Comments on National Novel Writing Month, Week One

I did NaNoWriMo back in 2001 with some friends-- the three of us set out to write the most horrible novels possible, choosing for the purposes the genres of romance, fantasy, and chick lit. None of us made it to the 50,000 word goal, but it was loads of fun. Good luck with yours-- 15,000 words already is a damn good start!

props for "void of her sunglasses." keep up the good work.

Both those stuck-up little shits can go teabag Ted Haggard.

I'm at 10,000 words, which is as long as anything I've written in my life. I think this is my favorite bit so far:

"Henry went back to his desk, and paused for a second, looking over the phone records. The number, 1-900-468-7588, surely was an anagram for something, and he spent a minute or two trying to figure out what it could be, until, sighing, he picked up his desk phone and dialed the number.
“Hi there, fella!” The automatic voice on the other end squealed, “You’ve just called 1900-HOTSLUT, and it’s SO nice to hear from you!”
Henry sighed. Hot slut. He could’ve figured that out. He was good at scrabble and word games."

Gawker and Bookninja bloggers: I'm sorry you have writer's block exacerbated by self-loathing, but work it out with a drinking problem on your own time (and good luck at National Drunken Writing Night next year, poseurs!). But Paul, do I detect a bee in your bonnet as well? "What National Novel Writing Month is not is a big ‘eff you’ to the editorial process, or a big ‘hell yeah’ to the (shudder) self-publishing world." If someone wants to post his or her entire novel, why not? I agree it's fucking lame (God, no one's going to buy the cow at that rate, people!) and wouldn't do it myself. But if someone wants to, good for that person, it's not against the rules. Maybe it's not an eff you or a hell yeah, but something else entirely. Who knows? And really, who cares? My point is: keep up the rockin' pace on your novel! I say keep the bonnet (it's smashing!), lose the bee, and spend at least some of those 35,000 remaining words explaining why the bus driver grew a moustache, and if the monkey made him do it. ;)