Let’s get into the meat of the issue today! I’ve asked our amazing agents about both the good and bad parts of NaNo as they see them…Q: Everyone says NaNo is great for getting *writing,* but writing fast isn’t for everyone, so do you believe participating can be detrimental at all to a writer’s skills?
Natalie:
No. I think if you want to go for it, fantastic; but I think a practice of setting and writing to deadline and just getting something finished, even if it’s a hot mess, can only help more than hinder.
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| Sara Megibow of KT Literary |
Sara:
That’s a great question and I don’t have the answer. Since I am, myself, not a writer I don’t know what exercises are beneficial or detrimental to crafting books. I can’t imagine that NaNo would hurt a writer’s skills but if that writer responds really poorly to the “write quickly” mantra, then I think it’s also ok to drop it like a hot potato and move on to some other exercise.
Jaida:
Good question! I like NaNo because it forces writers to look at the big picture — pushing out the STORY, even if it’s just the barebones — as opposed to focusing on the small details like style, voice, etc. So as long as they treat it like a “step” in the writing process, as opposed to The End All, NaNo is a great exercise to mix it up.
. Q: What is the most positive argument you’ve heard for NaNoWriMo?
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| Natalie Lakosil of Bradford Literary |
Natalie:
The powerful community of support – and peer pressure – to really get a novel FINISHED!
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| Sara Megibow of KT Literary |
Sara Megibow:
I’m always impressed that NaNo is designed specifically to support writers as they write. I love that! Writing is an art and publishing is a business. Conferences are a great tool for supporting writers in the business of publishing. And, NaNo is a great tool for supporting writers in the art of writing.
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| Melissa Nasson of RPC |
Melissa:
Marissa Meyer did it! And other successful authors, too. That’s all I need to know to believe in NaNo: for some writers, it really works.
