I'm doing Nano, and I was on track until yesterday, when a magazine editor asked me to rewrite a short story I'd subbed. I think I was entirely right to do that – but perhaps not to slip back into short story mode so fully that I forgot about the novel and drafted another short story.
Although I wrote 2,500 new words, they don't count towards my NaNo total. Unless ...
Would it be completely cheating for my main character to pick up a magazine and read an entire short story? If it is, how else can I get myself back on track?
You're technically a NaNo Rebel by doing that and it's not cheating.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex.
DeleteAnd the rebel badge is purple - I'm having that!
I think you got away with it this time, Patsy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, Julia - but writing on the wrong this is better than not writing at all.
DeleteNothing is cheating as long as you get the words up there and they're yours. At the end of it, when you upload your finished efforts, NaNo softward literally flashreads the script to check the word count and boom, that's it, you're done, certificate on the way.
ReplyDeleteYou could probably write 'Help' 50,000 times and still get your certificate!
I'd get the certificate - but nothing else! I hope to end up with a really terrible first draft.
DeleteNo, not cheating. You are still writing.
ReplyDeleteAny writing is better than none, I think.
DeleteOn my first NaNo attempt, my 2 main characters discussed how they needed to talk for 2000 words, and then discussed why! I think you're on safer territory than I was :-)
ReplyDeleteHe he! What I should have done is used my NaNo characters.
DeleteI don't see how it's cheating. You're writing - end of.
ReplyDeleteI was definitely writing - just not my NaNo novel.
DeleteI think if it were me, I'd feel it wasn't right - And I'd just write more words to catch up. But that's me. If you feel it's okay, then just paste them in and count them as part of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's entirely right either, Maria - I'll see if I can keep up without using that.
DeleteA dilemma indeed! I don’t do Nano but in my view, all words are words.
ReplyDeleteIt's good I wrote, even if it wasn't the right thing.
DeleteDefinitely not cheating!
ReplyDeleteYou've nearly persuaded me, Teresa.
Delete