[NaNoWriMo] Go ... And Stop.

[dgcasey]

Yessireebob, NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. Good lord, didn't we just finish with it? Anyway, it's time for those of us that like to know where we're going when we sit down at the keyboard, to start getting our ideas in order and ready for Day One. I have a couple of novels close to being finished, that together are within about 50-60K words combined, of being completed. I am going to spend the month of October, working on details, checking for plot holes and getting ready to finish both during the month of November.

I hope everyone is getting excited and ready to power through 50,000+ words for the win.

 


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[Jeff Tanyard]

Good luck. 

[Michelle Louring]

Best of luck to everyone joining in!

As usual, I'll sit back and admire other people's dedication and (in some cases) madness 

[dgcasey]

I'm betting everyone is happy I didn't say something like, 85 days until Christmas!

Oops. 

 

[katc]

Good luck!

I've tried it quite a few times through the years. I never quite made it to 50,000, but I did get some really good stories to work with afterwards.
I was thinking of giving it a shot this year, but I'm still on the fence.

[Simon Haynes]

Good luck everyone!

I was about to say I'm not doing it myself, then realised I'm planning to write that amount anyway. So, I'm in!

https://nanowrimo.org/participants/simon-haynes

[RCoots]

Good luck guys! I did it last year. Got all my words too. And spent the last week of November and half of December whimpering and cradling my hands.  No more for me. 

[Simon Haynes]

Good luck guys! I did it last year. Got all my words too. And spent the last week of November and half of December whimpering and cradling my hands.  No more for me. 

Yeah, I used to end up like that. I know the feeling.

But this year I've written roughly 65-70k a month for 7 months straight. Sounds like a lot, but writing is my one and only job, and I have very little in the way of distractions. (Why can't the forum go down again? Curses!)

[WasAnn]

Not sure if I'm doing it again this year. For me, it's never a problem of getting the words down (one year I did over 90K on a novel!). For me, it's the result. It's not my normal process, so it's a hot mess. Only one book that I've completed during a NaNo has been published. The rest are still hot messes.

[Simon Haynes]

Not sure if I'm doing it again this year. For me, it's never a problem of getting the words down (one year I did over 90K on a novel!). For me, it's the result. It's not my normal process, so it's a hot mess. Only one book that I've completed during a NaNo has been published. The rest are still hot messes.

That is definitely an issue. I have three or four nano novels I never completed, and when I go back and look at them, I realise it's less work to rewrite them from scratch.


On the other hand, if I work to a plot outline I know I'll be fine. Less fun than winging it, but I've just had three novels worth of winging it and a bit of plotting will be like a holiday!

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

I've done three Camp Nanos (plus one on my own). How is regular Nano different?

[Max]

I love Nano. I usually write a lot anyway, so sometimes everyday life feels like a Nano, but in truth, I love, love, love the way the community (online and off) comes together over this event. Yep, I love it!

ETA. I fixed a comma. Yeesh. Now I have to put why I edited it, and my boo-boo is glaringly put there for the world to see. Should have left it alone.

[cecilia_writer]

I love Nano. I usually write a lot, anyway, so sometimes everyday life feels like a Nano, but in truth, I love, love, love the way the community (online and off) comes together over this event. Yep, I love it!

I like the community spirit too. We have a great local NaNo group that meets right through the year on Thursdays. There isn't any reading out or critique, just write-ins, food and occasional table-tennis.

[Post-Crisis D]

I'm betting everyone is happy I didn't say something like, 85 days until Christmas!

Oops. 

 

Only 30 days until Halloween!

[munboy]

I've thought about doing it but never have. Mainly because I write what I can when I can...a special month doesn't change that.


Also, November is No-Shave-November. Or Mowvember. I did do that a few years ago and never got around to shaving again. 

[RPatton]

Buddy up?


https://nanowrimo.org/participants/rpatton

[kathompson]

I'm still thinking about it. I tend to do it every year just to get the bones of a book out, but it feels kind of like cheating because I know my output is more than 50K anyway. OTOH, if the Spouse Thingy knows I'm doing it, I get a lot more quiet around here. 

[Angstriddengoddess]

Oh yay! For once, the stars aligned in my favor. I have a manuscript that's been sitting on the back burner while I finished a couple other books. I can ride the wave of Nano enthusiasm and get back into the flow again. 

[Jill Nojack]

I was much more productive when I was participating in Nano, including the camps, but working nights for a year and a half kicked my butt. I could just never work up the level of motivation to succeed at it when I was working ten hours while everyone else was asleep.

I think I'm going for a serious try for the win again this November. My local Nano group has write ins and runs online sprints through Facebook that really help me focus that I can attend now that I'm not a night creature. In any case, I need something to kick me into gear again.

[Robin]

Good luck everyone! I've never personally felt the need for Nano, but I admire everyone's dedication.

[Tiffmeister]

Yessireebob, NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. Good lord, didn't we just finish with it? Anyway, it's time for those of us that like to know where we're going when we sit down at the keyboard, to start getting our ideas in order and ready for Day One. I have a couple of novels close to being finished, that together are within about 50-60K words combined, of being completed. I am going to spend the month of October, working on details, checking for plot holes and getting ready to finish both during the month of November.

I hope everyone is getting excited and ready to power through 50,000+ words for the win.

 


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Good Lord. I'm still doing rewrites on my NaNo project from last year.

I guess I got to start thinking of a new project now. Or I can just think rewrites for the last one. Be a shame though. I wanted to get this novel out of me last year, and NaNo helped me do it.

I need to think of the next novel to get out of me.

[Simon Haynes]

By the way, not to start a debate but I've always considered NanoWrimo to be 'write 50k in a month', not 'write a novel in a month'.  One year I wrote two 26k middle-grade novels back-to-back, and I still consider that a 'win'.

(This discussion comes up on the Nano forums from time to time, with some adamant you have to start a new novel and write the whole thing in 30 days. To them I say ... go for it.)



ETA: I missed a closing ' symbol. Yes, I proof and edit my posts...

[dgcasey]

(This discussion comes up on the Nano forums from time to time, with some adamant you have to start a new novel and write the whole thing in 30 days. To them I say ... go for it.)

I say write 50K words and consider it a win, whether it's a new novel or the continuation of one you're already working on. One year, I did what you did and wrote two short stories totaling about 54K words and didn't feel bad at all about claiming a win.

[The Doctor]

By the way, not to start a debate but I've always considered NanoWrimo to be 'write 50k in a month', not 'write a novel in a month'.  One year I wrote two 26k middle-grade novels back-to-back, and I still consider that a 'win'.

(This discussion comes up on the Nano forums from time to time, with some adamant you have to start a new novel and write the whole thing in 30 days. To them I say ... go for it.)

I'm going to use November to get as much of my existing wip finished. Currently over 12k words. So another 50k+ would be handy.

[cecilia_writer]

I am looking on it more as an excuse to temporarily abandon my WIP as I am going to reach the point when I need to do more research (it's a historical novel), and write the first draft of the 17th in my mystery series instead.

[Simon Haynes]

By the way, StoryBundle has a Nano-themed collection of how-to-write titles up for an absolute steal at $15 or more the lot (it's a pay-what-you-want deal)

https://storybundle.com/nano

Craig Martelle, Dean Wesley Smith, Kevin J. Anderson and others.

Disclaimer, I'm in the 'others'

[cecilia_writer]

By the way, StoryBundle has a Nano-themed collection of how-to-write titles up for an absolute steal at $15 or more the lot (it's a pay-what-you-want deal)

https://storybundle.com/nano

Craig Martelle, Dean Wesley Smith, Kevin J. Anderson and others.

Disclaimer, I'm in the 'others'

I am really tempted by this despite my decision a while ago never to read any more books about writing - it seems like an excellent deal.

[Simon Haynes]

By the way, StoryBundle has a Nano-themed collection of how-to-write titles up for an absolute steal at $15 or more the lot (it's a pay-what-you-want deal)

https://storybundle.com/nano

Craig Martelle, Dean Wesley Smith, Kevin J. Anderson and others.

Disclaimer, I'm in the 'others'

I am really tempted by this despite my decision a while ago never to read any more books about writing - it seems like an excellent deal.

Yes, I've done that in the past too. No more paperback books about writing - that was my promise ;-)

I just bought a set and had a quick look at a few. The Craig Martelle one isn't just about writing, it's about marketing and publishing and so on.

[Thaiphoon]

Gonna try to get my second book finished in Nov.

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

By the way, StoryBundle has a Nano-themed collection of how-to-write titles up for an absolute steal at $15 or more the lot (it's a pay-what-you-want deal)

I'm a sucker for how-to-write books, as seen by the seventy-nine books on my how-to-write shelf in GoodReads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/30180169-al-macy?shelf=how-to-write&sort=rating

However, they always inspire me and there's usually an important tip or two that I can use right away.

Note that you can choose to spend only $5 and get these four books (which is what I just did):

How to Write a Novel by Simon Haynes
Story Pitch by Scott King
You Must Write by Kevin McLaughlin
Become a Successful Indie Author by Craig Martelle

ETA: When I loaded the MOBI versions into Calibre and sent them to my Kindle, the advanced character formatting was not available (e.g. bolding). When I instead loaded the ePub versions and sent those (via conversion), the formatting was available.

[cecilia_writer]

Just bought this. What sold it to me was the one about writing as a team, because when I saw the cover I remembered something I had been trying to forget, which was that I promised in a weak moment to organise the creation of a book on the history of a local organisation, a group project by older people (just kill me now). Anyway, I am hoping this might help!

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

I just finished You Must Write. Good book and good timing, because it recommends trying to write a better first draft, something that I've been considering.

[DougM]

I thinking of doing this year. So, my goal this month is to warm up and write 50k+ words. Hopefully that will get me in shape for November.

[Misti]

This will be my first year. I plan to have my current novel completed by the end of October and then I’ll jump right into the next for NaNo. I don’t want to lose steam during the holiday months so I’m hoping this will help keep me on track. Good luck to everyone participating this year!

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

How is regular Nano different?

From my Googling, it seems that the only difference is that there are no cabins in regular Nano.

I'm probably going to do it.

[dgcasey]

From my Googling, it seems that the only difference is that there are no cabins in regular Nano.

I'm probably going to do it.

You also can't adjust the goal in the November NaNoWriMo. It's set at 50K, whereas the camps can be set to whatever you want.

[Rose Andrews]

I really want to participate this year, like I do every one. But I've been struggling to finish a project that should have been completed in August. Now October and I'm still writing.    SO...doing NaNoWriMo largely depends on whether I'm able to complete this WIP once and for all.

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

Well, I set up my novel on NaNoWriMo.org. The die is cast--no backing out now.

[Jeff Tanyard]

Well, I set up my novel on NaNoWriMo.org. The die is cast--no backing out now.

Go get 'em, Al!   

[Simon Haynes]

Just bought this. What sold it to me was the one about writing as a team, because when I saw the cover I remembered something I had been trying to forget, which was that I promised in a weak moment to organise the creation of a book on the history of a local organisation, a group project by older people (just kill me now). Anyway, I am hoping this might help!

A book written by committee. Oh joy!

I'm famously averse to meetings, discussions and group-thinks of any kind. You have my sympathy.

[Simon Haynes]

I really want to participate this year, like I do every one. But I've been struggling to finish a project that should have been completed in August. Now October and I'm still writing.    SO...doing NaNoWriMo largely depends on whether I'm able to complete this WIP once and for all.

I'd just include the 'finishing of the current project' as part of your November wordcount. That's my plan, if I don't get my 3k per day between now and November 1st.

[Talbot]

Noooo, thank you. 

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

Here's something I don't get: When you're done, you can upload your manuscript to be verified (at least for CampNano). Then, you get a Winner badge.

I've done this once or twice, but is there a point? No one reads it and says "Okay, that's a novel." You could just upload 50K worth of "Hi, Mom!"

I'm not one to worry about my material being stolen--the risk is low--but the only benefit is a winner badge.

Why not just have writers say whether they finished? Use the honor system.

Or am I missing something?

[Edward M. Grant]

Or am I missing something?

There is no NaNo Police who'll come around and lock you up for cheating.

But what's the benefit to cheating?

[Al Macy (aka TromboneAl)]

I wasn't talking about cheating. I was wondering what the point of sending your first-draft manuscript in to cyberspace when there's no real "verification" going on.

[Edward M. Grant]

I wasn't talking about cheating. I was wondering what the point of sending your first-draft manuscript in to cyberspace when there's no real "verification" going on.

For those who aren't cheating, it updates your author stats with the correct final word-count.

That's about it.

[cecilia_writer]

I wasn't talking about cheating. I was wondering what the point of sending your first-draft manuscript in to cyberspace when there's no real "verification" going on.

I think there's a way of verifying with the whole thing replaced by xxx or something (there may be instructions somewhere on the website) but personally I can't be bothered doing that. Probably too tired by verification time.

[elleoco]

I think there's a way of verifying with the whole thing replaced by xxx or something (there may be instructions somewhere on the website) but personally I can't be bothered doing that. Probably too tired by verification time.

The idea of uploading a WIP to them bothers me too, more than Al since it stops me from participating. I'll look around the website and see if there's actually something like the xxx thing.

[Edward M. Grant]

The idea of uploading a WIP to them bothers me too, more than Al since it stops me from participating. I'll look around the website and see if there's actually something like the xxx thing.

You just do a global search and replace, replacing a-z with x. Then upload the text.

[GhostCricket]

I do the replace thing, and never worry about uploading. As for me, I'm in too. I'm also going for a lot more than 50,000. I'm in for... 200k