This is a place to tell us your word count, your horror stories, your success stories, get advice, give advice...whatever you need to get you through. The only requirement I can think of is that you need to be insane enough to think you can write a book during the month of November. If you haven't done it before, it is so much fun!! Here is the link:
When you are ready, let us know something about what you are going to be writing--genre, synopsis, or lack thereof...
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited November 02, 2009).]
Title: Gadzooks!
Synopsis: A small interstellar delivery company gets hired to make a far flung, handle with care delivery on the other side of the galaxy. It's a small, 'can't believe it's still flying' ship with an oddball crew. There are space pirates, space anomalies, quixotic robots, poker games, horny plant life, anti-technology rebels, etc. and the hilarity ensues.
I have the story and the characters outlined to a considerable degree. I have never outlined something this much in my life and yet I have no idea exactly what I'm going to write.
[This message has been edited by genevive42 (edited October 28, 2009).]
Title: Four of Clubs
Synopsis: Part two of fifty-two. Ordered against her will, Elizabeth Wilde must keep her arrangement with the CIA and travel to Mexico to attempt an assassination. The odds are stacked against her, though, as the CIA calls and warns the very criminal they sent Wilde to assassinate...
quote:
There are space pirates, space anomalies, quixotic robots, poker games, horny plant life, anti-technology rebels, etc. and the hilarity ensues.
Quite the variety!
EDIT: fixed mah po' engrish
[This message has been edited by Rhaythe (edited October 28, 2009).]
Title: The Saber Rose
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Last year I completely winged it, and I will never ever ever ever do that again. But this year my planning isn't as far along as I would have liked. Oh well. I've still got a couple days, right?!
I can't wait, though! Good luck everyone!
I was detoured during last year's nano with a dying niece and other crazy events, so I'll just start the one I planned last year.
Title: Ding Dong, We're Dead
Genre: Youth - Paranormal
I have a partial outline from last year, but I will probably stray from it since I've had an entire year for the story to percolate in the back of my mind.
[This message has been edited by Sunshine (edited October 28, 2009).]
I've got mine outlined and the world is solidly built. My synopsis can be found on my Nano page below.
What I have to do is go through the plot and increase the stakes at the right points before Sunday, Nov. 1st.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511822
Good luck to you all!
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited October 28, 2009).]
I know, I'm dumb to do that, but I want to force my creativity and see what happens.
If what happens is nothing, luckily I do have several novel ideas on the back burner simmering and bugging me to write them.
I'll just have to see what happens on Nov 2. I'm starting a day late, and I honestly couldn't even tell you a genre, or a single character.
Yup. Really, really dumb idea.
Why am I doing this again?
Pray for me, people. Or at least be my buddy so you can watch me squirm.
~Sheena
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/550719
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/550591
Just to make life more interesting than it already is, I'm winging it.
Urban Fantasy - domestic terrorism, spies, & magic - based on something I tried for WoTF then realized I'd started in totally the wrong place.
To those who are thinking of winging it--it some ways, I think that's the best way, though maybe the hardest. I almost winged it the first year--I knew where the story was starting and where it was ending, and what the climax was going to be, but not a whole lot in between. The second year I winged it too, and finished wiht 50,000 words, but without a complete novel. Anyway, it pretty exhilirating.
I added everyone I could figure out. A few of you I couldn't find (LAJD in particular, do you have another Nano handle? I was going on the list in the first post on this thread.)
Title: Working title is Selenium, but I'm currently running a quest on my facebook status to get a better name...I'm horrible with titles. If we're FB friended, have at it. If we're not...well, what are you waiting for? I'm Karen T. Smith, er, um, well, good luck finding me? Or let me know your full name, perhaps it's best not to try to search for a smith? 
Genre: mid-grade (younger than YA, about 3rd-8th grade) Science Fiction
Synopsis:
It's days before her 13th birthday, and Brynne is in a race against time. She's on the space ship Selenium, plummeting toward a distant sun. It's up to Brynne and her gamer friends to rescue their colony ship after a sleeping sickness causes everyone over the age of 12 to fall into a deep coma-like sleep. Along the way she must figure out the complexities of the space ship, and the complexities of interacting with her peers, most of whom she prefers to play with in the virtual world rather than steel and silicon. Will she be able to create a cooperative team, save the ship from certain destruction, and figure out the mystery of the sleeping sickness before time runs out?
==
I have done a lot of pre-work on this novel, as I've been running a writing workshop for middle school students at my kids' school for the last 6 weeks, and I've been using the writing exercises as my novel prep time. It's been fantastic. I still don't have a strong idea of what happens in EACH episode/scene/chapter, but I do have a lot of the main arc figured out, a set of characters begun (they need more detailing) and a lot of the backstory identified. I think I'm in pretty good shape, but I should probably put a little more time into the outlining of what happens first, then next, then next.
I have done Nano twice before. The first year I had things figured out to about this level, probably a little less in terms of details about the plot (but those details evolved as I wrote, and I'd spend a little time at the end of each writing session doing some outlining for the NEXT session so I didn't have any writer's block problems.) Last year I did not do much prep at all and I found it MUCH harder to write, though I finished both years and have 55kish novels from them.
I'm hoping to see a difference this year, just in terms of my writing skills and overall writing maturity. Good luck to all of us!!
Couldnt find a Karen T. Smith in Chicago on FB 
Disregard...found someone minus the T. that looks exactly how I would have pictured you...plus your a member of the FB Hatrack Writers Group so I found you on there.
[This message has been edited by Dark Warrior (edited October 29, 2009).]
Genre: YA fantasy
Synopsis: A bit murkier. I was going to spend the last 2 weeks of November storybuilding, but the novel I was editing has taken over my life.
My idea for Nanowrimo came from the first sentence challenge here on Hatrack earlier this year. An obese girl realizes that her recently married sister is sending her letters in code. When she can't get her parents to see the danger, she journeys to find her brother who is a soldier. The story will be about her learning to push past her limits to discover her own potential. It will have my trademark romance in it--if I can figure out how to add it without sending the message that only beautiful people can be loved. I have a few ideas.
I'd love a few more Hatrack friends on facebook too. I'm Melanie Sweat Crouse.
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited October 29, 2009).]
Title: (working title) San Francisco (I know it sucks but it's a working title)
Genre: Fantasy? Time Travel? (is that a genre?)
Synopsis:
Consula Angelina Isadore "Connie" Ramirez never considered herself a hero before she crawled back into her burning house during the 1991 Oakland hills firestorm. But when she saw the figure twisting in the flames, it was the only thing she could do. Connie, born of an old but faded San Francisco family, grew up on tales of brave and noble ancestors, but that was long ago.
The rescue became a journey when the firestorm blew her across time and space. She emerged in December 1849 San Francisco. Alone, she was pulled out of the flames of the Denison’s Exchange fire to become an instant sensation. Connie has been torn away from her home and everyone she loves including her young daughter, Angela. Now she must figure out how to get home.
I started planning this novel last spring during a Liberty Hall challenge called MidSommer Madness. This was in part a response to my totally unplanned nano work last year. I did write 50K words....65K actually. But I am still terrified to even look at the file on my computer. Ewwwwww! Maybe on Halloween! It would be a fright!
Leslie
[This message has been edited by LAJD (edited October 29, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by LAJD (edited October 29, 2009).]
It is a writing/project mgmt tool that I now find nearly indispensable. They are offering a Nano trial that goes through the 7th of December. So you could use Scrivener to write and organize your nano work and then export into another format if you don't want to buy Scrivener.
I liken Scrivener to the tools that software engineers use to write code. It allows you to organize smaller text files inside a framework and then compile only the parts that you want in the final output. If you want to get really fancy you can hook it up to subversion on the back end or run it very simply on your macbook, like I do.
You have all your research, notes, drafts etc at various levels of detail. I'm not doing the best job of explaining this, but think about it this way. Instead of hunting all over your filesystem for that image of the map of eastern Elbonia where the great battle happens, that map becomes part of your document-you see it right there when you write that scene-but it is not exported as your final draft.
I no longer write at all in word and only free write in a wiki. It may have helped me last year, which I why I mention it.
Leslie
[This message has been edited by LAJD (edited October 29, 2009).]
I am 'ribbit' on NaNoWriMo. I am going to have to do this relatively stress free so I am not expecting much. I do love to spin it out, though.
I think I will do it in the first person, too.
That would get dull though, after about five pages, and a waste of space on my computer. My goal is to have something worth the space when I am finished.
I've figured out what I'm doing.
Shakespeare with Magic {Obvious working title*. Historical Fantasy
Fourteen year old Will Shakespeare finds a demon book that taints every thing he tries to do with it, and takes him on a voyage through his lost three years.
I got the whole thing plotted out. Character interviewed it to pieces, but never actually wrote the story, because I have this sinking feeling that no one really wants to read about a young Shakespeare. I'll try it though for Nano.
I'm giving myself permission to turn off the grammar police, so I might as well give myself permission to turn off the "This is going to be so dumb." police while I'm at it.
~Sheena
Also - Shimiqua, I've read a book by Gail Carson Levine about writing (called Writing Magic, which is a great YA/Mid-grade writing book but has TONS of relevant bits for us old fogies as well) and in it she talks about times where she sits down to write and just writes "I don't feel like writing, I am not in the mood to write" over and over, because it's writing time and she must write.
Those days happen to us sometimes and in my opinion, Nano leaves us the leeway to include them in our word count. It would be better to use the free writing time to just brainstorm the next parts of the novel, but again you should feel free to use that in your word count.
Both previous years I did Nano, I would sometimes brainstorm my next day's writing session when mine was wrapping up before the idea train was completely run out, so I'd jot down where I was headed, reminders to myself about character's motivations and mental states, etc. Those words COUNT! Even if you edit them out in revisions, they still count for nano!
Working title: Legacy
Genre: YA Fantasy
Synopsis: A teenage girl is having trouble relating to her father in the wake of her mother's death. She finds a journal while moving and slowly gets sucked in to the magical world it describes. Soon she can't distinguish fantasy from reality, and isn't sure she wants to anyway. It's kind of Donnie Darko/Peter Pan inspired. I'm not too clear on what's going to happen... so a little bit of winging it for me.
I'm impressed that you found everyone else. I haven't been over there for awhile. I'm putting my editing on the back burner starting now, and I'll use the next 2 days to get in gear for Nano. Yeah.
Okay, I'm gonna give this a try even though it scares the crap out of me. I've been working on this story in my head forever so maybe it's time to put it down on paper.
Title: Artifice
Plot synopsis: Jon Smiles, a Fixer, is paid to kill Adam, the A.I. that ushered in the technological singularity that changed the world. Of course, he also ushered in the Second American Civil War, collapsed the world economy and led to the rise of the Corporation States that now run the planet. Jon's never failed to complete a job but how do you kill a target that operates in the cloud?
Now, let's hope that I can flesh that out into at least 50K words and maybe, at the least, have a product I can edit later.
quote:
Not freaking out, exactly, but struggling mightily to keep from just starting already.... This forcing oneself NOT to write thing is very strange.
Quoted for Truth
[This message has been edited by Rhaythe (edited October 30, 2009).]
I will also probably read through my outline and character notes a half a dozen times today and tomorrow too. Not to mention imagining conversations between characters that, even with outlines, I don't have a full grasp on yet. That's usually one of my strong suits so I hope it will come as I start writing. Oh, and it looks like I will be making up most of the tech as I go along.
Uh, oh. Maybe not so much Guitar Hero tonight.
And fellow Americans, don't forget to set your clocks back Sunday morning/Saturday night. That's another hour to write!
It's been a long time since I had more time than words to type.
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited October 30, 2009).]
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/562166/edit/writer_info
I'm chompin' at the bit on this thing.
Oh, and I do that for all sorts of things. Speeches I may have to give. When I'm angry at a subordinate. When I want to strangle my kids. It's really a great stress reliever and you end up building the universe of your story in your head.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/562166
quote:
I'm putting my editing on the back burner starting now, and I'll use the next 2 days to get in gear for Nano. Yeah.
So far, my "getting in gear" has consisted of panicking that I'm so unprepared. I did name one more character, bringing the total number of characters with names up to 3. My story has quite a bit of travelling in it, so my goal for today is to make a map. I do have a ton of town names rolling around in my head, so that's a plus. I also need to flesh out (and name!) the people and places in the opening chapter so I can hit the ground running.
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited October 31, 2009).]
I'm filling out my villain's character sheet and I came up with this line:
"This schism between his desires is what feeds his madness."
And suddenly he makes sense to me and he is at once insane and sympathetic.
This is going to be fun!
http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm
Leslie
We'll see if they keep being willing to sit and listen to what I've done every day.
I'm hoping for the same but it's a slow start. 11:30 am, 600 words and I'm about to move on to introducing the second character of my ensemble cast. I'm glad it's Sunday. I just wish it weren't such a beautiful day outside.
[This message has been edited by genevive42 (edited November 01, 2009).]
Leslie
Got both the suitcase and 1700 words today....
[This message has been edited by LAJD (edited November 01, 2009).]
Ribbit aka SavantIdiot
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/542329
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/577669
Untitled as of Now
YR SF
WHat happens when two good-hearted but troublemaking teens from two entirely different planets meet? Well lets just hope the eccentric, six-legged Agilian scientist, Professor Orphington can keep them from starting and interplanetary disturbance.
[This message has been edited by Bent Tree (edited November 01, 2009).]
Fine. Frozen fish fillets and french fries. Now go write while it's in the oven.
Oh, and did I mention the mariachi band across the street? No, I'm not kidding. At least they're good.
I think it's going to be a late night.
My Page:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/560107
Title: Angels
(tentative, although it hasn't changed in the two years since I created the idea)
Synopsis: In a world of uncertainty and fear people feel powerless in the face of danger that seems ever present. When people with power beyond that of mortal men come into the light of day, some try to band together to change the world for the better. In the face of religious strife, economic frailty, warring nations and global terrorism, even they struggle to make their mark on the world.
The idea came to me as "What would Superman do if there were no supervillains in the world?", although it has changed significantly since then, that is still a good summary of the basic premise.
Already have my MC's mom's disapproval running, her introversion established, that she's a good big sister, jealous of the perfect kids at school, and misses an old friend who doesn't play the same video game she does. Feeling like I've accomplished much, after a terrifyingly slow start.
genevive42 - mariachi band? Wow! Good luck!
The quality is OK, but I mostly enjoy seeing the story unfold. I have an outline with over 60 scenes, but my scenes aren't matching up too well as I intended on introducing another POV and it didn't work with the flow.
With NaNo, you have to make quick decisions on story direction.
Congratulations to all those who got started. It took me an hour to work up the gumption to get going (I watched NFL football while I thought.
EDIT: I hate when I misspell things.
[This message has been edited by Joseph Forrest (edited November 02, 2009).]
I have an ensemble cast and because of the structure of my story any one of them may be the pov character depending on the situation. I don't switch between them haphazardly, only when it makes sense. But I was getting to know each of them today. I started with the ship's Captain and then the First Officer and so on, down the line. That way, each one got an introduction and some time as the pov character.
The thing is, when I write a character I really have to get into their head. I think this is what slowed me down. I'm hoping that as I get to know them it will be smoother. Also, until this morning I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to start. The rest is actually mapped out better. Now, if I could just find a way to end the first chapter.
Well, I introduced six characters and a pet and I will start their first adventure tomorrow.
Congrats to all that have started and good luck to us all!
I did manage to find the cap to the first chapter this morning and am now at 3559 words. I will try and steal bits of time while I'm at work and put in a few words there. Fortunately, I can do that and even if the boss walks in I won't be in trouble. He's actually quite supportive of my crazy quest. Unfortunately, it's Monday which means the ordering needs to get done and we're usually pretty busy for the first half of the day. The second half is anyone's guess.
[This message has been edited by Cheyne (edited November 02, 2009).]
I ended up starting in a completely different POV than I planned, because the beginning wasn't working the way I wanted it to. The starting POV is through a character I didn't know existed before today, but now is crucial to the storyline. How did that happen?
I do like how it is coming out though. I think I found the right beginning.
It is so awesome to force myself to write. It's cool when it does finally work out.
~Sheena
Also, does anyone know if there's a limit to the number of writing buddies you can have? I don't seem to be able to add anymore.
And I wrote just under 3000 words yesterday. Let's see if I can repeat it tonight
Is it sad that it is my first day into it, and people are already telling me to hang in there?
I feel good. I'm glad I kept going. If it wasn't for nano, I would have quit a half hour into it and would never have discovered this cool new character.
Write till you bleed, people. Write till you bleed.
~Sheena
I'm trying to write a scene/chapter a day since most of those are ~ 1500-3000 words. I figure if I can do that, then I will be thinking in scenes- kind of like complete thoughts. The scene tomorrow is big - my MC moves from 1991 (normal) to 1849 (adventure). And I have to describe a big fire. I've written the fire scene a couple of times already but don't like any of them so I am starting from scratch.
Leslie
Don't worry about slow starts. This is the first time I've ever gotten past page 35. I'm totally used to writing short stories so I hope I don't crap out halfway through.
Biggest thing keeping me going is seeing what everyone else is doing. The little element of competition is keeping me chugging along. I want to be able to say I completed this even if I do end up writing a complete piece of crap. Hopefully, I can edit and let other people here help me out and come out with something quality.
So, encouragement is a good thing. Even this early.
quote:
Chapters? You're doing chapters? I consider that editing.
Day two, and I've gotten my total up to 7130. Just in time for Monday Night Football to ruin my productivity. Hopefully this streak continues. I'd be real pleased with a 3550-word average if it lasts a big chunk of this month!
By the way, I work in scenes and chapters too. I usually write a scene, take a break, write the next one, take a break. etc. I can't afford such breaks tonight, or for the rest of November.
And IdiotSavant, I'm doing chapters, but I've been planning for months so no worries...no chapters works too! 8)
Leslie
I'm really annoyed at my characters right now. They keep talking and talking and talking, and I just want to get them out of the nightclub so I can blow up a car in their faces! Move it already! :-)
3k more completed. I wrote two really depressing scenes today. One of them was unplanned, but I think it will be good. One of my characters witnessed something that motivates the way he thinks and acts in the future. Yay for nano-driven spontaneity.
I need them for the days life gets in the way and I write no words.I've just introduced the major conflict. All the grown-ups on board are asleep and our intrepid main character is starting to figure out that this is a big honking deal.
Now the fun starts, right?
I'm up to 11,700 words.
New characters. I've invented medieval army life and some of the rules that go with it. My outline is still whacked out, but my main character is still about where he should be.
I think and write in scenes, so that's what I outlined at the beginning to give the novel an overall structure. For me, chapters end up being somewhat arbitrary and depend on how the scenes come out.
Keep it up! 28 days to go!
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 03, 2009).]
It is now 3:00am and I had better get to bed before I pull a true all-nighter and am wasted at work tomorrow. (Like I won't be anyway.)
I actually know what's going to happen in the rest of this section, but I'm losing it. I need sleep. Hopefully the flow will continue tomorrow.
Day 2 - 2691 words
Total - 6131 words
There was also a whole backstory between two characters that they didn't tell me about until late last night. Good grief people. We're on a deadling here.
And finally, realized that not all my characters are human. This should have been obvious way before now, but I'm kind of slow that way.
So, I didn't get a ton written, but I should make up for it today.
I did learn something yesterday though - no TV during writing time.
I'd love to feel this way every day.
)I now plan to carry on and see if I can't catch up to my originally intended rate of 2500 words a day.
[This message has been edited by ArmadonRK (edited November 03, 2009).]
On the up side (in a weird-twisted-this-only-makes-sense-if-you're-doing-Nano kind of way) the project I was thinking was going to come through today did not, so I'm not going to have paying work for the next couple days, so...I have more time to write!
A spell to cleanse, a cleanse to heal, a shade
Of black to disappear. Once followed these
Instruction’s three, No devil can rein over thee.
Make sense? I was drumming against my desk as I wrote it.
I think I'll write more in a little bit, but I need a break. My hands are tired from all that drumming.
3,516 total.
Owasm how are you already at 11,000+ words? You are a freaking mazing.
~Sheena
Seriously, I hope no one is going to judge themselves by their output. Use Nanowrimo as it fits your writing. There are no losers (okay some you are losers) only more and less successful number counters.
Last year I got 15000 words done in November. I didn't cry that I hadn't reached 50K, 15K was my best month by far. I was far more interested in the barriers I was able to take down from my own writing. Use the successes you do achieve and do try for 50k, just don't get down if you don't make it.
Success is what you take away from the experience. Maybe, when I have completed 50k in a month, I will sneak back in the dark of night and erase this wishy-washy message. Until then good luck and have a blast.
quote:
Can I borrow that time machine when you're done with it?
I'll have one of those when the story is done but you have to walk through a wall of flame to turn it on....LOL!!!
I'm happy that I'm turning out a couple of really solid scenes each day and those are going to translate well into chapters or parts of chapters. I've also been taking some time at the end of the day to plan the next days writing so I have the night to sleep on what the rascals will be up to in the next chapter/scenes. So far ( three days in) this seems to be working for me...
Leslie
[This message has been edited by LAJD (edited November 03, 2009).]
Sigh.
I did a lot of prep...but not all the right KIND of prep. It'll pick up, just laughing at myself and realizing that a more detailed outline, as much as I fight against the idea, is the thing that I need in my writing life.
Funny/Not so funny story...Today my plan was to write a story about a hike from one town to another. Bright idea...to take a nice, short hike before I start writing. Forgetting that the path was not well marked and forgetting how much I stink at being out in the woods, I ventured forth. And got lost. I wasn't so very lost. But then I remembered that it's hunting season, and I was dressed in blue jeans and a navy blue jacket. I didn't know that my next door neighbor has 2 statues set up in the woods behind his house until one scared the snot out of me. I decided to cut through their yard and out into the road to get home. And then I rocked my writing...the words just spilled out of me and I got as much done as I'd planned to even without the hike. Good stuff.
I did all right today. A lot of stuff came up that kept me from working on this. I am a little past 11.5K words and I am not unhappy at all. If I can finish it in 50K words and not slow down too much, I will have time to edit it some anyway.
I have too much story, though. At this rate there is no way I can pack it into 50K words. What do you do? Just pick out things to eliminate? Or write it up to the point where you satisfy the 50K requirement and don't worry about it? I guess it doesn't matter but I think I will be dissatisfied if I can't bring it to a close.
quote:
What do you do? Just pick out things to eliminate? Or write it up to the point where you satisfy the 50K requirement and don't worry about it? I guess it doesn't matter but I think I will be dissatisfied if I can't bring it to a close.
I would think just write your 50k and go where the story takes you. If after the 50 you feel you need to edit down or add in a few chapters then worry about doing that.
Also, re: 50K. I don't see 50K as a stopping point. That's just the minimum achievement, not a place to artificially truncate your story. A bunch of people on Codex are shooting for 90K or more. I would just keep writing through the the end, even if that means carrying on to 75K and December, or what have you.
I should have just under 3k more tonight. I'm sitting at 2700 with a couple parts left to write.
Kitti - I'll take that computer, along with your words. jk
I'm liking my accidental strategy. I had intended to have a complete outline with each scene, but I think if I had actually reached that point in prepping for nano - I would care too much and nitpick about what I was writing. I have a definite beginning, middle, and end. And a vague idea of what needs to come out during the story.
Maybe that should go in the Movie Quotes post but it seemed appropriate here.
Way to go all you word jedi's that are 'doing'!
So I got a late start and only managed 1063 words today. I'm going to go to bed before I'm exhausted and hope for more productivity tomorrow, my day off.
Total after day 3: 7194 words
I am finding it really challenging dealing with this ensemble cast. When they're all together I have to juggle the speech tags to keep it straight. When they split up I'm changing the pov character depending on the situation. So I have a lot of different heads to get into.
It's not coming out as humorous as I expected either. I wasn't going for all out silly but this first adventure has little humor. I'm okay with it if it stays more adventure but I will still try to get some good doses of humor in. I do wonder if I've missed being on the right track though. I guess I'll work on figuring that out December 1st.
I'm -darklight- over there, if anyone wants to add me as a buddy. I'm going to try to find some time to look some of you up.
http://www.pvponline.com/2009/11/02/write-fight/
As far as the story, well, I can definitely tell it'll need some work after I'm done. It's really sloppy but this is the first time I've ever tried writing anything this long. So, I'm not too bothered by that. I think it has good potential at being a really good story with some spit and polish after NaNo is done.
The main thing is that I'm having a ton of fun writing it. I've never really been this excited about something I've written. Like I said, it's no masterpiece but it's potential really makes my brain start going. I'm looking forward to crafting it into something more readable and then passing it along to someone to add some notes for me. It's definitely going to be a lot of fun.
8)
Also Do or do not, there is no try. is my new email signature. I have used it before but forgot about it. Go, Yoda!
"And please remember: If you write a paragraph or chapter you don't like, just put it in italics (or change the font color to white). Do not delete! After you write your way across the 50,000-word finish line, you can double back and clip out all the parts of your book that make you cringe (I think you'll surprise yourself with what you decide to keep). For now, just keep moving forward! There's an old folk saying that goes: Whenever you delete a sentence in your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses its wings and plummets, screaming, to the ground.
Where it will likely require medical attention.
These are words to live by. Resist the tyranny of the delete key!"
I got a chuckle.
Just kidding. I reworked the little bit I needed to (switched the dialogue tags, etc.) and made it so it wouldn't drive me crazy the whole month, and by doing so added 100 words to that day's count (for simplicity, I have a separate page in Scrivener for each day's writing, so when I realized i had to go back to fix something, I had to go back to the previous day's page.)
I then went on to add 1815 new words yesterday, so I'm still pleased! Not much of a cushion but enough. I don't really expect this story to be much more than 50-60k (Mid-grade/YA) so I am happy with my progress.
Good luck to everyone!
Also, those little counters on the NaNo site are messing with my head. ("You're a fourth of the way there... a third now... look at how much less you got done today than yesterday...") I think this shall be my new motto: The counters made me do it.
I just broke 25K.
The counters made me do it.
quote:
I just broke 25K.
...and all the richer for it.
I'm still pretty happy with how my planning has worked out for me. I think Nano is like a crucible for how each of us like to write best. If you are a planner/plotter then Nano lets that really shine if you are a wingit-er then nano lets that come through.
I am really happy about how well Scrivener is helping me stay organized! Wow is that a great tool.
It's so fun!
Leslie
The world series is gonna kill tonight's output.
Seriously, they already had the police barricades lining the sides of the road as I walked home from work. Eek!
My nominal goal is 5,000 words a day and I don't know how long the plot will hold out. I'm about 20% through my scripted scenes. That will get me to 110,000 words.
I don't know how I'll do it visiting grandkids for a week during Thanksgiving 2,000 miles away, but I live to try.
Great work, Kitti! The words are piling up.
We should count up all the words we Hatrackers write. There are 23 of us signed up. We should get between 750,000 and a million word written. That's a lot of content.
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 05, 2009).]
My ensemble cast is really starting to come together. Some things are happening more quickly than I expected and one relationship revealed itself to the reader in a way that I didn't know was going to happen.
I just finished the crew's first adventure. Next, I introduce the villain. He's a little nuts, and very egocentric. I don't really know a lot about him beyond that but I will be finding out when I pick this up tomorrow.
This is starting to get really fun.
Written on day 4: 3889 words
Total so far: 11,083 words
Keep on truckin'!
Make a section at the end of your manuscript for deleted scenes, then just cut and paste. You get the word count and they're still left on the cutting room floor where you want them.
I have a section for notes at the end too. It all counts.
I'm learning a lot though. This is the first time I've ever not gone back and edited what I've just written. I really like it.
I'm also glad to see that you're all doing very well. I just wish I had known about this sooner.
Oswam, SavantIdiot, everyone already over 20K, you guys rock!
I agree we need to keep a count of our total Hatrack wordcount. I'lll bet we also beat the Random Musings thread for most pages in a post thread, too. LOL. We're already up to page 3!
I too am heading out for T-Day, off to Scottsdale to have Dysfunctional Family Theatre with my husband's family. I'm even going early to help my poor mother in law so I will be there for a week. I figure that as long as I ahve my trusty laptop and an internet connection, I'm golden. (I'm bringing my backup laptop, just in case)
8)
leslie
Has anyone ever done one of those write-ins they talk about on the website? Was it any good/useful/fun/etc?
My only problem right now is 50,000 is a ridiculous length for my story. I'm not worried, I'll write a sequel if I have to. (Which is hilarious if you knew what my project was.)
I got up to 15952 just now. I had to stop and do a little research. Did you know moths are supposed to taste something like almonds/popcorn/hazlenut? You hold them by the wings and eat the body. Some people cook them but not my MC!
If anyone feels willing to contribute to this research, please do some field testing and report back here.
I just spent way more time than I should have trying to add you all as my buddies finally. If I missed you, let me know. I like to see everyone's stats, although the site runs so slow on my computer I don't spend much time there.
It probably says something about my psyche when I tell you that one of my favorite parts of Nanowrimo is the Travelling Shovel of Death. It made an appearance in my novel last year. I just think it's fun. You can read about it here: here
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited November 05, 2009).]
My biggest surprise this year has been the 3-4k word days. I expected to be struggling to get the 1667 I needed. I remember last year (my first year), I was practically beating my head against the wall trying to get the words to come out.
Unwritten - they were promoting the Traveling Shovel of Death at my write-in tonight. If I need the words badly enough....
This was an interesting session. My MC meets a wizard he can talk to, like a therapist. I've also dropped a few hints (I hesitate to call it foreshadowing at this point) for things to come and as I did, one of the turning points in the novel resolved in my mind. It's coming up tomorrow night or Saturday.
I made the mistake of reading some of my work thus far. Ouch! I can see why they don't recommend editing as you go. I've got typos and other issues galore.
Look Forward, Not Back!
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 06, 2009).]
Day 5 word count: 419 words (sigh)
Total: 11,502 words
Still, almost ready to break 15k words, so I'm ahead of the game.
Really, though, the slowdown is because I'm in-between critical story components. I have X-events ready for the MC and SC, but they have to get to point Y before that happens.
This has been a fun exercise, however. Glad I tried it out this year.
Good luck to all!
Not gonna happen, Microsoft.
My sweet handsome husband was able to recover all of my documents, including Nano, but this computer issue has eaten three and a half days of writing. I am still at less than four thousand words! I am in trouble. Luckily I can still use open office, and also luckily I saved Nano as a .doc file.
We'll see what happens, but that finish line is looking awful far away right now.
La sigh.
I'll keep you posted.
~Sheena
I was thinking about the itchy mouse and wondered if you tried changing the bedding? If it isn't the feed, it has to be environmental. The thing may have an allergy to some of the feed, too/instead of, though, of course.
I have a dog right now with chronic earaches and it pretty much has to be his food so I am getting militant about what he eats.
I think my story works but when you aren't editing you don't really know, do you? Plus I have noticed that I need to put my stuff down for awhile and go back to it in order to look at it with fresher eyes. This isn't going to possible for this work, of course.
Someone offered to swap chapters and I am thinking of letting them look at some of this, but I am afraid it may derail me to have someone else edit what I am not editing.
On the other hand, my 'real' novel is actually getting a professional edit (I may need a shoulder at some point) this month so there is no point in sending any of that.
At least you were able to recover your docs. Good for your hubby. Score one for the tech nerds.
I have been through this before with her but usually a good cleaning or a change of activity and environment has solved it. Maybe she's allergic to something that blooms this time of year and we just have to wait it out. I'll keep you posted.
On a good note, I just got up and cranked out a few hundred words. But now I know where the scene needs to start and I think it will flow much more smoothly today.
Well, off to make breakfast and get ready for work. 
I'd much rather stay home and write right now.
I haven't written today and am not sure I'll have time, but am glad to have reached that particular milestone. I need to get cracking, though. I'd like to have a bigger cushion than I have right now.
Then my wireless internet router decided to have a sickie and I had to turn off the computer and the router to allow it to cool down, so went and did the weekly shop. When I got home, the router was working again and decided to have some lunch and then maybe write a little. Wrong. I got one of my wonderful migraines, which I have now had for seven and a half hours. Hence, I've spent around three and half of those hours asleep, trying to get rid of the darned thing, and somewhere in the middle, had to make a 60 mile round trip to pick up my daughter and her boyfriend.
I have managed to add another 600 or so words to my total, somehow, but very soon, have repeat said 60 mile round trip to take daughter's boyfriend home. When I get home, sometime around eleven tonight, I'm going to try to push my daily word count up to 1000 words. Have to go to work tomorrow and sunday, so not expecting to get much done this weekend either.
Shouldn't complain too much, I'm just a bit over 15,000 so still have my buffer. Was hoping not to have too much left for the last week of the month, so when I'm off work monday to friday, I could actually rest!
You all seem to being doing great. Keep up the good work! everyone!
quote:
For those of you that don't regularly read PVP, the artist has a storyline going on about Nano this year:
I am a recovering World of Warcraft addict and that just gave me a flashback
5,000 a night, that's all I ask.
It sure is tempting to get to 50K by Sunday night, but I don't think that's in me. One more battle, exposure and flight. That's what's on the plate for tomorrow.
Leslie
I'm such a competitive tool, that I just have to go for it. There is mind over matter, I think in a sense, NaNo can be muck over mind.
Every time I go back and insert a clue about what happens (such as a mysterious tattoo), I am appalled at the simple errors abundant throughout.
Time to end error-making tonight and buckle down for another day tomorrow.
Keep at it!
This has never happened to me before. Does anyone know why Word is doing this to me?
At 18,000 words and counting. It would help if I opened the document, but then that would mean I would have to actually write something.
Leslie
MS Word sometimes corrupts files, no apparent reason other than it embeds a bunch of junk in them.
Saving as doesn't necessarily save you from the problem, because once the file has the corrupt information stored in it, it seems to carry it with through future versions.
You can/should also PRINT your story from time to time. Worst case scenario, you have to type it back in, but at least you know what it is you wrote. (there are some scanners/scanning programs out there that can convert scanned images of printed words into text.)
We've talked about issues with word processors before. As I recall, Tale Spinner has some background/detailed technical explanations for what is going on when these things happen with Word.
Darklight, everyone, have you tried www.box.net? It is free up to maybe 5Gigs of memory. It is secure and a good place to keep documents.
You may want to download Word again which may be the first step in recovering your work environment but until then I would register at box.net (free up to I think 5 gig) and be sure to save what you have. Emailing is a good idea, but do copy it from your document and then paste it into an email. I think this way you won't carry the problem with the verbiage.
Now, google mail aka gmail has a free word processor program sort of similar to word if you want to set up a gmail account you can work online and save it online, too.
Anyway, good luck with that. Owasm, do you sleep at all? You're amazing.
Oh, hey, does anyone know anything about wills and trusts? My MC's mother is killed by her lover, the supposed father to my MC. I want to have her set up my MC's trust & care arranged so that the lover benefits with the kids living and is severely penalized if he offs the kid, too.
quote:
Oh, hey, does anyone know anything about wills and trusts? My MC's mother is killed by her lover, the supposed father to my MC. I want to have her set up my MC's trust & care arranged so that the lover benefits with the kids living and is severely penalized if he offs the kid, too.
Okay, I am not an attorney, but then I don't think this is really giving legal advice. It probably depends at least a little on where your characters are. I would have her set up a trust for the children, with the remainder, if the children die before adulthood, going to a charity. The lover can be paid out of the trust for taking care of the kids. But he won't get a dime if they die. Of course, she'd have to name someone other than the lover as trustee to keep him from raiding the trust.
quote:
Now, google mail aka gmail has a free word processor program sort of similar to word if you want to set up a gmail account you can work online and save it online, too.
Hmm, could this word processer be utilized on a blackberry or the new Droid by Verizon?
Good luck this week my friends!
Melanie
I'm not quite half done with my novel, so I will continue apace. Well maybe not at quite the same pace, but I'll keep piling on the words.
I'm actually pleased with how this is coming out. The story continues to surprise. An amazon-type warrior-ette showed up that I didn't plan for. She ended up giving my hero a token that he will use later when she lies moldering in the jungle. Also this weekend saw a three thousand year old woman giving our hero a gift. Another tool for his future. Sound corny beyond belief?
Perhaps, but that's NaNoWriMo for you.
Keep writing.
My Nano ambitions, little that they were, have fallen by the wayside. I'm currently engaged in a short story project that seems to be calling to me more. Not to worry: Onwards and upwards, to loftier heights and more egregious cliche use nevertheless!
Great work everybody! We survived the first week. Hooray!
The end of the week had slowed to a crawl but I spent all day today writing. My total right now is 17,724 words.
Ten things I learned in my first week of NaNoWriMo:
1) I don't actually write any faster, but I get more done because I'm not being picky about word choice and I am moving ever forward.
2) What I'm writing isn't that bad, but the above is easier to do if I assume that any and all words are going to get rewritten anyway.
3) I CAN go back and add a line or two here and there if I think of it later. I don't consider that editing. That's writing and I don't want to forget the idea. It would take me as long to make a note as it does just to add a line, so I just add it.
4) My boyfriend is awesome and patient and supportive. He's there when I need him and gives me space when I need to write. I couldn't ask to be with anyone better. I need to make sure he knows how much I appreciate him, especially during NaNo.
5) It's easier to focus if I take my netbook to Starbucks and keep the WiFi turned off.
6) I need to limit the number of 'brain' games I can play online when I'm taking a break/procrastinating.
7) Eating and sleeping are necessary.
8) It's best if I leave off with an idea for the next scene and type it in the space where it's going to start. Then I already have a direction for the next day and don't feel so much pressure when I sit down wanting to churn out 2000 words.
9) Caffeine is good.
10) If I can't find a block of time, a couple hundred words here and a couple hundred words there still help to keep me on track. It all counts.
What have you learned?
To answer Genevieve's question...
I've learned that pushing ahead is a good thing.
Ideas birth new ideas and if you don't stop you won't ever have too.
I also have learned that I am fully capable of doing this writing dream if I really put my mind to it and not much can stop me but me.
I've also learned that there is a lot I don't know but that I'm ready to learn.
NaNo is probably the best thing I've done in a while.
I've also learned some of the same things genevive42 has learned--especially that it's best if I stop writing at the beginning of a new scene instead of at the end of the last scene. It helps me to pick right back up without doing much rereading, which is very important because my inner editor just can't stand reading it yet.
BUT--genevive42 says that if she can't find a block of time, a couple hundred words is good. That doesn't work so good for me right now. Things go much more smoothly if I type for at least 2 hours (maybe 1, if I'm in a crunch), and use those smaller blocks of time to do a little research, get to know a character better and just generally get myself so excited to write the story that it pours out when I finally sit down.
The other thing I'm learning is that my writing is better if I've been eating healthily, I'm pretty caught up on my sleep and I've exercised some.
The best thing I've done is start taking a leisurely quarter mile walk before I start a major writing session (and I only got lost the one time).
I don't have loads of time to write--only six to eight hours a week that don't involve losing sleep, but so far I've only needed to stay up really late one time (and that's probably the section I'll end up deleting completely).
This is my third year of doing Nanowrimo, and the first year that it hasn't felt like a complete frenzy the whole time. I seem to be making habits I can stick with. If writing was my full time job, 50,000 words in a month seems relatively reasonable, although I'm not sure I would do it this way 365 days a year.
What I have learned is that I can narrate really quickly. I think the main reason I am over 20K is because there is not really much dialogue in my story. If I had a lot of dialogue I suspect my word count would be not nearly so high.
I have also learned that it is painful to be writing on one project when another is screaming to be worked on.
I like to spend longer blocks of time writing. I find that my mind is sort of like a flywheel. It takes a bit of time to get the wheel spinning, but once it does, the ideas flow. It does get a little hard to sleep sometimes because at the end of a writing session at night, the wheel continues to spin.
Short sessions barely get the wheel spinning, for me. I would imagine if you look at my scenes, they are shorter in the beginning of a writing session.
I also find that, for me, dialogue pushes the action and vice versa. I've really tried to keep narration down to a minimum and do as much showing as I can. My thinking there is that it will cut down on the rewriting, with perhaps an uptick in grammar editing.The only thing that dialogue slows down, is I have to remember to put beats along with the dialogue.
1. No T.V. while writing. My husband usually leaves the T.V. on in the background while playing WOW. When I try to write with the T.V. on my rate drops from 1000 words/hour to 100. Music seems to be fine though.
2. Every little bit counts. A couple hundred words here or there on nights when I only have 1/2 hour of free time has really helped me stay on track. It keeps me thinking about the novel even if I can't write it until later.
3. I have ADD. Not really. But I've found I can only sit and write for about an hour and a half before I need a break. I'm not bored with the story, I just can't maintain focus for that long. Sometimes just going upstairs to get a snack is enough, sometimes I take a longer break to do yard/housework.
4. You guys are awesome! Every time I don't feel like writing I come over here to check out what you are up to. Your progress is so inspiring I get right back to it. Thanks!
Kayti, you mentioned printing the document. I only wish I could. I'm out of ink right now, and since a new cartridge costs me the equivilent of a days wage (I realise that doesn't sound a lot, but to me, its way too much) I can't afford one at the moment. I'm not even sure, with Christmas on its way, if I'll have one by the time I need to print my next WotF story. I also remembered last night I have an online back-up store that came with my anti-virus software, if only I knew how to find it, so should have a copy there if the worst come to the worst.
As for lessons learned. This is my forth NaNo and it has taught me that I can write a much better story this way. Better as in, every word is relevent to the story. There are no long winded pages of narative that would later be cut. I also work better to a deadline, even if it is really a self imposed one. No, I couldn't write like this all year round--though I used to when I first started writing many years ago, I would write three to ten thousand words a day, every day, but then, most of it is now in the trash can.
As for length of writing session, I can write either way. On my days off from work, I aim to write 200 words an hour, every hour, which usually takes me ten minutes to write. But I can also have four and five hour breaks, and have an hour session where I'll get 1000-1500 words down. I certainly can't write for more than an hour at a time. I get kind of tense if I write for too long, and need to go do something else for a while, even if its some housework.
Also, if I'm watching a TV show, I like to rattle of a hundred or so words in the advert break. If I watch a couple of hour long shows, which is usually on a Thursday evening, I can soon get eight or nine hundred words down on the page, and still watch my show. Plus I don't have watch the dreadful adverts.
Considering the migraine I've had since friday, that I now think is a virus since my son has it too, has been hampering my ability to focus, I'm about to break the 21,000 word mark. But to be honest, I'll be glad when its all over!
Owasm, you're amazing! I think we'll all doing great, keep it up!
One more thing I've learned is to take a break when you need it. And no, the time you spend bashing your head against the monitor because you don't know what to write doesn't count.
1) Just write. It might not come out exactly as I saw it in my head, but then I can't get my head published some day.
2) Just write. Ideas look better on paper than swirling around in the nether.
3) Just write. You can't edit a blank piece of paper.
4) Just write. Editing sucks anyway.
5) Just write. Your characters will ignore you no matter what you do, so stop fighting them.
quote:
Thanks, Meredith! That is what I figured. The executor of the trust is someone who has deep suspicion of the lover so that works out well.
Wills have executors. Trusts have trustees.
quote:
Kayti, you mentioned printing the document. I only wish I could. I'm out of ink right now, and since a new cartridge costs me the equivilent of a days wage (I realise that doesn't sound a lot, but to me, its way too much) I can't afford one at the moment. I'm not even sure, with Christmas on its way, if I'll have one by the time I need to print my next WotF story. I also remembered last night I have an online back-up store that came with my anti-virus software, if only I knew how to find it, so should have a copy there if the worst come to the worst.
Darklight, if you can put the document on a CD or a flash drive and take it to a local printer (the one near me has to have it as a PDF file) you can have them print it out for much less than the cost of an ink cartridge.
I actually do have ADD and I would rob a bank for an hour and a half of focus. I try so hard to keep my BIC but still find myself realizing something that needs my attention right away, like loading the dishwasher at three in the morning. I actually sometimes start writing another story in the middle of the one I'm working on. (I know I'm bad but I delete most of them, so I'm actually doing more words than is up there, but I think writing half another novel inside of my real novel is cheating.)
I do love this, writing this book feels like I'm opening a tap and it just gushes out, like it did when I was a kid. I'm also getting writer's highs like you wouldn't believe and I'm sitting on a writer's headache right now, all of this means I'm doing good. I did the math and at 6000 words and twenty two days left to do it I have exactly 2000 words a day to go. Just thought that was funny.
What I learned from this week, I spend way too much time not writing. This isn't time I'm doing other interesting things, just time I'm spending telling myself I should be writing. Also when I'm in a big writing session the less thinky games are the better ones. The other day I actually loaded up Diablo II.
I've actually been feeling quite down about my story. It's not the usual thing I write. I tend to go for a lot of fast paced action, but this has been more leisurely, strolling along for a while, a quick burst of action, and back to strolling. It's going to pick up soon, and the last third will be quite different, but I've not been all that happy with it, but I feel much better now. I explained the entire premise of the story to my seventeen year old son this afternoon, who is very good for bouncing ideas off and giving honest opinion, even if he doesn't read the stories, and he said it sounded very good and even helped me with some ideas for some tricky parts I hadn't quite figured out yet. Ok, it's only my son, but our conversation has given me a boost.
Just to add to things learnt. I've learned that I'm obsessed with updating my word count. I do it after every three or four hundred words. I just can't stop myself.
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KayTi, Spokane Sunshine and annepin, I've noticed that you haven't posted your word counts over at NaNo. Are you still with us?
I uploaded my end-of-yesterday word count (I'm right on pace) and am hoping to get another 1k words in tonight.
I think what I am learning the most is that I'm not making this the priority it should be. I'm finding lots of ways to waste time instead. I think I'm just not particularly into the story yet because we're not into the high action (and because i should have outlined more, sigh.) But also I need to do something different for next year, because writing about life on space ships/in space is starting to grate on my nerves a bit. No characters running through grass or getting stuck out in the rain. Little limiting.
But first I have to go back and change the country a major character is living in, since I realized my first run through was too haphazard. Someone needs to jump across the Atlantic Ocean.
Congratulations to those who are way, way, way, way, way ahead. I don't know how you guys did it, but I admire your focus and dedication. Some of you either you have a phenomenal work ethic, or you got very carried away.
1) I planned much better this year and for me, that has made a world of difference. I have strayed from my outline but that structure helped me understand more readily how the variations will work. More than anything I realize that I am not a pantser and likely will never be, and that's OK.
2) It's OK not to have everything planned! I can still write if there is a bitty piece of research not completed. (rolls eyes- what a dwb)
3) I write better under timed sprints. I am also a member of the RWA FFP (romance writers association fantasy...etc) group. They have an ongoing chat room that runs 45 minute group writing sprints. After the sprint we fess up to what we have done and talk about problems. I love it. I can't google some odd gold rush fact when I am racing the clock.
4) I loooooooove writing. 8) It's fun. That sobering post in the general forum notwithstanding, I hope I can do this for a living some day.
8)
Leslie
For me, I need at least a wireframe of the story I'm writing.
My first attempt was about pure pantser style. All I did was jot down my character names so I could keep them straight.
My next attempt was very controlled (as a result of Liberty Hall's Midsommer Madness). I found that I didn't get as much into the story as I'd like and I had to plop in additions to the plot both before and after my outline. That one ended up at 90K+ words and is scheduled for a rewrite in Jan.
I seem to have reached a happy medium with my NaNo novel. I spent a lot of time worldbuilding... This actually makes writing as a pantser easier because you don't have to pause to figure out distances or coinages or whatever, which is, to me, a writing impediment. My outline consisted of writing a treatment (pantser style) and sketching out scenes on a spreadsheet that had character names (I tend to forget them as I write) that act as my wireframe.
So I'm not quite halfway through (55K words) and I can write the story to hit certain wireframe points to maintain the MC's growth and progress. I've already realized a new ending is required because the vision of the overarching story is coming together and the project is expanding from heroic to epic fantasy.
Nano has forced me into figuring this out. What is interesting to me is seeing all the different styles and writing experiences shared on this thread. I'm looking forward to lots more in the next 20 days.
I'm here. I have written a bit, although not as much as I should have since I came down with a really nasty bug. Then I had to put some fires out at work, so that has eaten into my free time. I've got about 5,000 words, and plan to catch up within the next few days. I haven't posted my wordcount because I haven't been able to get onto the Nano site for a few days (it's always closed for maintenance when I check). I'm glad I checked here for updates; thanks for thinking of me.
What I've Learned:
1. It's way too easy to fall into the trap of "if only I had the time".
2. With a goal of 1.600 words per day, it's really easy to fall despairingly behind.
I'm at 17858 so far, so I'm doing fine (I'm a little bit ahead) but I need a solution to this horrible nodding disease before I drive myself bananas!
quote:
nodding disease
cute, makes me think of the 'poochy lip' or something else that Patch the Pirate would sing about.
Just before I set off for work, I go tell teenage son, who didn't get up when I woke him up an hour earlier, that I'm going. Aparently, its my fault he didn't get up, so is the the fact that I forgot to make him a cup of tea, and that his dentist appointment this afternoon is at an unsuitible time for him, because he'll lose out on the time he gets to spend with friends.
All the way to work, I get some not very nice texts from him. I ignore them, since I don't want to deal with this before or at work.
Break time: Get some texts, then a phone call from daughter. Mum, there's something wrong with the dog. He's bright red, his skin is all saggy and his face and neck have swollen up. Rushes home from work, gets dog to vet. An allergic reaction. One and half hours of missed work and one £34 injection later, I get home. So today I've earned precisely minus £25. Not good. After I get the dog home, he jumps up, hits the top of his head under the windowsill. I now have swallon faced, bleeding head dog. I then have to go out, to come home to swollen faced, bleeding head, all-over-body knobbly dog. Oh, and I haven't written a single word since this morning.
I have to take angry teenager to dentist soon. I'm not looking forward to that. Hope to get some more words written later; I'm not staking my life on it though.
How's your day going?
1. Punch the teenage boy in the mouth. Serves two purposes. He will shut up and respect his mother and the dentist visit will now be required.
2. Put the dog to sleep. I don't mean kill it. I mean put it to sleep...with sleeping pills. Then it won't be able to get into anything to have allergic reactions.
3. Quit your job, because coming home with negative money is bad. Better yet, ask for a raise.
4. Ignore everything I just wrote because I'm only hoping to make you smile a moment and maybe forget about having a bad day.
As for me and my writing, I've been sick the past couple of days and I've gotten virtually nothing done. About 500 or so words a day I think. When my head hurts and I'm stuffy I really don't feel like doing anything but laying around and being a lump somewhere.
1)Take the cell phone away for a week. Texting is a privilege. You abuse, you loose it.
Oh, and BTW, if he's over 13, he should know how to boil water. If he doesn't, he's not going to learn any younger, as my father would have said.
2)I am a dog owner. If the dog is crate trained, now is a very good time for the crate. The dog can relax in it's den, won't be stressed, and can't get into any more trouble.
3)Take a deep breath.
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited November 11, 2009).]
Or just have them look suddenly thoughtful. Or just say "Okay."
Or she could just read his assent in his eyes/expression/face.
As to teenaged son and the big bad day: Sorry! My response to my children when they were being was always the same (well, as long as it wasn't abusive!) "I love you, too!" and then you do what you gotta do anyway. If they can be silly-hostile we can be silly-loving.
Today the words came back and I have to say there is something empowering about hitting 30k. I've got a better idea of how I want this one part of my story to go. I am hoping to get another 2k in tonight.
Good luck to everyone, especially those who have had real life setbacks!
Closing in on almost 12,000 words, not bad since I lost almost five days to dumb computer problems.
I just don't want to write this story anymore. Can I start a new one, do you think? Maybe mix them together in an inedible pile of words.
~Sheena
1. Use the travelling shovel of death.
2. In the next 2 pages, bring your main character to the brink of death.
3. Add a romance (OK, knowing you, you've probably already got one. Now switch it up.)
Kayti--My characters all have to pause and thoughtfully consider the question before nodding. Or they freeze, and have to force themselves to move again. Maybe you should be grateful for the problems you've got.
I cracked 15,000 today. I want to be at 25,000 by Saturday, which will be quite a challenge. BUT, I have a babysitter watching my son for a couple of hours tomorrow, so I'm really hoping to have hit 20,000 twenty four hours from now. My "wow the words are just flowing from my brain" experience is now over. It was very fun while it lasted.
I did figure out a very important plot twist this morning, and I'm relieved, because I was beginning to think political intrigue was just asking too much of my imagination.
Melanie
Have you ever read The Blind Assasin by Margrat Atwood? She has a character who is a writer for the pulps. The book has a fantasy story, a current story and a woman's memoirs going on all at the same time. Don't delete that other novels - maybe they can fit in somewhere.
I'm a sucker for challenges. Obsessed? Maybe a little. I was going to watch the Utah Jazz on TV tonight but they sucked so I got in more words than I intended.
My story is moving right along and in the direction I wanted. I just finished one of the BIG turning points tonight and go into uncharted/outlined/figured out territory for the next 20,000 words.
Darklight, sorry to hear about your day. I've had a few myself and have darker days ahead, but I'm clear for the rest of November anyway.
Keep at it, everybody!
Today I had to take my boyfriend to the eye doctor (He is legally blind and has a myriad of problems, all of which are under watch and treatment but only so much can be done.) The thing is, what is usually a rather long appointment went really fast every time I opened up my netbook to work on my NaNo story. I got a few hundred words in while his eyes were dilating but every other time they were super speedy to show up and call him in. Since I was in the middle of a scene when we left we went over to Borders where I finished the scene I was working while he listened to his ipod.
darklight, if you drink I suggest you have one good one at the end of today. Savor it, enjoy it and try to find the humor in the sheer absurdity of the scale of how bad a day could actually be. If it were in a story, it might be funny. Remember, comedy is tragedy that happens to someone else. Maybe make some of it happen to your characters. Here's to a better tomorrow.
Good luck all. I know many of you are past it, but I see 25,000 coming up in the next day or two. Can't wait.
quote:
Owasm hits 60,700 words.
Freak.
[This message has been edited by ArmadonRK (edited November 12, 2009).]
had a bad couple of days with a rotted beam and tub of bondo, but I'm good now...
Oh yeah... lost a few brain cells to bondo...but they were extra anyway.... 8)
Sounds like everyone is having a month, except Owasm who is writing machine.
8)
Keeping writing!!!!
Leslie
I've had a much better day today, no mishaps, the dog looks like a dog again and my supervisor at work is letting me make up the time I lost yesterday, so I'll be in work earlier saturday and sunday.
I made around 2000 words yesterday, and am aiming for about the same today, but probably not going to make it. My goal is 30,000 by the end of tomorrow. I feel much happier now I'm past 25,000, its a good place to be.
quote:
I don't know how it is for some of you, but for me the earliest work I do always feels forced. I'm shaping my characters into people they're not, and forcing them to do things against their will.
Especially so in this story. That's the beauty of Nanowrimo though--I got sick of the beginning so I jumped ahead and after writing 50+ pages this way I realized that the whole beginning would never happen to this character anyway. That's why I hated it so bad. Still looking for a good starting spot though.
I'm happy to be at 20,223 words today. There's still a shot I can make it to 25,000 by Saturday night. If only I could have another day like today. I'm really hanging onto my sleep time so far. I have only sacrificed a few hours of sleep at the Nanowrimo altar. That may change this weekend.
This is the pivotal moment of the novel and I didn't know how it was going to come out. I'm sure I'll have to rewrite more angst and tears and regrets into it, but for NaNo, just words... just words.
I just hope there's not too much telling, but it had its surprises. My MC was supposed to face the world alone, but he's picked up a sidekick. I don't know what this guy's significance will be since he showed up out of the blue.
Had a good session tonight after work, even if it did include a half hour nap in my desk chair with my feet up on the bed.
I finally figured out my soundtrack for this thing. It starts with the soundtrack to Firefly, then it goes to a cd of a Chinese singing trio we picked up while we were there. Then onto Mongolian throat singing, a friend brought that back. And then some mellow Moroccan music. Though I don't know if that one is authentic or just inspired by. I usually prefer very authentic, but this one works as good background music. It ends with the soundtrack to Mr. and Mrs. Smith which has a fun, upbeat element to it.
I am really starting to get into a groove with my characters. The humorous element of my story isn't as strong as I had originally thought it would be but there is a lot of heart I didn't know was there either.
About a month ago I posted a question about figuring out how to determine the main character in an ensemble cast. Well, what I've discovered is that the crew of the ship is the main character. The pov shifts from scene to scene depending on whose pov is the most critical or the most interesting for that scene. But the story is about the crew. No one person is always the center of attention. This started out being a challenge because I had to get into each person's head and I didn't know them all that well yet. Now, even though I'm still learning new things about them, it's flowing much more smoothly. ArmadonRK
is right about that breaking point. There's a section coming up that I can't wait to write. I think it's going to be a lot of fun.
Keep writing everyone!
OSC talks somewhere about how your first draft is really just a learning experience and won't bear much resemblance to the final copy. After writing my first novel I couldn't imagine how anyone could go to that much work and then throw it out in the trash as a "learning experience". But this Nanowrimo story I'm really starting to get it. The first time through is really just an oportunity to get all my ideas down, and as I do it, I'm learning about the characters and letting the story take me down unexpected paths that might or might not go somewhere in the end.
The character I've developed by the middle of the story bears little resemblance to the one at the beginning, and so that all needs to change too.
Rather than constantly going back and rewriting, I just make myself a note and ride the story to the conclusion as though it was a galloping horse. By the time I'm done, almost everything about it needs to be changed, but I've learned some incredible things I couldn't have learned any other way. So this is not the time to worry about whether I'm showing or telling, or if the dialogue to exposition ratio is perfect. It's not even about getting the characters names perfect.
When it's done, I'll give it a few months to rest and then try it again. I think that would be the perfect time to outline it and make sure the names are right. Then I can cut and add and do all the things to make it shine.
Everyone has their own writing style, and I think I've found mine!
At least I've got lots to write about tomorrow. I feel this story is just getting going, and I have a lot in front of me. 50,000 words just isn't going to cut it.
If I'd have to say one thing I've learned these last few days, it would be that slow and steady is much better than writing a whole lot in one day, and burning myself out. In previous years of doing NaNo, I've gone for the 'write as much as I can in a day' approach, sometimes 6-7k in a day, but then had some days when I've only managed a few hundred words. This year, I've kept it pretty much to a 2-3k a day, with one exception of a little over 1000 one day, and I think I'm going to get the 50,000 done in less days than I have before.
Unwritten, about knowing things will have to be changed later, but waiting for the rewrite. I agree. I know there are parts I'll have to go back and reorder and add some stuff to. I only hope I actually end up liking this story enough that I think its worth spending more time over when the end of the month comes.
[This message has been edited by darklight (edited November 13, 2009).]
But then I remember that every minute I spent on that story was worth it, and I'm cool again.
But I really don't want to see the repair bill.
quote:
I broke 25,000 words. Woohoo!
But I really don't want to see the repair bill.
Congratulations! I made it too! 25,025 words, and now I'm taking a break. I've got to regroup. The story is still exciting but the writing is not even meeting my purposely low standards.
I'm still waiting for the moment when it all comes together and I can see where I'm going. As of this moment, I have one more scene where I know what I'm going to do. I also know how it ends but there's a HUGE chasm yawning between here and there.
Do I have the courage to step off that cliff?
[This message has been edited by Unwritten (edited November 14, 2009).]
Okay, enough for melodrama.
Unwritten, you talked about how you've discovered the nature of the first draft being a learning experience. I've just recently come to understand that myself. A few months ago I started to get it and realize that the novel I had written and so lovingly nurtured for years needed a lot of work. I still believe in that story but I am going to approach it from a completely new standpoint and do a lot more world building that I hadn't realized I needed. But now I am working on my NaNo story and I am starting fresh with the new approach I've discovered. I don't know which one I'm going to start editing first come January.
I do like the idea that NaNo presents. I'm thinking that it would be a good way to approach any new novel concept to test it out. That way, if it doesn't work then not too much time has been lost. If one month is too short, maybe make it six or eight weeks, but keep a tight schedule to get the benefits of speed writing. Next time I start a new piece, I'm going to try this. Of course, there's always next year's NaNo.
On another note. I thought I had a short section that was going to be easy to write. I should've known better. There are two scenes that are needed that just revealed themselves to me. If I don't write them, I will not like this section so I might as well write them now. They're going to be fun, character oriented scenes though. I'm just anxious to finish this section because in the next one I get to put a couple of the characters through hell.
So I, too, am going to start the other one over and write it quickly so it stays fresher in my head. This one is turning out way better than I expected.
I am roaring past 42K now. I suspect I will hit 50K in the next few days. I am amazed at myself.
I did stumble a bit tonight, falling into an old habit, which is framing dialogue cinematically. This is probably the one truly great flaw in the way I write. I often get so absorbed in the conversation, I forget everything else and just write enormous blocks of text in quotation marks.
Fortunately, when I realized my mistake, I was able to go back and make some changes, remembering that one segment of chapter 11 of OSC's Characters and Viewpoint that has improved my writing more than anything else ever has: the three pages titled Attitude.
So I owe Mr. Card a thank you, for reminding me there's more to a conversation than just the words being spoken.
And for helping me pad my word count.
[This message has been edited by ArmadonRK (edited November 15, 2009).]
[This message has been edited by ArmadonRK (edited November 15, 2009).]
THE SLUMP-O-MATIC.....
OK, I'll stop yelling at you now..... Actually, I found this really bizzarre picture and in a fit of Nano-induced procrastination I did a blog entry about this. It's truly amazing how much I got done this weekend just by procrastinating around Nano.....too funny.
http://www.leslieadow.com/?p=25
I haven't hit a slump yet, but I just wrote a very boring episode that will definitely be changed in the next draft. It just about put me to sleep. The MC is going to have to get more out of it.
I'm up to eighty-one thousand seven hundred words. The trick is write and NEVER LOOK BACK. If you do, just as Leslie said, you lose time.
I'm still on track to finish this puppy this month. I'm flying back to Wash DC for Thanksgiving and hope I can use my laptop on the flight. That's nine hours (battery willing) of writing.
I've seen some of my buddies on track and some haven't started. Keep those fingers pounding the keys!
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 16, 2009).]
going to bed now.....
I have to say though that I haven't hit a true slump. There have been a few slow patches but nothing that made me not want to write.
I have spent the last three Sundays at Starbucks with my netbook for an obnoxious number of hours. But it keeps me from getting distracted. I bought the netbook specifically for NaNo and have to say it was well worth it.
Today I wrote about 4600 words. I am absolutely loving the section I am on and can't wait to get back to it. Lots of great character stuff.
I just topped 30,000 words.
Keep going y'all.
Midway through, she wrote a sentence that pretty much sums up the whole first 25,000 words of my Nano book. "We run and lift things and stretch our muscles." Man, I want to edit. I'm even thinking of changing to first person right here in the middle--which would be ironic considering the first time I did Nanowrimo I made the mistake of starting in first and changing to third mid-way through. I swore I'd never write in first again, but my book is screaming for it.
On the other hand, the thought of writing in present tense makes me shiver like I just heard fingernails scraping down the chalkboard. It worked in Catching Fire though. I never even noticed it.
The month is half way done my friends. This is where things get exciting. Good luck!
Eh well.
It's been good/bad day. Writing good/everything else bad, including a vow never to shop at my usual supermarket again. If they won't give me the £72 in vouchers that they own me from august (which I was relying on for Christmas) then I'm not giving them any more of my money. End of story.
Total words for november thus far: 39,000.
Kitti and Rhaythe, hope you're both feeling better soon.
[This message has been edited by darklight (edited November 16, 2009).]
PS: 41k broken! 9k to go! Though, I'm only about 65% done with the story, so I wonder if I'll actually finish it by the 30th.
I've been slow for a few days gathering research and thoughts but I'm doing better now. Logged about 1500 words so far today and plan to do more.
Leslie
I am learning so much this nano:
There are definitely key things that have been added to my story that wouldn't be there if I didn't feel pressured to write. For example, I had a scene where I needed something to happen, but I didn't know how to go about it. The first time I tried to write the scene it badly derailed and went in a direction that made me very unhappy. I tried again with the same result. It wasn't until we had a "word war" (equivalent of the sprints mentioned earlier by LAJD) at the write-in I attended that the scene managed to come out in a way that made sense for my character.
I LIKE my story. (It seems like a weird thing to learn, but I think it is important if you are going to spend a lot of time on something...)
I need to work on setting up my scenes better. It's nano, so I suppose these things are to be expected, but I will get through part of a scene and realize I forgot to mention an important detail that was needed at the moment. I end up adding things like "And he was wearing boots."
Well I broke down and edited just a smidgen tonight. Should I ever mention writing in first person again, someone just please knock me on the head.
I'm at 26,705 words and right when everyone else is starting to think about word wars and sprints I'm thinking about slowing down, because I'm not quite sure how to get from here to there now.
Do I want her to stay in the Capitol and use her mother's connections to do some spying?
Does she believe all the horrible things people are saying about Chris/Brandon?
Is the final stage of her journey going to be a major part of this book? It was originally going to be, but I'm just about journeyed out.
Which of the characters she has met are going to stick with her? and why?
Is this book meant to be a stand alone book or am I setting the stage for a sequel?
If someone could just spoon feed me the answers to these and many other questions I'll sleep better tonight. Thanks.
I'm up to 28,0001 words as of today, which is a smidge ahead. Just a smidge.
Did some fun word sprints in the last day that helped me stay focused. Found that I could even benefit from self-imposed word sprints without a writing partner to compare notes to afterwards. Gives me something to post to facebook at the very least.
My biggest lesson learned: Next book, don't set it on a spaceship/space station. I'm finding the hallway/common areas structure entirely too limiting. All three of my Nano projects have taken place on space ships or space stations. Hmm...
I've got some interesting questions to answer next session. Is the guy who he spilled his guts to really his friend? Or is his servant a spy for a rival wizard? Just thought of that. Hmmm.
It's good to see a lot of people making progress. Some have fallen by the wayside, but that's the nature of these things.
Keep your head down and write, write, write.
I'm a little ahead so it's not too detrimental but I keep getting ahead on Sunday and then start slowly losing my word cushion over the week. And I'm having fun with this part too.
I usually hang out with my boyfriend on Tuesdays but he'll understand if I say I need to NaNo. We'll see how work goes today. Hopefully I'll have some progress by tomorrow and keep some of that cushion I worked so hard to get.
I'm farther behind than I would like, and this weekend isn't going to be any better, but I knew that coming in. I'm trying to just soldier through a couple thousand more words this week and have a big push at the end.
Despite this being a terrible week for writing I am really loving nano. I gave my MC an unexpected head wound last week. I also decided after writing the first 10K that my MC was claustrophobic. This week I think someone she is becoming friends with will betray her. Fun times...
I'd like to get to 40k by Saturday. I'm still waiting for that a-ha moment, and I'm hoping I didn't waste it when the beginning of the book went so smoothly.
It's great to see folks moving from the blue bar to the green on the NaNo meter.
I hit 92,400 tonight. I've averaged a bit over 5,400 words a day. I find it's getting harder, but I've finally circled around and caught up to my outline. I figure another 30K to finish this first book of what became a series in front of my eyes during Nano. I just have to follow the scenes I've sketched out. I figured out the ending. I'm not sure it offers enough closure but, hey this is a first draft.
Keep at it we've got 13 more days to NaNo!
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 18, 2009).]
I'm finding that a fairly steady approach is working for me. I certainly have days where I get more done but that's mostly due to time available. Once I hit 30,000 the pressure diminished and I've just really gotten into my characters. There have been some small revelations, but surprisingly no major u-turns. But this is probably an 80,000 word novel so there's still a lot to be discovered.
Keep writing! We're going to make it. Yes, I mean all of us.
Doing NaNo is not good for the brain.
43,000 words and still going, I think. 
Hang in there Kitti. I'm in the mucky mire with you.
Oh, and I still say Owasm is a writing freak.
[This message has been edited by Rhaythe (edited November 18, 2009).]
Enough writing for tonight, I can no longer spell.
What a marathon. 97.4K. Tomorrow I will certainly hit 100K. The story's got another 20K left in it before I bleed into the next volume. I will quit when I get the ending right and start on some edits over Thanksgiving weekend. 
I'm glad to see the steady progress our group is making. Lots of time to get it done.
Meanwhile, one of the things I enjoy about writing is that I get to stick in all kinds of little things that are important to me. Like I just inserted a baby sling into the storyline.
Hope everyone else is through the boggy middle, starting to think about ramping up to the second act climax and/or the major climax...
Or maybe I'll break down and go as insane as some of the people on the Nanowrimo forums who try to make their story as weird as possible. No. I don't think I'll do that. It seems like the waste of a perfectly good month.
How do you cope with writer's block?
I always find too that taking a shower helps. I always have good ideas in the shower, where I have no chance of writing them down. A couple of times I've had to say to one or other of my kids while rushing down stairs: Don't talk to me, I need to write down what's in my head before I forget it.
I've not written anything today, because right now, I need to figure out how to get him from where he is, to where he needs to go--his father's ship. There's something on there that he needs to help him bring about the solution, but he doesn't know it's there until he goes there, but unless he has a reason to go there, he won't find it. See what I mean? Since he's about to help someone who's in trouble, he might use it as a hiding place, but I think I need a better reason.
Anyhow, for your block, maybe just have you characters have a quiet moment, chill out or something, it usually works for me. I've also gone through the 'push through the block' approach, but I end up just wandering aimlessly for two or three hundred words and end up thinking, what was that all about?
Good luck with getting through this.
I think that I'm trying to fit too much into 50,000 words. A lot of my world development has taken place as I'm writing, and so a lot of it is only in my head. So, for at least the next day or two, instead of trying to finish the story, I'm going to go backwards and fill in some of the holes, and see where I am at the end of that. I won't cut anything out, I'll just add.
Hopefully if I stop trying to force myself to figure out the next step I'll just wake up one morning knowing what it ought to be. If not...well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I've currently got my main character on her own purposeful walk to...somewhere. I haven't worked out the details yet.
Write whatever you know will happen eventually, even if you don't know how to get to it from where you've already written.
Sometimes, writing what you know has to happen later will give you ideas of what has to happen in between.
Things are going smoothly. I've been doing a pretty good job of leaving my internal editor locked in the closet. Though sometimes I get stuck when I don't know how the next section is supposed to start. I'm even getting better at dealing with that. I usually just sit and think and can come up with it but I'm also not worrying too much because there's that chance that it'll get cut on the edit anyway. I'll worry about making it right when I'm sure I'm going to keep it.
For everyone who's been sick, I hope you feel better soon. Hang in there.
Should I mention that I did some of my NaNoing at the beach today? I am loving my netbook.
Today (it's 10:13pm MST), I hit my second goal. I'm pretty happy about it. Everything is moving ahead. My MC is about to get the stakes raised against him as he is stripped of his leadership of a small group and swept into a revolution. I've got about 20,000 words to get him to his absolute low point and sorta kinda triumph.
I'm seeing more green bars out in Nanoland. Keep it up. This is been fun. At least until I go through the first read.
I am on mission today though, got to try to push through to 40K because I hit the road tomorrow and then it's hanging out with the 'rents and my husband's highly dysfunctional sibs next week. (my family is of course perfectly functional or if not, at least thousands of miles away).
I hope to write some but I may end up back home next sunday with pretty much the same wordcount, depends on the drama level.
So, what is everyone else's strategy for Turkey week, those of you in the States that is?
Leslie
Now I can get back to my writing...
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511822
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 20, 2009).]
By the way, I'm a spy . . . I mean, uh, sub moderator for the fantasy forum.
(snicker, can't believe I called Owasm a slacker, mister-a-bazillion words)
[This message has been edited by genevive42 (edited November 20, 2009).]
Update: It's 12:57 Mountain Time and I have finished my NaNo novel. It's complete at 105,000 words. I thought it would go a little longer, but the muse wanted a rip snorting, gut wrenching end.
Now I'm actually going to have to edit it. It will be interesting to see how it holds up.
[This message has been edited by Owasm (edited November 21, 2009).]
Thank you all for the advice. A few tears and a couple word sprints later and I'm back in the game. I learned a few new things about my main character via trying to get her to do something out of character. I now realize this is the most virtuous character I've ever written about, and I can't wait to go back and delete those scenes. In December. But at least it got me past the worst of the writer's block.
Things are getting very quiet around here. I hope it's because you're all writing more than I am! Later, later...
Need 15,000 words.
Piece of cake.
Although yesterday a piece of cake cracked a temporary crown while I was at work and spun me into a crazy day of dentistry, driving and no time to write. So maybe I'll change that statement.
Easy as pie.
Mmmmm, pie.
Thursday I worte 1160 words. Yesterday I managed 1100, but I wasn't too unhappy. My daughter bought herself a laptop so I claimed her four month old desktop and spent a few hours setting it up to my personal settings, and getting to know Windows Vista. It's nice to have a computer with all the keys still on the keyboard--my puppy ate several of the laptop's keys a few months ago and I've been struggling with it ever since. Plus the little problem I had with trying to figure out why my MC would need to go to his father's ship got cleared up, and I didn't even have to figure it out myself. My character came up with the answer all by himself. The wonders of writing!
So, I've gotten about 400 words written tonight so far. I'm aiming for 1000. I guess because I know I've done it, I don't have to kill myself writing these last three thousand words. Just taking it easy now. I should be done Monday anyhow, in time for five relaxing days off work.
Anyone else almost done?
Keep at it.
I'm at 37629 words (not counting the 500-800 in character definition and notes to self that I'm going to tack on at the end so I can give myself a little bonus/breathing room if I have to miss a writing day.) I just had a near-kidnapping/baby shaking but my main character snatched the baby back, and even taunted the bad kids into throwing the baby's stuffed green donkey back to her. I accidentally introduced a second potential love interest for her (the MC, not the baby!) who I didn't even know existed, but he's got long dark hair that partially covers his eyes...one of which is blue, one of which is brown. He's very cute, but hanging with the wrong crowd. We'll see if he shows up again. I honestly have no idea at this point, but I know that bad kid crowd is going to have to play in again.
Meanwhile, I've got to find a good use for the green donkey stuffed toy. It's *very* important to the baby, who just helped the MC solve a particularly tricky problem. Hmm....maybe the green donkey can remind the MC of something...give her an idea at a critical point. I think that's the right direction there. Maybe a slingshot kind of thing...hmm...(off to make notes in the MS RIGHT NOW so I don't lose the idea...)
As for where I am. The crew is stuck in a giant traffic jam waiting to use a wormhole that will get them through a particularly bumpy section of space. The wormhole is currently under construction but waiting two weeks is still better than the alternatives. It's kind of like sitting in freeway traffic because it beats the neighborhoods you'd have to drive through if you got off. Anyway, the crew gets bored which leads to a variety of antics and, just to add to the main plot, they're going to spot the space pirates that they previously tricked in the line to use the wormhole. So they're going to have to figure out a plan as to how to evade them once they all get to the other side. The other question is,'how are the pirates following them?', or are they?
This has been the best experience for me. I am adding bits here and there and editing already. I don't know what else to do. My region is very competitive per word counts and I feel a little guilt for not contributing much in the last few days. I hit 50K and then I've been waffling whether to go ahead and edit and start cleaning it up or to just start another one.
I will definitely do this again next year.
The story isn't finshed, so I'll probably add more to it over the next few days, but as for NaNo, I'm done! And it feels quite good.
Still at least two big acts to go before the big and almighty "The End", but like Darklight said: it feels quite good.
Congrats to all who have made it!
Wow. The view from this side of 40,000 words is a lot nicer than it is from the other side. It was quite an abrupt transition from feeling hopeless to feeling empowered.
Keep it up anyone else who is still trudging up the mountain. Now I remember that we can do it!
What's great is that I don't have to have any commitments for the next two days if I don't want to. Not sure what I'm going to do for Turkey Day. Most of me just wants to write. I have invites but they're all casual. Am I being a bum if I don't go? I'll certainly pass 50,000 if I stay home both days.
I'll have to think about it.
I think this is a good time to give thanks for all of the people in our lives who have helped and supported us through this crazy month. They've listened to our wacky plots, taken on more chores, encouraged us, and maybe even helped with some ideas when we were stuck. They've put up with us walking around like caffeine zombies and given us a shoulder when we just weren't sure if we could do it. It's these people who care about us, that are willing to let our needs come first during NaNo that we should be thankful for.
So this weekend, think about those people and give them a big hug and let them know how much you appreciate them.
And I'd like to send out a big hug to all of you for being willing to post your thoughts and experiences. It's been really great knowing that I wasn't alone in all of this.
Okay, sorry to interrupt this gushy moment, but I still have 8000 words to go. What am I doing here?
Frankly, I wish I could do NaNo all year. I think I work better faster rather than slower. I am going to have to structure my writing so that I do that first rough draft FAST and then go back and clean it up.
Robin McKinley's message was a nice validation for me personally. She does the whole first draft without looking back and THEN goes back and edits it twice, adding and deleting.
I was trying to do it as I went. Twenty months after I started, over a hundred thousand K words and I like my NaNo's chances of being complete first.
For everyone in the States: Happy Gobble Day!
quote:
I've hit a moment of slowness
It's the tryptophan.
Unfortunately, I still have three thousand words to write before I hit 50,000. There are several places I skipped because I didn't know what was going to happen. I have a better idea now, so I guess I need to find them and get started. But not right now. Right now I'm going to revel in the moment.
It ended, rather abruptly, about a chapter before I thought it was going to. All of a sudden I thought, "It's over. Holy cow. None of that other stuff really needs to happen. This is the end."
There's room for a sequel too--or not. It stands alone pretty well, even if I did leave all of my characters still in hiding and one of them detoxifying from some pretty nasty drugs. At least they're all together, and most of them are in love.
You can always do a character sketch for one of your main characters and turn it into a little story... perhaps a background piece for your written novel.
Congratulations on finishing your novel.
More and more people are crossing the finish time. There is still time to get it all done.
The real glory in Nanowrimo is doing it with so many other people. They promise that your story will move in directions you never expected and I'm here to testify that it's true. Right when I thought I'd written my story right into the ground, I decided to explain the plot to my husband. At the end, he said, "Why didn't they just kill him?" and I thought, "Why didn't they just kill him?" and suddenly a minor character stole the whole rest of the book. It was incredible, heady stuff, and I hope you join me next year!
Melanie
I have a good direction for my next section so it will flow better now. I cranked out 1300 words after work tonight.
My novel is probably 80,000 words so I'm still in the thick of it. 'The End' is nowhere in sight. That doesn't bother me though. I'm having fun with my characters.
Congrats to all who have made it!
And to all of you who aren't finished yet--keep going! I know you can do it!
Hurray!!!! I did it! Three years running!
I have a 12 hour drive tomorrow and then 11K words to the 50K line but I still feel good about making it. This T-Day week has not allowed for much writing. But I ahve done a lot of scene planning so I am primed for a sprint tomorrow and monday.
I will certainly go down typing!
(And after all, I have 50K more words to write before this puppy is really done!)
Leslie
Unfortunately, if I were to stop writing now, I'd be leaving the heroine captive to the bad guys, with all sorts of plot unresolved. After all this work, I can't bring myself to just deus ex machina her out of danger and declare an end. Sigh. 50K down. Probably at least another 30K to go, and that's before I go back to finish the scenes I skipped over...
Maybe December can be National Novel Polishing Month?
I hope the rest of you are doing well in your race to the finish! Congrats to all who have already finished, be sure to enter your stats on the nano site so you can collect your free goodies. Pointless, but good fun.
I wonder if my butt print will ever be erased from that chair in Starbucks? After this November it looks pretty permanenet to me.
And of course, there's still plenty more book to write. Right now though, I'm starving. Fishsticks for everybody!
Yay everyone!
leslie
What did you learn by doing NaNo?
I learned that it's okay to forge ahead even if everything before isn't perfect.
But I also learned that at this point in time I can't forge ahead so fast that I'm willing to be totally sloppy. I still fix typos and I still care about the quality I'm putting down even if I'm not a perfectionist about it. This is just me. I don't know if that will ever change, or if it should.
I learned that notes and outlining are good. They don't stifle creativity, they free you up so you don't have to worry about what happens next. This was the first time I ever used an outline and I'm glad I did.
I learned that I am very comfortable sneaking in a few hundred words here and there and I don't always have to set aside a big block of time.
I learned who of my friends and family is supportive of my writing and who doesn't get it.
In regards to my story specifically, I learned that it is very important not to just know your characters but to understand how they interact with each other. Some are more consistent and some are very different with different characters. This can be a source of a lot of depth and a lot of fun.
Would I do NaNo again? Absolutely. There's always more to learn.
I hope everyone had fun!
A number of posts ago, I suggested we add up all of our words that we Hatrackers wrote. Just add your name below mine and we'll give it a week and see how many words you accomplished, even if you didn't make the 50,000.
Owasm 105,004
Will I do Nano next year, yes, and I will plan ahead so that I have time to do it.
What did I learn, that to write I needed to write and in the writing I will have written. (Ok that's just wordplay.) I learned that I really do need to write more, I have way to much unwritten for my own good.
(1.) I do not work well with a deadline. I kept finding myself actually cleaning my house in effort to not spend anytime writing. I know that's weird, but I also learned (2.) that I write as a way of rebelling. Giving myself permission to write actually slowed down my writing process. Sad but true.
The third thing I learned is that(3)I have to write the moment I become inspired. Half remembered inspiration moments are not as strong, which means I need to sit down everyday and write. Someday's I will catch the inspiration, and someday's I wont. And(4.) You people are so freaking amazing. I'm honored to write alongside you and am so happy for your success. Owasm you are inhuman.
Great job!
~Sheena
Owasm 105,004
shimiqua 7,400
What did I learn?
I am a very goal-oriented person. Okay, I already knew that, but I learned that I like writing to a deadline, even if it is self imposed.
I learned how much plot a novel needs to have. This is the first one I've ever written and I ended up adding a lot to it.
I hope I learned how to write better prose. I'm pretty new to this and my writing is kinda rough. I think 50,000 words of practise has helped me a lot.
You guys are great! I didn't realize before joining hatrack how important this kind of support is.
Edited to add:
Owasm 105,004
shimiqua 7,400
ScardeyDog 50,002
[This message has been edited by ScardeyDog (edited November 30, 2009).]
Edited because I added a few hundred more words.
[This message has been edited by genevive42 (edited December 01, 2009).]
What I learned:
That sometimes, if you force your way through writing it the wrong way, it makes it a lot easier to see what the right way should be.
That having good friends to cheer me on and to do writing sprints with me made a huge difference in my success rate. And being part of something bigger with you all was amazing too.
There's more, but my computer time appears to be over, so I'll have to come back later.
I learned that ends are going to be tricky for me.
I had a total blast. I really appreciate you guys going on the journey with me. Thanks!
quote:
B) OpenOffice.org Writer gives horribly inflated wordcounts.
I learned that I am indeed a plotter (duh) and that treating each work like a project will give me the best results. This is not really much of an epiphany since I am a born organizer and work as a project/program manager type person.
One new think I picked up is that if I find that I am stuck on something that is related to plot if I review the goals and fears of the characters who are in the scene I can often find a reasonable path through the problem. It may not be the best path, but it gets me past the stuck point with some continuity.
Leslie
I remembered that writing is what I love.
Current Total: 705,162
quote:
Really? How far was yours off? When I uploaded to Nano, the two readings were only off by 75 or so words
850 words, would you believe! It counts things like * as a word, which doesn't help, though I still don't know how it managed to be so far off. It certainly made the last 15 minutes of NaNo exciting for me .
bluephoenix - A little too exciting! Congrats on getting it done anyway.
I could have written more, I wasn't exactly a symbol of time-management, but I don't think NaNo is entirely suited to my writing method either. Maybe if I'd known about it earlier than the 29th of October and had time to plan I would have made more progress, consequently I ended up doing a lot of paper-and-pencil scribbling and outlining instead of typing.
I'll proudly be a member of the NaNo losers club though, and I got a good start on this novel I can continue working on in the coming months.
No excuses really. Work and life got in the way a bit is all. It did lead to me getting a really good idea for some characters though and I realized I was writing too far in their future. Congrats to everyone that made it though. That's awesome.