NaNoWriMo 2014 - We're Storming the Bastille - Are You Ready? October 24, 2014 10:45 AM Subscribe
Calling all writers and non-writers, whether you are a plotter, pantser, or anything in-between - NaNoWriMo 2014 starts in 8 days, the forums have been wiped (well, sorta) and people are prepping and fretting and tuning up their writing engines. Is anyone taking part this year? If so, good luck.
For the uninitiated, The National Novel Writing Month is designed to get people writing, with the idea being that you write a 50K first-draft in 30 days at a rate of 1667 words per day, every day. And the important words there are "first-draft." It doesn't have to be good, it is (sorta) meant to suck! (So if you take part, don't panic if it turns into rubbish at times.)
Useful threads:
adopt-a-plot
Dirty Tricks to help you reach 50K
Mefi Wrimos Club
Come and join the madness that is NanoWrimo!
For the uninitiated, The National Novel Writing Month is designed to get people writing, with the idea being that you write a 50K first-draft in 30 days at a rate of 1667 words per day, every day. And the important words there are "first-draft." It doesn't have to be good, it is (sorta) meant to suck! (So if you take part, don't panic if it turns into rubbish at times.)
Useful threads:
adopt-a-plot
Dirty Tricks to help you reach 50K
Mefi Wrimos Club
Come and join the madness that is NanoWrimo!
You posted this literally at the moment I went over to MetaTalk to check for a Nanowrimo post. I've got an idea for a novel and I'm mulling over how much I want to outline before November 1 hits. I'm thinking I'm in.
posted by graymouser at 10:54 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by graymouser at 10:54 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
If it's your first time, I recommend having an outline even if it's as simple as A -> B -> C -> (with appropriate substeps as you want to fill in) so you have some direction to go when you get stuck. Cause you'll get stuck. But when you know where you're going it's a lot easier to soldier through, for me anyway.
posted by Tevin at 11:00 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Tevin at 11:00 AM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
True, the "You can write a novel" book I checked recommends the same thing. In fact, it goes to suggest have your "A" event AND "Z" event in mind. That way you always know where you'll begin and end.
posted by FJT at 11:11 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by FJT at 11:11 AM on October 24, 2014
I continue to feel that November is a terrible month for NaNo. It's got Thanksgiving, pre-Xmas stuff, EXAMS if you're a student, and sometimes it has ok weather. I wish this were in February. February has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:21 AM on October 24, 2014 [24 favorites]
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:21 AM on October 24, 2014 [24 favorites]
According to Wikipedia, NaNoWriMo was originally in July and moved to November to take advantage of the "miserable weather".
posted by FJT at 11:31 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by FJT at 11:31 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm considering making it Na-Academic-WriMo this month and banging out as much of a dissertation as I can!
posted by ChuraChura at 11:33 AM on October 24, 2014 [14 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 11:33 AM on October 24, 2014 [14 favorites]
I have like 5 sentences of an outline now. Which is more of a plan than the protagonist has at the start of the outline. Maybe I should use a map since it's pretty much a "get in the car and run from the men in black" type plotline.
posted by graymouser at 11:42 AM on October 24, 2014
posted by graymouser at 11:42 AM on October 24, 2014
I'm going to try! I've had a story banging around in my head for quite awhile, but I don't know how it ends.
posted by desjardins at 11:43 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by desjardins at 11:43 AM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
THIS YEAR FOR SURE!
posted by brundlefly at 12:16 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by brundlefly at 12:16 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
You can always steal the plot from another novel, if you're in a tight spot.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:26 PM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by From Bklyn at 12:26 PM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
Tempted.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 12:34 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 12:34 PM on October 24, 2014
This will be my tenth year of trying to write the damned novel. I am Elly Vortex over there, stop by and say hi! This time around I am funemployed so perhaps I'll have the time to devote to it.
I'm going to work on the novel that I mentioned in the Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Bibliography of Laura Ingalls Wilder thread: a book about Lena, Laura's wild cousin. She fascinated me as a kid, and now I'll write an alternate history about her.
posted by Elly Vortex at 12:47 PM on October 24, 2014 [7 favorites]
I'm going to work on the novel that I mentioned in the Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Bibliography of Laura Ingalls Wilder thread: a book about Lena, Laura's wild cousin. She fascinated me as a kid, and now I'll write an alternate history about her.
posted by Elly Vortex at 12:47 PM on October 24, 2014 [7 favorites]
I have like 5 sentences of an outline now.
I've read that a good solid outline can be as little as nine sentences. Still working up the nerve to test that theory.
posted by Flexagon at 12:47 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've read that a good solid outline can be as little as nine sentences. Still working up the nerve to test that theory.
posted by Flexagon at 12:47 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Just wanted to add a couple of things:
I am on for a Hat-Trick and 3 out of 3, so no pressure then.
The rules have changed slightly this year as you can now work on a WIP and won't be counted as a NanoRebel
Having pantsed Nano twice, I agree with the comments upthread - for any first-timers, write a list of scenes that can take place, say 10 - 20. Then you can write them when you are stuck on what to do. Also, don't be afraid to jump around and write out of sequence.
If anyone has any favourite resources they would like to share (there are plenty on the forums but still) please do, especially things that might help any first-timers.
posted by marienbad at 1:05 PM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
I am on for a Hat-Trick and 3 out of 3, so no pressure then.
The rules have changed slightly this year as you can now work on a WIP and won't be counted as a NanoRebel
Having pantsed Nano twice, I agree with the comments upthread - for any first-timers, write a list of scenes that can take place, say 10 - 20. Then you can write them when you are stuck on what to do. Also, don't be afraid to jump around and write out of sequence.
If anyone has any favourite resources they would like to share (there are plenty on the forums but still) please do, especially things that might help any first-timers.
posted by marienbad at 1:05 PM on October 24, 2014 [4 favorites]
"The rules have changed slightly this year as you can now work on a WIP and won't be counted as a NanoRebel"
Wait really? Where did you see that?
posted by Tevin at 1:27 PM on October 24, 2014
Wait really? Where did you see that?
posted by Tevin at 1:27 PM on October 24, 2014
I'm tempted. Not a lot of free time,but I'm tempted.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:44 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:44 PM on October 24, 2014
I've read that a good solid outline can be as little as nine sentences.
So I googled this and found that the example that pops up first is by one Larry Brooks, a "story" guru who responds to 1-star reviews of his books on Amazon. I actually picked up his book "Story Engineering" but tossed it aside as it basically wants you to write The Da Vinci Code. He's aggressively pro-formula and reminds me of a professor I had in college who worshiped the Hero's Journey and tried to twist every short story we read into its narrow form. Anyway.
posted by graymouser at 1:54 PM on October 24, 2014
So I googled this and found that the example that pops up first is by one Larry Brooks, a "story" guru who responds to 1-star reviews of his books on Amazon. I actually picked up his book "Story Engineering" but tossed it aside as it basically wants you to write The Da Vinci Code. He's aggressively pro-formula and reminds me of a professor I had in college who worshiped the Hero's Journey and tried to twist every short story we read into its narrow form. Anyway.
posted by graymouser at 1:54 PM on October 24, 2014
What is a "pantser"? my mind is in the gutter when I think about that word, but maybe it means this?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 1:55 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 1:55 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
pantsed is a British term I believe - screwed up, lost, blew it.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 1:57 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 1:57 PM on October 24, 2014
Apparently aspiring authors (and their brethren and sisteren with completed novels) on the Internet have coined the term "pantser" as the opposite of "plotter" – someone who writes by the seat of their pants instead of a carefully planned outline.
posted by graymouser at 2:04 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by graymouser at 2:04 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
Ha, very good then!
(I still think that's a pants definition, though.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 2:15 PM on October 24, 2014
(I still think that's a pants definition, though.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 2:15 PM on October 24, 2014
Tevin - Heather Dudley on the rule change: here
posted by marienbad at 2:22 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by marienbad at 2:22 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thanks marienbad! That's great.
I started a new story just a couple weeks but had another set aside for NaNoWriMo. Instead of switching next week I'll just roll with what I've started instead of switching up!
posted by Tevin at 2:33 PM on October 24, 2014
I started a new story just a couple weeks but had another set aside for NaNoWriMo. Instead of switching next week I'll just roll with what I've started instead of switching up!
posted by Tevin at 2:33 PM on October 24, 2014
Ooh, we get to work on WIPs now? I'M IN LIKE FLYNN GUYS
posted by mynameisluka at 2:40 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by mynameisluka at 2:40 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
I've gotten prepped to do this so many years, but only succeeded once. I usually can tell within the first day or two which way the wind is blowing, and whether I want to commit to something, but I'm always psyched. So yes, tentatively in. I'm not going to go with the novel idea which has been carefully germinating in my brain, because I want to take it slowly with that one - so I have no idea where this will lead. (Are we sharing profiles and making buddies? I'm here.)
posted by naju at 2:43 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by naju at 2:43 PM on October 24, 2014
OMG Elly, that premise is incredible. You're coming to LauraPalooza next year, right? (Right?)
I'm onlyemarie and am buddy-friendly. I'm working on a historical novel that is a novelization of a non-fiction project I've been laboring over for years now. The NF proposal went through a round of submissions, then rejections, and I've now abandoned it for an offshoot NF project. This project is important to me for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that I feel a need to exorcise this story from its current occupation of about 3/4 of my brain.
posted by mynameisluka at 2:44 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm onlyemarie and am buddy-friendly. I'm working on a historical novel that is a novelization of a non-fiction project I've been laboring over for years now. The NF proposal went through a round of submissions, then rejections, and I've now abandoned it for an offshoot NF project. This project is important to me for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that I feel a need to exorcise this story from its current occupation of about 3/4 of my brain.
posted by mynameisluka at 2:44 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm Setevin over on the forum, just posted a new thread. As I say over there it'd be really great to hear what you all are writing - hope to hear form you!
posted by Tevin at 3:11 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by Tevin at 3:11 PM on October 24, 2014
I'm over here. The first year I joined I got 50,000 words for a not too bad draft of a mystery and had a blast with the other members of the mystery writing boards. Most years, I'm not in a good place for this, but I have a long outline I wrote on vacation, so maybe. If that's not going well I'm going to switch back to my other current project which is far enough along that it doesn't really fit into the NaNo rules. We'll see.
posted by BibiRose at 3:12 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by BibiRose at 3:12 PM on October 24, 2014
This is my profile. Or my novel. I kind of have this feeling like I want to do this one by the seat of my pants, just let this idea percolate for a week and then put these characters on a weird trip and see where it goes. It seems daft but nothing else has worked for me yet right?
posted by graymouser at 3:26 PM on October 24, 2014
posted by graymouser at 3:26 PM on October 24, 2014
I wish this were in February. February has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.
Galentine's Day, you monster. I won't have the time for a novel, but maybe I'll try to write a poem a day.
posted by ersatz at 3:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Galentine's Day, you monster. I won't have the time for a novel, but maybe I'll try to write a poem a day.
posted by ersatz at 3:30 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
Chura Chura, me too! I'm calling it DissWriMo.
posted by sockermom at 4:11 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by sockermom at 4:11 PM on October 24, 2014 [2 favorites]
If anyone is looking for a strange, slightly difficult, probably comic sorta plot, have a look at this, from adopt-a-plot.
posted by marienbad at 4:33 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by marienbad at 4:33 PM on October 24, 2014 [1 favorite]
THIS YEAR FOR SURE!
maybe. I need to clear it with my entourage first.
posted by philip-random at 6:14 PM on October 24, 2014
maybe. I need to clear it with my entourage first.
posted by philip-random at 6:14 PM on October 24, 2014
I'm considering making it Na-Academic-WriMo this month and banging out as much of a dissertation as I can!
Me three! Does R code contribute to my word count?
posted by pemberkins at 7:58 PM on October 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
Me three! Does R code contribute to my word count?
posted by pemberkins at 7:58 PM on October 24, 2014 [3 favorites]
One needs to clear things with entourage?
Most definitely. Particularly, if one's entourage includes various imaginary personages who will be called on to participate in the fiction being perpetrated. Anything else would be impolitic.
posted by philip-random at 9:20 PM on October 24, 2014
Most definitely. Particularly, if one's entourage includes various imaginary personages who will be called on to participate in the fiction being perpetrated. Anything else would be impolitic.
posted by philip-random at 9:20 PM on October 24, 2014
I'm out this year, both because I'm too busy and because I'm going through a bad spot with writing, but I'm here to cheer for all of you! Yay NaNoWriMo, yay writing!
posted by daisyk at 2:48 AM on October 25, 2014
posted by daisyk at 2:48 AM on October 25, 2014
> February has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.
It offers the fewest days to commit words to paper.
On the upside, everybody who's alone on Valentine's day has a way to work out their bitterness.
Although when you think of it that way, November is a perfectly appropriate month with built-in story material, for everybody for whom Thanksgiving is more about the misery of travel and enduring the family than it is about celebrating a holiday.
posted by ardgedee at 6:01 AM on October 25, 2014
It offers the fewest days to commit words to paper.
On the upside, everybody who's alone on Valentine's day has a way to work out their bitterness.
Although when you think of it that way, November is a perfectly appropriate month with built-in story material, for everybody for whom Thanksgiving is more about the misery of travel and enduring the family than it is about celebrating a holiday.
posted by ardgedee at 6:01 AM on October 25, 2014
I have finally decided to commit to this, but, much like DissWriMo, I will be not-quite-following-the-rules and writing a group of related fictional short stories. Not quite a novel, but writing nonetheless.
posted by chainsofreedom at 6:05 AM on October 25, 2014
posted by chainsofreedom at 6:05 AM on October 25, 2014
Having recently successfully defended my dissertation, I find myself with lots of postponed writing ideas and some spare time. I'm in.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 6:59 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 6:59 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I might be in; I must discuss with my spouse. Yay that there is a group here!
posted by warriorqueen at 7:26 AM on October 25, 2014
posted by warriorqueen at 7:26 AM on October 25, 2014
As per my AskMe I hired a developmental editor to look at my outline and notes and come up with a basic plot structure I can use. November would be a nice time to get a bunch of words out - can I employ someone to be a scold, a taskmaster to send me pictures of Captain America frowning if I don't hit my word count or are clearly screwing around too much on twitter?
Ideally there would be a threat of public humiliation, which is the only way I get anything done.
posted by The Whelk at 8:15 AM on October 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
Ideally there would be a threat of public humiliation, which is the only way I get anything done.
posted by The Whelk at 8:15 AM on October 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
Last year was a lot of fun. I took a really short screenplay treatment I had hashed out through email with a friend a few years ago, and used that as my framework.
This year, I've got a nice, loose plot with room for like vignettes and stuff, so I can meander quite a bit.
I'm also really fond of Joe Hill's approach to first drafts: Sense comes later.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:28 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
This year, I've got a nice, loose plot with room for like vignettes and stuff, so I can meander quite a bit.
I'm also really fond of Joe Hill's approach to first drafts: Sense comes later.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:28 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Having the notes for an entire act simply say "lots happens here" may have been an oversight, though.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:32 AM on October 25, 2014
posted by Mister Moofoo at 8:32 AM on October 25, 2014
I make a run at this every year and quit on about day two. This year I decided it wasn't about the month and that I wasn't going to hold off until the first. I would just start now and spend as much of the month as possible writing. I then went to Italy where the idea of a wireless signal is nigh no impossible (at least were I was staying). My writing workflow demands wireless these days, so I elected to not write (besides, hotel room or walking in Venice? isn't a had choice).
Anyway, I have a great idea this year, one that won't require copious amounts of research. At this point I am going to hold out. Maybe this time I won't quit on day two.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:53 AM on October 25, 2014
Anyway, I have a great idea this year, one that won't require copious amounts of research. At this point I am going to hold out. Maybe this time I won't quit on day two.
posted by cjorgensen at 8:53 AM on October 25, 2014
> Having recently successfully defended my dissertation
Congratulations, man!
posted by ardgedee at 10:05 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Congratulations, man!
posted by ardgedee at 10:05 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ideally there would be a threat of public humiliation, which is the only way I get anything done.
I will gladly be your accountability buddy, including Twitter harassment, if you wish. You can either choose the manner of your public humiliation or we can make one of those arrangements where you postdate a check to a terrible charity and I send it if you fail.
I'm me there.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:36 AM on October 25, 2014
I will gladly be your accountability buddy, including Twitter harassment, if you wish. You can either choose the manner of your public humiliation or we can make one of those arrangements where you postdate a check to a terrible charity and I send it if you fail.
I'm me there.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:36 AM on October 25, 2014
From that Am I A Rebel? link:
If it's not fiction, then it doesn't fall within the confines of "a lengthy work of fiction."
pffft. This thing feels hopelessly rule bound and bogged down in complex definitions.
posted by philip-random at 10:40 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
If it's not fiction, then it doesn't fall within the confines of "a lengthy work of fiction."
pffft. This thing feels hopelessly rule bound and bogged down in complex definitions.
posted by philip-random at 10:40 AM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Secret: do whatever the hell you want. It's fine.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:44 AM on October 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 10:44 AM on October 25, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm writing a whodunit, but I don't actually know who done it. I suppose I should figure that out first.
posted by desjardins at 11:33 AM on October 25, 2014
posted by desjardins at 11:33 AM on October 25, 2014
I think I'm in. I've written a couple of novels before, but I've never tried the NaNoWriMo thing. This seems like a good year for it.
posted by 256 at 12:04 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by 256 at 12:04 PM on October 25, 2014
Here I am. Writing the ridiculous psychedelic SF novel that's been bouncing around in my head for years.
posted by 256 at 12:29 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by 256 at 12:29 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Elevator Pitch: The Matrix meets that one awesome ST:TNG episode where Picard fell asleep, lived an entire lifetime, and learned to play the flute.
posted by 256 at 12:37 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by 256 at 12:37 PM on October 25, 2014
"awesome episode"? Were you on drugs when you watched it, and if so, which ones?
Edit: Also, the model of the satellite they find at the start is so cheesy.
posted by marienbad at 12:50 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Edit: Also, the model of the satellite they find at the start is so cheesy.
posted by marienbad at 12:50 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think I'll be in; I failed a couple of years ago, but I have free time right now. I have the idea but I need to do an outline, I think...
posted by nubs at 1:18 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by nubs at 1:18 PM on October 25, 2014
I am starting my new, lighter schedule in November! Is this the year to write my lesbian Austen pastiche? Or just a heck of a lot of Voyager fanfiction?
posted by chaiminda at 1:26 PM on October 25, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by chaiminda at 1:26 PM on October 25, 2014 [4 favorites]
November is the worst month for this for me, but I am still looking forward to it.
posted by cjorgensen at 1:44 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by cjorgensen at 1:44 PM on October 25, 2014
I have a germ of an idea but it's more about the structure of a story than it is about any actual story idea, which seems sort of problematic and honestly I doubt I will do any real work on it. But maybe! Maybe.
Or maybe I'll just try and implement a new tiny javascript game every day.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:11 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Or maybe I'll just try and implement a new tiny javascript game every day.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:11 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
cortex — or you could come join Darius Kazemi's NaNoGenMo. Instead of writing a novel, you write some code to generate a novel.
posted by dontjumplarry at 2:44 PM on October 25, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by dontjumplarry at 2:44 PM on October 25, 2014 [4 favorites]
I'm back for another Nanowrimo. Last year's effort collapsed at mid-month when my wife fell and broke both arms. Here's hoping November 2014 is less eventful.
I've got the same user name on the Nanowrimo site.
posted by maurice at 3:02 PM on October 25, 2014
I've got the same user name on the Nanowrimo site.
posted by maurice at 3:02 PM on October 25, 2014
...or you could come join Darius Kazemi's NaNoGenMo. Instead of writing a novel, you write some code to generate a novel.
...And suddenly I'm wondering if DissWriMo could be accomplished this way. Nobody is actually going to read it, right?
posted by pemberkins at 6:15 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
...And suddenly I'm wondering if DissWriMo could be accomplished this way. Nobody is actually going to read it, right?
posted by pemberkins at 6:15 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
As "sammyo" was available I can at least pipe in a few k from /dev/random occasionally.
posted by sammyo at 6:33 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by sammyo at 6:33 PM on October 25, 2014
Eeergggh...I wasn't going to do it because I've made a lot of progress on my WiPs this year* and I don't want to stop that. But it might be fun if we're allowed to work on existing novels...buuuut I feel the same as showbiz liz. I have family responsibilities, and November's a terrible time to do ANYTHING other than holiday stuff. (Half my November weekends are booked already, FFS.) July, now there's some "miserable weather."
Grumble.
It's not like there are any Mefites out here to do write-ins with anyway.
Grumble.
(I'm still thinking.)
*Thanks, Shut Up & Write!
posted by wintersweet at 7:26 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Grumble.
It's not like there are any Mefites out here to do write-ins with anyway.
Grumble.
(I'm still thinking.)
*Thanks, Shut Up & Write!
posted by wintersweet at 7:26 PM on October 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I am Literaryhero over there. I never tried before and am unsure if I will even attempt it this year, but we will see.
posted by Literaryhero at 7:51 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by Literaryhero at 7:51 PM on October 25, 2014
Definitely doing this. I handed in my thesis 2 days ago and my brain has not yet made the switch from "OMG WRITE STRESS WRITE COFFEE WRITE" to "You know, if you wanted, you could just sleep", so this will be either the best or worst decision I could possibly make.
posted by lwb at 8:39 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by lwb at 8:39 PM on October 25, 2014
a taskmaster to send me pictures of Captain America frowning if I don't hit my word count or are clearly screwing around too much on twitter?
Captain America just wants you to be your best.
posted by Zed at 10:55 PM on October 25, 2014
Captain America just wants you to be your best.
posted by Zed at 10:55 PM on October 25, 2014
I'm in! I'm skycrashesdown over there and always happy to follow fellow MeFites. I think stern photos of Captain America should be a thing this year. I've only finished one prior year, but my cousin/best friend died unexpectedly earlier this year and she was an avid NaNoer so my goal this year is to finish, since she can't anymore.
posted by skycrashesdown at 11:00 PM on October 25, 2014
posted by skycrashesdown at 11:00 PM on October 25, 2014
dontjumplarry: NaNoGenMo looks great, thanks! I'm strongly considering doing it this year. If I get to November 30 and panic, I can always generate the word 'buffalo' 50,000 times and win. :D
posted by daisyk at 2:05 AM on October 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by daisyk at 2:05 AM on October 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Ideally there would be a threat of public humiliation, which is the only way I get anything done.
If you don't write the requisite number of words I'm going to fly there and look at you disapprovingly. And then make you pay for a cocktail. The choice is clear.
posted by ersatz at 5:15 AM on October 26, 2014
If you don't write the requisite number of words I'm going to fly there and look at you disapprovingly. And then make you pay for a cocktail. The choice is clear.
posted by ersatz at 5:15 AM on October 26, 2014
I got an email calendar of events from my local group, but what exactly happens at Nanowrimo write-ins? I'm picturing a bunch of introverts hunched over laptops. What is better about writing in a group? Seems distracting.
posted by desjardins at 7:32 AM on October 26, 2014
posted by desjardins at 7:32 AM on October 26, 2014
I found collaborative writing, when I have to physically go and get to a literal writing room, was more productive cause I couldn't talk my way out of writing. I was there to do that thing and it would be obvious if I was trying to shirk my duties.
posted by The Whelk at 7:38 AM on October 26, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 7:38 AM on October 26, 2014
I'm in for any and all accountability with people who know I'm trying to win NaNoWriMo.
So, for the first time, I'm actually going to go to write-ins.
posted by RainyJay at 8:02 AM on October 26, 2014
So, for the first time, I'm actually going to go to write-ins.
posted by RainyJay at 8:02 AM on October 26, 2014
It depends on the area, desjardins. In my area, there is chat and people write - it is very relaxed, no-one is made to write if they don't feel like it, but in other areas they have a no-chat policy during writing time, and it is all write for time X, break, write for time Y, and done.
Best bet, ask in your regional forum how the write-ins work, as they all work slightly differently.
posted by marienbad at 8:22 AM on October 26, 2014
Best bet, ask in your regional forum how the write-ins work, as they all work slightly differently.
posted by marienbad at 8:22 AM on October 26, 2014
Yeah, I go to a "Shut Up and Write" thing once a week, which operates similarly to a lot of write-ins. We have half an hour of chatting at eating, and then a silent hour of introverts hunched over laptops. There's something about the unspoken peer pressure that really keeps me focused and writing for the most part. It works really well for me, to my surprise.
posted by wintersweet at 10:14 AM on October 26, 2014
posted by wintersweet at 10:14 AM on October 26, 2014
I sign up every single year, without fail, and drop out every single year, without fail. This year I will fail! To drop out! I've met the local moderator, signed up for at least one external writing event, and have the germs of an idea. I just need to keep myself motivated -- so I'd love some buddies. Here's my account.
posted by tracicle at 12:26 PM on October 26, 2014
posted by tracicle at 12:26 PM on October 26, 2014
The same thing we do every November, Pinky - try to get over 50,000 words!
Yeah, I'm in, yet again, even though I know something will happen to prevent me from succeeding. I don't think I've ever even hit a five digit count, so expectations are low. I get into about 2,000 words per day at the start, then get sideswiped by life until it's virtually impossible to recover and have to give up.
I expect nothing less again this year, but I'm still game.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 4:56 PM on October 26, 2014
Yeah, I'm in, yet again, even though I know something will happen to prevent me from succeeding. I don't think I've ever even hit a five digit count, so expectations are low. I get into about 2,000 words per day at the start, then get sideswiped by life until it's virtually impossible to recover and have to give up.
I expect nothing less again this year, but I'm still game.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 4:56 PM on October 26, 2014
I'm in again, though I am utterly clueless regarding what I'm going to write about. I hate this floundering around for an idea. I've got 5 days to figure it the fuck out...though really more like 2 or 3 because I need a decent outline in order to finish this thing. Last year my ridiculously detailed outline was the only reason I was able to get past 50K. I'm this person over there.
posted by chaoticgood at 5:22 PM on October 26, 2014
posted by chaoticgood at 5:22 PM on October 26, 2014
A good idea for a novel is one about a dog, but it's no ordinary dog. Twist at the end is that it's a cat! It's like The Wasp Factory, see? It could also probably be about a goat.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:23 PM on October 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:23 PM on October 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
The twist at the end of that one is that it's an ibex, and the whole story was just a flashback to what life could have been like if he was a goat (he would have been like one of those funny YouTube goats, but also it would have been kind of sad, like a Vimeo goat), as it plummets hundreds of meters down a sheer cliff face.
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:25 PM on October 26, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:25 PM on October 26, 2014
Yay!
I have four ideas, and they are all equally, joyously awful. I will decide this week. The frontrunner of the four right now is a Victorian picaresquedungsroman called Terribly Orphan.
Anyway, this is me.
posted by mochapickle at 7:42 PM on October 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
I have four ideas, and they are all equally, joyously awful. I will decide this week. The frontrunner of the four right now is a Victorian picaresquedungsroman called Terribly Orphan.
Anyway, this is me.
posted by mochapickle at 7:42 PM on October 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
Oh man, I've been weighing whether to do this the whole weekend (great time to pick up an eight-week Coursera that involves math, let me tell you) but I'll just keep telling myself it'll be fine and that I work best toward deadline anyway. My profile; buddies welcome!
posted by librarylis at 8:36 PM on October 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by librarylis at 8:36 PM on October 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
dontjumplarry: ...NaNoGenMo...
Thanks for mentioning this, it looks great. Loads of super-useful links there too for people who want to use the right tools for the job or read up on machine-generated texts or whatever. Got me all fired up! Might try to cobble something (anything!) together using only basic Python and chutzpah!
mochapickle: I have four ideas, and they are all equally, joyously awful. I will decide this week. The frontrunner of the four right now is a Victorian picaresquedungsroman called Terribly Orphan.
Ha! I am already singing the title to the tune of Suddenly Seymour, in case that helps make up your mind.
posted by comealongpole at 5:02 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Thanks for mentioning this, it looks great. Loads of super-useful links there too for people who want to use the right tools for the job or read up on machine-generated texts or whatever. Got me all fired up! Might try to cobble something (anything!) together using only basic Python and chutzpah!
mochapickle: I have four ideas, and they are all equally, joyously awful. I will decide this week. The frontrunner of the four right now is a Victorian picaresquedungsroman called Terribly Orphan.
Ha! I am already singing the title to the tune of Suddenly Seymour, in case that helps make up your mind.
posted by comealongpole at 5:02 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I did NaNoGenMo last year, starting about 10pm on Nov 30. I still finished in time, which is one of the advantages of mechanical novelizing, but I think I'll start earlier this year.
posted by moonmilk at 6:24 AM on October 27, 2014
posted by moonmilk at 6:24 AM on October 27, 2014
NaNoGenMo?
10 for c = 0 to 50000
20 Print "Hello "
30 next c
Whoa, way way easier than NaNoWriMo!
posted by marienbad at 8:04 AM on October 27, 2014
10 for c = 0 to 50000
20 Print "Hello "
30 next c
Whoa, way way easier than NaNoWriMo!
posted by marienbad at 8:04 AM on October 27, 2014
I'm having trouble imagining myself putting together a full on novel generator—just so much work under the hood there to figure out the semantic and structural side of the thing at a bunch of levels—but maybe I'll try and put together a little tool that collects different templates for clauses and chucks out nonsense in an at least a rhetorically varied fashion.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:15 AM on October 27, 2014
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:15 AM on October 27, 2014
I successfully did it one year. It was great fun. Here are my best tips:
1. Start with 2000 words a day and you've got a little cushion. It isn't that much!
2. If you can, go to write-ins around town. Bonding with others will be meaningful.
3. Stay away from most forums or you'll annoy yourself with posts of writers hitting 200k and 500k or snippets of totes adorkable lines from novellas about vampyre steampunk teens in love.
4. Do not edit. Save the self-cringing for after (the hardest part). Seriously, just keep going- rewrite passages without deleting.
5. Write what you want. I wrote travel non-fiction and one guy in my group was doing a Magic-style card game. Rebels? What is that... Who cares. You are doing this for you. The accomplishment is the reward.
posted by maya at 9:46 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
1. Start with 2000 words a day and you've got a little cushion. It isn't that much!
2. If you can, go to write-ins around town. Bonding with others will be meaningful.
3. Stay away from most forums or you'll annoy yourself with posts of writers hitting 200k and 500k or snippets of totes adorkable lines from novellas about vampyre steampunk teens in love.
4. Do not edit. Save the self-cringing for after (the hardest part). Seriously, just keep going- rewrite passages without deleting.
5. Write what you want. I wrote travel non-fiction and one guy in my group was doing a Magic-style card game. Rebels? What is that... Who cares. You are doing this for you. The accomplishment is the reward.
posted by maya at 9:46 AM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
First time attempt. Very much looking forward to it.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:50 AM on October 27, 2014
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 9:50 AM on October 27, 2014
So, I've always wanted to write a children's story - I'm talking 7-8 year olds. Does this format still work for that?
I have this half baked idea inspired by the mice who live in the London underground, and other London city animals like foxes and badgers.
posted by like_neon at 10:13 AM on October 27, 2014
I have this half baked idea inspired by the mice who live in the London underground, and other London city animals like foxes and badgers.
posted by like_neon at 10:13 AM on October 27, 2014
I've completed Nano twice (three times? but once I just copy and pasted my journals from high school English to meet the wordcount so I don't count that anymore). I've been going back and forth trying to decide if I want to do it this year, mostly because I think I've been using it as a crutch to avoid writing any other time of the year.
But I have a book I've been thinking about and plotting sporadically for the last nine months, so I think this year I'll give it a shot—with an eye to be more serious about it after November is completed.
So yay! I'm in!
posted by good day merlock at 10:37 AM on October 27, 2014
But I have a book I've been thinking about and plotting sporadically for the last nine months, so I think this year I'll give it a shot—with an eye to be more serious about it after November is completed.
So yay! I'm in!
posted by good day merlock at 10:37 AM on October 27, 2014
Dang, I just came by to wish you all luck, but the 'DissWriMo' people are making me realise I could actually do something useful with the month!
Inspired by this thread, I'm going to try Thomas Basbøll's "40 paragraphs" model to write my own dissertation, and potentially prep a paper or two with the same material.
posted by rollick at 2:49 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
Inspired by this thread, I'm going to try Thomas Basbøll's "40 paragraphs" model to write my own dissertation, and potentially prep a paper or two with the same material.
posted by rollick at 2:49 PM on October 27, 2014 [5 favorites]
I'm mydemand over there, and was way more successful when I first started out than lately. But I'm hoping to bring back my success.
This time I actually do have a story I want to explore, and I'm going to work on it as a graphic novel - so some pages of regular fiction, then the same scenes reimagined in graphic novel scripts. I've wanted to write a graphic novel for a long time and my current idea works best with that format, so much as well!
I'm also planning on applying to the Lambda Literary Retreat this coming year - especially since they will have a Graphic Novel workshop - and they need 20 pages of material, so this should help me some.
posted by divabat at 3:50 PM on October 27, 2014
This time I actually do have a story I want to explore, and I'm going to work on it as a graphic novel - so some pages of regular fiction, then the same scenes reimagined in graphic novel scripts. I've wanted to write a graphic novel for a long time and my current idea works best with that format, so much as well!
I'm also planning on applying to the Lambda Literary Retreat this coming year - especially since they will have a Graphic Novel workshop - and they need 20 pages of material, so this should help me some.
posted by divabat at 3:50 PM on October 27, 2014
Lambda Literary Retreat
Who wants to read a bunch of stories by LISP programmers?
posted by thelonius at 8:29 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
Who wants to read a bunch of stories by LISP programmers?
posted by thelonius at 8:29 PM on October 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
I won on my first attempt in 2003 and have failed every year subsequently without exception, most years failing even to try. Still feels like failure though, even not trying. Bah.
So anyway, I'm motty over there too. This year will not be like the others. Do say hi.
posted by motty at 9:20 PM on October 27, 2014
So anyway, I'm motty over there too. This year will not be like the others. Do say hi.
posted by motty at 9:20 PM on October 27, 2014
I'm going to write a romance novel where nobody actually falls in love, or even likes each other very much. Also it's going to have half-elves and elaborate vampire politics.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:06 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:06 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm 2 for 3 overall, FWIW. Last year I did a 'rebel' project to finish a book i was working on and ended up 8K short of finishing.
This year I'm going to write a collection of prologues and epilogues.
Slap*Happy, that sounds like the quintessential NaNoNovel.
posted by lodurr at 8:28 AM on October 28, 2014
This year I'm going to write a collection of prologues and epilogues.
Slap*Happy, that sounds like the quintessential NaNoNovel.
posted by lodurr at 8:28 AM on October 28, 2014
The rules have changed slightly this year as you can now work on a WIP and won't be counted as a NanoRebel
My first reaction is 'why bother?', since the rules have for several years basically said that the 'it has to be a new work' rule doesn't matter. (I've always found the idea of a rule that some rules don't matter to be very appealing.)
But it's true, a lot of people do seem to have a problem with the 'rebel' concept.
posted by lodurr at 8:33 AM on October 28, 2014
My first reaction is 'why bother?', since the rules have for several years basically said that the 'it has to be a new work' rule doesn't matter. (I've always found the idea of a rule that some rules don't matter to be very appealing.)
But it's true, a lot of people do seem to have a problem with the 'rebel' concept.
posted by lodurr at 8:33 AM on October 28, 2014
I have this half baked idea inspired by the mice who live in the London underground
Yeah, the other day they pitched me a film script, but I told them I only wanted high concept, not art house.
posted by Segundus at 8:56 AM on October 28, 2014
Yeah, the other day they pitched me a film script, but I told them I only wanted high concept, not art house.
posted by Segundus at 8:56 AM on October 28, 2014
lodurr - there are currently 2 threads in the NaNoWriMo Ate My Soul forum moaning about people writing in October/pre-Nano. One of them pretty much accuses people who do so of cheating. Jeez, its Nano, the challenge is with yourself, not anyone else; its such a simple concept I struggle to understand how they have failed to grok it.
posted by marienbad at 9:04 AM on October 28, 2014
posted by marienbad at 9:04 AM on October 28, 2014
marienbad: I know, I hear you -- I don't look at the NaNo forums much for that reason, that a lot of people get unreasonably uptight about fun things.
We have a really active region where the ML set up a regional facebook page and twitter 2 years back, and most of our action is there, frankly, and the local ethos is very accepting. The 'senior ML' (who's a geo/paleo prof) used Camp to work on academic papers at least twice, and I think she did that for NaNo last year. A lot of our local nanos have agonized (in a 'self-challengy' kind of way) about what kind of prep work they should be doing or avoiding. Is setting up templates cheating? How about setting up an outline in Scrivener? But nobody local gets on anybody else's case about it (unless it's in fun, and yes they do mostly know one another well enough to tell).
But a lot of us do WIPs. We just make a note of the word count where we started and subtract it from the total each time we record progress. The picayune among us (ahem, /self) just hack up dummy docs for verification because it's too much of a nuisance to pare down your WIP to your actual words-written count.
posted by lodurr at 9:40 AM on October 28, 2014
We have a really active region where the ML set up a regional facebook page and twitter 2 years back, and most of our action is there, frankly, and the local ethos is very accepting. The 'senior ML' (who's a geo/paleo prof) used Camp to work on academic papers at least twice, and I think she did that for NaNo last year. A lot of our local nanos have agonized (in a 'self-challengy' kind of way) about what kind of prep work they should be doing or avoiding. Is setting up templates cheating? How about setting up an outline in Scrivener? But nobody local gets on anybody else's case about it (unless it's in fun, and yes they do mostly know one another well enough to tell).
But a lot of us do WIPs. We just make a note of the word count where we started and subtract it from the total each time we record progress. The picayune among us (ahem, /self) just hack up dummy docs for verification because it's too much of a nuisance to pare down your WIP to your actual words-written count.
posted by lodurr at 9:40 AM on October 28, 2014
I'm going to write a romance novel where nobody actually falls in love, or even likes each other very much. Also it's going to have half-elves and elaborate vampire politics.
You know what? Fuck it. The point is to write, right? I'm totally going to make a romance novel. Something absolutely ridiculous. The Great American Novel may not get written this month, but I may know that I can do a novel at least.
posted by corb at 9:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
You know what? Fuck it. The point is to write, right? I'm totally going to make a romance novel. Something absolutely ridiculous. The Great American Novel may not get written this month, but I may know that I can do a novel at least.
posted by corb at 9:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
THAT'S THE SPIRIT!
posted by lodurr at 9:47 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by lodurr at 9:47 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm going to write a romance novel where nobody actually falls in love, or even likes each other very much. Also it's going to have half-elves and elaborate vampire politics.
You know what? Fuck it. The point is to write, right? I'm totally going to make a romance novel. Something absolutely ridiculous. The Great American Novel may not get written this month, but I may know that I can do something that length at least.
posted by corb at 9:49 AM on October 28, 2014 [5 favorites]
You know what? Fuck it. The point is to write, right? I'm totally going to make a romance novel. Something absolutely ridiculous. The Great American Novel may not get written this month, but I may know that I can do something that length at least.
posted by corb at 9:49 AM on October 28, 2014 [5 favorites]
THAT'S STILL THE SPIRIT!
posted by lodurr at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2014 [7 favorites]
posted by lodurr at 10:32 AM on October 28, 2014 [7 favorites]
Practicing your typing, corb? Or just indecisive?
posted by marienbad at 11:22 AM on October 28, 2014
posted by marienbad at 11:22 AM on October 28, 2014
Is anyone blogging their draft or otherwise making it available? I promise to read any such and offer encouraging comments if required.
posted by Segundus at 3:05 PM on October 28, 2014
posted by Segundus at 3:05 PM on October 28, 2014
I may regret this, but I will pledge to provide my work, in whatever stage it is, at the end of the month to anyone who asks for it.
posted by corb at 3:16 PM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by corb at 3:16 PM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
Segundus: I'll probably post parts of my draft on my NaNo Tumblr.
posted by divabat at 10:06 PM on October 28, 2014
posted by divabat at 10:06 PM on October 28, 2014
Segundus - I only just let my own eyes see it, let alone anyone elses!
posted by marienbad at 12:24 AM on October 29, 2014
posted by marienbad at 12:24 AM on October 29, 2014
Let's do this!
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:34 AM on October 29, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:34 AM on October 29, 2014
I'm in. I've decided instead of poking at my far-future fantasy epic, I will do a quick, sloppy urban fantasy novel, about a women Frankenstein monster in San Francisco. I've got characters, I've got a local, now all I need I'd something vaguely resembling a plot.
posted by happyroach at 8:36 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by happyroach at 8:36 AM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
You know, like a plot of land! You need some plot of land which you can write on.
I have some ideas for a collection of short stories, but I am not feeling confident in my ability to actually push through my usual laziness that sets in after the first week so we'll see what happens.
posted by Green With You at 11:02 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
I have some ideas for a collection of short stories, but I am not feeling confident in my ability to actually push through my usual laziness that sets in after the first week so we'll see what happens.
posted by Green With You at 11:02 AM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm tentatively in - I have been kicking around a vague scenario/plot idea for like 4 months now in my head and took more concrete steps to flesh it out last night, so I'll see if I can do anything.
I've only completed this once before, in 2002 I think, and in that one I got to about 25k words and felt like the story was done, so I copy-pasted and retold the story (with some variations) as the love interest, and then I was up to about 45k so uh, dream sequence! the end. Wasn't a good story by any means and now I have lost all traces of it (hard drive died and Nanowrimo doesn't have it archived anywhere). Oh well.
posted by agress at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2014
I've only completed this once before, in 2002 I think, and in that one I got to about 25k words and felt like the story was done, so I copy-pasted and retold the story (with some variations) as the love interest, and then I was up to about 45k so uh, dream sequence! the end. Wasn't a good story by any means and now I have lost all traces of it (hard drive died and Nanowrimo doesn't have it archived anywhere). Oh well.
posted by agress at 11:03 AM on October 29, 2014
You need some plot of land which you can write on.
Huh. Well, if that works for you. I usually just write on my computer. Or paper, in a pinch.
posted by lodurr at 12:27 PM on October 29, 2014
Huh. Well, if that works for you. I usually just write on my computer. Or paper, in a pinch.
posted by lodurr at 12:27 PM on October 29, 2014
You mean a plot like a plot of ink? To dip your plen in before putting it to plaper?
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:52 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:52 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
Now I'm down on my hands and knees
And it's so fucking hot!
Someone cries, "What are you looking for?"
I scream, "The plot, the plot!"
I think I'm going to hold off this year, best of luck to all who take part.
posted by Elmore at 4:53 PM on October 29, 2014
And it's so fucking hot!
Someone cries, "What are you looking for?"
I scream, "The plot, the plot!"
I think I'm going to hold off this year, best of luck to all who take part.
posted by Elmore at 4:53 PM on October 29, 2014
So, how long does a meta stay open?
Maybe people can enter their nano IDs here, but maybe on the first a new thread should be opened for those who are making a run?
Yes?
No?
posted by cjorgensen at 7:17 PM on October 29, 2014
Maybe people can enter their nano IDs here, but maybe on the first a new thread should be opened for those who are making a run?
Yes?
No?
posted by cjorgensen at 7:17 PM on October 29, 2014
Hmmm... There's the mefi thread over on the nano site marienbad linked above. I was just thinking of posting/updating/wailing over there as the month goes on.
posted by mochapickle at 7:29 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mochapickle at 7:29 PM on October 29, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think Metas are open for 30 days; if so this thread will expire before Nano ends.
Wailing, you say? Tell me about it...
posted by marienbad at 12:43 AM on October 30, 2014
Wailing, you say? Tell me about it...
posted by marienbad at 12:43 AM on October 30, 2014
In previous years, there were people who put up a post-Nano thread.
posted by FJT at 8:35 AM on October 30, 2014
posted by FJT at 8:35 AM on October 30, 2014
Oh, absolutely wailing. Stay tuned over on the nano thread!
posted by mochapickle at 11:21 AM on October 30, 2014
posted by mochapickle at 11:21 AM on October 30, 2014
Hey, as a new writer - I see people talking about having notes. How does that jive with the Nov 1 start date? I'd kind of like to at least have a loose draft, but don't want to break the rules.
posted by corb at 11:23 AM on October 30, 2014
posted by corb at 11:23 AM on October 30, 2014
"Rules?! We don't need any rules! We don't need any stinking rules!"
Ahem. What I mean is, all anybody really cares about is how long the manuscript is that you submit to the counting machine when you're done.
People argue about what it's permissible to do ahead of time and what's not, but the prevailing opinion in my region is that anything you won't be showing to the reader, doesn't count.
Unless you want it to, because you're short of word count, and then you'd better compile your manuscript so it gets included.
BTW, this is relevant to the 'rebel' discussion up-thread. It used to be that if you 'broke the rules' in any significant or obvious way, you were "a rebel." Apparently the denotation of "rebel" is much narrower this year. If you want to do it the 'right' way, probably you should look at the actual rules. Most people don't, though.
posted by lodurr at 11:32 AM on October 30, 2014
Ahem. What I mean is, all anybody really cares about is how long the manuscript is that you submit to the counting machine when you're done.
People argue about what it's permissible to do ahead of time and what's not, but the prevailing opinion in my region is that anything you won't be showing to the reader, doesn't count.
Unless you want it to, because you're short of word count, and then you'd better compile your manuscript so it gets included.
BTW, this is relevant to the 'rebel' discussion up-thread. It used to be that if you 'broke the rules' in any significant or obvious way, you were "a rebel." Apparently the denotation of "rebel" is much narrower this year. If you want to do it the 'right' way, probably you should look at the actual rules. Most people don't, though.
posted by lodurr at 11:32 AM on October 30, 2014
You can do anything you want, but prep, research, and (uncounted) pre-writing has always been encouraged (these things make you a plotter rather than a pantser).
posted by Lyn Never at 11:35 AM on October 30, 2014
posted by Lyn Never at 11:35 AM on October 30, 2014
Anyone else doing the Night of Writing Dangerously fundraiser?
posted by divabat at 11:58 AM on October 30, 2014
posted by divabat at 11:58 AM on October 30, 2014
corb, you can write as much about the story as you like before Nov 1, you can even start before Nov 1, but you only count words written in November. You can just start on Nov 1 with no plot or anything at all if you really want to be brave, but an idea, a few ideas for scenes, some worldbuilding and an idea of what you want to happen is always useful. Oh and some characters.
Don't sweat the rules too much, it is all on the honour system anyway, you simply type in your wordcount each day. People who write by hand average it out and use a lorum ipsum generator to create the actual text to upload.
posted by marienbad at 1:13 PM on October 30, 2014
Don't sweat the rules too much, it is all on the honour system anyway, you simply type in your wordcount each day. People who write by hand average it out and use a lorum ipsum generator to create the actual text to upload.
posted by marienbad at 1:13 PM on October 30, 2014
Oh yay. I am now browsing stock cover images for fun/inspiration.
posted by corb at 2:52 PM on October 30, 2014
posted by corb at 2:52 PM on October 30, 2014
OK, I decided to get some practice in before the start. I cheated out a couple hours in my schedule. Went to a coffee shop, drank several cups of coffee, checked the nanowrimo website, read some metafilter, played some Bejeweled, then it was time to go...
Yeah. I am SO ready.
posted by happyroach at 5:26 PM on October 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
Yeah. I am SO ready.
posted by happyroach at 5:26 PM on October 30, 2014 [2 favorites]
I'm starting in the morning. I'lll report back on how well I did later. I am giving up Facebook for the month, and was actually think of giving up metafilter as well, but this thread made me rethink that part. We'll see.
I'm also firing up health month for the month and putting in writing and exercise as two of my goals. We'll see.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:42 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm also firing up health month for the month and putting in writing and exercise as two of my goals. We'll see.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:42 PM on October 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
2692 words so far, catch me if you can suckaahs!
*rollerblades away, immediately crashes upwards into a tree*
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2014
*rollerblades away, immediately crashes upwards into a tree*
posted by turbid dahlia at 7:18 PM on October 31, 2014
! It's all happening. I'll be writing some kinda cyberpunk queer scifi story involving long interstellar train rides here. Godspeed to all.
posted by elephantsvanish at 10:33 PM on October 31, 2014
posted by elephantsvanish at 10:33 PM on October 31, 2014
Did the midnight online write-in, made 1086 words! I was so tired, I tried sleeping earlier but the chav woman in the flat below put her music on (yet again) just as I was nodding off. So after the 1086, I needed sleep desperately.
Good Luck everyone!
posted by marienbad at 3:11 AM on November 1, 2014
Good Luck everyone!
posted by marienbad at 3:11 AM on November 1, 2014
Oh, it's only 1600 words and change a day, no big deal. Well, that's what I thought before I started writing. Now I am thinking shit, 1600 words a day? That's not a small number.
To make matters worse, my kids are all sick and refuse to go to bed, so I moved my running to early in the AM, which was supposed to be my writing time. Now, I don't know. I am about a thousand words in and it is 8pm. The kids aren't helping, but I am getting words on paper. Let's hope I don't fail before I even get started. To infinity and BEYOND! (or at least 50,000)
posted by Literaryhero at 4:36 AM on November 1, 2014
To make matters worse, my kids are all sick and refuse to go to bed, so I moved my running to early in the AM, which was supposed to be my writing time. Now, I don't know. I am about a thousand words in and it is 8pm. The kids aren't helping, but I am getting words on paper. Let's hope I don't fail before I even get started. To infinity and BEYOND! (or at least 50,000)
posted by Literaryhero at 4:36 AM on November 1, 2014
I've been behind out of the gate every year I've done it. It is possible to catch up.
posted by lodurr at 4:56 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by lodurr at 4:56 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'll be writing some kinda cyberpunk queer scifi story involving long interstellar train rides here. Godspeed to all.
Trains?
posted by cjorgensen at 7:51 AM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Trains?
posted by cjorgensen at 7:51 AM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]
Interstellar trains (or sometimes greyhounds) seem to be a thing, lately. Makes as much sense as most other FTL concepts.
posted by lodurr at 9:47 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by lodurr at 9:47 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Greyhounds? FTL interstellar greyhound racing FTW
posted by marienbad at 11:13 AM on November 1, 2014
posted by marienbad at 11:13 AM on November 1, 2014
This morning has turned somehow into about 1200 words on an idea from a few years ago, in the form of a Twine game that's really just a branching wiki with bad navigation. I might need to extract it from Twine before I get too carried away because having a thousand nodes spiderwebbing around doesn't seem like its going to scale well, if I do keep writing away at this.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:14 PM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:14 PM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]
Guh. So much for having the thing outlined ahead of time. I'm pantsing it this year. Or I'm gonna try to write the outline as I go for the first week or so.
Still, two days in, two days completed.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:29 AM on November 2, 2014
Still, two days in, two days completed.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:29 AM on November 2, 2014
I got 11 letters written. I need this kind of output every day to make it. I am hoping for more than that today. I was hoping to get a bigger start yesterday. It is what it is. 289 more to go!
posted by cjorgensen at 6:13 AM on November 2, 2014
posted by cjorgensen at 6:13 AM on November 2, 2014
I hit 5877 before football. Can't write while the Eagles are playing. I'm trying to build up word count early and on weekends to make it easier to hit the overall target.
Of course it's an epic fantasy and 50,000 words is just a start.
posted by graymouser at 11:45 AM on November 2, 2014
Of course it's an epic fantasy and 50,000 words is just a start.
posted by graymouser at 11:45 AM on November 2, 2014
I can't get started til tomorrow - I'm taking a break from my Novel (tm) and going for something small scale I can see the end of- I'm thinking of just making my google doc links semi-private so the draft can be seen updating and growing daily.
posted by The Whelk at 11:53 AM on November 2, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 11:53 AM on November 2, 2014
I'm putting my chapters up on Tumblr as they get written so that my two dick pill followers can see what I'm up to but I'm wondering if that's against the rules? Because I didn't read the rules? Anyone have the number for Hugh Howey's agent?
posted by turbid dahlia at 12:16 PM on November 2, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 12:16 PM on November 2, 2014
Well, decided to do it about an hour and a half before it opened.
Idea for the opening was a 400 word piece of flash fiction I wrote a while back, and while that got me started I have absolutely no idea where I'm going but hope to have fun getting there.
See you over on the Metafilter WriMo's Club.
posted by reynir at 12:20 PM on November 2, 2014
Idea for the opening was a 400 word piece of flash fiction I wrote a while back, and while that got me started I have absolutely no idea where I'm going but hope to have fun getting there.
See you over on the Metafilter WriMo's Club.
posted by reynir at 12:20 PM on November 2, 2014
I'm writing my November novella experiment in public so you can keep me honest. Make me update on weekdays
posted by The Whelk at 1:30 PM on November 2, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 1:30 PM on November 2, 2014
*ceiling TD is watching you Google Docs*
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:03 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:03 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
urgh, why did I try the descending model, it's kicking my ass on the second day trying to achieve 3300 words
td: no rules for or against sharing!
posted by divabat at 5:47 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
td: no rules for or against sharing!
posted by divabat at 5:47 PM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
I named my two thug henchmen characters Burl and Whomp today and spent the afternoon laughing hysterically and making all the other characters address them by name.
posted by mochapickle at 7:18 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 7:18 PM on November 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
divabat, What's a descending model?
I wrote 8 letters yesterday. One of which isn't part of this. If I fail to write 300 letters in November I still have December to finish them. If I still fail I have another two weeks in January, but whatever I have goes out on January 15. I've found in the past it's best to avoid holidays since you are competing with a large volume of mail and reduced staffing. My response rate goes way down.
To put 300 letters in perspective I've been writing the them for 5 years with some hiatuses in there and I've produced 500 letters in 5 years. I'm basically trying to do a few years of output in a month.
Mostly because I need new fodder for my site and because I've always wanted to put together a book I could actually sell.
17 down and 283 to go.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:52 AM on November 3, 2014
I wrote 8 letters yesterday. One of which isn't part of this. If I fail to write 300 letters in November I still have December to finish them. If I still fail I have another two weeks in January, but whatever I have goes out on January 15. I've found in the past it's best to avoid holidays since you are competing with a large volume of mail and reduced staffing. My response rate goes way down.
To put 300 letters in perspective I've been writing the them for 5 years with some hiatuses in there and I've produced 500 letters in 5 years. I'm basically trying to do a few years of output in a month.
Mostly because I need new fodder for my site and because I've always wanted to put together a book I could actually sell.
17 down and 283 to go.
posted by cjorgensen at 5:52 AM on November 3, 2014
I had forgotten somehow that you write letters-to-people and so was parsing your last couple of comments as some sort of arch satire about the difficulty of managing to knock out three hundred whole keystrokes over the period of a month.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:47 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:47 AM on November 3, 2014 [2 favorites]
The descending/backwards Nano model is that instead of writing 1667 words a day, you start at about 3436 and then gradually level down to the point that you only need 1 word on the last day to win. It's geared for people who have a lot more momentum at the start, and if you do decide to change to the 1667/day model at some point you still have a lot to work from.
posted by divabat at 9:45 AM on November 3, 2014
posted by divabat at 9:45 AM on November 3, 2014
Yeah, each letter is generally one page of text.
One of the problems I am running into is that often the impetus for writing is timely, since it's usually current events that trigger the ideas. So I am trying to do "evergreen" letters (better book fodder as well). This means I have to pick people and places where there's still something worth recognizing three months from now.
Though some days it is hard to write 300 characters.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:58 AM on November 3, 2014
One of the problems I am running into is that often the impetus for writing is timely, since it's usually current events that trigger the ideas. So I am trying to do "evergreen" letters (better book fodder as well). This means I have to pick people and places where there's still something worth recognizing three months from now.
Though some days it is hard to write 300 characters.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:58 AM on November 3, 2014
Hmmm... Could you use Today in History to spur some ideas?
posted by mochapickle at 10:06 AM on November 3, 2014
posted by mochapickle at 10:06 AM on November 3, 2014
Classic bodybuilding writing. Multiple reps for light weight, working down to heavy singles. Best to keep your letters in the 8-12 range though, for maximal hypertrophy.
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:29 PM on November 3, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 2:29 PM on November 3, 2014
Yay I spit out a thousand words yay
posted by The Whelk at 2:40 PM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 2:40 PM on November 3, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm at 1102 of the world's shittiest, godforsakenest draft. GO ME GO
posted by mynameisluka at 8:41 PM on November 3, 2014
posted by mynameisluka at 8:41 PM on November 3, 2014
Pantsing is a huge pain in the ass, but it's pretty much the only way I know how to write so there you go. The plot always moves forward, word by interminable word. It's disgustingly like exercise.
posted by librarylis at 9:17 PM on November 3, 2014
posted by librarylis at 9:17 PM on November 3, 2014
How's it going, Wrimos of Metafilter? Are you winning or suffering? Plot look and sound great or uh, you know, the other one... If anyone is doing this for the first time how is it going, how are you finding it. and are you active much on the forums, and what do/don't you like so far?
As for me, 7.4K and its all opening stuff and no middle now tony and mickey have given broden and mckee the slip. But I am under way, and I have some other stuff I can pants a load of scenes for if I get totally stuck, but there is a part of me that thinks I should finish this before I do that, otherwise I will end Nano with two real shitty, unfinished, plot-hole-y first drafts.
I added to my excerpt and would welcome feedback on the second part, although obviously it is just the first draft. It is meant to be a break from the action and tension, a sorta light-hearted or possibly even humourous peice.
posted by marienbad at 1:45 AM on November 4, 2014
As for me, 7.4K and its all opening stuff and no middle now tony and mickey have given broden and mckee the slip. But I am under way, and I have some other stuff I can pants a load of scenes for if I get totally stuck, but there is a part of me that thinks I should finish this before I do that, otherwise I will end Nano with two real shitty, unfinished, plot-hole-y first drafts.
I added to my excerpt and would welcome feedback on the second part, although obviously it is just the first draft. It is meant to be a break from the action and tension, a sorta light-hearted or possibly even humourous peice.
posted by marienbad at 1:45 AM on November 4, 2014
I have no idea what I'm doing but I've done 8000 words of it and am posting it here for posterity.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:37 AM on November 4, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:37 AM on November 4, 2014
marienbad, I wouldn't ever assume to offer another person advice on their writing, but while your piece is good, I was wondering, maybe you could make it more cheerful? Like instead of doing crimes and plotting for crimes and being criminals, maybe they could be...bakers? And they're plotting, but it's to make like, the best cake the world ever saw? For orphans?
Just kidding. The cadence kinda reminds me of Goodfellas, though disembodied from the rest it's tricky to contextualise. There are some English-isms in there ("mate", "no worries") that might pull you up a little bit, since I am assuming it is set in the US (given the FBI are involved), and it might make it difficult to connect with the voices of the characters, if you get what I'm saying?
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:47 AM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Just kidding. The cadence kinda reminds me of Goodfellas, though disembodied from the rest it's tricky to contextualise. There are some English-isms in there ("mate", "no worries") that might pull you up a little bit, since I am assuming it is set in the US (given the FBI are involved), and it might make it difficult to connect with the voices of the characters, if you get what I'm saying?
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:47 AM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
I say "no worries" all the time. It's my go to instead of "thank you." I actually hate it, since often I have done something worth being thanked for.
I'm on track for my project! I fell a bit behind on the third day, but made it up yesterday. I was actually hoping to get even more done over the weekend, but my computer monitor didn't arrive, so I am blaming that. Sure, I know it's a poor workman that blames his tools, but I just bought the most kickass monitor and chair, so when they arrive I will sit on and in front for days!
posted by cjorgensen at 6:28 AM on November 4, 2014
I'm on track for my project! I fell a bit behind on the third day, but made it up yesterday. I was actually hoping to get even more done over the weekend, but my computer monitor didn't arrive, so I am blaming that. Sure, I know it's a poor workman that blames his tools, but I just bought the most kickass monitor and chair, so when they arrive I will sit on and in front for days!
posted by cjorgensen at 6:28 AM on November 4, 2014
Hey, can I include a grant proposal in NaNoDissMo? The proposal is due December 1st anyway (and is the primary reason that I have 0 words of new dissertation chapters written as of yet).
posted by pemberkins at 8:34 AM on November 4, 2014
posted by pemberkins at 8:34 AM on November 4, 2014
Turbid dahlia - it is set in the UK, the guy who thinks there are FBI people in the garden is crazy, it is all in his head. Thanks for the pointers re: English-isms.
posted by marienbad at 10:36 AM on November 4, 2014
posted by marienbad at 10:36 AM on November 4, 2014
Cracked 10k! granted, it's by my protag rambling a lot, but hopefully we get to actual plot soon.
posted by divabat at 10:41 AM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by divabat at 10:41 AM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
I have 714 words because I got lazy this weekend. I contribute this so any lurkers can know that sometimes it's hard and we fall down and I'm going to write so many words tonight!
posted by corb at 11:13 AM on November 4, 2014
posted by corb at 11:13 AM on November 4, 2014
The Nano site is 404ing all over the place, try updating wordcount, or posting a comment. It may or may not go through.
I did this when updating wordcount, and it worked by some strange magic.
posted by marienbad at 11:56 AM on November 4, 2014
I did this when updating wordcount, and it worked by some strange magic.
posted by marienbad at 11:56 AM on November 4, 2014
I haven't hit any problems with the wordcount widget yet, thankfully, but cheers for the tip.
posted by turbid dahlia at 1:51 PM on November 4, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 1:51 PM on November 4, 2014
2,189 words. Further than last time, but I have a lot to catch up on. I feel anxious when I'm not writing. Is this normal?
posted by FJT at 1:51 PM on November 4, 2014
posted by FJT at 1:51 PM on November 4, 2014
No. Just tell yourself you are harbouring your resources for an all out assault.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:13 PM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:13 PM on November 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
I feel anxious when I'm not writing. Is this normal?
It is if you're a grad student.
posted by pemberkins at 3:16 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
It is if you're a grad student.
posted by pemberkins at 3:16 PM on November 4, 2014 [2 favorites]
I didn't write at all today cause I had Flu like symptoms ...from my flu shot ..and now I feel like a heel ( also I have no idea how to get to the central conflict ...damnit I'm going to have to kill that horse aren't I?)
posted by The Whelk at 4:01 PM on November 4, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 4:01 PM on November 4, 2014
Not the horse :(
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:31 PM on November 4, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 4:31 PM on November 4, 2014
If it helps we have to have some charming scenes of Seashell being the best horse ever before he gets done in for it to work.
posted by The Whelk at 5:30 PM on November 4, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 5:30 PM on November 4, 2014
10,000 and change here. This thing is going to need one hell of a rewrite but at least I'm on schedule!
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:39 AM on November 5, 2014
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:39 AM on November 5, 2014
This morning I got just shy of 12K, which I plan to hit on my lunch break. We're still in the "Get the MacGuffin" part of the story, and will be until well after 20K, which means that 50K might be halfway done with the whole novel.
posted by graymouser at 5:54 AM on November 5, 2014
posted by graymouser at 5:54 AM on November 5, 2014
YES!!! I broke 10K!
"At This Rate You Will Finish On - November 24, 2014"
Wooo hooo!
posted by marienbad at 11:25 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
"At This Rate You Will Finish On - November 24, 2014"
Wooo hooo!
posted by marienbad at 11:25 AM on November 5, 2014 [1 favorite]
Behind schedule at 2524 words, but am hoping to make up some ground next week.
posted by mynameisluka at 5:23 PM on November 5, 2014
posted by mynameisluka at 5:23 PM on November 5, 2014
I angrily decided it makes more sense as a dairy-style short story and YOU CAN'T STOP ME.
posted by The Whelk at 8:48 PM on November 5, 2014
posted by The Whelk at 8:48 PM on November 5, 2014
I've got to stop posting after midnight-the system thinks I skipped a day, and so the nanowrimo site calculated me as being finished December 4. Bah.
But at least I got my heroine out of the house-my urban fantasy so far has seens to be mostly about how housemates suck and the joys of hot baths.
posted by happyroach at 12:15 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
But at least I got my heroine out of the house-my urban fantasy so far has seens to be mostly about how housemates suck and the joys of hot baths.
posted by happyroach at 12:15 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
happyroach - you can change your word count by day!
didn't write anything nano-related today, had a journalistic thing to do. need to catch up...
posted by divabat at 1:12 AM on November 6, 2014
didn't write anything nano-related today, had a journalistic thing to do. need to catch up...
posted by divabat at 1:12 AM on November 6, 2014
I had my first big doubt last night, it was the sort of "Why write a fantasy novel, it doesn't matter, there are more important things." But fortunately it came just shy of 15K words and I'm on a freakin' roll. It's only something I've wanted to write since high school and I'm actually putting it on a computer now.
posted by graymouser at 7:23 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by graymouser at 7:23 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
I have made 1337 posts to the nano forums!
posted by marienbad at 9:33 AM on November 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by marienbad at 9:33 AM on November 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
I hit 10548 words today.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:46 PM on November 7, 2014
posted by cjorgensen at 12:46 PM on November 7, 2014
Yesterday was DoubleDay, where NaNo encouraged doubling your word count, so I doubled down and wrote about 4000 words, cracking 20k.
It was actually one of my better writings possibly because it was more action-driven rather than me having to pad the word count by internal monologue rambling.
posted by divabat at 1:07 PM on November 9, 2014
It was actually one of my better writings possibly because it was more action-driven rather than me having to pad the word count by internal monologue rambling.
posted by divabat at 1:07 PM on November 9, 2014
Today has been ULTRA STABBY.
I wrote like a maniac yesterday. Today...pffft. I just want sleep, and for no good reason.
Okay. I still have an hour or so...I can do this. (I'm actually kind of worried I might get to "the end" before I hit sufficient words for either NaNoWriMo or a real novel. Eek.)
posted by wintersweet at 8:15 PM on November 9, 2014
I wrote like a maniac yesterday. Today...pffft. I just want sleep, and for no good reason.
Okay. I still have an hour or so...I can do this. (I'm actually kind of worried I might get to "the end" before I hit sufficient words for either NaNoWriMo or a real novel. Eek.)
posted by wintersweet at 8:15 PM on November 9, 2014
Yesterday the shade of Miles Archer walked through the door of Sam Spade's office looking for post-departum revenge on his wife for planning his death. (SPADE: “You’re leaving out the part where she didn’t manage to kill you. But do go on, I’m listening.”) I envision it as the prologue for a shadow-version of The Maltese Falcon, in which the True Meaning of Everything is Revealed. (Since I don't have to actually write this book, I can be really handwavy on that.)
Maybe today I'll write the epiplogue.
posted by lodurr at 3:43 AM on November 10, 2014
Maybe today I'll write the epiplogue.
posted by lodurr at 3:43 AM on November 10, 2014
Keep on Rockin' on, everybody. Does anyone want to talk about how Nano is going for them? I do!! But that's only because this is the best NanoWrimo I have had - the last two, well, awful doesn't even begin to describe it, but this time...
posted by marienbad at 8:43 AM on November 10, 2014
posted by marienbad at 8:43 AM on November 10, 2014
My favorite piece of anything I've written so far this NaNo is the one I alluded to above, which (at least as I understand US copyright law) is wholly unsaleable and would have to be removed if I actually tried to publish the collection. So there's that on the negative side.
On the plus side, that piece gives me the chance to have Sam Spade express dismissive incredulity when a prospective client uses the phrase 'deontological imperative', so there's that. ("I know what it means. A week ago you didn't.")
posted by lodurr at 9:30 AM on November 10, 2014
On the plus side, that piece gives me the chance to have Sam Spade express dismissive incredulity when a prospective client uses the phrase 'deontological imperative', so there's that. ("I know what it means. A week ago you didn't.")
posted by lodurr at 9:30 AM on November 10, 2014
I am the King of encouragement!! Checkout my post in this thread (page 2, currently 4th from top) and then check out the comments and stats of the Wrimo who replied to it! Yes - what a win!
Also, just broke 30K, and things are tying up nicely!
posted by marienbad at 9:27 AM on November 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, just broke 30K, and things are tying up nicely!
posted by marienbad at 9:27 AM on November 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
If anyone has any ideas how one criminal gang can hijack another criminal gangs heroin deal, let me know. Asking for a friend.
posted by marienbad at 12:57 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by marienbad at 12:57 PM on November 12, 2014 [2 favorites]
25,107 words! HALF FINISHED! AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!
...And I got to play dress up with my characters.
posted by happyroach at 11:57 PM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
...And I got to play dress up with my characters.
posted by happyroach at 11:57 PM on November 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
I am having some fun answering people's questions on the Nano Forums. Sillyness FTW! - I need some: several people have been killed in my Nano, and the MCs mum's life is now under threat...
posted by marienbad at 2:02 PM on November 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by marienbad at 2:02 PM on November 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Today I finished my NaNoGenMo novel, which is made entirely from people's tweets about working on their NaNoWriMo novels. Download the novel (1.2M PDF) or check out the source code and generate your own!
posted by moonmilk at 4:41 PM on November 17, 2014
posted by moonmilk at 4:41 PM on November 17, 2014
moonmilk - can you take the "?raw=true" bit off the end of the URL please, then I can have a look at it - otherwise FF won't open it.
posted by marienbad at 12:01 AM on November 18, 2014
posted by marienbad at 12:01 AM on November 18, 2014
marienbad - if you go to the source code link, you can click on novel.pdf from there. If that doesn't work, try this link.
posted by moonmilk at 12:16 PM on November 18, 2014
posted by moonmilk at 12:16 PM on November 18, 2014
FIFTY THOUSAND!!
(although the nano word count bots will probably count it as 48.5K and then its agony trying to get to the finish line, trust me!)
posted by marienbad at 1:59 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
(although the nano word count bots will probably count it as 48.5K and then its agony trying to get to the finish line, trust me!)
posted by marienbad at 1:59 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
I'm at right around 36K. Probably that's where I'll land tonight. If I can get as much done this weekend as last, I might finish before next Thursday.
posted by lodurr at 6:56 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by lodurr at 6:56 PM on November 19, 2014
Winnar!!! 50,066. And now I am a bit stuck as the story is done, so I will have to write something else now! (I added an extra scene with the 2 MCs talking to pump the word count up just in case...)
And the other thing I am trying to write is hard to write, so I will have to struggle on now...
posted by marienbad at 11:59 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
And the other thing I am trying to write is hard to write, so I will have to struggle on now...
posted by marienbad at 11:59 PM on November 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
How's the NanoDissMo and NanoGenMo going for people? Moonmilk has shown his lovely work, anyone else got a generated text done?
posted by marienbad at 12:03 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by marienbad at 12:03 AM on November 20, 2014 [1 favorite]
I got kind of derailed from NaNoGenMo by taking up knitting (I'm trying out this new thing where I try to be actually laidback about my hobbies and not super guilt-ridden about what I Ought To Be Doing; the results are kind of strange so far) but I might get back to it this weekend. This was one of my initial findings.
posted by daisyk at 7:05 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by daisyk at 7:05 AM on November 20, 2014 [2 favorites]
Woo, marienbad, congratulations on winning!!
posted by daisyk at 7:05 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by daisyk at 7:05 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
NaDissMo is going pretty ok; I'm behind at about 23k words but generating text isn't the problem really (I'm routinely getting 1k in an hour) - its finding the time to write that's tough, especially since I've been sick or at conferences basically all month! But I still plan to win... any other dissertation writers out there on NaNo?
posted by sockermom at 8:39 AM on November 20, 2014
posted by sockermom at 8:39 AM on November 20, 2014
I am behind, the problem is also finding time to write - also that the computer I was using to write on tanked and the shared computer is being eaten by my husband playing Wasteland 2.
posted by corb at 10:43 AM on November 20, 2014
posted by corb at 10:43 AM on November 20, 2014
No completed dissertation, but I'm submitting a proposal to the NSF tomorrow, and will have an article ready for submission by next week, after my advisor finishes ripping it apart.
posted by ChuraChura at 11:42 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by ChuraChura at 11:42 AM on November 20, 2014 [3 favorites]
NaNoDissMo update: An NSF proposal is mostly done (not due until 12/2, and therefore is subject to excessive tweaking by all collaborators until about an hour before the submission deadline). I would have my first dissertation chapter submitted for publication, but two members of my committee forgot I existed for a while, so I'm still waiting for comments. Lots of lines of code written for chapter two. All that said, it only totals up to ~16k heavily edited words or so, but hey, it's the spirit of the thing, right?
posted by pemberkins at 1:31 PM on November 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by pemberkins at 1:31 PM on November 21, 2014 [2 favorites]
Well, I I ht 40K words, around 2AM last night. So yay, it looks like I'm going to finish this thing! Except now I'm worrying that I'll finish the story in under 50,000 words. Quick: time to write a sexy epilogue!
By the way, I've seen conflicting descriptions of how many pages 50,000 words really is. About how many pages would 50 kilowords be, in say, paperback novel size, of the "trashy urban fantasy with a woman wearing leather on the cover who looks nothing like the main character" format?
posted by happyroach at 12:06 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
By the way, I've seen conflicting descriptions of how many pages 50,000 words really is. About how many pages would 50 kilowords be, in say, paperback novel size, of the "trashy urban fantasy with a woman wearing leather on the cover who looks nothing like the main character" format?
posted by happyroach at 12:06 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
happyroach, what I've heard is 200, but YMMV.
So, I've got 4700 words left, and it's 9:30 PM, and as a night owl faking participation in the daytime human race, I have to consistently go to bed early in order to force myself to wake up early, but DAMN, I can taste victory. So I've just brewed some green tea (I know, so edgy!!!) and I'm going to try to stay up and finish this. Wish me luck!
posted by wintersweet at 9:35 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
So, I've got 4700 words left, and it's 9:30 PM, and as a night owl faking participation in the daytime human race, I have to consistently go to bed early in order to force myself to wake up early, but DAMN, I can taste victory. So I've just brewed some green tea (I know, so edgy!!!) and I'm going to try to stay up and finish this. Wish me luck!
posted by wintersweet at 9:35 PM on November 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
50,101. BATHTIME
posted by wintersweet at 12:36 AM on November 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by wintersweet at 12:36 AM on November 23, 2014 [2 favorites]
woohoo wintersweet, congratulations! And you've validated and got the purple bar of awesome too.
posted by marienbad at 7:06 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by marienbad at 7:06 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
just shy of 41K as I write this. If I get my butt in gear I might finish before we head out for Cleveland for the holiday on Tuesday night. If I do I'll try to circle back and do some editing.
posted by lodurr at 8:29 AM on November 23, 2014
posted by lodurr at 8:29 AM on November 23, 2014
Yeah, my count actually said 50,011--theirs was a little above mine, fine by me. (I'm using Scrivener, FWIW.)
I'm happy because I actually managed to write through to THE END. My grand total is about 82k. Now I'm going to work on a short story I have lying around and want to rewrite for submission before returning to the novel. I know it's going to be a mess to untangle and rewrite...
Hang in there, everyone! I wrote 9000 words in a day, so, you know...it can be done!
posted by wintersweet at 9:59 AM on November 23, 2014
I'm happy because I actually managed to write through to THE END. My grand total is about 82k. Now I'm going to work on a short story I have lying around and want to rewrite for submission before returning to the novel. I know it's going to be a mess to untangle and rewrite...
Hang in there, everyone! I wrote 9000 words in a day, so, you know...it can be done!
posted by wintersweet at 9:59 AM on November 23, 2014
Funny you should mention count-variance. when I last tested (several years ago) I found that Scrivener's word count was higher than that of my compiled manuscript. So I have a fudge-factor of .99 or so in my tracking spreadsheet, that's intended to keep me from giving up when I'm not really quite there yet. Maybe I should test this again...only not right now, because I'm doing OK for the moment and I'm just not that desperate for word-count.
posted by lodurr at 11:24 AM on November 23, 2014
posted by lodurr at 11:24 AM on November 23, 2014
Yeeeah, I tested the word count validation thingie and discovered, to my dismay, that it doesn't have a preview/confirm/submit thingie. It's just like YAY YOU WON. Oops! But then I knew it was overcounting rather than undercounting, so that was a relief.
Fudge factors are a good thing, though.
posted by wintersweet at 1:20 PM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Fudge factors are a good thing, though.
posted by wintersweet at 1:20 PM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yeah, I updated my wordcount one day and checked it (before official validation) and, after writing 2K, I had a negative word count (-750) after the countbots counted it differently. Bummer.
posted by marienbad at 1:32 PM on November 23, 2014
posted by marienbad at 1:32 PM on November 23, 2014
Unless they've changed it you can reverify later with a bigger manuscript to show your actual finishing total.
posted by lodurr at 1:46 PM on November 23, 2014
posted by lodurr at 1:46 PM on November 23, 2014
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I have a computer, a tablet, an Alphasmart, a typewriter, and a stack of 40 spiral bound notebooks all within easy access
I have checked out some library books on how to write a novel
I have done...some...planning and outlining
I am going to participate, and I will reach 50K this year.
posted by FJT at 10:52 AM on October 24, 2014 [5 favorites]