set to a wider movement.
So: you don’t have to write a novel, but I’d definitely like everyone reading this blog to attempt a kind act on November 13. I’ve set almost identical tasks in the past (like the ‘change the world a bit while I’m on holiday’ thing) but, as I say, they’ve never joined up with a wide-scale operation quite like this. You’ve got ten days to mull over your kind act. I will be reminding you the night before. And as always I will await your ingenuity and goodwill with a slightly sentimental smile at how cool my readers are. Or, prepare to be disappointed. But I don’t expect that to be the case. You know what an optimist I am.
Posted by Sophie on November 8, 2010
I am actually attempting NaNoWriMo. I started a week late, but there’s always hope. What am I doing here? I should be writing. I’m already stuck though. I have no plan. This is going well.
Posted by Britt on November 6, 2010
I’ve tried NaNo a few times, but, being in Australia, is always seems to coincide with really important end of year assessments, so I’ve never come close to finishing.
Kindness Day, on the other hand, I think I might be able to do. I’ll be working the morning, so I’ll make a conscious effort not to yell at ignorant/stupid staff. I might even try to be nice to the customers. But only if they’re nice to me.
Posted by Laura on November 5, 2010
I quite like the idea of spewing some words onto paper and calling it a book. I shall give it a go, although it may get in the way of me being lazy. Or Strictly Come Dancing, which manages to take over inordinate amounts of my time.
Kindness Day is a lovely idea.
Posted by Aislinn on November 5, 2010
National Kindness Day GENUINELY excites me. I’m babysitting for starters so that’s already a small headstart… sort of.
Posted by Rachel Winter on November 5, 2010
Writing a novel in a month sounds incredibly daunting!
I’ve barely managed to write that much in six years so I’m thinking I MAY not be able to do this by the end of November!
Maybe the lovely acts day on 13th bit more within me.
Posted by Kate W on November 4, 2010
I think NaNoWriMo’s a great idea. While I understand your reservations about it spawning more rubbish books, I think having a short, defined deadline will help people who’ve got something bubbling under that they want to write push past the procrastination and get something down on paper. If that month’s the end of the process, then yes, it’s quite likely to be rubbish, but I’d hope it won’t be for anyone who finishes. I went on an Arvon Foundation writing course years ago, and there was definitely something about having started and finished a piece of writing that gave us all confidence and something to build on.
Don’t do prose writing, so won’t be NaNoWrMo-ing myself, but good luck to all those who are. There’s a script version in March (I think) called Script Frenzy, which I should get myself together and enter. As someone who’s been sporadically writing the same play for a year now, a deadline or indeed a cattle prod, might be a good thing.
I’ve never heard of Kindness Day before, but that’s my birthday so should be easy to remember. Shall make every effort to share my (hopefully) good mood and do at least one kind thing.
Posted by Amy B on November 4, 2010
[my 2nd unrelated comment, sorry]
http://www.neatorama.com/2010/11/02/geek-optimism/
Just saw this and wanted to share it with you- hooray for optimism!
Posted by @Bexbitchdrummer on November 4, 2010
oh yeah the webcam link is for some seals currently birthing and mating in Scotland, its fascinating to watch
Posted by @Bexbitchdrummer on November 4, 2010
oooh i didn’t know about National Kindness day but i’ve made a note of it now
As for Nanowrimo i’m doing it for the first time this year (arialnerd on the site) and writing is part of my TYSIC too.
I don’t know if i have the ability to write or if it’s more that i like to write stories that are ultimately destined just to amuse myself, but hopefully by the end of the month I’ll have my answer.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/uk/webcams/
Posted by Amy B on November 4, 2010
What Kathryn said!
I didn’t catch your name but it sounds like you might be the person I was chatting to in the queue. Hello
It was nice to meet you, and if anything you should get more points I would say, since more pens will probably turn out to be more useful in the long run!
Posted by amycool on November 4, 2010
I’m working on National Kindness Day so I’m contracted to be nice to all of the customers anyway. However, I do have a colleague who drives me insane and makes me speak through gritted teeth quite a lot, so perhaps I’ll endeavour to be kind to her (not that I’m horrible to her, I just find it difficult not to get frustrated with someone who puts zero effort into her job). It would be lovely if some of the customers knew about it as I find that one friendly customer can put me in a good mood for the whole day. Yesterday was full of nice customers, which was lovely.
It’s been years since I had any desire to write anything substantial so I’ll pass on writing 50,000 words.
Posted by Gilly on November 4, 2010
I am doing Nanowrimo! Except I haven’t started. Or done my homework. Or outlined. Or solidified my idea yet. But other than that, I’m golden.
Posted by Kathryn on November 4, 2010
[completely irrelevant to today's blog]
It was really lovely to meet you earlier and the show was brilliant. I am still slightly shocked and amazed that you seem to know who I am from twitter. One query: do I get some points for the pens? Admittedly I think the girls behind me had put in more effort.
Posted by Becca on November 4, 2010
Won’t have time to do NaNoWriMo this year (same as every other year…) do you think I can combine it with my dissertation next year?!
Posted by Joelle on November 3, 2010
I was planning to do NaNoWriMo just for kicks, but then I realised I had exams throught the second half of November and that it probably wasn’t a good idea. *sigh* I’ll have exams the same time next year, only these’ll be my WACE exams which are my finals so maybe in 2012 I’ll do it!
While I’m not in the UK, I’ll do something nice on the 13th! I’d like to think I do something kind everyday but I probably don’t.
Nice optimism! You seem to have your readers pretty much under control so anything plausible that you ask of us, will probably happen (:
Posted by Josh on November 3, 2010
I’d like to be able to do this, but I don’t need any more reasons to not do the things I should be doing.
I will be kind on the 13th. I try to always be kind, but on that day I will be extra specially kind. Promise.
Posted by Corey on November 3, 2010
I am currently undertaking a new creative project which lets me create mini storylines, give people compliments and maybe slightly brighten their days. Its very similar to an idea you had on here and its just starting to take shape, although I don’t want to jinx it by putting the idea on the internet. All this is pointed towards the intention of approaching a book publisher once its complete, but rest assured on kindness day, someone will receive some kind words.
Posted by Anna on November 3, 2010
I’ve completed NaNoWriMo once, about 3 years ago, but I’ve not been able to do it again. It was 50,000 words of absolute rubbish, but it was worth it, just for the feeling of knowing that I could write if I put my mind to it. I will take part again, one day.
I will do something kind on Kindness Day, but I don’t know what yet.
Posted by fuzzy_ducky (Laura) on November 3, 2010
November 13th’s a Saturday… I’ll be in Athlone so I’ll find somebody to be nice to
Posted by Tom Beasley on November 3, 2010
I love NaNoWriMo. Last year, I did it and managed the 50,000 words, completing a novel that I had had in my head for a very long time.
Whilst some may think it promotes writing absolute shit just to fill a word count, it isn’t like that. The initial month is there just to give you the motivation to keep writing, regardless of how much your own inner editor is screaming at you. After the event, that’s when the meticulous craft becoms involved as you read through your story and iron out all of the creases.
I hope to eventually get the novel I wrote last year published because I am pretty damn proud of it and it has had a hell of an effect on those that have been *ahem* fortunate enough to read it so far.
Before NaNo, I had never finished anything in terms of writing, despite many failed attempts, so this really was a breakthrough for me. I would advise anyone with plenty of time on their hands this month and a yearning for writing to give it a go and just see what happens. You never know what the pressure could force out of you!
Posted by Tracey on November 3, 2010
Hi Mark. I don’t think I’ve got a novel in me, but I love reading detective fiction and Jilly Cooper. My main love is biography and autobiography – anything from true crime, to the Golden Age of Hollywood to Frankie Boyle’s – which was great.Regarding the “Kind Act” on November 13th, I will keep it in mind but if I don’t get the opportunity that day I did do a kind act this week by telling a nurse that she was one of the nicest I’d ever met, it made her day, apparently.However, I’ll certainly remember that Nov’ 13th is “Kind Act Day” and plaudits to you for thinking of it. Your blog is great, I love reading it. Tracey x
Posted by louisel on November 3, 2010
NaNoWriMo sounds like a fun thing to do, but I don’t have time to write 50,000 words
well I could, but I would probably fail Chemistry and History (that’s probably going to happen anyway, but still).
Ooh, the 13th is a Saturday so I’ll have the whole day to do kind stuff … I’ll have a think about what.
I saw a really kind thing recently in a tube station on one of those posters along the walls of the massive escalators. It was an advert for plastic surgery which had pictures a woman saying how amazing she looked after surgery, and that everyone should have it. Someone had stuck a sticker over it that simply said “You don’t need this. You’re gorgeous as you are.” It made me smile
Oh and I forgot to say that the show on Friday was great. I booed someone today and it worked
Thanks for signing my copy of Eleven!
Posted by Adele on November 3, 2010
Kindness day is truly lovely. I will definitely be participating. I do wonder if the act of kindness i did on Monday is bankable though in case I happen to be ill that day or something?
Posted by Patrick on November 3, 2010
Hey Mark,
Just wanted to let you know that my Dad is going to be on Gardener’s World sometime next year (he’s that kind of person), and they filmed it a few weeks ago, at our house. The reason I mention this is that I managed to persuade him to wear my bright green “Official Watsonian” badge whilst filming, which he did! I’m spreading the word! I’ll let you all know when the episode will be airing, so we can watch out for it…
Posted by Michael King on November 3, 2010
“In a world which is already heaving under the weight of thousands of great books and hundreds of thousands of shit ones, is it such a great plan to encourage people to dispense with the ‘meticulous craft’ of writing and replace it with a crazed race to piss 50,000 words onto paper regardless of whether they’re any good?”
Ah, but only the most foolish of people get to 1st December with their mini-novel (50,000 words is more like a novella, if I remember correctly) and go “DERPITY DERP I IS A WRITUR” and think their novel is complete. The organisers actively encourage participants to write the 50,000 words in this month, and then return to it to finish the main bulk of it, rewrite it, edit it, whatever. I saw a “dos and don’ts” post yesterday that said you should consider your ‘novel’ a zero draft – not even a first draft – and that’s probably for the best.
I neither have the creativity nor the patience to participate in NaNoWriMo. I can’t think of an idea that isn’t painfully and obviously derivative of other works, and I’m awful at sticking with things like that. The previous two times I’ve participated I’ve given up after five and three days respectively, so I won’t do it now. If I have a great idea, then I want to write it in my own time, not be constricted to a ridiculously small deadline.
Posted by Jen on November 3, 2010
I’m not a NaNo-er myself, but I’ve decided it still provides a good opportunity for me. Not at the start of December, because that’s when I’m plagued with term papers, but as soon as winter break starts, I’m doing a challenge for myself. I’ve got enough friends doing NaNo that at least a few of them will succeed. What I’m going to do is spend a month editing a finished NaNo novel. I’ve never edited something that long, and NaNo novels tend to need so much work that I can flex a bunch of editing muscles, from catching typos to fixing the structure of the whole story. At the end, I’ve gotten a lot of practice, and my friend gets a novel that’s a lot more polished than what they had at the end of November. That’s the plan, anyway.
Posted by Sephy on November 3, 2010
Kindness day is a great idea. I’m gonna nice the hell outta everyone!
I’ve been wanting to do nanowrimo fo years. i have that cliched thought “i could write a novel!” in the back of my head but never actually get round to do anything about it. Probably beacuase i know the result would be absolute horseshi and while it remains unwritten i can tell myself i’m an undiscovered genius. I’ll do it this year i reckon! at least then i’ll have to face the fact i can’t write for toffee and move on. this isn’t really very optimistic is it? :/
ah well it’s gotta be a more constructive use of spare time than playing Bejewelled.
Posted by Misha on November 3, 2010
Oh and I can be found in Nano land here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/532540
Churning out crap about zombies, and giving myself nightmares.
Posted by Misha on November 3, 2010
What a lovely blog today Mark! I am myself nano-ing, this years questionable output being an epic work of fan fiction for a fandom of two (so far). That being Me and Zoe. Still, if I get it finished I might tidy it up into something presentable.
As for the idea of a kindness day, that is really, really lovely. Since it falls on my last saturday of reading week, I’m going to bake something to cheer everyone up about the end of the holidays, and for those coming back to cardiff, to cheer them up about being away from home.
The last lot of baking I did went down really well.
Oh and in the spirit of commending kind acts, my course tutor helped me to pass my phase test yesterday so I can use the studio’s on my own, even though I wasn’t sure how to do it. So that was lovely too.
Posted by MusicalLottie on November 3, 2010
I think that NaNoWriMo is a good idea for those itching to write but never actually getting round to it, for reasons that you’ve pretty much covered. I think it’s probably more about encouraging people to *start* writing, rather than encouraging existing writers to dispense of the ‘meticulous craft’ aspect. Those who already write decent stuff might participate, but I doubt their outlook on writing would really change very much afterwards; they wouldn’t then start producing rubbish for the sake of word counts. And those who go back to not writing, it surely gives a sense of accomplishment that they’ve done *some*thing – and it also means there is a basis on which they could potentially build in the future.
That said, I’ve never participated because I just can’t afford the time. I’d quite like to, as I’ve tried a few times to write bits and pieces and it’d be nice just to FINISH something, but I would still feel a complete failure for having written a load of tripe, even if it did reach the 50k word count!
I think your craft of writing is safe Mark
Posted by Ivan (@ivanbrett) on November 3, 2010
Plotting for lovely things to do on the 13th already *snick snick*
I’m already writing novels full time, so NaNoWriMo for me is completely impossible. I think it’s great to embark on massive projects like writing a novel, and NaNo can only encourage more people to do it.
I’d probably add that it’s even more useful to look over your NaNo novel in December, or perhaps next year, and have a go at editing it. Limiting and tempering yourself is such an important part of the creative process, whatever you’re doing. I wish they advertised a sort of 2-week follow up in the new year or something, where you’re obliged to revise your work and take out the bad bits, find new ways to say the repetitive sentences and generally brush up your work.
But I LOVE the idea of NaNoWriMo. One year, perhaps next year, I’ll hold up on starting my next project until november 1st and then play along. For now it’s just not possible. Good luck everyone!
Posted by Rachael on November 3, 2010
@Pandora that is such a good idea! I might try to look especially stressed everytime I go shopping now to see if anyone else is that nice.
I should probably try to write my dissertation rather than a novel but I will definately work on doing something especially kind on the 13th.
Posted by Lydia on November 3, 2010
I love NaNoWriMo because I think that just having a deadline is good for writing. With school and work and everything else it’s kind of difficult to make myself sit down and write something, so I find it really fun. 4622 words [: I have to try and get ahead because I’m away on the kindness day weekend seeing Matilda.
Also I sort of want/need some advice. After the tuition fees thing today I am slightly wondering what to do. I was going to apply this year and defer my entry, because I kind of need to, but now it seems like I can’t do that because of the whole money thing (initially I thought I would be okay if I applied this year, but I’ve been told today this isn’t the case). On a kind of lazy level, I would like a year away from school just to be away from the stress of it, but more importantly I have absolutely no savings and some anxiety/depression stuff. I’ve just started cognitive behavioural therapy but I still don’t feel like I would cope of my own just yet and I’m scared of getting there and finding that I can’t handle anything.
So, I’m wondering whether I should apply this year and go and just hope that I deal with it or go this year to my back up uni (which I don’t actually want to go to) and live at home (which I didn’t want to do, because I am kind of… introverted, I guess, and I thought moving away might help me to be less terrified of the world). Or should I just defer and be in debt for the rest of my life?
I feel like all my decisions have been taken away. I don’t know how to be optimistic about this.
I guess this is kind of a stupid comment to leave, I just noticed that you, and a lot of people who comment on here, are pretty clever with stuff.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on November 3, 2010
What an excellently prepared blog…
I shall try and think of something nice to do on the 13th.
@ Dawn – Do what I did when I worked on checkouts. I had to work Christmas Eve, and whenever I had a customer who looked particularly stressed or like they might cry I would ‘forget’ to scan a few items. Hopefully it made them smile a bit when they checked their receipt.
Posted by Dawn on November 3, 2010
The 13th November will be a very busy day working at Sainsbury’s and I am sure I will definately be able to perform quite a few “kind acts” for my customers:)