I Published My NaNo-Novel: An Antidote to Writer’s Block

During January of our “Now What?” Months, we’re talking to Wrimos who’ve published their NaNoWriMo projects and asking them how they got there. Today, Selden Edwards, author of The Lost Prince , shares how he beat procrastination and finished his second novel:

I found the relentless discipline of NaNoWriMo a great boon for starting a project and finishing a draft, a great antidote to the writers’ block that afflicts all of us. Sticking with the daily exercise of writing (religiously!) is a daunting task.

Actually, I did it with a friend, and we reported in every day or so by email, he in Maine and I in California. Daunting, yes, but the payoff by month’s end is a completed manuscript of considerable length—a great starting point. The daily 1,700 words for me was about six manuscript pages—a 200-page manuscript by month’s end. Not bad. 

After November, the equally daunting task of rewrite, rewrite, rewrite begins. But at least you know most of the arc of your story, which makes it easier. It is surprising to me, as I look at the published Lost Prince, how much of the finished product actually came out of that frantic month of daily writing. 

In my case, I have an editor-for-hire in NY named Pat LoBrutto who helped me invaluably on my first novel and who read and critiqued my NaNoWriMo manuscript of my second. My wife and my college roommate also do read-throughs and make suggestions (invaluable!). Having good helpers is essential in any hero’s journey. 

An added wrinkle is that I wrote most days long-hand and then at day’s end dictated into my Apple computer, which now has voice recognition built in—a godsend! You can also invest in Dragon software. 

When my agent submitted the much-revised manuscript to Dutton, they accepted it immediately, largely on the strength of my first novel, granted. There is a lot of luck involved, I realize, but there is also Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of work—there’s no substitute for that. Remember, I wrote for 30 years unrequited before my first score. 

I am grateful to the NaNoWriMo project for kick starting my second effort and getting me past my natural inclination to procrastinate. A significant 200-page manuscript is nothing to scoff at, and at least you have a rough-cut beginning-middle-end to work with. A lot of great ideas and character and plot twists come to you during the frantic month of November, that’s for sure. But you have to do the drill—every day, religiously. 

My advice: take on the NaNoWriMo challenge and do it, every day, with a friend if possible. Take the NaNoWriMo challenge, put your butt in the chair every day (every goddamn day, as some famous writer said), and you’ll be amazed by what comes out in 30 day’s time.

Selden Edwards (born 1941) grew up in the Sacramento Valley of California, attending Princeton (BA) and Stanford (MA).  He has a PhD in Mythology and Depth Psychology.  He had a long career in education, first as an English teacher, then 25 years as a private school headmaster. His first novel The Little Book (2008), a 30-year project, was a New York Times bestseller. His second novel The Lost Prince , a sequel, began as a NaNoWriMo project.  Both novels were published by Dutton.