Get Your Write On - The NaNoWriMo Thread

[watty]

watson, I think you should do it this year despite your commitments. Maybe the pressure of the month time-frame will inspire you. Have you done it before?

Thanks Roz. I was very late last year, I signed up on 21 Nov (!) and shut myself up for 9 days. I wrote while at work, I ate at my desk, I hardly slept, I virtually ignored my gf during the middle weekend. But I did it, I got my 50,000 words, even had one copy printed for my own fun. I'm definitely all for you taking part, and about editing obsessively. When you're looking at your calendar and the days just slip by, you'll learn to ignore the editorial urges.

I raised it with gf last night, and I could tell she didn't want me to do it. Not because she'll be ignored, by the end of last nano I had RSI in both hands that I'm still recovering from, she doesn't want it to get worse. I guess I'll have to brush up on my persuasive powers (uphill battle, gf is a lawyer, remember?). My other writing commitments are of course KB related -- so if I did nano, I'll have to take a vacation from the KB, and we all know how hard it is to tear ourselves away from the board.

It's so liberating to have only one real concern - word count.

Yes it was. Apart from the begging and pleading that I'll have to do to get "permission" from gf, my current dilemma is coming up with a decent plot and enough scenes to carry me to 50k. I foresee the middle part to be worse, but then it always is.

Maybe the kittens who do take part in it this year could get together (IM or something) and keep each other motivated.

I think initially we can use this thread. If it gets busy we can switch to YM or yahoo groups for small group brainstorming and mutual encouragement.

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[vix84]

Hey watty! Well, you sure make it sound like a bunch of laughs. RSI, girlfriend issues and no sleep! No wonder the server crashed under the weight of people registering.

my current dilemma is coming up with a decent plot and enough scenes to carry me to 50k. I foresee the middle part to be worse, but then it always is.

I'm using October for some furious plotting. I'm sure that halfway through the story I'll be writing abstract hallucinatory prose that makes it seem like I'm on crack. But hey, every word counts.

[robotguru]

I might actually do a rewrite of my first fic, As the Piper Plays. I kinda liked that idea, but there's different things i could have done, and it gives me an excuse to change a few things, add detail...and finally come up with a middle between the beginning and end

Ficwise, i should be starting again soon anyway, the ones i'll most likely work on are Cats and Bats (first priority right now), Beat in Time (that's gone from real life back to slaying, gotta finish that one quickly or use it with WT, spells perhaps) and The Shadows Within, that's the one i have the full story for, just got to WT it

[ambersagoddess]

We're starting up on C&B again? You never told me that! You think you would..

-Rei

[robotguru]

Haven't been able to get on Messenger, gotta wait for my flatmate to get a router whatever that is Not like i wasn't gonna email you though, so no arguments on the nanowrimo thread

[Trom DeGrey]

This will be my first one and I'm nervous about it. I think I'll make a sign to put on the door at the computer room at home. "NaNoWriMo in Progress! Buzz Off!!" I normally write by hand first, but this one will have to be typed all the way. That'll be a new experience too. The novel is plotted, even partly written, but I'm going to start all over on it and take the rest of this month to outline in a little more detail. OK, freaking out now!

[justin]

Less than two weeks till kick off

Trom, Good luck. It really is fun to take part in

[justin]

This year NaNoWriMo has got a friends feature, to make it easier to keep track of other people's work.

So if y'all tell us your usernames we can add each other

Mine's justin_jarh

[ambersagoddess]

Alrighty then, on your marks, get set...

We're almost there, are you guys ready?

Rei's screenname for NaNoWriMo- littlereirei

-Rei

[justin]

I'm so looking forward to this. Has anyone else taken time off in order to get a good head start on the word count?

I have one request for any other nanowrimoers here, that is to include the phrase "bad wolf" somewhere in the story.

Go on, you know you want to.

[watty]

I have one request for any other nanowrimoers here, that is to include the phrase "bad wolf" somewhere in the story.

Considering I've already written down like 50 dares I want to use, I'll include this one, and in the first chapter even.

For the first timers, dares are challenges that nano'ers leave for others, they're either insane stuff, like "a jar or bottle of grape jelly must appear in your novel--at least five times", or godsends, cos they can really help with advancing the word count and even the plot. You can see all the dares on the dares thread on the nano forum.

Even if you're not taking a single dare, you must include Mr Ian Woon, which is an anagram of nanowrimo. Last year, my Mr Ian Woon was the banker who agreed to grant a small business loan to my MC and her business partner so they can buy out the ageing owners of their sci-fi book store. This year, he will be the Director of Mortal Remains Transportation for Qantas (or Air New Zealand, I get 2 extra words there).

oh, btw, my nano name is watson, like ... d'oh.
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[hin768]

oh I am so jealous of you guys, I did Nano last year and loved it. It was such a hard slog but totally worth it, I had so much fun, doing the dares and the races and I now have a 50000+ novel collecting dust and in need of serious editting.

Anyway, I had always planned ot do it again this year but after a back strain last week which has aggravated a recurring problem with my back, pelvis et al. My Chiropractor has given me some stern words about the affect of sitting on my butt for countless hours hunched over the keyboard.

I dismissed this advice initally but after giving it a few days thought I have realised my body is probably not up for it right now. I feel like such a wimp but the thought of being stiff and sore and likely getting a pinched disc in the process is just not worth it.

It's a bit depressing but I just have to accept the decision and make sure I;m in better shape for next year. Maybe this should have gone int he crappy feeligns thread. I don;t want to be bringing any of you guys down, just needed to share.

I am cheering all you kittens on...good luck and remember to ignore the Inner Editor

[maudmac]

Hey, wrimos. God. I can't believe it's so close now.

[snip] I normally write by hand first, but this one will have to be typed all the way. That'll be a new experience too. [snip]

I can't even imagine writing everything by hand, but I wanted to mention that one of the women in my local group does all her writing that way. She writes it by hand in the morning or afternoon and then sits down at night to type it up. She says it's like it gives her an instant second draft, because she often makes revisions as she's typing. Even though it seems cumbersome and time-consuming (especially for NaNo), I can see the value in that.

Hee, dares can be fun. I haven't used them in years past, but I can't say I won't this year. Since, um, I don't have a plot yet. Holy shit, I know. Holy, holy, holy shit.

Oh well. It'll be fun, whatever it ends up being.

hin768, I'm really sorry about your body problems. Stupid bodies! But, yes, getting better has to be more important than NaNo. The writing will always be there for when you're better.

I think the Friends feature is an awesome idea. I see they just changed it to Writing Buddies, for some reason. Anyway, I added y'all. I'm soynut over there.

Anyone go to any of your regional meetings, like your kick-off? We had ours Friday night and it was sooooo fuckin' awesome, I almost couldn't stand it. Best kick-off ever. We didn't have as many people as last year, but it was an infinitely more dedicated bunch this time. We're talking about continuing to meet after NaNo's over, so it feels a lot more like a local community than it has in the past. (Especially because the real local writing community appears to have forgotten it existed after running some workshops last year.) Anyway, it can be a really nice, supportive, helpful sort of bonding experience if you get a chance to make it to any of your local events.

Yep. Getting butterflies. Weeeeeeeeeeee.

Does NaNo make anyone else high? Or is it just me...

Happy noveling, y'all!

And happy Halloween and Samhain, too.

[watty]

Does NaNo make anyone else high? Or is it just me...

Scared shitless, because I have only a few hours to finish another writing project (I'm so full of them aren't I) before I embark on nano. I'm cutting it mighty fine. Carleen said to me today that "November is going to suck for you...you're not gonna have time for gf, for chat, for nuthin." Argh! Butterflies!!!!

hin768 - so sorry to hear about your back, it sucks. Hope you're rested and get better. Please cheer us on when you have a moment.

[maudmac]

Yep, no time for nothin' sounds about right. Time for coffee, surely, but little else. Well, and peeing. Coffee = pee.

I see the forums is all blowed up over there. Erin says they're expecting crashing and/or unbearable slowness for the next couple days, and that they may have to turn off posting.

At least we can boast about our awesomely humongous word counts right here. Yay! Or turn this thread into the "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" forum. Either, or.

[watty]

Yep, no time for nothin' sounds about right. Time for coffee, surely, but little else. Well, and peeing. Coffee = pee.

I have to fit in going to work somewhere in there too, I suppose. Reluctantly. Sigh, the things I do for my mortgage.

Do you think kittens will get bored of daily word count reports on this thread? I'm single-minded, I only read the "Reaching 50,000" thread. And, Holley, Holley, Holley, where's your optimism?

turn this thread into the "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" forum.

I think we should make this the "This is going better than I expected" forum!!

Alrighty, back to my other writing, time's a-pressing!
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[Anactoria]

Well, I've been following this thread for a while, but I'm a bit of a notorious lurker/shy person. Anyway I think I'm going to do this this year, since my girlfriend of 3 years oh so conveniently (for nanowrimo purposes anyway) broke up with me last week.
Here's hoping that my novel can avoid talking about scorned women too much.

Good luck all of you other nano participants! Should be a blast!

[maudmac]

Oh, busy, busy, I know it. I have the astounding crush of school to contend with. At least three papers to write this month. Lord.

I don't think any Kittens will be bored by seeing, like, fifty posts a day in here that just say "3,845!!! WOO HOO!" I am positive that every single Kitten is following this thread, refreshing compulsively, just on the edge of their seats.

And watty, watty, watty, where is my optimism? My optimism got stuck in the duct tape I used to tape my inner editor into an immobilized mummy up there in the attic. Perhaps I was a bit too enthusiastic with the duct-taping.

Please feel free to be The Voice of Optimism until I can unstick my optimism. Then we can share Optimism Duties.

Anactoria, welcome to the Kitten! And NaNo, too. I confess, I am not quite sure whether to congratulate you or offer condolences about the gf thing. Whichever is more appropriate, consider yourself congratulated or condoled.

Hmm...methinks writing about some scorned women would make for very fluffy word counts. Very fluffy indeed. Hmmm...

[justin]

If anyone's interested I'm working on adding a page to my site for people to enter their wordcount and compare it to other peoples.

It'll be up and running (in a basic form at least) before the end of tonight.

If anyone wants to use it then then url will be http://www.mjs-home.co.uk/nano.php

ETA: A beta version of the wordcount page is up. It's still very basic looking, especially the progress meter (and by basic I do mean fugly). I'm going to keep working on it when I want a break from writing. If anyone has any suggestions they'd be appreciated.

[vix84]

Hey fellow kitten NaNo-ers,

My forum name is Lantern.

It is now decidedly 1 November and my word count is still zero, due to a combination of tiredness and needing to go to work.

justin, your word count comparison is going to intimidate me. But maybe intimidation is just what I need...

May you all enjoy the coffee and the peeing. Anactoria, sorry to hear about the girlfriend. I hope writing cheers you up; maybe your MC can come up with some nifty revenge ideas.

[watty]

I started at 12.30am and managed 385 words before bed. Bed? you ask ... well, I finished my other writing project too, so I think I deserve a little break. justin, I added myself to your wordcount page, it'll be a hoot to egg each other on.

Roz - don't worry about it, once you start, you'll be fine.
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[justin]

It's been underway for ten hours now in the UK. I stayed up till midnight for the first time this year though it was just a token gesture as I went to bed after just writing the intro.

Regarding the NaNoWriMO forums I spend most of my time in the technology board. Well I am a geek BTW speaking of which, am I the only one who sniggers whenever they see the "doing it by hand" thread?

I've made a couple of changes to the word count page. One was to fix a bug which caused the data file to be corrupted whenever anyone editted their word count (oops, though don't worry no data was lost) and the other is to sort the entries by word count.

Oh and out of the three people who have signed up vix84, the person who said they'd be intimidated by the page, has got the highest wordcount.

ETA: I just looked at the new experimental writer profile page and despite not all the features working, it looks pretty cool

[watty]

Thanks for the word count page, justin, it'll be a nice little carrot (and stick) for this group. come on everyone, sign on to that page and let's keep track of each other's progress.

It's the end of my day on the first day of nano. Well, strictly speaking it's 1.45am on 2 November, but let's not argue specifics here. I have 5,327 words. I worked pretty hard today.

And Holley? I totally duct taped my inner editor -- didn't capitalize anything, resisted the urge to scroll up and re-read, only corrected typos made in the last paragraph. Heh, I am the Voice of Optimism today.
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[Trom DeGrey]

So, here I was, rather pleased with my nearly 5,000 words in two days (about five hours total worth of work) and then I see watson's word count over at justin's site.


Dude, that's sick.


ETA: Screen name is, yep, you guessed it, Trom DeGrey.


watson- Yeah, but my word count is two days worth of work. I know it's only five hours total, but that's just about everything I have been able to give it thus far. I'll get there though. I'm still ahead of the game.

[watty]

So, here I was, rather pleased with my nearly 5,000 words in two days (about five hours total worth of work) and then I see watson's word count over at justin's site.

Dude, that's sick.

Ah but Trom, I have a half a day's headstart on you folks, it's 2.20am on 3 November for me, so I've been working on nano for 48 hours, well, in between going to work and sleeping and eating and stuff.
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[justin]

I've changed the progress bars so instead of those ugly black and white things, they now look they the bars on the NaNoWriMo site.

Though they still show the same thing, namely that Watson is way ahead of everyone else.

But at least they look pretty while they do it.

[Trom DeGrey]

OK, so it's day four and I officially have Word Count Paranoia. Are the rest of you guys using Word? I'm seeing in places that Word can sometimes inflate a word count??? Oh my god, what the hell?! Like I'm not spazzed about enough right now. Someone talk me down from this ledge?

[justin]

For the record I'm using Emacs.

Anyway there's no need to panic. By the end of day four your word count should be 6668. So you're still ahead of where you need to be.

[watty]

OK, so it's day four and I officially have Word Count Paranoia. Are the rest of you guys using Word? I'm seeing in places that Word can sometimes inflate a word count???

While it's true that different word processors and online word count tools give different counts, the differences are usually fairly small. Of course there is only one word between 49,999 and 50,000 but you should never cut it that fine. I normally factor in a 20-30 word cushion so I'm comfortable. I'm using Word and the count is only 2-4 words lower compared with the one on the nanosite, so no need for the panic, dear.

Like justin says, the "slow and steady" way of nanoing will bring you to 6,667 words by the end of day 4. If I were following that target I'd be aiming for 6,700. You're on target, you're over 7,000 already. Well done!

For the purposes of nano, there is only one word counter that, um, counts, and that is the official one on the website. You can save your work as .txt in Word, then upload the .txt file every day, it gives you the "official nano" word count, and that is the one that tells you that you're a winner at the end.
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[Insanity]

Hey everyone!

I've finally come around to announce myself on this thread. I have verrrrry little time (I wasn't on the Kitten for a month, so go figure...) so I just say the basics!

Good luck everybody!

I am soo behind (see above, time *ugh*) and it's only the 4.

But I hope to catch up on the weekend. Well a girl can hope, right!

okay, where was I.. Ah...

Good luck.

And my Name on NaNo-board is Scarecrow!

I added all of you!

Insanity