Any of you choosing to participate this year? I'm on the fence myself.
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
I'm in (should probably re-register with the forums I suppose)
I have character sketches that I've begun (need work) and a rough idea of what will happen in the book. I've been teaching a writer's workshop for middle schoolers at my children's school and I've been using the exercises as a way to build my ideas out for nano.
Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
I'm doing it.
My worldbuilding is complete and I've got to do a bit more with my characters.
Posted by genevive42 (Member # 8714) on :
I'm in. I've got most of my characters worked out but haven't gotten too much world building done.
The story is sort of a humorous, intergalactic road trip so I'm hoping the "I don't know, I'm making this up as I go along" method of world building will suffice.
My plan is 2000 words a night. That leaves for one day off per week. With that in mind I came up with 25 separate adventures/stories to happen within the overall story arc. I quickly realized that most of the stories are more than 2000 words and will cover a couple of nights, or one really long one. So I chose the strongest fifteen and I actually expect to use only 10 or 12.
I'm going to be working on my grand scheme from now until November 1st. Now, if I could just figure out where to start.
Good luck everybody!!
Posted by Wolfe_boy (Member # 5456) on :
This will be my first year in 4 that I'm NOT participating. Stoopid education requirements.
Best of luck all! I'm really going to miss it this year!
[This message has been edited by Wolfe_boy (edited October 18, 2009).]
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
I just re-checked in on the nanowrimo.org forums. If you want to buddy me, I'm KayTi there as well. Hope to "meet" some of you there!
Even though life is crazy, I find that I get a lot of benefits of making this commitment to myself each year, even if one of the benefits isn't a good novel but just a string of 50k words in a row. It's worth it to recharge my writing batteries, even though writing 50k words doesn't on the face of it sound like a way to recharge batteries.
Posted by BenM (Member # 8329) on :
I'm registered for this year as Ben-M. I'll be writing something and putting the wordcount up on Nano in november, I'm just not sure whether I'm going to go for the 50,000 word goal.
Posted by sjsampson (Member # 8075) on :
I'm in. My username over at the nano forums is the same as here. I'm going to be cramming in a lot of planning and plotting in the next 2 weeks. My story is going to be some sort of fantasy-steampunk. We'll see.
I can't wait! It's going to be so much fun.
Posted by Teraen (Member # 8612) on :
No. I don't think trying to write a novel in a month is a good way to write anything of quality. If I wasn't so involved in my current book (which is taking more than a month to write...) I may participate in it as an excuse to write a short story.
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
<ahem> I'm sure, Teraen, you weren't implying that any of us were writing crap in 30 days...but, er, well...you might notice that it would be possible to infer that, no? I'm sure you're just speaking from your own personal work preferences.
It may not suit your writing/working style, but it works really well for me (and thousands of nano participants, many of whom wouldn't consider themselves writers, but many of whom would.) If I had time to write more, I could easily write 100-200k words/month - I type fast. I heard a writer at a conference acknowledge a 10k/day output (and the subsequent carpel tunnel syndrome.)
My project is one I posted about a week or two ago - a mid-grade (12 yr old protag) sci-fi novel set on a colony space ship. It's basically a mystery, the adults all conk out during this long voyage and the 12 and unders have to figure out how to cope (including things like tending to the babies) and pilot the ship through unfamiliar space and various things going awry.
For me the quality is 100% determined by having a good plan to begin from. Last year I did not and I can tell the 50k words are more just an exploration than an actual story (though it has standard plot elements of beginning, middle, end, a cast of characters, etc., but it meanders too much and uses exposition to tell the story too much.)
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
Of course! This will be my 3rd year. My Nano project started in the First Line Challenge in the Writing Challenges section of Hatrack. I've got a rough idea of what I want to do, and I finally thought of a clever name for my main character. Other than that, I've got a lot of world building to do in the next 2 weeks.
I've got to add my plug for challenging yourself to write a whole bunch in one month. Especially if, like me, you have an inner editor that is prone to screaming, "This totally stinks!" I wouldn't be an author without Nanowrimo. It fixed something in me that was broken and could never have gotten this far. Plus it's wicked fun.
Posted by LAJD (Member # 8070) on :
Hi Everyone..It's been awhile since I have posted over here, but I thought I would add one more thought about the benefits of Nano. That is the post-Nano surge...at least for me.
Last year, my first Nano, my writing output- and that is final edited words- increased dramatically after my successful participation in Nano. My 50,000 words are still sitting (in a steaming pile) in the bottom of my filesystem and I may never do anything with them but the added omph that I got from Nano was a real boost to me. I made a breakthrough that just came from BIC on that sustained level. I wish I had continued it, maybe this year...
Anyway year, I have a novel completely planned, peopled and plotted so I hope to get a double benefit: both the output boost and at least 50K first draft words of a planned 80K novel done by Nov 30.
Leslie
Posted by dee_boncci (Member # 2733) on :
I'm on the fence, not sure whether I want to do it. I have a major deadline 10/31 for another project, so it segues nicely. But it'll still take some convincing to get me over the edge...
Posted by ScardeyDog (Member # 8707) on :
I'm in for the first time this year. I need the practice writing if nothing else. I hope the discipline of writing every day will stick with me after the month is over.
Posted by Cheyne (Member # 7710) on :
I'll be taking part in an unorthodox manner this year. I am not starting something new. I will be racing toward a finish on my main WIP which is 35-50k from completion. I know that this is not the way Nano was designed but I have to finish what I started. I'll be using the pressure of the forum to push myself toward an ending that is finally in sight.
Hey Wolfeboy, long time no see.
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
I am sure Nanowrimo isn't for everyone. It's a fly by the seat of your pants, know you're going to end up deleting half of anything you write, let your characters go crazy, find an unexpected place to add a shovel kind of event. If you can't handle throwing your outline out the window, or skipping to the next part when you're not sure how to end a scene, don't try it. But, if you know there's an amazing story inside you somewhere, but you've never let yourself be free enough to find it, Nanowrimo is magic.
I think it works especially well for character driven stories, but maybe that's just cause that's what I write and it works for me. Melanie
Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
Ah, magic, yes, that it is. I didn't do it last year--I got about 35,000 words in before work got in the way. Can I make the time commitment? I've got a story idea and everything....
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
I was looking through the Nanowrimo merchandise on Amazon and found a couple of shirts with logos I thought were great. One said: It was a dark and stormy night on the front, and on the back it said: (Seven down, 49,993 to go)
The other one said: .krow ot kcab teg woN .retirw taerg a era uoY
Posted by Teraen (Member # 8612) on :
KayTi, Yes, now I see how that may have come off as rather arrogant. I didn't mean that at all. In fact, the rules of NaNoWriMo themselves say that the whole point is not write anything good, and in fact a whole bunch of crap is expected. But you are right, that isn't my style. I don't really do well with writing lots and then editing for improvement, I am more of a slow and steady turtle not rabbit type of writer, who then has to go back and edit. I know the whole thing is meant as a type of motivation, and it really isn't the type of thing that motivates me...
Posted by genevive42 (Member # 8714) on :
Teraen, I am more of a slow and steady writer myself. But that is exactly why I'm doing NaNo. I'm hoping to turn off that inner editor that slows me down and see what I can do. It's about discovering a different perspective on writing and loosening up.
It never hurts to try something different because you are guaranteed to learn, no matter what the outcome.
Posted by Kitti (Member # 7277) on :
I don't intend to do NaNoWriMo (way to many Real Life Commitments) but I will say that I've done workshops where you're required to write an entire short story in a day and I found it to be a wonderful experience. There's just something wonderful in the experience of putting aside all our (ahem, excuse me, MY) whinny excuses and just writing the blasted thing, start to finish. Especially with a deadline.
After all, if we ever want to be published writers, we 1) have to finish our novels and 2) will probably have to finish them to deadlines. And there's this old saying about practice making perfect...
Posted by CarolCPK (Member # 8089) on :
Hi, I decided to take the plunge this year for NaNoWriMo for the first time as well. It's my first try, so we'll see what happens, but if nothing else, I figure it will increase my writing output! I'm registered there as CarolCPK as well, if anyone wants to add me as a buddy. I haven't been active here for a while, life has cropped up, but it is settling down a bit now, just in time for November. Best wishes to all, CarolCPK
Posted by SavantIdiot (Member # 8590) on :
A mystery is explained. Us newbies had no idea what you guys were talking about. NaNo what? Now I know. For other newbies who maybe want to know, go to: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano It's a novel writing challenge, one story, start to finish from November 1-30th. You upload your daily work for verification purposes.
Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
SavantIdiot, thanks for doing that. Sorry, to all confused new folks.
Posted by Kitti (Member # 7277) on :
Hey, ran across an interesting blog post that might be of help to anyone who's doing NaNoWriMo:
Thanks for that link, Kitti, excellent stuff in there. He clearly articulates the whole try/fail cycle that is hard for writers to get sometimes...we get too infatuated with our characters and don't want to cause them any pain. :P
And Sheena, LOL!
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
I just started a Nanowrimo 2009 in the Hatrack Groups section. It worked out well last year, so I'm hoping we can do the same thing again.
Posted by SavantIdiot (Member # 8590) on :
I registered. I am still a little leery about using up a whole month away from my 'real' stuff.
Posted by Igwiz (Member # 6867) on :
I wish everybody well in Nano this year. I participated, and "won" last year, but it didn't do good things for me as a writer. While I realize that it is an excellent exercise for turning off your internal blocks (internal editor, internal pessimist, internal whatever...), it fried me for nearly a year.
Those 53,000 words I wrote, and the energy I put into writing them, were the equivalent of 53 flashes, 20 shorts, or 8 novelettes. I feel like I'm just recovering from last year, and there's no way I'm going to do that to myself again.
But, that's just me. If you guys can do it, I still recommend it for the experience. I've done Nano, I've won Nano, and now I have to move on and use the skills it gave me. But it's like going to Tijuana for me. Been there, done that, paid to see the donkey show. Next...
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
Yeah, it does have a tendency to fry me for a while. I'm hoping it won't this year. 50,000 words just doesn't sound as frightening as it used to. I take a few days off (usually Sundays Thanksgiving and the day I run the stupid fundraiser at the kids school) which leaves about 25 days. (Maybe 24, but it wrecks my simplified math). That means 2,000 words a day, which will take me anywhere from an hour and a half to four hours, depending on if I know where I'm going and how successful I am at stuffing my inner editor into a closet. Editor stuffing is the easy part this year, cause I have no idea where I'm going. If pull a couple of all nighters and get a babysitter for a few hours--whammo! That's the magic.
Posted by SavantIdiot (Member # 8590) on :
oh, I don't want to be fried. If it looks that intense I have to back out. Too much stress in my real world, this is supposed to be fun!
Posted by Tricia V (Member # 6324) on :
I thought I wasn't, but maybe I need to take a break from my magnum opus, that I haven't really worked on for a month anyway.
Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :
I have the opposite feeling after Nano. I feel like I can do *anything* - literally. Very exhilarating for me.
It's different for everybody. It's also an individual "contest" - so it's just you and your words. If you can finish, great, you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment. If you get into it and realize it's harming your writing or your mental health, you can quit. Nobody's going to get on your case about it. It's like yoga - it's an individual sport, just you and your body seeing where you can get to.
For me the big thing Nano does is it forces me to build writing into each and every day. I know a lot of people already do that, but I don't. Other than this sort of writing, LOL, which "doesn't count." So the regular discipline is one of the things about it that I love. Maybe that's why I'm looking forward to it so much this year, by this time of the year I'm really far away from that exhilarating feeling and need a boost of energy!
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
I'm just agreeing with everybody today. I feel that way too, KayTi--like I am amazing and can do anything. It's why I keep on doing Nanowrimo every year. But there is the brain frying problem too. Especially that first year, I hardly slept at all. I ended up writing 109,000 words by December 9th before I finally made myself take a break. Last year my body wouldn't let me do that. I cut back on sleeping in November, but now if I don't get at least 6 hours a night my writing comes out as gobbledy-gook.
TriciaV: Are you in? If you are I'll add your name to the list of Nanowrimoers in the Hatrack Groups section.
Posted by annepin (Member # 5952) on :
Yes, I have the same experience as KayTi. Rather than fry me, the experience left me with the inspiration, motivation, and momentum to not only finish that project but to go forward with a new one. There's the satisfaction of knowing yes, it can be done. i can write every day, and if I stick to it I can write a book. And later when I reread my book, I discovered the passages that were so difficult to write weren't half bad, and while things didn't necessarily turn out as I expected, I found new and perhaps more interesting turns.
So, yes, it's not for everyone. But to those who've never done it before, I encourage you to at least try it. Try it for a week or so. It _is_ supposed to be fun. It's also supposed to be a challenge. If it didn't stretch you in some way it wouldn't really be worth doing. But yes, it's not worth risking your sanity, your family, or your future writing if you find it does indeed dampen your pursuits. But you'll never know until you try.
Posted by Starweaver (Member # 8490) on :
I'm giving it a go this year, first time. I'm expanding my a novelette (which is presently in the Writers of the Future finals - yay!) to novel length. With the basic story line and characters being familiar territory, I think I can get through it without too many "OMG, what am I _doing_?" moments. Posted by Red Grant (Member # 8852) on :
I'm going to try NaNo this year. I just need to figure out how I'll push myself to do it... I always finish things at the last minute. I spend the rest of the time procrastinating.
Posted by Unwritten (Member # 7960) on :
We've got another thread going down in Hatrack Groups also.
Posted by Gan (Member # 8405) on :
I'll be attempting it this year. We'll have to see how well it goes over, though. Myself and a friend are going to kick each others faces in to try and motivate each other. Hoping that doing it with someone else will make it easier to find motivation.
Posted by Lionhunter (Member # 8766) on :
It's worth it to recharge my writing batteries, even though writing 50k words doesn't on the face of it sound like a way to recharge batteries.