National Novel Writing Month

[RooBear]

Not sure if any of you know this, but November is National Novel Writing Month. Ideally, we're all supposed to be writing novels and celebrating books!

So? Are you writing?

I'm actually not joking! I'm actually a veteran novel writer-but I wrote them both over a period of years and, well, frankly...they were terrible. I also wrote them freehand. Then I wrote my Master's thesis and *puft* stopped writing anything beyond 1000 words. My Master's killed my spirit.

Things are different now.

So I'm trying to do it...all in one month!

JOIN ME!

I figured the novel is a loft goal. So my goal is 50000 words by November 30th. That's considered about half a book. Try to make a goal for yourself, even if it is a poem a day, and...

....KEEP WRITING.

And post about it here. If you want, look at your total number of posts and see if you can increase that number by the end of the month!

Just some ideas.

....KEEP WRITING!

I'm up to 13,115 words and around 49 pages, double spaced.

Peace,
Roo

[Rex Dopey24]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

the funny thing about this is that im starting to read again. And my goal is to enjoy writing about my daily life and to enjoy writing the good and the bad of everyday of life. im looking foward to writing. i may not be the best writer in today's marketing society. And this is something that i really love to do and to enjoy.

Awesome idea roo. thank you.

[Jordiekins]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

I started, but as I'm a senior in high school, I decided that even though I want it to, NaNoWriMo simply can't be my main priority. I stopped at 5,018 words. =/

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

I started, but as I'm a senior in high school, I decided that even though I want it to, NaNoWriMo simply can't be my main priority. I stopped at 5,018 words. =/

Rex? Alright! Nothing like being more literate! Keep it up!

Jordie? Then pull back on your goals some and change your plan of attack. I totally understand being too busy. What helped me is how many people are doing "other things" when they wrote their first novels. Even the young man who wrote Eragon was a sophomore in high school. So instead of trying a thousand words, what about only a paragraph daily? And it doesn't have to be written at night. Can be at lunch time. Can be while you are waiting for the sub teacher to find attendence lists. Don't tell your teacher this, but during a boring lecture, we all tend to daydream-myself included and I'm the teacher!-why not jot down five sentences? Then you'll have the confidence the effort affords!

Good luck with whatever you do! These are just ideas, do what you must!

And, most of all...

peace!
Roo

[HighLeveller]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Not while it's in November: not a chance. One of the worst possible months for me. I don't know about others, but I don't want to be saddled with messing around with finishing up a novel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Plus, before then some of my free time is taken up with various things getting ready for the upcoming Christmas season, and am not wanting to be concentrating on writing the whole time.

I thought about this several years back, and wondered what a more appropriate month would be. I came up with March: it's about as "off-season" as it gets for me.

Oh, BTW:
National Novel Writing Month

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Not while it's in November: not a chance. One of the worst possible months for me. I don't know about others, but I don't want to be saddled with messing around with finishing up a novel over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Plus, before then some of my free time is taken up with various things getting ready for the upcoming Christmas season, and am not wanting to be concentrating on writing the whole time.

I thought about this several years back, and wondered what a more appropriate month would be. I came up with March: it's about as "off-season" as it gets for me.

Oh, BTW:
National Novel Writing Month

I hear ya on the timing. Why not have it in the summer? When young writers might be on vacation?

Those silly authors. Too much time in the cafe.

I have also have to prepare all the desserts for Thanksgiving (4 pies and cookies and breads!), shop for Hannukkah AND Christmas AND three different birthdays.

I totally concur with you.

But then I got to thinking--is there ever really a perfect time? At what point do we put the writing higher up on the "honey-do" list? For me, I figure, if I can pull this off, during this hugely busy time, then there's no excuse from here on out for not writing. And if I fail, I'll have the evidence I need to make writing more part of my life, ya know?

Besides, if you met my family-you'd see why I'd prefer to just be authoring something...Oy vey.

Thanks for you input! And, no matter what???

KEEP WRITING!

Peace,
Roo

[knittingknerd]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Roo! I knew you rocked!

I've been doing this every year since either 2001 or 2003. I can't remember and I think the nano site is wrong. I'm right now in the 19k area. I dig it. I think there's something just really amazing about forcing yourself to do something that's so much bigger than you or even just challenging (I'm addicted to doing things that are bigger than myself. One of the many reasons I raise service/guide dogs). And Nano is awesome because it forces you to do something very big, but it breaks it down into 1,667 words a day, which is very do-able. I just have my routines. I try to get a hefty word count bonus before Thanksgiving so that it allows me to slack off a wee bit. And this year I have such a fun premise and I can envision a lot of the scenes in my head it makes it a lot of fun to write.

My distractions this year:
-got a puppy in the start of the month (potty training and novel writing hard)
-work (I work nights so sleep a lot)
-school
-And my brother, sister-in-law, sister, and Gabe are coming home for Thanksgiving.
Plus side I sorta' came to the conclusion that I can't make all my gifts this year, so I was very thoughtful with them. QVC at 2 am or whenever I have to take the puppy outside, is amazing.

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Awesome Knerd, have you ever been published? Should I be reading your books?

I went with 1903 a day for I was really sick last week and missed two nights of writing. With that, I went ahead and just did the math 50,000 minus the words I'd already completed and then divided by the rest of the days left.

I'm hoping to use the days off over the Thanksgiving to do those final pushes. If I do this, make my goal, my reward will be...to finish the bloody book (some how I can't help thinking it won't be done!) and to treat myself to attendence in the Colorado Springs Writing Week sponsored by the local libraries.

My evening ritual is:
Read Taoist poetry and respond in my journal.
Update 'My Life,' a workbook/journal.
Write something fictional unrelated to anything written so far (600 words or less)
Write on my blog
Hit the novel (1903 words or more)

I look at all the steps as a warm-up. As I was coming out of my sinus infection, I noticed I was skipping those opening steps and jumping to the novel...and finding my brain was not clear enough and the concepts were jumbled. Still, in a pinch, I'll cut out what I can.

Peace,
Roo

[HighLeveller]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

I hear ya on the timing. Why not have it in the summer? When young writers might be on vacation?

Those silly authors. Too much time in the cafe.

I have also have to prepare all the desserts for Thanksgiving (4 pies and cookies and breads!), shop for Hannukkah AND Christmas AND three different birthdays.

I totally concur with you.

But then I got to thinking--is there ever really a perfect time? At what point do we put the writing higher up on the "honey-do" list? For me, I figure, if I can pull this off, during this hugely busy time, then there's no excuse from here on out for not writing. And if I fail, I'll have the evidence I need to make writing more part of my life, ya know?

Besides, if you met my family-you'd see why I'd prefer to just be authoring something...Oy vey.

Thanks for you input! And, no matter what???

KEEP WRITING!

Peace,
Roo

I understand the motive of having a single month out of the year, the idea of everybody doing it together at the same time. One idea would be for a "NaNoWriMo II" at another time, and maybe a third in the summer for those students who don't have school. But you'd be diluting the original one; you might as well have one every month. Then again, NaNoWriMo itself is optional of course, but you'd be missing out on a good motivational tool. And no doubt: there's no such thing as the perfect time. For me, March would be most appropriate, because I'm least likely to have other involvements. But, for example, it wouldn't work for those who prioritize spring break on those years when it falls within March. (Spring break isn't relevant to me so that's why it'd work.)

I should do it though. Although I'm not really a writer at all in the traditional sense, I do enjoy creating things, and telling stories is one way of doing it. Most writing I've done is articles and such, technical or instructional.

For those doing it, definitely keep it up. There's always controversy over the "quantity over quality" concept, but the important thing is you'll have a completed large project, no matter how bad it is. This is the whole point: to finish writing a book.

[knittingknerd]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Not published. I just do it for fun. Last year's novel would be the one I'd want to publish. It was one of those fun little fluff books. You know you find your boyfriend cheating on you, drive all night to a weird small town, become a witch, the boy next door type of thing. This years is fun, but my main female character, my protagonist, keeps talking to her best friend about moving to Juniper Creek ("Big Love" reference) and being Jenn's first wife. She's not a lesbian... but she is just. I didn't expect her to keep brought up!

I know a lot of people complained about the time of year Nano is. I know Script Frenzy a lot of people complained too (Script Frenzy is done by Nano and first year was in... June-had to think about that). And they changed Script Frenzy from June to April because so many students were complaining. I think every month has its own challenge. Like April, worst month for me because my birthday, Mom's birthday, Easter, family stuff. Last April was INSANE, yet I wrote a script. This November, so insane (my family is coming in a week! Cleaning non-stop, school, work,a puppy- a sick puppy, etc.). I just force myself to change how I approach it. Write during commercial breaks, eat salad instead of things I need to pick up (type with one hand, eat with another), etc.

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Up to 22,903 words, from the web, that is defined as about a young adult novel. 80 pages overall, double spaced.

Hopefully, that's good.

I missed a night and that through my whole count off. Still, it's coming along---

Peace,
Roo

[HiddenMickeyBook]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

I didn't know there was a National Novel Writing Month! I wrote most of our action/adventure novel Hidden Mickey from May to the middle of August 2008. Got about 120,000 words done during those months, then we spent about a year fluffing it out and getting it ready for printing - which happend this August. Now, for us, November should be National Get It Out To The Public Month! We have a signing Nov. 28th at Compass Books in Downtown Disney from 1-5.

But, we are writing our next novel. We are up to about 51,000 words, but a little busy with Hidden Mickey right now. We will also be at the Dickens Fair in St. George Utah December 2-5 in booth 109.

To the senior in high school: Just keep writing! You are in the best place to learn the proper writing skills - and keep it going through college. Always have the book in the back of your mind and have a small notebook handy to jot down ideas when they come at odd times - and they always do. The notebook is vital because, no matter how good the idea is, you probably won't remember it later! Yes, the sad voice of experience.

Congrats to all who write! It is awesome getting your thoughts and ideas and characters down on paper, creating your own worlds. Keep up the good work!

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Awesomesauce, HMB! I saw about the signing and really wish I could be there for it! It is a bit of a bear of a commute, tho.

I love indie booksellers, and I think Compass is one. You must come to Colorado and go to Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. Probably the best independent bookstore EVER!

I look forward to reading your book!

120,000 words. Oy. That was a bit of a dart in the heart, I'll have to see how far I go!

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

Peace,
Roo

[knittingknerd]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Yay! A published author!

I wrote like 4k yesterday. Maybe 5k... I just feel behind and lagging and I want to get caught up before family comes and then the last week of the month I work non-stop. Problem with my shift is during the days I work, I have no life and I don't write.

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

The local writer's group, Pikes Peak Writers, is having a "Write-In." I thought that was such a cool idea, but it's crazy out here, just like everything else! If only we all lived by D-Land or D-World and could meet at La Brea for a micro one by the gates. Or something like that!

I was once a columnist for a newspaper in South Dakota--does that count me as a published writer?

Peace,
Roo

[SusieP.]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Then I wrote my Master's thesis and *puft* stopped writing anything beyond 1000 words. My Master's killed my spirit.

This is where I'm at this year. I want to do this, but ugh, not this year. So I've decided that this is my year to read as much as possible and get some ideas going (and really write, if it strikes me). I'll do NaNo next year. Unless I have a brilliant idea in the meantime, of course.

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Just reached 100 pages!

Peace,
Roo

[knittingknerd]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

I'm liking my plot, so I'm debating if I want to cheat and get to 50k (not cheat, but use all those stuffing techniques...) and risk hating myself and my plot thus not finishing the actual story or be just be okay with not finishing. I haven't not finished since my first year.

[RooBear]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Always finish the story, then edit out the parts you don't like later.

Peace,
Roo

[SusieP.]

Re: National Novel Writing Month

Finish and revise. I vote for that, too. Get the gold star!