Post by Rikku on Dec 9, 2009 15:45:56 GMT -5
Anyways. Rikku and I were talking about NaNo, and this question came up: what were the thoughts/feelings you had while writing your novels? (The discussion topic this was part of was something we were calling "NaNo Theory," if that helps with your answer.)
Whenever I write quickly, I worry about whether I'm replacing my characters' personalities with my own, because my own personality comes most easily to me. I also spend time worrying about whether my book's actually good or if it's ever going to be good. This isn't just in the phrasing and style, but if the idea's a good one and if the plot works. I know that you're not supposed to do this during NaNo, but it still happens with me.
=D
When I'm trying to reach that deadline, and thus writing really stupidly quickly, my characters often change. Like, a lot. Of course, frequently they turn out to be fail, but sometimes they take charge of the plot, and drag it in directions I never expected it to go; this helps me understand them a lot better, and I don't think I'd have that if I wasn't focusing on churning out however many nonsense words a day. Plus, when I don't have to worry about what I'm writing, it turns out ... well, pretty silly, really. But that can be fun. When I'm reading back over my NaNos I'm not sure whether to be amused or mortified.
What I like best is that people often write just whatever comes most naturally to them when they write quickly. Reading NaNo manuscripts ... well, sure, none of them are perfect, but they have a life to them that often many published novels don't. Writing a novel is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs; you love your book and you hate it, it's your best friend and your worst enemy. Packing all that into a month makes it much more concentrated, much more intense. No time to lose interest and drift off, either. Thus, life.
