In defense of NaNoWriMo and writing badly

“The biggest obstacle to writing well isn’t a lack of talent, it’s a fear of ‘writing badly’ so crippling that you don’t write at all.”

— James Garside

Does anyone remember when NaNoWrimo was a thing and also fun? That’s when I wrote this. Good times.

This episode is a gentle well-intentioned rant about professional writers who shit on NaNoWriMo participants. It’s a dispatch from the front lines of the madness. Why do it, why it’s worth it, and why it’s mostly harmless.

Fear of failure is worse than actual failure. Anything that gets people writing and having fun has got to be a good thing. Fight me if you disagree.

‘Elitist snob who hates fun’ isn’t a good look for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Nobody.

Links:

Original: medium.com/graffitiliving/notes-from-the-trenches-nano-why-mo-8b2855d924a7?sk=ebe46dd6a6a0eb098e333d6fb86b8c84

Substack: jamesgarside.substack.com

Medium: medium.com/@jamesgarside_

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jamesgarside

Web: jamesgarside.net

Chapter 23 by James Garside. A regular series of irregular thoughts. Could be anything. Mostly rants. Warning: May contain traces of sarcasm. Chapter 23 is a multimedia project by James Garside. Journalist, Author, Writer. Part-time vagabond, full-time grumpy arse. Would you care for a cup of tea? I write about everything from art, culture, and politics to tech, travel, and the occult. Sometimes in ways that get me into trouble. I’m also funny — I probably should’ve led with that. I help writers and artists to do their best work. Let’s be part of each other’s stories. More at: jamesgarside.net

Get full access to Chapter 23 by James Garside at jamesgarside.substack.com/subscribe