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My problem now is one cat had her kittens on my bed, which is where I write, and another is in heat, so my room is off limits at this point.
Posts: 113 | Registered: Nov 2005
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How do you guys measure your word count? Do you just use the computer count or do you use this method?
Posts: 853 | Registered: Feb 2004
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I use the computer's count. It's also worth noting that Nanowrimo's verification goes of the number of actual words regardless of size or spacing, so you should not use that method if you want to "officially" make the goal.
DH: Sometimes when I'm stuck on how I want to write a particular part I just skip ahead to the next scene or chapter, and fill in the missing bit later on.
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Yes, I have done that already twice in my novel.
EDIT : As for word count, I use the NaNoWriMo word counter so it will be as authentic as possible. I don't want to count them one way only to realize that NaNoWriMo counts them another way. If you click on the "Word Count and Excerpts" link to the left of your profile page, there is a place where you can simply upload your novel and it counts your words automatically. This way you know exactly where you stand.
And I stand at 10,062, right now.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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I'm starting writing this morning, as soon as my article is done, so perhaps 8:30 or 9am, and I'm going MAD. MAD, I tell you. Muwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
I'm going to see how much I can write today. Because I'm insane, of course. Anyone joining me for a MAD day? Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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My previous personal best was 65 pages in a day, or, um, about 16,250 words. That's what I'm aiming to trounce today. Can I do 20,000 words today? Can I do more?
Will my brain bleed out of my ears by the end of it?
And I'm still not done my article . . .
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Does MAD have to do with going crazy or with writing like a madwoman to catch up? Because I'll be right there with you on the first one, but can't face the second one right now.
Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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CaySedai, both. Well, it's also another writing group I belong to called MAD Challenge. The original intent behind that challenge was to write 10,000 words in 24 hours, but then one member of the original group only had 5 hours, so they switched it to a five hour challenge, and then a bunch of us who liked the challenge so much that we formed a writing group where we do writing challenges like that.
But yeah, it's write until yer brain bleeds.
Mack, 130k in 30 days is excellent! But now you can try to beat that! Cuz that's fun!
(And I'm still not done my article yet. . . But I'm getting closer. . .)
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I hate writing crap. I hate writing for the sake of just writing. Usually, when something doesn't work out well, I trash it. I start over. I may salvage usable peices and try again.
I hate this, I tell you. Hate it.
And the more I hate the crap that is being written, the less I want to write.
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Then don't write crap. Spend a few minutes or an hour or whatever and plot something, or snowflake it, or use whichever method works for you to plan something that will be good enough that you'll remain motivated to write.
Personally, I'm not writing crap for NaNo. I've got my story completely plotted out. It's going to be my usual quality of pretty good for a first draft but still needing serious editing. I'm not going with the strategies of word fillers that some others are doing. I'm writing something that, I hope, with editing, will be publishable.
Different people use NaNoWriMo for different goals. That's fine. Use it in whatever way works for you.
Is there anything we can help you with?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Don't write crap? Then what's with all the schpeel about ignoring the internal editor and just getting it out, no matter how bad? Or so says the website . . .
I think I've done technical writing for too many years now to be able to switch gears to novels. Hell, I don't even think I have an active imagination anymore. Unless it comes to ways of making dull, boring material reader-friendly and accessible . . . *rolls eyes*
I don't think I much like being an adult, frankly. And I've been one of those for as long now as I was a non-adult. Maybe it's just the mid-30's funk - I hate life, I hate me, I hate just about everything at the current moment. Bleah. And if the rain doesn't turn off and stay off here soon, I'll permanently mildew.
*ends rant*
Carry on. Thanks for the ears. Just ignore me. I'll go to bed soon, and it will all be better in the morning.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Shan, you do whatever works for YOU. That's the bottom line. Some people need to hear the "write crap, it doesn't matter" bit, others don't. What works for YOU?
What do you want to write about? Do you want to brain dump a first draft? Do you want to plot it first? Do you need an outline, a detailed road map of where you're going? Do you write better when you work by the seat of your pants, letting your characters dictate all direction?
What works for YOU?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I have it down pat, the research/planning/and then jamming out articles, training guides, essays, lectures/speeches, etc. I gather lots of information, let it stew, tag a couple of "don't forgets" and at some point in the internal process, the start gun goes off, and off I go. Usually, with very good results, and minor editing.
But that's all . . . y'know, "real" stuff.
Long ago, when I was a kid, I just wrote. Prolifically. Everything.
I was hoping to free up some of those creative juices doing this, and there just don't seem to be any left at all. I've become entirely too pragmatic and focused on raising a child and making a living.
I'm sure I could crank out about 200 pages in the next few days on "parenting techniques" or "low-income and early childhood education" or "welfare and public policy", "family friendly nutrition education", etc.
But that's not what I want to do.
I want some damn creativity back.
And the well done gone dry.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
It's temporary. I've been there, done that. My dry well lasted a good half year, but I was emotionally ruined after the tsunami. I got it back. You can get yours back, too.
Have you written any fiction lately? Do you know how you write fiction best? How you write non-fiction is not necessarily the same way, so toss that out the window.
Do you have a story in mind? What do you know about what you want to write? Would writing prompts help? I've got a few hundred of those.
Is it possible that you've spent so much time writing non-fiction that your muse took a vacation, not knowing that you want her back? You could try writing a letter to her - and yes, I'm serious about this - and allowing her to answer back and interrupt you. Find out what she has to say. You could also write your internal editor a letter and tell her to take a vacation until December 1st.
How can we help you?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Maybe you could write something that uses all that information about child raising and such in a creative way. Like a story about a low-income family struggling to get by with a new baby who it turns out [has superpowers; is actually an alien; is secretly performing psychological experiments on the parents; is the reincarnation of Elvis]. Write what you know, afterall.
I'm one of the people who is trying to go at nanowrimo with less concern for quality, but I don't think what I'm writing is actually crap. When I'm normally writing I have a large hangup with trying to get every word exactly how I want the first time through, rewriting the same paragraph far too many times before moving on. So for me, this month is about freeing myself from a ridiculously high self-standard and letting my first draft actually be a rough draft. That's what my writing skills need, but it's not what everyone needs.
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I'll give the letter a try, quid. I've been (for the sake of disciplining myself into the "just keep going" bit) to allow section breaks where I go free-form with whatever happens to be on my mind when I feel particularly stuck. Which ends up usually being my rambling attempt at working out problem/situation # whatever in the on-going drama of life . . . and that gets pretty tiresome, too.
(Maybe that's all it is . . . I'm tired. I did put in a pretty big amount of overtime with lots of work-required travel last month - and I can still feel it . . . Our fiscal person was shaking her head at the OT.) *********
Hey! 7840! Good for you, Enigmatic. *smile* I'm at 7000. Since early this a.m. The fingers have gone on strike. And the spirit absolutely refuses to participate in anything that gets too close to the work.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Shan, I know some people who are taking a total departure from what they normally write and are just writing for play. Do you know what I mean? They're writing whatever strikes their fancy that they'll have fun with. That can be a useful tool to break through a block. You could try that, too.
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Well, after writing for a total of 2 hrs and 40 minutes with altogether too many breaks (and Fahim heartily agrees with this), I have a grand total of 3,836 words.
I have only 2 more hours of writing left. And I have to find dinner in there somewhere for Fahim and I. Luckily, there are sufficient leftovers, and they are good.
I'll be doing another MAD day tomorrow, cuz this day doth have suckage thus far.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I haven't had any time to write over the past two or three days. I've been sick, I've had tons of homework, I ended up going home and I had a friend over... all these things combined made me not have time for NaNo!
Today I have to restart again, I'm suddenly behind!
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Espscially knowing that folks are using it for free-form sorts of approaches - I think I'll just lighten up and write what the muse (whichever muse *grin*) dictates.
I did write those two letters last night, too.
I'll review them after work and see if either of them want to write back . . .
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I'm trying to write something halfways good, something I may be able to go over and edit or largely re-write later. I'm just being easy on myself and allowing myself to write less-than-perfect material in order to advance the story. I basically see this as a first-draft exercise, where I get a first version of the story down on paper instead of perpetually mulling it over in my head. But I'm not going to write total crap, because then what would be the use anyway?
However, I fully intend to write at least 50,000 words by the end of November. That doesn't mean the novel will be anywhere near finished, though. I have a feeling the story I've started writing could potentially last me for several years worth of NaNoWriMos. Or perhaps not, there's no way of telling from here.
Of course, I will never write a "great American novel," but perhaps I can dream about a "great Canadian novel," eh? Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Jaime, look at a map. See who's on top? See who's bigger than who? Yeah, that's right. Keep that in mind. Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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I'm at 7829. Um, not exactly bad for two days of writing, but I was hoping for much, much more. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Yeah, I'm stopping today with 9,045. I could probably write for another half hour or so, but hey, I just don't feel like it.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Considering Jaime is actually a Spanish name for James, and is pronounced "hymie" that's pretty funny. Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I'm only at 8413. I was violently ill yesterday from leaving work to going to sleep, and today is not much better. I stayed home from work, so in theory could have had all day to write, but I can't focus through this headache and if I stay sitting up to long I get woozy and go take a nap. So in other words I haven't written anything for two days and have fallen even further behind.
Hey, if it's any consolation, I'm having a crap day myself. But then, when I mentioned it to Fahim, he said that my third day into writing is always like this, so it's just my usual resistance popping up and wreaking havoc. Eh. It'll pass. Or not.
I think I'll force myself to write 4 pages. Just 4. Enough that it's not 0.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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