I've been doing NaNoWriMo since 2010, and I've won all four times so far. I also did a 15k Camp NaNoWriMo this year. I write fantasy stories that involve dragons. I'm normally a "pantser", but in 2011 I had scenes planned out on index cards, and it was a lot more fun and turned out a lot better. If I don't have a plan, I write a lot of filler garbage.
This year I'm thinking about writing science fiction just for a change of pace. I don't know very much about the genre at all, though - I don't read or watch any science fiction things except for Doctor Who. If I do it, then I'm probably going to write about robot dragons (I write about dragons every year, so it would be odd to change it now).
And @
Punkwitch, I'm very interested in an IRC group! I went to one in 2010 and it's really fun discussing NaNoWriMo and doing sprints together. I do NaNoWriMo with my parents, but they don't really do sprints.
I've been doing NaNoWriMo since 2010, and I've won all four times so far. I also did a 15k Camp NaNoWriMo this year. I write fantasy stories that involve dragons. I'm normally a "pantser", but in 2011 I had scenes planned out on index cards, and it was a lot more fun and turned out a lot better. If I don't have a plan, I write a lot of filler garbage.
This year I'm thinking about writing science fiction just for a change of pace. I don't know very much about the genre at all, though - I don't read or watch any science fiction things except for Doctor Who. If I do it, then I'm probably going to write about robot dragons (I write about dragons every year, so it would be odd to change it now).
And @
Punkwitch, I'm very interested in an IRC group! I went to one in 2010 and it's really fun discussing NaNoWriMo and doing sprints together. I do NaNoWriMo with my parents, but they don't really do sprints.
He/his/him. FR time +1.
Live chat with Chris Baty going on now, for anyone who's interested:
http://www.blurb.com/workshops/nanowrimo
I had not known about it until this moment, but I'm SO into this right now. I need the motivation and deadline. Definitely going to plan this one though, don't have time to go pantsing it. Maybe next year, or something like that...
I had not known about it until this moment, but I'm SO into this right now. I need the motivation and deadline. Definitely going to plan this one though, don't have time to go pantsing it. Maybe next year, or something like that...
@
Punkwitch I've been watching it from the beginning with my mom! It's so great. I'm also making notes of some parts, too.
@
ike9899 [EDIT: Maybe I misunderstood since I'm watching the webinar while posting. Did you mean maybe next year you'll pants, but you'll still do it this year? If so oh well someone else might want to read about not having time.] This is from Chris Baty on the webinar: "Nobody has the time to write a novel, but I think everybody can MAKE the time to write a novel. And when you do make the time to write a novel, I think it will completely change how you see the world and how you read books." Seriously, please don't wait until you "have time"! Everyone who does that ends up just waiting forever. "Maybe when I'm out of school..." "Maybe when my job calms down..." "Maybe when I retire..." You know?
Plus, another quote from someone in the webinar: "If you have nothing to do, it can be a chore just to get out of bed. And it gives you time in your head to think: 'Oh, this has to be perfect.'" I totally recommend writing when you're the most busy; I get my best writing done when I'm really rushed.
Also, everyone should read Lemony Snicket's pep talk:
http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/lemony-snicket Here's the start of it (and it gets better all the way up until the end):
Quote:
Struggling with your novel? Paralyzed by the fear that it’s nowhere near good enough? Feeling caught in a trap of your own devising? You should probably give up.
For one thing, writing is a dying form. One reads of this every day. Every magazine and newspaper, every hardcover and paperback, every website and most walls near the freeway trumpet the news that nobody reads anymore, and everyone has read these statements and felt their powerful effects. The authors of all those articles and editorials, all those manifestos and essays, all those exclamations and eulogies—what would they say if they knew you were writing something? They would urge you, in bold-faced print, to stop.
@
Punkwitch I've been watching it from the beginning with my mom! It's so great. I'm also making notes of some parts, too.
@
ike9899 [EDIT: Maybe I misunderstood since I'm watching the webinar while posting. Did you mean maybe next year you'll pants, but you'll still do it this year? If so oh well someone else might want to read about not having time.] This is from Chris Baty on the webinar: "Nobody has the time to write a novel, but I think everybody can MAKE the time to write a novel. And when you do make the time to write a novel, I think it will completely change how you see the world and how you read books." Seriously, please don't wait until you "have time"! Everyone who does that ends up just waiting forever. "Maybe when I'm out of school..." "Maybe when my job calms down..." "Maybe when I retire..." You know?
Plus, another quote from someone in the webinar: "If you have nothing to do, it can be a chore just to get out of bed. And it gives you time in your head to think: 'Oh, this has to be perfect.'" I totally recommend writing when you're the most busy; I get my best writing done when I'm really rushed.
Also, everyone should read Lemony Snicket's pep talk:
http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/lemony-snicket Here's the start of it (and it gets better all the way up until the end):
Quote:
Struggling with your novel? Paralyzed by the fear that it’s nowhere near good enough? Feeling caught in a trap of your own devising? You should probably give up.
For one thing, writing is a dying form. One reads of this every day. Every magazine and newspaper, every hardcover and paperback, every website and most walls near the freeway trumpet the news that nobody reads anymore, and everyone has read these statements and felt their powerful effects. The authors of all those articles and editorials, all those manifestos and essays, all those exclamations and eulogies—what would they say if they knew you were writing something? They would urge you, in bold-faced print, to stop.
He/his/him. FR time +1.
Ah, NaNo. I'm a pantser, but I've also never won since I'm horribly flaky about this kind of thing. I might scrape something together plans-wise in what remains of October so I can hopefully write 50k in a month instead of a year and a half.
Ah, NaNo. I'm a pantser, but I've also never won since I'm horribly flaky about this kind of thing. I might scrape something together plans-wise in what remains of October so I can hopefully write 50k in a month instead of a year and a half.
I've done nanowrimo six times. I've skipped a year twice, because of chaos and hectic RL, but I certainly plan on doing it this year.
Year 1: 52k in 26 days
Year 2: Barely hit my 50k scrapping and forcing it along, and taking on a cheesy bad epilogue at 28 days. Haha.
Year 3: No more screwin around. 67k in 22 days.
Year 4: 53k in 11 days.
Year 5: 51k in 6 days.
Year 6, Last year - 52k in 4 and a half days. Calling it 4 and a half because I had most of it done by the fourth day, and wrapped up the last 4k ish when I woke up after dying and sleeping for 10 hours >,>
http://echoesinthedark.webs.com/ Here is that just over 4 day long spastic key bang.
SO this year I plan on going for length rather than just outright speed.
The gameplan right now is to make 80k
My goal is going to be to pull that off in 10 days.
I've done nanowrimo six times. I've skipped a year twice, because of chaos and hectic RL, but I certainly plan on doing it this year.
Year 1: 52k in 26 days
Year 2: Barely hit my 50k scrapping and forcing it along, and taking on a cheesy bad epilogue at 28 days. Haha.
Year 3: No more screwin around. 67k in 22 days.
Year 4: 53k in 11 days.
Year 5: 51k in 6 days.
Year 6, Last year - 52k in 4 and a half days. Calling it 4 and a half because I had most of it done by the fourth day, and wrapped up the last 4k ish when I woke up after dying and sleeping for 10 hours >,>
http://echoesinthedark.webs.com/ Here is that just over 4 day long spastic key bang.
SO this year I plan on going for length rather than just outright speed.
The gameplan right now is to make 80k
My goal is going to be to pull that off in 10 days.
@
Kyrtian that pep talk is legit the best thing I've ever read. Four for you, Lemony Snicket, four for you. Also, permanently printed out and on my wall for the next time I get a novel-induced anxiety attack.
I'm doing nanowrimo this year for the first time ever... I'm a pantser, cause planning is a bit... anxiety inducing...... but I'm trying to set something out this time. Never planned a novel before so I'm using 'the snowflake method', which my friend says is good...? Really hope this works out okay. I've wanted to do this for aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages :)
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Kyrtian that pep talk is legit the best thing I've ever read. Four for you, Lemony Snicket, four for you. Also, permanently printed out and on my wall for the next time I get a novel-induced anxiety attack.
I'm doing nanowrimo this year for the first time ever... I'm a pantser, cause planning is a bit... anxiety inducing...... but I'm trying to set something out this time. Never planned a novel before so I'm using 'the snowflake method', which my friend says is good...? Really hope this works out okay. I've wanted to do this for aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages :)
@
kyrtian Ah! sorry for the misunderstanding... I do intend to do it this year, following an outline. Next year, when I'm not in school, I'm going to attempt to pants my novel, because I feel like i'm not very good at improvising (especially under pressure), and It's something I need to work on.
Thank you for the quotes though! I'm not sure I can write while i'm rushed, but it's a concept to look into XD
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kyrtian Ah! sorry for the misunderstanding... I do intend to do it this year, following an outline. Next year, when I'm not in school, I'm going to attempt to pants my novel, because I feel like i'm not very good at improvising (especially under pressure), and It's something I need to work on.
Thank you for the quotes though! I'm not sure I can write while i'm rushed, but it's a concept to look into XD
I've done it by pantsing but this year, i got an idea early that im rather excited about so im planning. super stoked.
I've done it by pantsing but this year, i got an idea early that im rather excited about so im planning. super stoked.
Oh man.... I tried NaNoWriMo once about five years ago, and got about to the halfway point, before my full time job just devoured me... Ever since I'd just been too intimidated to try it again. But... I'm wondering if it might be the kick in the butt I need to try and get my novel back on track.
Oh man.... I tried NaNoWriMo once about five years ago, and got about to the halfway point, before my full time job just devoured me... Ever since I'd just been too intimidated to try it again. But... I'm wondering if it might be the kick in the butt I need to try and get my novel back on track.
