I must admit, I did pretty woefully in last year's National Novel Writing Month. This time, I'm going to try to go in with an outline, and my world-building in place.
Hope springs eternal...
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
good place to try a second in a series novel--everything already set in place. It can be done. I have not officialy done it--but last year wrote book 2 in a series in 32 days and 70,000 words.
Shawn
Posted by SiliGurl (Member # 922) on :
You know, I think I'm going to try this. Haven't ever done it before, but it couldn't hurt to try. Lord knows, I've got like 2 unfinished novels gathering dust. Maybe this is just what I need to kick my writing butt in gear.
Think I'll create on the fly, but go ahead and choose/develop a story concept before the fun starts Nov 1.
Posted by Christine (Member # 1646) on :
That sounds like such a good idea....I've often thought about trying to write a novel in a month just to see if I can. Too bad I have to skip out this year...I'll be on vacation for two weeks in November, kinda cuts half my time out! Oh well, no reason I still can't do it by myself like I had planned. Posted by Goober (Member # 506) on :
I feel silly admitting it, what being in a writers forum and all, but I have never produced anything novel length. I have had a few starts, but have never gone all the way.
I think I should enter this and truly push myself. Not sure how much time I have but maybe I can turn my free time between classes into "writing time" and really get stuff done.
Everyone trying? You dont HAVE to win, you just have to try.
Posted by DiaCornier (Member # 1684) on :
Goober - I'm with you. I'm working on my first novel length MS (usually I throw the stack of papers out my third story window around page 75, but I've held onto this one --- thankfully).
I had a huge problem with "editing as I go along" - which some people can do, and it took me a long long time to realize that I'm not one of them. I'd hit the "this is crud" attitude and delete three pages for every one I wrote. Not the best method to finish a novel length manuscript.
If you want to write novels... just think about it for a while and then start. OSC gave us some wonderful advice about not keeping pieces and bits of old manuscripts and trying to repiece the new story around them, and since I've stopped doing that (and a billion other little things that have been pot holes on my road to novel authorship) it's been getting a little easier to go with the flow. :>
Posted by Mind Surfer (Member # 1686) on :
I think this is a great idea. It will really help us struggling writers. Especially those of us who have problems with our inner critics (this includes me). It's just a great way to get your story out. Thanks for posting. Posted by DragynGide (Member # 1448) on :
Okay, I've signed up.
Don't know how good of an idea that was...
Shasta
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I'm in too. Should be an interesting month.
Posted by kwsni (Member # 970) on :
I'm in, though I'm technically cheating. I intend to follow all the rules but one, in that this is supposed to be a new novel, and I'll be working on one that I've already started.
::shrug::
Ni!
Posted by daovinci (Member # 1757) on :
Here's an important, albeit unwritten, rule regarding cheating: don't TELL ANYONE you intend to do it!!!
Actually, that's why the rules are unwritten.
Posted by punahougirl84 (Member # 1731) on :
And actually, kwsni, they do encourage outlines and notes ahead of time... that WAS what you meant, right???
I enjoyed reading over the site - don't know that I'll commit though, as I barely have time for the stuff I'm currently doing. I am oddly attracted to the idea... but the most I've ever written was probably 42 pages, nonfiction, and that probably included the bibliography!
Posted by teddyrux (Member # 1595) on :
I'm signed up. I'm doing it for the challenge, and because even if I don't get to 50K I've still won. I will have something that can be revised and finished. I look at it as a way to get something started that can be finished later.
Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
Well, I'm signed up. Not only that, but I got hubby to sign up too. - he is now asking me for genealogy stuff so that he can get his background set up before Nov. 1.
Should be a good month - I just hope I can think of enough on one topic to get a complete story out in that many words.
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
What is your NaNo id, Mags? Mine is MAK. It might be fun to pace each other on word count.
Marianne
Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
Marianne, it's AngelEyes. I couldn't come up with anything else that wasn't already taken! - so settled on that one.
This should be fun. still trying to figure out what i'm going to write though. - haven't even nailed down a genre yet.
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I did some research two years ago on WWII. I have an idea for a story that is loosely based on my parents' experiences. I might try that or write a sequel to the novel I am just finishing now...another time travel story. There are so many ideas rattling around in my head that I may just write all of 'em and run it together for word count Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
I have thought about doing that too... stringing all the stories that are running in my mind together for word count. - the problem is that they are in some very different genres, and although some can be blended together, not all. I don't think that time travel could even get them to be able to run together. Posted by kwsni (Member # 970) on :
Nope! I have about 3k on a beginning of my Nano novel already. I'm NOT counting this in my final wordcount, of course, but i'm not starting from scratch, either.
Ni!
Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
well, I have now been called "evil" by a few people. - apparently my husband fits me in there too...
I sent info about nanowrimo to someone from my group in Maui, and she said I was evil... AND that I should share with the rest of the group, because she shouldn't suffer alone... so I did. And out of the 12, so far I know of at least 5 who will be participating. We have this wonderful group, and for whatever reason we can't seem to be able to send out emails to the entire group at one time, so we get bits and pieces as for whatever reason we all leave someone off, but not the same person.
Posted by Khyber (Member # 1651) on :
Awww.... I've been posting here sporadically for some time, and I came here to post about NaNoWriMo, and, well, you beat me! Wahhh... I'm gonna do it. Not sure what I will write about, though. I'm best at coming up with a theme and writing off the bat. If I think about something too long before writing it, I realize that some things don't fit together puzzle-piece perfect... I need to let them meld together as I write. Base outline of broad scenes, and most of the time my writing takes a different turn and ends up missing them all!
Posted by Goober (Member # 506) on :
Just so everyone remembers: It is officially ON now. Get to writing!
So far so good, I think, for me. Its gonna be a long month...
Posted by cvgurau (Member # 1345) on :
I've been using an electronic typewriter (There's way too many people in my house to depend on the computer for more than an hour or two each day), and so far, I've written 13 pages, 1.5-spaced. I'm not sure how many words that is, just yet, but I'm planning on counting them real soon.
Wish me luck!
(And to you too)
Cristian V. Gurau
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
I'm not doing a novel, but my goal for the month is to get through a second draft of a finished one.
Shawn
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I managed to get 5k words done the first weekend. Now if I can only stay on that pace I will meet the goal.
Marianne
Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
good for you, Marianne.
Right now, I'm about 4000 words behind where I was hoping to be by today. but I have a really good excuse.... I had to worry about fires last week, so thinking of my background didn't happen.
Posted by DragynGide (Member # 1448) on :
So far I've started out with one story, gotten frustrated, shoved it back onto the backburner and pulled out another, older one I'd previously given up on.
Wrote over 4k today, so I think it was a good decision.
Shasta
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I finished the 50,000 words today...I can't believe I did it! It took me 6 months to write my last novel...looking forward to the editing Posted by SiliGurl (Member # 922) on :
I did it! 51k+ and counting... Though I'm only 2/3s of the way done with the book.
Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :
good job, Marianne
good for you, siligirl.
I can't believe that I did as much as I did... granted now is time to reread it. -- today I was told that March is National Novel Editing Month... the idea is to edit what you did in November.
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I already started the editing process...I am going on the Panama Cruise with the Maui group so I need to get a jump start on the editing. I may sign up for EdMo for the support.
