NaNoWriMo 2009!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yes, it is almost that time again. Last year I got my highest word count ever (around the 35000 mark) though I have yet to make it to 50k :ohno Will anyone else be participating?

http://nanowrimo.org/

Widgets!

Dasquian
<img src="http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/225320.png">

Rossos
http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/533272.png

Emelie
http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/511264.png

<img src="http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/517949.png" />

[Captain Untouchable]

I can certainly justify spending the time doing it this year, what with nothing else to be getting on with. I'm just caught in a dilemma: I don't want to tackle one of my "main" writing projects, 'cause it'd upset me if I tried and didn't do them justice. But I already have several main projects, and would feel bad for neglecting them for NaNo. :\

I'll probably give it a go, and see what happens.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Well, the idea is to write something totally new... soooo put those other projects on hold and throw caution to the wind :mneh

[Droo]

I'm in the same boat as the good Captain, if I were to get involved in this it would definately have to be an entirely new project and not something I've been planning, I wouldn't want to rush through any of those stories. I might just go for it with a colourful genre piece but am I right in thinking we can plan things out in advance?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yes, as long as you don't actually write anything that is going to count towards the 50,000 word target.

[Droo]

November!? I've booked the last week of October and the first week of December off work. Frustrating! :shakefist

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Think I may actually go for this...

I've kinda had this whole concept for a setting that I was toying with for RP that never really got used (home world for one of my characters, I went a bit overboard with the details)... political BS, religious information, caste info for the locals, what architecture looks like, what daily life is for people, etc etc. Think I went so far as to even start up language and such for it... so I could probably use a good chunk of characters that all had names/personalities/etc. and come up with a novel with all that that...actually wouldn't be so Star Warsy when I was all said and done with it more of like a cross between high fantasy and science fiction.

So...with all that ground work already done I think writing a quick outline for a plot and then just diving into it might be kinda fun.

:lol I'm so gonna regret it once I start it.

[Captain Untouchable]

I have a Wrimo account.

Uh oh. :uhoh

[Droo]

I have a storyline in the works now, and I'm quite pleased with it thus far, but I see one major flaw in my writing plans for November. Modern Warfare 2 is released on the 10th! :ohno

[Ilias Nytrau]

I'm doing it. This year will be my second year. Made it to 33558 last year.

Oh yeah. Y'all should feel free to join some of us NaNoers in the NaNoWriMo chat room on IRC (or, there is the option of Java chat on the 'wrimo site itself. Just NOT AS GOOD as IRC, in my opinion):

server: irc.goodchatting.com
channel: #nanowrimo

...you know, if it tickles your fancy. I'm Miriya both on IRC and on the NaNoWriMo site.

So, I say to NaNoWriMo 2009...

BRING IT ON.

I'm ready.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

I have a Wrimo account.

Uh oh. :uhoh

made mine today... :lol

I'm so doomed.

[Mandy with an I]

I might do this since I have no real rps going on. Emphasis on might :uhoh

Edit: hahahaha, I totally fucked up when I entered my email....so it's Mandi Matronic instead >_<

[Dasquian Belargic]

Link to your nano profiles, peeps!

[Mandy with an I]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511912

[Captain Untouchable]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511179

[Ilias Nytrau]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312252

[Dasquian Belargic]

So does anyone have any ideas what they are going to be writing about?

[Mandy with an I]

I have about two pages worth ^_^;

[Captain Untouchable]

I'm gonna go with a project I started planning about a year ago, but lost utterly and completely when my computer had an epic fail. It's set in a fantasy world based on Norse mythology, but with my own personal twists and interpretations. You know how ancient cultures created myths and gods to explain things like thunderstorms, earthquakes, and all that jazz? The premise of the story is that those explainations are actually correct; it follows a bunch of adventurers - worthing of a D&D campaign - going on an... uh... adventure, with godly influences and stuff.

In terms of planning, I didn't really concieve anything beyond the initial character introductions, so its pretty much a blank slate. Figure that'll be easier to work with, than one of the more epic tomes I have mapped out.

Just so that I'm on the right page, what is the objective of NaNo? Am I aiming to finish the novel by the end of it, or just write the first 50,000 words? Not that I'm expecting to go over the word count or anything; but if I'm expecting to get the story finished within a month, it'd make more sense to map out plot targets than word targets; reach this point in the story by this date, etc.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Whether you finish by 50,000 is up to you, though ideally you would be wrapping up at that point.. That could mean wrapping up in time for a sequel of course ;)

[Captain Untouchable]

Whether you finish by 50,000 is up to you, though ideally you would be wrapping up at that point.. That could mean wrapping up in time for a sequel of course ;)

You know how long-winded I am, though. >_<

The only way I'll ever manage to conform to a word count is if its an amusing number. 69,000 maybe? ;)

[Barton Henning]

If you think you can write more than 50,000 words in 30 days, all within the same narrative, by all means try it ;)

[Droo]

So does anyone have any ideas what they are going to be writing about?

I am going to be writing about an eclectic quintet who win a weekend in a haunted mansion through their local supermarket's Halloween competition. They bond during their stay and in the weeks that follow find themselves in pursuit of another ghost-hunting opportunity. Finally, fortune smiles upon them and they are employed as helping hands on a farm while the farmer and his family are away on holiday. The five friends go happily about their chores during the day but when the dark of night draws in, they hunt ghosts. However, when a sudden tragedy strikes, the foundation of friendship crumbles, haunting mysteries unravel, and their true colours are revealed... blood red!

Yeah, I'm hoping to mix a bunch of genres here. There will be themes of mystery, horror, comedy, satire, and even romance... just a bit. The story will be constructed using the written accounts of the ghost-hunters themselves, including segments from their competition applications in a kind of literary Blair Witch Project kind of fashion. I want to poke fun at the investigation of the supernatural, things like Most Haunted, while at the same time keeping the elements of horror and throwing into the mix a host of really colourful characters for some comedy, drama, and slaughter! :wings

No clue for a title yet...

Edit: Idea... Farmageddon! :lol

[Barton Henning]

That sounds like... a lot of fun :D

[Emelie Shadowstar]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511264 apparently that's me. :o

[Mu Satach]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/517949

I'm in - we'll see what happens...


So does anyone have any ideas what they are going to be writing about?

There's something that has been haunting me for the better part of a decade. Mostly is just chicken scratch notes in a hanging file folder in the cabinet of abandoned ideas.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I might give it a shot. My best was the first time I tried it; 37,000 words in 19 days. After that though I basically had to be institutionalized, so I shall see if I can balance a job with writing like a crazy man.

[Droo]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/511526

There's me!

[Dasquian Belargic]

I added all of you as friends :D

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I set up an account.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/519486

[Dasquian Belargic]

Been watching too much SPN lately.. seems pretty inevitable that I'm going to write a UK-based version :uhoh

[Captain Untouchable]

Been watching <s>too</s> much SPN lately.. seems pretty inevitable that I'm going to write a UK-based version :uhoh

Fixed. ;)

And you're not the only one wanting to do a UK Supernatural... :uhoh

[Mandy with an I]

Okay, I'm torn between a Zombie story or a story about Slenderman. :(

[Vince]

I dunno. I thought earlier that I'd not be able to do it, but now there's this idea... I might. I'll have to see how the next week goes before I'll make a decision.

[Acacius Blade]

Try it. Even if right now you think you won't be able to - try it. If all you do is 5,000 words and then stop - that's 5,000 words of creative writing you probably wouldn't have written had it not been for NaNoWriMo.

And you can always come back to that 5,000 words at a later time and carry on or use it as a really substantial springboard for something similar.

[Tell Cho]

I did it. I don't know what I'm thinking, but I did it.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/533272

[Dasquian Belargic]

For anyone who hasn't already, I'd recommend checking out the 'writers blogs' thread also in this forum. Particularly the podcast by Michael A Stackpole, which features a series of essays/issues targetted specifically at Nanowrimo participants :)

[Droo]

I'm on his website now but I'm finding it a bit of a labyrinth. I seem to have found a list of his podcasts but have no idea which is the one to which you are referring. I'll poke around a bit longer and see if I can make any sense of it but if you can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

Edit: I think I've found it, is the The Secrets Special Edition 05: Writing Fast?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Podcast special edition #5 'Writing Fast' - also the episodes from #17 'Four Days to Writing' onwards. Hell, it's all good to be honest. I'd recommend just sampling a few of the iTunes episodes, since they're free anyway. Just search for 'Stackpole' to find the podcasts on there.

[Droo]

I have to admit, this guy is really not for me, when he started using the example of a politician, stock prices, and stem-cell research, I had to stop. His voice bored me and that looping music in the background drove me crazy, plus if I'm honest, I find his advice about writing extremely formulaic to the extent that I wouldn't be surprised if he summed up his podcast with a mathematical equation for publishing success. Nevertheless, I recommend others at least check it out since you might get something out of it.

[Ben Merasska]

Finally made a choice as to what I'm going to write. It'll be a novelisation of the backstory of my mutant character, Julian, though with some necessary changes and an ending that likely would not have occurred in the RP setting. I gave my friend a little blurb of it last night, and they thought it was the beginning of a joke.

Blurb: A werewolf and a former seminarian go on a cross-country road trip.

On those podcasts and such, I didn't listen to any of them. I've been finding the blogs from the ealier posts much more helpful, though I don't have the money to buy any of the books from Felicia Day's little article. Le Sigh. That year long fifteen minute writing thing looks interesting though.

[Droo]

Actually, I take back what I said about the podcast. I gave it a second shot and while the music was still annoying, I found Michael Stackpole provides some real food for thought and had me evaluating my current plan and course. Maybe I was just in something of a grouchy, impatient mood or perhaps I just found his suggested model for writing a twenty chapter novel, and how he deals with his characters, a little writing-by-numbers for my taste but he certainly raised plenty of good points. Also, it probably didn't help that I'd listened to Stephen Fry's podcast on language earlier in the day, which was probably why I found Stackpole's approach to podcasting a little bland by comparison, but they are very different podcasts and shouldn't really be compared. I highly recommend checking out this particular podgram of Mr. Fry when you ever feel stuck for inspiration, the way he talks about the pleasure of text makes you want to grab the nearest pen and go wild.

Here's the link (http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/12/22/series-2-episode-3-language/).

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm glad you got something out of it, at least :) That was the same thing I found useful about the whole podcast series - that it got wheels turning in my head. A lot of the advice seems fairly simple when you think about it, but it's often stuff that - because it's "simple" - I forget about!

I have been a subscriber to Mr Fry's podcasts for a while now and enjoy those a lot too :)

[Droo]

A lot of the advice seems fairly simple when you think about it, but it's often stuff that - because it's "simple" - I forget about!

It is for this very reason, in particular Michael Stackpole's advice regarding the amount of words and time needed for a character to be fully realised within a story, that I have completely scrapped my old idea since it had way too many characters flying about and mulled over something new. I am very pleased to say that the result of my brain-storming today has been wonderful, my new idea has me extremely excited, it's so simple and yet has so much potential from a story-telling, structural and linguistic point of view. I think I'm going to enjoy writing this one more than anything I've done in a long time.

[Mu Satach]

I've just about reclaimed my desk at home for this. I still need to do all my planning this week so I spend the time in Nov. actually writing, instead of wondering what to write.

[Rossos Atrapes]

I'm sure others have found it, but I found it amusing enough that I'd like to see the results others got.

Lulu Titlescorer (http://www.lulu.com/titlescorer/index.php)

On an unrelated note, I'm debating whether I want to write what I've been planning on writing. There's another one which is more fleshed out which has caught my fancy set in the 20's. It's also got a motorcycle in there as a big part of the story... I wonder if that says something about me.

[Mandy with an I]

I know, four days away and I want to alter my outline. By alter, I mean completely revamp >_<

[Mu Satach]

*music cue* It's the final countdown!

Have fun getting the synth trumpet out of your head. ;)

[Captain Untouchable]

*music cue* It's the final countdown!

Have fun getting the synth trumpet out of your head. ;)

...damn you. :shakefist

[Dasquian Belargic]

Who says I want it out of my head? :smokin

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[Captain Untouchable]

Blarg. Looks like the ongoing internet / accomodation / employment saga is going to sabotage my participation this year. >_<

To cut a long story short, I have to go half-way across the country to find somewhere to work and live. If I have computer access and an internet connection, it'll likely be infrequent and, as relaxing as I find writing, I don't want to be forcing myself into doing it lest it turn into a chore.

Real life sucks. :mad

[Dasquian Belargic]

Well, that sucks :hug

...are you coming North, by any chance?

[Captain Untouchable]

Moving to London, unfortunately. :uhoh

Looking at somewhere around Hammersmith or Harrow, possibly sharing a two-bed with one of my sisters, if we can find somewhere.

I may have to try and get myself to Live at the Apollo, if I'm in Hammersmith... :mischief

[Ilias Nytrau]

Miriya has accomplished her day one goal of 5000 words. It was accomplished (and surpassed by 32 words!) at four minutes to midnight.

This is going to be a winning year for me, folks! :D

[Mu Satach]

Woo! Way to go!

[Droo]

Oh, nice one! Wish I could say the same but I only got halfway to my first day goal with just over 2000 words. I hope to get to 4000 tonight and with the whole day off tomorrow, who knows?

[Dasquian Belargic]

Tips from the "No Plot? No Problem!" novel writing kit:

Day 1: The first day. A blank page. And a slight panic about starting the book of on the right foot. But you know what? There are no wrong feet. Take a tip from freewheeling graphic design guru Bruce Mau on the subject of beginnings: "Not knowing where to begin is a common form of paralysis. Begin anywhere."

Day 2: Writing a novel is like working with clay. You first create a rough shape, then massage that shape into something beautiful, such as an ashtray or a fearsome army of worms. Unlike potters, though, who can simply buy clay at the art supply store, novelists have to pull off the supernatural feat of creating their clay with their minds. It's an amazing accomplishment, really, and it's also why postponing judgment of your work until the end of your first draft is so important. What you started producing yesterday is novelling clay - valuable, essential, and variably lumpy. It's beauty will grow as you work it.

[Droo]

postponing judgment of your work until the end of your first draft is so important

I have so much difficulty with this, it's agony. When I write a chapter, what I find is I lose the rythmn of the narrative and I back track to get back into the swing of things, and as I do I start cropping and editing and improving a sentence here and adding a phrase there. Consequently, my progress thus far is awful but being the way I am, I find it difficult to procede until I know that what is behind me is of a decent standard.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I know how you feel. I actually went back and tampered with my first few paragraphs today, though it was necessary because I hadn't started off quite how I intended to. I've fixed that now and I'm enjoying getting on with writing :)

[Mandy with an I]

I have....a sentence!

>_<

At least I wrote something today, unlike yesterday when I wrote nothing at all ....:ohno

[Callista]

I totally added all you people - bwahahaha: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/583415

...yeah I have nothing so far :P

[Rossos Atrapes]

803 words.

[Callista]

I'm so excited! Way back in Jr. High and High School I use to write a LOT - I had several novels started and ideas jotted down for other ones. I was just skimming through them to see if any of the ones I hadn't started jumped out at me and towards the back of my big binder I find this random page with an idea I don't remember at all.

The idea fits so perfectly with what we've been discussing in my Tolkien and Myth Lit. class, although it definitely won't be a Tolkien (much less serious and poorly written in comparison xD) ... I'm so freaking excited! :D

I have 786 words...though I guess most of that is just quickly jotting down ideas as they spring to mind. The actual count for the story is only 232 - lol.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Think I'm finally done for the day. At a little over 3,300 words I managed to get a prologue and a first chapter done and already the second chapter is forming itself in my head so tomorrow if work is still slow will probably be another mad writing spree.

All in all, I feel I might actually be able to do this! I kinda ran over the basic outline with my boyfriend the other day just to get a feel if I had anything and he's expressed a concern that ...well...my story might be too big. Which is great! I rather have too much to get out than find myself stuck for ideas halfway through.

:D so yeah, insanely optimistic still here.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Day 3: One of my favorite books is called Rules of Thumb 2. The volume covers thousands of guidelines for any number of essential day-to-day activities, such as properly estimating a submerged crocodiles length and surviving a pistol duel. The dueling hint was submitted by historian Jim Barber, who writes: "When dueling with firearms, always aim lower than your opponent's vital area- to pierce the heart, aim at the knees." This is something you'll do well to keep in mind in these early days of Week One.

Abandon the stultifying notion of brilliance and aim instead for the low mark of completion. It'll take the pressure off of you, which will allow your writing to become looser and more ambitious, paradoxically raising the quality of your book. It's Barber's law: Aiming low is the best way to suceed.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

My aim is to race you, Ms. Wrar. You passed me today. This demands blood. *unwraps bandages on fingers and cracks knuckles*

[Mandy with an I]

Hooray! After a hard (and shitty!) day at work, I finally started! :D Hopefully it will be less busy so I can write more.


Yes, I am writing mine, on paper. With a pen. :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

Day Four:

Demographers have been noting the decreasing size of families in industrialised nations for decades. They pin it on everything from rising education rates among women to the decrease in family farming. But I know the real culprit: With a skyrocketing number of baby names to pick from, would-be parents avoid having children because they can't decide what to name the things.

As you birth your cast of characters this week, you can reduce your naming stress by simply borrowing monikers from the Great Library of Character Names. It's published annually by your phone company; look for the large white book on your shelf next to the Yellow Pages.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I hate naming people (and, as you can tell, I am fairly bad at it), so I whole heartedly echo agreement with the difficulty of naming your fictional babies.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

:shakefist The phone book is insufficient when you are writing uber strange fantasy and people have weirdo names that readers will argue on how to pronounce!

[Dasquian Belargic]

I just say random syllables aloud until something sounds good ^_^;

I was going to say post a little widget from http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/widgets to show us how your wordcount is going, but the server is not working :\

[Zero]

Fantasy name generator: http://www.rinkworks.com/namegen/

I name thee: Sarith Idaillodeu!

[Dasquian Belargic]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/node/1065561

^ Nano Pep-talk from Neil Gaiman aaaand here is an entirely new pep-talk for this year from Jasper Fforde:


Dear Writer,


I once wrote a novel in 22 days. 31 chapters, 62,000 words. I didn’t do much else—bit of sleeping, eating, bath or two—I just had three weeks to myself and a lot of ideas, an urge to write, a 486 DOS laptop and a quiet room. The book was terrible. 62,000 words and only twenty-seven in the right order. It was ultimately junked but here’s the important thing: It was one of the best 22 days I ever spent. A colossal waste of ink it was, a waste of time it was not.


Because here’s the thing: Writing is not something you can do or you can’t. It’s not something that ‘other people do’ or ‘for smart people only’ or even ‘for people who finished school and went to University’. Nonsense. Anyone can do it. But no-one can do it straight off the bat. Like plastering, brain surgery or assembling truck engines, you have to do a bit of training—get your hands dirty—and make some mistakes. Those 22 days of mine were the start, and only the start, of my training. The next four weeks and 50,000 words will be the start of your training, too.


There’s a lot to learn, and you won’t have figured it all in 50,000 words, but it’ll be enough for you to know that you don’t know it all, and that it will come, given time. You’ll have written enough to see an improvement, and to start to have an idea over what works and what doesn’t. Writing is a subtle art that is reached mostly by self-discovery and experimentation. A manual on knitting can tell you what to do, but you won’t be able to make anything until you get your hands on some wool and some needles and put in some finger time. Writing needs to be practiced; there is a limit to how much can be gleaned from a teacher or a manual. The true essence of writing is out there, in the world, and inside, within yourself. To write, you have to give.


What do you give? Everything. Your reader is human, like you, and human experience in all its richness is something that we all share. Readers are interested in the way a writer sees things; the unique world-view that makes you the person you are, and makes your novel interesting. Ever met an odd person? Sure. Ever had a weird job? Of course. Ever been to a strange place? Definitely. Ever been frightened, sad, happy, or frustrated? You betcha. These are your nuts and bolts, the constructor set of your novel. All you need to learn is how to put it all together. How to wield the spanners.


And this is why 30 days and 50,000 words is so important. Don’t look at this early stage for every sentence to be perfect—that will come. Don’t expect every description to be spot-on. That will come too. This is an opportunity to experiment. It’s your giant blotter. An empty slate, ready to be filled. It’s an opportunity to try out dialogue, to create situations, to describe a summer’s evening. You’ll read it back to yourself and you’ll see what works, you’ll see what doesn’t. But this is a building site, and it’s not meant to be pretty, tidy, or even safe. Building sites rarely are. But every great building began as one.


So where do you start? Again, it doesn’t matter. You might like to sketch a few ideas down on the back of an envelope, spend a week organizing a master-plan or even dive in head first and see where it takes you. All can work, and none is better than any other. The trick about writing is that you do it the way that’s best for you. And during the next 50,000 words, you may start to discover that, too.


But the overriding importance is that the 50,000 words don’t have to be good. They don’t even have to be spelled properly, punctuated or even tabulated neatly on the page. It’s not important. Practice is what’s important here, because, like your granny once told you, practice does indeed make perfect. Concert violinists aren’t born that way, and the Beatles didn’t get to be good by a quirk of fate. They all put in their time. And so will you. And a concerted effort to get words on paper is one of the best ways to do it. The lessons learned over the next thirty days will be lessons that you can’t get from a teacher, or a manual, or attending lectures. The only way to write is to write. Writers write. And when they’ve written, they write some more. And the words get better, and sentences form easier, and dialogue starts to snap. It’s a great feeling when it happens. And it will. Go to it.

-Jasper Fforde


Jasper Fforde is the best-selling author of the Thursday Next and Nursery Crime books. He has been writing for twenty years, but only published for ten. His training took a while. His eighth book, Shades of Grey, will be published in January 2010. He lives and writes in Wales, has a large family and likes to fly aeroplanes.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Day 5 - Borrow Mercilessly:

One of the best ways to learn to do something is to emulate those whose work you admire.

The treat (and task) for today is to drop by the bookstore and pick up a novel by an author whose voice you've always loved. Read the first few pages of your purchase before you start writing, and pick out the methods the writer uses to create the mood you find so appealing.

Is it the folksy vocabulary and informal writing style? The electric buzz of clipped, declarative sentences? Or the poetric, lyrical style of flowing sentences and sensual adjectives? Whatever it is, borrow the elements you love and use them thoroughout today's writing session.

[Droo]

I'm on the verge of pulling out of this altogether. I'm finding myself writing things that aren't relevant to the story because I want to keep writing, otherwise I run the risk of falling miles behind on the word count, and I'm sick of it. I get more satisfaction from feeling I'm writing something of quality, as opposed to just writing lots and lots of words, so instead of looking back at the five hundred words I've written quickly I get no feeling of accomplishment, just frustration because I know most of it is just filler. Nanowrimo is giving me bad habits and is making me feel really miserable and inadequate as a writer.

[Rossos Atrapes]

^ "At that part of the book already?"

[Dragon]

Your mileage may vary - but I think the idea is that bad writing is easier to edit than no writing. I wish I was better at writing badly, because often I'm paralyzed by half-formed (or unformed) ideas and just don't get anywhere. Sometimes you really do need to vomit on the page and then find out later what worked and what didn't - or just get yourself moving along to the next good part of the story and then rework the in-between bits later.

Still, NaNo is a very extreme exercise. Rather than pull out, maybe relax your wordcount goal? 30,000 or 25,000 words instead of 50,000?

[Dasquian Belargic]

I know that some of what I am writing is not my best writing, but at the same time I think it's a useful exercise for the reason's Dragon mentioned. I have re-read some of what I've written so far and I know that it's not all even good, let alone great, but I can see where I need to edit and I can think of ways I'll be able do that. The difference is that at least for now, I'm not letting myself edit. I'm just getting the story out and worrying about polishing it all later.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

:lol I'm so amused at the moment... only a little over 5700 words and already my characters are doing things, liking things, etc that I didn't know about. And considering I've had this merry little band running about in my head for the last 5 years, I thought I knew everything!

I may not be moving along as quickly as I'd like (though I do have almost this entire weekend to myself to write...though I'll probably just be lazy and play Dragon Age instead) but I am having fun... so... yep, still overly positive here.

[Callista]

They're doing this all over the boards so I thought I'd do it over here.

Your novel in 20 words or less! GO!


Mine:

Gods, creation of a world, betrayal, mystical races, centuries of war, an epic battle and a lesson to be learned.

It's hard for mine to be summed up in only 20 words xD I feel as though it doesn't make any sense - haha

[Rossos Atrapes]

Story in 20 words or less:

A man and a little girl are chased by hit-men trying to protect a fragile peace in their city.

19 words.

[Mandy with an I]

H1N1 Vaccine equals Zombies. End Times shenanigans ensue.

[Droo]

A delinquent is inspired to write, searching for the author of a stolen story, and contemplates a future without crime.

Bang on 20 words!

[Dasquian Belargic]

20 words or less:

Big trouble in Imperial China as an exiled samurai-scribe unleashes the power of spirit words on unsuspecting alchemists.

:uhoh

[Emelie Shadowstar]

20 words? o_o Uhhh...

High Priest goes on quest to find his god whom prophecies say will bring about the end of the world.


Yeah...that'll work.

Though adding in parts about a drunken viking-esque god and tattooed up anarchist zealots might be fun too.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Day Six - Go Wild!

Weird fact: Before Jerry Springer launched his brawling freak show on daytime TV, he was a serious progressive politician and highly respected mayor of Cincinnati. In his heyday, many Ohioans even saw him as a likely candidate for the U.S. presidency. As you begin worrying that you might be pushing the bounds of believability for some of your characters, remember Jerry and the countless other real-life stories you've heard that make the wildest fiction pale by compariosn.

Don't be afraid to leverage the power of unlikely coincidence and unbelievable occurences. Nothing could be more true to life.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

20 words or less:

People laugh, people cry. People love, people lie. People live, people die. World's still turning? World's still turning.

18, or 20 if you don't accept 's.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Widgets are now live! http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/widgets

<img src="http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/LiveSupporter/225320.png">

[Rossos Atrapes]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/LiveSupporter/533272.png

[Emelie Shadowstar]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/511264.png

whoo :D

[Mandy with an I]

yes, I have....


506 words!

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/WordWar/225320-519486.png

:D

[Dasquian Belargic]

:shakefist

Day 7 - Skeletons in the Closet

So many of the things we take as a given in everyday life were actually the result of a bitter struggle between two opposing forces. Take, for example, the custom of saying "Hello?" when answering the phone. It seems like a natural extension of a face-to-face conversation, right? If telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell had had his way, though, we'd all be saying "Ahoy, ahoy" when our cell phone rings. He thought that the nautical salutation was more fitting, and he was disgruntled that the plainer "Hello" suggested by inventor Thomas Edison caught on instead.

Today, use part of your writing session to explore a given about your protagonist's life or personality and reveal one of the suprising struggles that brought him or her to their current state.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

Alas, no matter how many words I may climb ahead, I will never make up the coolness gap that resulted from your badass Halloween costume.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I am falling behind due to flu-induced braindeadness |I

[Mu Satach]

<img src="http://www.nanowrimo.org/NanowrimoUtils/NanowrimoMiniGraph/517949.png" />

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

So, thought I'd pop in with a straw poll: What is everyone listening to while they write? Do you have a specific soundtrack, or is it what you normally listen to/normally listen to when you're feeling creative?

[Droo]

Silence. Absolute silence. There cannot be a single sound when I am writing otherwise there'll be murder. Consequently, the poor fambo have been on edge around me since the 1st...^_^;

[Dasquian Belargic]

Usually I have a couple signature tracks per character that will get me in the mood to write them, but when I'm actually writing I need something instrumental that fits the scene. I have been using the soundtrack from BioWare's Jade Empire lately.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I've found that the Battlestar Galactica soundtracks make excellent background music. There is a lot of variation in them, which tends to help with the changing moods of the writing itself. I broke a promise to myself (that I would only write while at work, so as not to become a zombie with no social life) after having a pair of bad days last week with guests which prevented me from doing any writing. I am taking today to do a make up and am 1t 2400 for the day while having just passed 10k overall. This excites me!

[Dasquian Belargic]

Stop getting so far ahead of me :shakefist

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I'll tell you what. I'll stop for the night, but you have to find a way to infect me with the flu; it's been about 10 months since I took a sick day, but I get mandatory time off if I have flu symptoms. So lay it on me!

[Rossos Atrapes]

Since starting to write this, I have come up with two more ideas for novels and one for a short story. This is annoying.

[Emelie Shadowstar]

:eee

I had SO much fun today. I went to the write-in hosted by a region that, while not my "home" one, that uhh encompasses Anaheim, which is basically a second home for me lately anyway. Anyway... they had this silly idea to go the the Build-A-Bear place that's in the huge outdoor mall area right near Disneyland...make some "muses", get some lunch, and get some writing done. While I didn't get a TON of writing done while there, only about 1,000 words (okay...so, give me a break, we ended up writing in a bar/lounge where my *ahem* beverage had a glowing ice cube in it...I was distracted)... it was a GREAT experience to just meet and chitchat with others doing this... for some like me it was their first time, others have done it (and succeeded) a few years now so it was a great mix and yeah...lots of fun. :D

I'd really suggest going to a write-in if you can get to one near you. While you probably won't walk away with a teddy bear that represents your main protagonist and a glowy fake ice cube like I did... you will meet people trying to do this and it's fun just how much advice/encouragement that can give ya. :D


...Ok...done wasting words on this. Back to the novel. :twak

[Mandy with an I]

I'm really thinking of giving up. I have no motivation to write and this past week has totally kicked my ass. I might just write what I can and see how far I can go :(

As excited as I was to do this, being depressed as hell isnt helping right now.

[Rossos Atrapes]

I might just write what I can and see how far I can go.

That's what I've been doing the entire time.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

The pep talk today was awesome. :D

[Ilias Nytrau]

Oh yeah. I've been at 20K since Sunday night. Dun eat me, please? :lol

[Callista]

I SERIOUSLY doubt I get very far into this...I have so much reading I have to catch up for my literature class and my two economic classes...I have 2 2nd midterms this month and then am off to WY for Thanksgiving...so yeah...I so doubt this...

Anywho, my real post was about this!

Radio Rivendell (http://www.radiorivendell.com/index.php?pageId=58)

It plays mostly lyric free fantasy music!

[Dasquian Belargic]

I am having some epic nano fail. I completely forgot about writing for a number of days >_<

[Emelie Shadowstar]

Jenny.... :shakefist

What have you started? >:

I find my usual arsenal of characters milling about in my head, tossing out ideas, etc... have all gone on vacation! I tried to post as Em or Sadie the other day and it was like an echoing cave in my head where they once were.

Instead I have these characters from the novel bouncing about and they won't let me be. I had an effin DREAM about them, okay?? :lol

Damn yous.... damn yous to hell.


Oh. And the fact I don't have a frakkin title for this damn thing is driving me up the wall at this point. Hate. Titles.

[Mu Satach]

I should be writing.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

While I realize that many of you have been pulled away due to your other commitments, I passed 40,000 words last night and am actually very excited. :eee

Tragically I have just begun writing Chapter Three. My timeline has 12 chapters. I am now filled with fear. :ohno

[Mu Satach]

Congrats! :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Damn, some of you are blazing the trail to 50k and beyond.

Congrats :)

[Emelie Shadowstar]

I'm kinda terrified by the fact I'm still with this, really. And the fact I'm not utterly bored by the story yet. I've been working in Google Docs that is wonderfully evil in the fact it doesn't show you all the stats of your document all the time like Word does.

...Though opening up your document in Word and seeing you have 70 pages written is kinda mind boggling.

[Ahnk Rashanagok]

I'm going to one of those "Thank god it's over" parties on tuesday as well. They were nice enough to book the restaurant that is ten minutes from my house. :D

[Ilias Nytrau]

51K. I crossed the finish line tonight.

Oh, YES. Giggity.

:lol

[Emelie Shadowstar]

...So uhh... I guess I can start catching up on posts on December 1? :lol

I have my epilogue to write tomorrow...and the novel overall has a TON of tidying up/expanding/plot hole fixing to be done to it before I'd actually let anyone read the damn thing... but for now it's done. Just barely over 50k (the epilogue will put it well over, though, I'm sure.)...but for now, I shall claim my victory and pretend I didn't just go insane for a month straight.

[Callista]

Congrats you two! I'm totally impressed :D I lost way back on like Nov 7th or something - lol...750 words total! GO ME! ;)

[Mu Satach]

Congrats to you both! Epic achievement. =)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Yeah, no kidding. Big congrats for the both of you, and anyone else who made it to the finish line :)

[Ilias Nytrau]

And now?

Back to RP. :lol