Customer Reviews

The No Plot? No Problem! Novel-Writing Kit

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Length:: 3:54 Mins

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This is a fun and funky kit for participants in the National Novel Writing Month experience (NaNoWriMo), which takes place every November. Note that although it includes a short (44 page) book, it is not the same as the author's full-length book of the same title. I view "No Plot? No Problem" (the full length book) as an important asset to NaNoWriMo. This kit, however, is strictly for those who want to have fun with stickers, buttons, a rolled-up contract, and more. It is for those who want to go all out for NaNoWriMo, and who want some "toys" to help them have an even better time. If money is tight, spend it elsewhere, as you can make most of these things yourself. If you don't mind the cost, and know that it's all just for fun, then buy and enjoy it as I did.

In this video I open the kit and show you everything inside. The video is just under 4 minutes.
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Let me start by saying that I liked the original No Plot No Problem. Not brilliant, by any stretch, but fun and motivational. And I also understand that this kit is meant to play off of the concept detailed on the author's nanowrimo website (the challenge is to write a novel in a month). The goal is to produce material, rather than worrying about whether or not the material is any good. I have no problem with that.

HOWEVER, the act of writing a novel in a month is free. Buying this "kit" is not. That being the case, I wanted to share exactly what you get for your money.

Personally, I was disappointed at how...useless this stuff is. If you're really a writer (or aspire to be one) ask yourself if the following items will make a difference in achieving your goals:
1) Four "Ask Me about My Novel" stickers
2) A wall chart upon which you fill in your progress over the course of one month (personally, I think the time you spend filling in this chart would be better spent actually writing your novel)
3) Little gold star stickers, like you got in grade school
4) A tin pin that says "novelist"
5) 16 fake coupons that YOU have to fill in (again, you're better off spending the time writing your novel than filling out coupons)
6) A rolled up "affidavit" which you fill out as a promise to write your novel in a month
7) An "I Quit" envelope to be opened upon the moment you decide to stop writing. I won't giveaway what the message is.
8) 31 cards - read one a day until you finish your novel
9) A 48 page instructional booklet

Let's take a closer look at the instructional booklet:

First off, it's 44 pages, not 48. The first 16 pages include an introduction from the author and 7 pages of instruction on how to use your affidavit, your gold stars, your fake coupons, your pin, etc. I'm not kidding. The next chapter ("Preparing to Write") is divided into five steps. STEP 1: Pick Your Month (In other words, decide which month you want to write your novel). STEP 2: Pick Your Players. (I quote the author here: "Novel writing is a fantastic one-player game. But it's also an ideal opportunity to spend time with friends." Uhh...what?) STEP 3) Spread the Word. (Tell friends and family that you're writing a novel so that they can help you stay on track.) STEP 4) Fill Out the Affidavit. (YES! I'm glad we made sure to include an entire step about that.) STEP 5) Think About Your Book. (Another excellent idea.) By now, we are at page 30 of this 48, no wait, 44 page book. Pages 31 through 33 detail the rules for the nanowrimo novel competition. Then on page 34, we begin a chapter entitled "Writing!" This is nine pages. It is a Q&A session, covering such things as Q: "Can I have aliens come down and eat my characters?" A: "It's your novel - you can do anything you want. If you're not so into aliens, wormholes are also a convenient option. As are tigers, for that matter." (I am not kidding - this is what you're paying for.)

Bottom line: this is a gift set - probably something a friend or relative will get you for Christmas. I can't imagine that any serious (or even marginally serious) writer will find this package worthwhile. But who knows - motivation is a weird thing.

I was reading some of the negative reviews and can't believe how people are. Basically, it's a cute little kit to motivate you to write your 50,000 page book in 30 days or less. The people who gave it the negative reviews are taking it's purpose way too seriously.

This is more of a "gifty" type of item for someone who is really into writing. In fact, if you have a writer in your life, especially one who is having a hard time getting motivated, you probably should get this writing kit and the original No Plot? No Problem! book to go along with it. The gift will be received with raving reviews from your writer friend, spouse, associate, etc.

When I opened the kit, it motivated me to want to write my book. Isn't that the purpose?

Some of these people are just ridiculous. If the kit doesn't write the book for them then they feel ripped off! Come on, people! Get a life!

I found this product to be exactly what was needed: Lighthearted but also on-the-mark. It's one thing to read a book on the subject of cranking out a novel in 30 days, and another one to actually have support in charting it.

As for those who feel that the kit was too expensive - I got a lot more out of this $25 product (paid full-price at the local bookstore) than I did in 6 much more expensive hours with a writing coach (who expressed surprise that I had actually completed a draft - which made me wonder, is it that unusual?)

I intend to use this system again and again.

I just completed by first novel with the help of the "No Plot? No Problem! Novel Writing Kit" by Chris Baty. Here are the top 10 reasons it worked for me.

1. The second I opened the kit, I knew that I could do it.
2. The handbook gives lots of helpful advice and is a great abbreviated version of the book "No Plot? No Problem!"
3. With a little ingenunity, you can use it over and over again.
4. The 31 cards give you little pats on the back and advice every day of your novel writing adventure.
5. I am a sucker for gold foil stars.
6. The "onerosity coupons" are ingenious and got my friends and family members involved in my creative process.
7. The progress chart is gigantic and impossible to ignore when hanging on your refrigerator.
8. I can't comment on the "I Quit" envelope. I never needed to use it.
9. Who wouldn't love to win the "Novelist" flair?
10. Although the kit helped me tremendously, the best gift it gave me was the knowledge that the ability to write a novel resided within me. It didn't tell me "how" to write a novel, it helped me gain the motivation to do it. My kit was fun to use and helped me from taking the whole writing process too seriously.

I admit that I'm a Nanowrimo, National Novel Writing Month, convert. I love the idea of writing a novel in thirty days, and I've made some great writer friends through my involvement with Nano. I read Chris Baty's book, No Plot, No Problem, which is where this kit originates, so I thought I'd give the kit a try. This kit is only useful to people who are new to the Nanowrimo process, and I honestly believe that the book does a better job of promoting Nano as well as encouraging each of us in finding that writer within.

I agree with the prior reviewer. I mistakenly was under the impression this included the original novel (which I highly enjoyed) along with the kit extras. That was my own mistake of course. However, once realizing that, the kit seemed fairy empty, with charts, coupons, and scrolls that you can only use once. The cards are reusable, but that's the main item with content. Other objects seem to serve more as a distraction than helping you write.

I do think the presentation of the kit and design is rather nice. But overall, it feels fairly empty for someone looking for solid, reusable helping content. Subjectively, I felt it more worth a price under $10.

I just received my copy and it is very impressive and its contents are very creative. You just want to open the box over and over again while it is also thrilling. Hey, I have read books for beginners but none compares to this. As a student writer I would highly recommend this to my fellow classmates.

This little kit has transformed my artistic creativity forever.

Having the quota be the priority diminished the voice of the critic, expunged expectations, collapsed time basically.. and allowed me to be fully present to imagination.

In other words, it was the gleeful act of creating unconsciously.
Aka....FUN. Fun, fun, fun, fun, fun.

So THIS Is what everyone talks about when they say create a first draft that is crap!
Thank you Mr. Hemingway! Man, were you spot on.

I loved the reckless abandon of turning off the spell check, coloring outside the lines, letting a plot come, go, come in with ruby red slippers, go out on a gurney... Zsa Zsa! One of the daily cards said to let plots come and go like Zsa Zsa Gabor had husbands...

Letting go of the attachment to ANY outcome helped me witness the book unfold in front of my eyes.
The No Plot? No Problem! Novel-Writing KitThe most profound piece of this was letting myself write for fun without it being "good."

I am forever indebted to Mr. Baty.
Well done, sir.
I live in gratitude for the freedom and the access to my purest creative source.

This kit is a whole lotta look, but not much else.

The booklet, flash cards, and progress log are kind of cool, though not entirely useful; I think they might be better as electronic resources.

The booklet contains a lot of statements like the one above, but no real advice for the daily practice of writing. Baty swings to the extreme opposite of most writing guides by offering all pep and no substance. The actual advice being issued really only scrapes the surface of how one goes about writing a manuscript in a month.

I also ordered Chris Baty's original guide to NaNoWriMo, "No Plot? No Problem!," but after a month of waiting I marked it as lost in the mail. Perhaps I will try again with another seller in a few weeks, but after surveying this kit, I have to admit that my hopes for anything more substantial from Baty are low.

The kit's contents are snarky and fun if you need a pick-me-up, but you shouldn't expect any life-changing advice. Baty attempts to prepare you for a month-long writing endeavor with equal parts humor and advice, but the whole thing feels corny.

After seeing what he thinks will be useful in a month-long writing free-for-all (I mean, coupons promising that I will do things for other people if I miss my goals?! No, thanks. I'm already trying to write a freaking novel, I don't need Tinker breathing down my neck about a long walk in the woods, too!), I wonder if NaNoWriMo isn't actually just a cruel joke that Baty dreamed up one day and decided to entice a group of would-be novelists off the cliff with him.

But then I look at the warm, vibrant, optimistic crowd on Twitter, and I realize that NaNoWriMo-ers have all the support, advice, and inspiration they need in their own online community. My advice, after perusing this packet? Stick to November, or get a crowd of friends to write with you some other month, and leave this kit on the shelf.

For more of my thoughts on this book, check out my book review site, Melody & Words.