The NaNo No-Nos
August 1st 2010 19:33
The National part of the name may not be applicable to the challenge anymore (since it's long attracted writers from all over the world), but Novel, Writing and Month still are.
These are the big no-nos:
- Write 50,000 words of non-fiction, a short story collection or a screen play.
- Write the same word 50,000 times.
- Co-write your novel with one or more authors.
- Use prose you wrote prior to November 1.
Since the only prize is the first draft of a short novel, nobody enforces the NaNo rules. If you want to cheat, you won't cheat anyone out of a prize.
If you are serious about writing fiction, however, the smart thing is to stick to the rules. Maybe you won't make the 50,000 words in a month - you'll still have gained first-hand writing experience of writing a long piece of fiction. You may not get a winners icon on the NaNo website, but you'll have taken a step towards a better writer. So you win, anyway.
These are the big no-nos:
- Write 50,000 words of non-fiction, a short story collection or a screen play.
- Write the same word 50,000 times.
- Co-write your novel with one or more authors.
- Use prose you wrote prior to November 1.
Since the only prize is the first draft of a short novel, nobody enforces the NaNo rules. If you want to cheat, you won't cheat anyone out of a prize.
If you are serious about writing fiction, however, the smart thing is to stick to the rules. Maybe you won't make the 50,000 words in a month - you'll still have gained first-hand writing experience of writing a long piece of fiction. You may not get a winners icon on the NaNo website, but you'll have taken a step towards a better writer. So you win, anyway.
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Sonya 1
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So you can't just write your life story without turning it into a piece of fiction. I personally think: Memoirs are a no-no.