12-20-2008, 08:57 PM
I think that, like FanFic, NaNoWriMo has value primarily as a teaching tool. In FanFic, you get to take other people's established characters and world, and write with them to learn about the craft of writing, without having to do world building or come up with your own characters.
In NaNoWriMo, it's all about getting words on paper. That, for many people, is the hardest part of writing... just getting the words out, without telling yourself that it's all cruddy, without editing, etc. But neither FanFic nor NaNoWriMo will make you a published author on their own.
You have to keep with it... and take the next steps, which are editing, polishing, and, if you think you're ready, submitting. If you have something you don't think is quite ready for a regular publisher, but you'd like to have something to show your friends, you can take a look at lulu.com (I have no interest in Lulu other than having published a book there), where they'll publish your work at no cost to you, unless of course, you buy a copy.
If you want a professional editor / proof reader, let me know... I have a friend who does that. She's not cheap, but she's worth the money!
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