to nano or not to nano

you've probably heard of (or participated in, even) the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? if not, check it out here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

the founder and organizer, Chris Baty, also wrote a guide to writing a novel in 30 days: "No Plot? No Problem!" (isbn#0811845052): http://www.amazon.com/No-Plot-Problem-Low-Stress-High-Velocity/dp/0811845052/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

gimmicky, right? but it works. if you follow the guide and the spirit of the adventure, you'll have a complete story arc reaching 50K words by the end of november. it'll need a lot of work before it's a finished novel, but you'll have written down the bones of the thing--amazing. several well-known writers have completed novels this way, and even better, published them. (you'd have to visit the nano site for details on that.)

i've completed NaNo projects for the past two years, and i'd assumed i'd be working on editing the two novels i have, rather than racking up yet another unfinished novel to store away and stare at. i sigh a lot, staring at my unfinished novels. i kept telling myself that i need to buckle down, get these done before haring off on any new, exciting writing adventures.

but then, i asked myself, "why be so hard on myself, self?"

so, what? i've got two unfinished novels waiting for me. november comes around once a year, and the momentum i get from sharing the crazy with hundreds of thousands of people all over the world results in huge amounts of writing. it's stressful, and grueling, and . . . fun!

plus, professional writers often gross a higher daily word count than the nano requires (about 1700 words a day, i think--don't trust me to get the math right), and experiencing that level of output is invigorating. even if it is crap. doesn't matter!! (well, it matters in the long run, but in the first-draft stage? naw. not so much.)

so, what'd i decide for this year? i can feel november looming, its domed head breaching the calendular horizon. what should i do? splurge in another month of abandon, of creative whimsy and ludricrous plot twists? or buckle down, be responsible, trudge along on my existing novels which cry out for help in feeble whimpers from my laptop files? i think we all know which way i'm leaning right now.

and you know what? i can always buckle down eleven months of the year. that's where i need to improve my work ethics, dammit. November's for NaNoWriMo!!!! who's with me???
*picture me astride a fidgety horse with my face in war paint, a tartan draped over my shoulder*