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CT told me about this thread, so I have broken my exile to say "Hi" and hook up with my soon-to-be bleary-eyed NaNo Zombies.
I signed up. The time crunch is what will be the challenge for me. I will cease volunteering at school, and hang my children from hooks during the week they have off for Thanksgiving. *wince*
Kinda dark, gritty urban fantasy, is what I'm plotting. It seems to what I am most inspired by at the moment.
Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I knew there was a piece I was forgetting about -- Thanksgiving holiday . . . *sigh* How big of molly's do you need in order for the hook to hold, I wonder? *grin*
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I'm signed up again too. Since I don't have any more term papers to write (ever, since graduation - Yay!) I might even get to 50,000 words this year. So exciting.
Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I like lurking on NaNoWriMo's forums. They have intersting discussions there.
I'm somewhat amused, though, at the sheer magnitude of antipathy toward the Inheritance triology on that forum. Many of it comes from young authors who I suspect are in the same place, skillwise, that Paolini was seven (?) years ago, but generally know better than to try and get published now.
On the other hand, the fact that Paolini shares a spot on the Overrated Fantasy Authors thread with Tolkien, Eddings, GRR Martin, OSC (!!!!) and Robert Jordan may bode well for him.
--j_k, who, to be fair, has not read any GRRM, Eddings, or Jordan
Posts: 3617 | Registered: Dec 2001
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One thing I've come up with is the desire to write something similar to the show "Three Moons Over Milford" - something weird happens and people start acting out of character. And I want to use someone's nick for the town's name (went back to check - it's Shan's NaNoWriMo forum nick: Hope Springs) because it sounds like a cool name for a town.
My other idea is to write a very fictionalized idea of my great-great-grandmother's time period and use articles from the local paper as background for what was going on in town at the time. For example, there was a deadly tornado in a town in the area in 1893. In 1906, a young man was in a bar fight and his opponent died - accidental death. The newspaper articles mentioned that his mother was one of the victims of the 1893 tornado. So, my idea is to use things from the newspaper that really happened and link them to my story.
Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Cool! I always find myself intrigued by the linking of a true-life event to storytelling. (And, of course, I'm not just saying that because you're thinking about using my NNWM moniker . . . *grin*)
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I've got an outline pretty well fleshed out and I'm actually having trouble refraining from starting until Nov. 1st.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Fahim's my outlining guy. Seriously. He's fantastic at helping me plot, mostly because he sees all the plot holes that I don't, and he helps me make it more interesting and fun. But it's still Ramadan (the month of fasting), so he's tired, groucy, and irritable, so not in the best state to help me. But it's over today! Most likely. I hope. Then he'll get his sense of humour back...
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I have nothing, and am more and more convinced I'm not going to get past 5000 words. Ah well, it'll get me started at least.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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It's interesting, and I don't know if I'll get it done or not, but I'll give it a shot, I just don't think whatever I write in a month will be very good.
Are you allowed to take characters you've already made in another story and use them for a new story? And what program do you write it in, MSWORD?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Use any software you want - it matters not.
Yes, you can use pre-existing characters and a pre-existing world and pre-existing culture and all that. Anything that's not explicitly stated in the rules is open to interpret however you want. The only think you're "required" to do is start a new story from scratch. Other than that, do what you want. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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I can't claim credit for it, my friend talked him into it. But still, my engineering and hard sciences boyfriend is doing NaNo! I'm very excited.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Running list of Writing Buddies (just so's we can keep track in one place -- some are from quidscribis' thread at NaNoWriMo and haven't posted in this thread):
Anyone I am missing or have listed incorrectly? If you said you were signing up but didn't specify "same name" or your writing name, you didn't get added yet.
[Of course, you don't need to be on the Writing Buddies list if you aren't interested in that part of it. *smile]
----
I'm in much the same boat as KarlEd (so to speak). I will go after work today to do more sketches of the St. Roch, the seventh main character in my novelular debut.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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I actually started a different story last night since I want to save my original idea for NaNoWriMo. I wanted to see what I'm getting into and I wanted to start writing something. To get 50k words in 30 days, I'll have to write 1667 words per day. I spent about 3 hours last night and got just over 1000 words. But I didn't have an outline and the story was fresh off the top of my head, so I think I'll be alright in Nov. (Not that this isn't going to be hard work, just that I still think it's doable.)
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I have a question for the NaNo veterans. I have an idea for a novel that is like the holy grail of novel ideas for me. I want to become a good writer so that I can learn to write this story properly.
It's also the only story I can think about right now, whenever I try to come up with a NaNo plot, it pops into my head. I don't know that I'd be able to write it with the abadon that NaNo requires, though. Do you think it's better that I just push it out of my head and do something else, or use it for NaNo and rewrite it a bunch of times afterward?
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Oh, since I was thinking of NaNo today, I don't think I ever told you guys that my name on those forums is LibbieGR.
I am not having any luck coming up with a plot, so I'm going to do the Hart's Hope thing and just start drawing a map and see where that takes me. Need to find my classical CDs. I have two hours till my husband gets home. Maybe I'll come up with a plan by then!
Posts: 1006 | Registered: Jun 2006
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This thread is comedy gold. Too bad some of the people in it can't grasp that it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek and are getting all huffy over the insulting tone!
Here's a question: I've got the basic premise of my plot, about a reporter who accidentally becomes embroiled in political scandal when she starts dating someone involved in one. What I'm trying to decide is how to write the thing. Originally, I started off thinking I would write it as chick lit - frankly, it's a hot selling genre these days, I think the story would be easier to write (only on perspective to deal with), etc...
But I also think it could work as a political drama/triller, more along the lines of a Tom Clancy or Nelson DeMille-type book...still popular fiction but not chick lit. I think it's possible that voice might come more naturally to me (since I'm used to writing hard news...I don't even do features, which is infinitely closer to yet still so far away from chick lit).
The chick lit version would be lighter, more centered on the protagonist's personal dilmmas (dating, ethical, work-related, etc). It would be a sex-related scandal to keep the tone light (hard to write chick lit if it's a lobbyist who is basically killing people in Africa by stealing money, or some such thing).
The serious toned book would probably have a wider variety of perspectives and involve more subplots; also, it would focus on the solving and playing out of the scandal (might be a sex scandal, might be a different kind). The ethical dilemmas would be played up and the relationship dramas toned down.
Anyone have any thoughts? How do you make decisions like this?
Also -- I'm going to the DC-area kickoff party for NaNoWriMo tonight at Union Station, 6-8...any other DC area people going?
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I think you may be right. I've been spending this afternoon doing character sketches and I think I'm leaning lighthearted.
I'm excited to see what happens with your novel. I'd like to try my hand at young adult stories at some point; I read more during that period of my life than any other and most of my favorite books are young adult fantasy/sci fi type books. Plus, you have a built-in trial audience! Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I went to the Oly KO -- it was fun and I got a couple of good pointers.
I especially liked the one where you did your writing each day as a fresh doc -- thus escaping the temptation to edit what you have already written.
Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Two and a half hours to midnight here, and I still haven't thought of a plot! Anyway, I wanted to wish everyone Good Luck and Happy Noveling! Posts: 1528 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I have only the vaguest idea of my plot, and no clue what the big finish will be. Only a few character names, no descriptions, and a hazy concept of how the first few lines will go.
Some may call it "unprepared" or "lazy." I call it "keeping it pure." Also, "lazy."
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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I am so not ready for it this year. I've been focusing on debate and it keeps slipping to me that NaNo starts tomorrow.
Posts: 1831 | Registered: Jan 2003
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I'm writing a prequel to a story idea I've been working on for years now. Couldn't bring myself to actually do the original idea, I feel like it needs more attention than the month of November.
I have the very basics of a plot, and the characters, but how it'll actually go is up in the air.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Yikes. Panic mode is in full swing. I am not sure what I am going to do for a story. Yet, at the same time, I am very excited. I have no earthly idea why. I think this might be the definition of insane.
Posts: 822 | Registered: Jul 2001
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My story structure is finally coming together in my head. I've been working more on my outline and a list of characters tonight (but no actual writing of the story yet, so I'm not cheating!!!)
I can't wait to start on this tomorrow!
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Ahh it starts tomorrow! I have no idea what I'm writing or if I'll even be able to start tomorrow!
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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