: Re: What's gained from NaNoWriMo? Generally, I understand NaNoWriMo to have the goal of writing a complete novel (at least a first draft) during the month of November. To reach "novel" word count,

@Odierno164

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What's gained from NaNoWriMo?

Obviously for some, motivation through a social event. For some, it is like running the marathon, not to come in first, and even if they come in last, they want to be able to say they did it, on that date and when everybody else was doing it and with everybody else doing it.

Would they get up and run a marathon down the highway by themselves? They could, they could time it, but that clearly would not be the same accomplishment as running a publicly touted Marathon. It isn't just about getting the exercise or proving you can do it or anything you DO get out of running 26.22 miles by yourself. Something more is gained by the social element. It is the difference between having four beers alone in your kitchen over the course of two hours, and having the same four beers over the course of a two hour party with friends: it isn't about the alcohol consumed, it is about the context in which it is consumed.

For you, probably nothing is gained. The same goes for me, I have my scheduled times to write and I write then, I don't count words, I don't worry about progress, I write, rewrite, and may even throw away what I did that day! But at that time every day I write. I don't need extra motivation, and I'm not very motivated by the right to claim "I was there" or "I did it".

But I do understand that others do find meaning in having been present or a participant in such things, so the context provides them with motivation to meet the rules of the game, and write their ass off. For such people what is gained is 50,000 words written that, otherwise, quite possibly would not have been written at all. And perhaps some fun and a pleasant experience, like playing any other kind of game.

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