I expect any of these would be awesome, but I can't resist "Clockwork Dragon" as a title. And I would like to nominate your halfbreed kitsune as another interesting protagonist (and squeak to find out where that story is at present).
But seriously, at the time I submitted it, their website said they'd hired a new editor so their response time wouldn't be as slow as it had been. So I can hope it's the former, but really, your guess is as good as mine.
Sorry, I think I messed up. I tried to vote for turning your feather-blessed dragon stories into a novel. It's now coming up as red bars rather than a poll, but my vote hasn't registerted.
My preference is the feather-blessed dragons, but I think it might be interesting to start something totally new for Nanowrimo. I don't know what, I don't even care what, just something you've never written before, in a world you've never visited before.
I find starting easier than finishing. So I think it's more useful to me to finish something, right now. Unless, of course, I get a new idea that really grabs my imagination in the next week!
Clockwork dragons sound neat! But, I kind of think the spirit of Nanowrimo is to start and finish a project in 30 days. Still, finishing projects is more important than starting one, if you don't think it's feasible to do a whole novelette in a month.
Not arguing about that. :) It's sort of like, um, building a rowboat in one month versus building a sailboat in two months - different scales, is what I was meaning to say!
50k words is short for a novel these days, so it makes me think of a bonsai novel. };)
-and it's National Novel Writing Month, not "Novelette" writing. Which prejudices me to want to get a novel finished. That and the fact that selling a book, if I can manage to do so, would be good on many levels.
Also, novelettes and novellas are harder to sell than novels.
They also tell me that the spirit of Nanowrimo is to write as fast as you can and not care if it's crap, but I do care, and I'd rather have 49,000 good words (or even 25,000) good words than 50,001 words that I don't even want to rewrite. But hey, you know, there I go being picky again!
I think Nanowrimo is aimed at writers who have problems finishing a story because they get halfway through and stare at their draft and think "OMG it's so terrible! I must go back and fix it!" But as haikujaguar has pointed out, paintings do have an "ugly duckling" stage. It may be similar for novels, you may not really be able to appreciate your story until you have at least the rough draft done.
It does seem to be aimed at beginners of one stripe or another. And the "write dreck and rewrite" method does work for some people.
"Write decent and rewrite" works much better for me.
However, having people to write wit and cheer me on also works for me. I'm VERY aware that the 50,000 word deadline is artificial, and doesn't match any market I'm writing for, but hey, if it helps me move forward, I'll use it.
Basically, I'm using it as my tool, to further my goals, and as such, I pick and choose how much of the "party line" to follow.
I dunno about 'write dreck and rewrite'... Maybe some people just think they write dreck, but posting on LJ lets them see that other people like what they're doing. Or get immediate feedback on what other people find most interesting about their story - it may surprise them.
BTW totally not trying to tell you how to write! I appreciate that different methods work for different people, and I'm more of a dabbler myself - a little art, a little writing, a little programming, etc.
LOL--you can tell me what you want! And I'll do as I tell others to do when I give advice: think about it, keep the parts that are helpful, and ignore the rest (unless it becomes helpful later).
But I do appreciate the politeness of sharing your perceptions and perspectives, with an appreciation that different people really are different. :-D
I dabble too--a lot of writing, but also painting, drawing, fabric arts, music, gardening. Some of what I want to do would be easier if I did programming, but I'd really rather be doing the creative stuff.
I was a story editor for a fanzine way back when - small fries but the experience made me prone to getting out the red pencil. };) That plus being GM and raid leader for a World of Warcraft raiding guild may incline me to speak authoritatively at times.
Some people can get a little unhappy in such circumstances, but experienced bloggers don't seem to have a problem with feedback, by and large. It goes with the territory, I suppose!
I'd just like to quietly remind you about how you read bits from Clockwork Dragon at Cap last year, and that I've been eagerly waiting to read the whole thing ever since... :-)
I figured that would be your vote! :-D And you don't have to whisper timidly from the corner over there, you know. I went and asked people for comments!
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-23 02:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 08:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-23 02:39 am (UTC)*sigh*
Date: 2010-10-24 08:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 11:48 pm (UTC)Does being slow mean they're considering it, or are they always slow?
I'm keeping my fingers crossed
Date: 2010-10-25 12:17 am (UTC)But seriously, at the time I submitted it, their website said they'd hired a new editor so their response time wouldn't be as slow as it had been. So I can hope it's the former, but really, your guess is as good as mine.
Re: I'm keeping my fingers crossed
Date: 2010-10-25 12:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-23 04:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-23 05:20 am (UTC)But I'll keep in mind that you meant to vote for the Feather Dragons on both questions!
Thanks for voting.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-23 07:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 08:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 07:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 07:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-24 08:05 pm (UTC)50k words is short for a novel these days, so it makes me think of a bonsai novel. };)
...
Date: 2010-10-24 08:05 pm (UTC)Also, novelettes and novellas are harder to sell than novels.
I think 50,000 is a novella, technically...
Re: ...
Date: 2010-10-24 08:09 pm (UTC)Re: ...
Date: 2010-10-24 08:13 pm (UTC)But for now, I'd best get back to the Muse Fusion writing.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 01:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 03:42 pm (UTC)Yay, kitteh icon! *purrs*
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 06:34 pm (UTC)"Write decent and rewrite" works much better for me.
However, having people to write wit and cheer me on also works for me. I'm VERY aware that the 50,000 word deadline is artificial, and doesn't match any market I'm writing for, but hey, if it helps me move forward, I'll use it.
Basically, I'm using it as my tool, to further my goals, and as such, I pick and choose how much of the "party line" to follow.
I do like my various kitteh icons!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 06:54 pm (UTC)I dunno about 'write dreck and rewrite'... Maybe some people just think they write dreck, but posting on LJ lets them see that other people like what they're doing. Or get immediate feedback on what other people find most interesting about their story - it may surprise them.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 08:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 06:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 09:21 pm (UTC)But I do appreciate the politeness of sharing your perceptions and perspectives, with an appreciation that different people really are different. :-D
I dabble too--a lot of writing, but also painting, drawing, fabric arts, music, gardening. Some of what I want to do would be easier if I did programming, but I'd really rather be doing the creative stuff.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 10:38 pm (UTC)I was a story editor for a fanzine way back when - small fries but the experience made me prone to getting out the red pencil. };) That plus being GM and raid leader for a World of Warcraft raiding guild may incline me to speak authoritatively at times.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 10:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 10:45 pm (UTC)Some people can get a little unhappy in such circumstances, but experienced bloggers don't seem to have a problem with feedback, by and large. It goes with the territory, I suppose!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-29 04:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-30 01:39 pm (UTC)