Nanowrimo anyone??

[Pippin]

Just curious if anyone is participating this year? I'm still debating I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to devote to it this year:/

[writingwithheld]

I have several friends who have done it before and are planning to do it again. I am always jealous of their devotion. I pretty much talk myself out of it because I know that it will be bad. That's the point though, right? Quantity over quality? Maybe I just should. I could TOTALLY write a super crappy teen romance novel with horrible dialogue and awkward kissing scenes.

As you can see, I'm not good at making decisions.

However, I can make decisions for others-- do it! I'll have another person to live through vicariously.

[lemondrop]

If I'm still unemployed, I think I'll make a stab at it. I'm not sure I'll have the time to prep though.

[Pippin]

Oct 7, 2012 18:21:39 GMT -5 writingwithheld said:

I have several friends who have done it before and are planning to do it again. I am always jealous of their devotion. I pretty much talk myself out of it because I know that it will be bad. That's the point though, right? Quantity over quality? Maybe I just should. I could TOTALLY write a super crappy teen romance novel with horrible dialogue and awkward kissing scenes.

As you can see, I'm not good at making decisions.

However, I can make decisions for others-- do it! I'll have another person to live through vicariously.

This would be my fourth year writing for Nanowrimo and oh the horrible dialogue examples I could show you lol. I will say I'm always amazed at the awesome ideas I can come up with on the spot when I'm just trying to rush from chapter to chapter. I think this year I'm going to go back to my novel I started for my first Nano. I failed miserably that year and didn't even hit 10k but I've been thinking of that one a lot lately so even though its against the rules I'll take a stab at it again.

You should jump in and give it a try too for the first week. It's a lot of fun if you have the time and even if you don't.

[Pippin]

Oct 7, 2012 18:47:31 GMT -5 lemondrop said:

If I'm still unemployed, I think I'll make a stab at it. I'm not sure I'll have the time to prep though.

I know what you mean I hate starting a story without at least knowing my main characters and having names and everything for them. A general plot is helpful too haha.

[writingwithheld]

I know, I know. I am a very Type-A, perfectionist personality and I often talk myself out of doing things if I don't think I'll meet some arbitrary standard in my head. If I can sort out a few ideas in October I will try to jump in. Even 10k is better than 0k.

[lemondrop]

Oct 8, 2012 7:18:16 GMT -5 writingwithheld said:

I know, I know. I am a very Type-A, perfectionist personality and I often talk myself out of doing things if I don't think I'll meet some arbitrary standard in my head. If I can sort out a few ideas in October I will try to jump in. Even 10k is better than 0k.

I'll cosign this.

[taylormillgirl]

Me, me, me! I haven't participated in NaNo since 2009, when I wrote the YA sci-fi that went on to sell to Disney. Each November after that, I was always editing or finishing another novel. Now the stars have aligned and I can finally join again...this time to draft the sequel! I'm SO looking forward to it. NaNo was FUN, and I can't remember the last time I wrote for fun.

Also, we're using the Harry Potter board on the NBC for NaNo discussions, so feel free to return to the forsaken site and join us!

[briedrew]

I'd love to give it a try, but I have no idea where to start.

[taylormillgirl]

Oct 8, 2012 9:41:44 GMT -5 briedrew said:

I'd love to give it a try, but I have no idea where to start.

I felt the same way 3 years ago. Just sign up on NaNoWriMo.org. Then you have the rest of October to think of a topic and outline your story (using the Snowflake Method really helped me), and on November 1st, you write like a mofo. Don't worry if the words are crappy--you can revise later. Keep reminding yourself, "Don't get it right; just get it down." All you have to reach is 1650 words per day to meet the 50k monthly goal. Totally doable!

[briedrew]

Oct 8, 2012 9:45:16 GMT -5 taylormillgirl said:

Oct 8, 2012 9:41:44 GMT -5 briedrew said:

I'd love to give it a try, but I have no idea where to start.

I felt the same way 3 years ago. Just sign up on NaNoWriMo.org. Then you have the rest of October to think of a topic and outline your story (using the Snowflake Method really helped me), and on November 1st, you write like a mofo. Don't worry if the words are crappy--you can revise later. Keep reminding yourself, "Don't get it right; just get it down." All you have to reach is 1650 words per day to meet the 50k monthly goal. Totally doable!

Just signed up. :-) We'll see where this goes!

[writingwithheld]

Oct 8, 2012 9:45:16 GMT -5 taylormillgirl said:

Oct 8, 2012 9:41:44 GMT -5 briedrew said:

I'd love to give it a try, but I have no idea where to start.

I felt the same way 3 years ago. Just sign up on NaNoWriMo.org. Then you have the rest of October to think of a topic and outline your story (using the Snowflake Method really helped me), and on November 1st, you write like a mofo. Don't worry if the words are crappy--you can revise later. Keep reminding yourself, "Don't get it right; just get it down." All you have to reach is 1650 words per day to meet the 50k monthly goal. Totally doable!

Very inspirational. Let's all do it! (peer pressure, peer pressure)

Or, rather, self-pressure that I am trying to masquerade as peer pressure.

[Nonny]

I'm planning to do it again this year.

The first year I did it I was very into my story (including having mapped out characters and names in advance, and I even sketched out a diagram of the village they all lived in) and wrote like a mad woman for the first half of the month and then life got in the way. I think I hit about 15K words.

Each subsequent year I didn't make it past day two because I didn't have any good ideas.

This year though, I have a vague plot idea and, surprisingly enough, a title! I'm excited to go for it again.

[Pippin]

Oct 8, 2012 13:01:29 GMT -5 letsgetweird said:

I think I'll give it a shot. Idk how I'll manage to write 1,600 words a day though :/

The 1600 words isn't really too bad. Thats about a page of typing single spaced. I tend to think of a paragraph as around 500 words.

If anyone wants to friend me on there my screen name is the same, volligtoll. I'll make an effort for the first week at least:)

[Pippin]

Oct 8, 2012 8:38:24 GMT -5 taylormillgirl said:

Me, me, me! I haven't participated in NaNo since 2009, when I wrote the YA sci-fi that went on to sell to Disney. Each November after that, I was always editing or finishing another novel. Now the stars have aligned and I can finally join again...this time to draft the sequel! I'm SO looking forward to it. NaNo was FUN, and I can't remember the last time I wrote for fun.

Also, we're using the Harry Potter board on the NBC for NaNo discussions, so feel free to return to the forsaken site and join us!

Not going to lie this is kind of my dream right now. This is mainly why I think I'll go back and finish my first novel. I would love to actually get it published!

[taylormillgirl]

Ditto--I'm registered under the same username, taylormillgirl.

And another ditto that 1600 isn't bad, especially if you turn off your inner editor and give yourself permission to write crap.

[msmerymac]

I did it back in... '04 I think? Back when I was single and had plenty of time! Those were the days... Honestly, I thought about it last year, didn't prep enough, and now I really don't think I have the time. I SHOULD be writing a paper for a conference in the spring, plus I'm traveling the week of Thanksgiving, etc.

[taylormillgirl]

Oct 8, 2012 16:46:44 GMT -5 Pippin said:

Oct 8, 2012 8:38:24 GMT -5 taylormillgirl said:

Me, me, me! I haven't participated in NaNo since 2009, when I wrote the YA sci-fi that went on to sell to Disney. Each November after that, I was always editing or finishing another novel. Now the stars have aligned and I can finally join again...this time to draft the sequel! I'm SO looking forward to it. NaNo was FUN, and I can't remember the last time I wrote for fun.

Also, we're using the Harry Potter board on the NBC for NaNo discussions, so feel free to return to the forsaken site and join us!

Not going to lie this is kind of my dream right now. This is mainly why I think I'll go back and finish my first novel. I would love to actually get it published!

It's not all sunshine and roses, but it's pretty frickin' amazing to walk into B&N and see my book on the shelf. Finish that bad boy! You can't win if you don't play.

[idahome]

I'm doing it this year. It will be my fourth attempt and this is the first time I actually feel a connection with my idea. Looking forward to it!

[lemondrop]

Now that I've registered, I'm not sure I have a good enough idea. LOL. I'm going to dig out my notebooks today to see if I have any thoughts or ideas that will work.

[duckduck]

I'll be cheering you all on from the sidelines. With popcorn.

I'm a decent enough writer if I have a subject, but I don't have a creative bone in me and can never come up with an idea, good or otherwise.

[marytini]

Just out of curiosity, what do you all do with whatever you write for NaNo? Obviously Taylormillgirl kept going and got published, but does everyone try to do that? Or are you just writing for the sake of writing? I occ have these aspirations of writing, but I also can't see myself spending tons of time on something that will just sit on my computer.
Do you post them someplace for people to read? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but all I know about NaNo is that people try to write the 50,000 words. Then what? And when you say you "win," what do you win? I should just go over to the website.....

[taylormillgirl]

Oct 9, 2012 18:29:40 GMT -5 marytini said:

Just out of curiosity, what do you all do with whatever you write for NaNo? Obviously Taylormillgirl kept going and got published, but does everyone try to do that? Or are you just writing for the sake of writing? I occ have these aspirations of writing, but I also can't see myself spending tons of time on something that will just sit on my computer.
Do you post them someplace for people to read? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but all I know about NaNo is that people try to write the 50,000 words. Then what? And when you say you "win," what do you win? I should just go over to the website.....

The first (and only) time I participated in NaNo, I did it for the intellectual challenge. I'd been at home with my kids for 4 years, and I really needed a creative outlet. I didn't go into it with the intention of getting published--I don't think most people do. It's more for the joy of storytelling and proving to yourself that you can write a book.

After November is over, some people let their projects sit untouched on their hard drives. Other people (like me) start the hard work of rewriting. It took FIVE total rewrites (over almost 2 years) before my Nano book was ready to submit to editors. In the meantime, I also started writing romances, the first of which just released last week. Basically, this has become my career. I don't have much of a life outside writing, but that's what you have to do to build a readership.

[Pippin]

Oct 9, 2012 18:29:40 GMT -5 marytini said:

Just out of curiosity, what do you all do with whatever you write for NaNo? Obviously Taylormillgirl kept going and got published, but does everyone try to do that? Or are you just writing for the sake of writing? I occ have these aspirations of writing, but I also can't see myself spending tons of time on something that will just sit on my computer.
Do you post them someplace for people to read? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but all I know about NaNo is that people try to write the 50,000 words. Then what? And when you say you "win," what do you win? I should just go over to the website.....

By winning we mean hitting the goal of 50k words within 30 days. After that its entirely up to you. For many though just like a Goodreads reading goal the journey is its own reward.

[taylormillgirl]

Well, I'm out. Yesterday I received page proofs on one project, edits on another, and copy edits on yet another. So I'm going to spend the next several weeks working on all that instead of drafting any new material. You guys have fun NaNo'ing without me.

[lemondrop]

Oh, sad. We'll miss you.

[Deleted]

Would anyone be interested in a separate Nano board? Some TIPers and MLers are doing NaNo too, possibly some CEPers.