The NaNo Thread

[Thorns and Spices]

Hi gang! Yus it is That Time Again, when we amp up for NANOWRIMO. But! This is not really a NaNo guild. So, for those eager, I encourage joining and participating in This Guild which has undergone a recent revamp.

Otherwise, keep NaNo chatter to this thread. Thanks! biggrin

So! Will anyone be participating this year? Would you like to share your usernames, etc?  

[Esiris]

I am! I don't know if I want to use the same account I did last year though since I have a school email.  

[HorsesOfTheNight]

I wish I could do NANO...but I don't have the time. sweatdrop

I write that many words in a month in technical papers sometimes... xp  

[too2sweet]

I'm thinking about it, but I didn't get very far last year, so I don't know that I'd do any better this go around. Not even sure what I'd write if I did.  

[Dark Doe Alysse]

I'm going for it, I think I have a good idea going, we'll see if I get the time.  

[Thorns and Spices]

too2sweet

I'm thinking about it, but I didn't get very far last year, so I don't know that I'd do any better this go around. Not even sure what I'd write if I did.

You still have 11 days to think of an idea! biggrin

I'd been thinking since the 10th and I've only really just started to solidify an idea.  

[Dark Doe Alysse]

too2sweet

I'm thinking about it, but I didn't get very far last year, so I don't know that I'd do any better this go around. Not even sure what I'd write if I did.

Thorns and Spices

You still have 11 days to think of an idea! biggrin

I'd been thinking since the 10th and I've only really just started to solidify an idea.

“тнє ∂єρтн σƒ ∂αякηєѕѕ тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη ∂єѕcєη∂ αη∂ ѕтιℓℓ ℓινє
ιѕ αη єχαcт мєαѕυяє σƒ тнє нєιgнт тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη αѕριяє тσ яєαcн.”

Exactly what she said. You still have time, and if in doubt, do what I did last year, wing it!! If I don't have a solid idea, sometimes I find that writing down/typing up the first ideas that come to my head, and then picking the one I like the most. Or going off of dreams. That works too. Although they can sometimes be really weird and crazy, if you take out some of the stuff, they can really work! Depending of course on what kind of dreams you normally have and what you like writing about.

Of course, I've had my idea since August and have been fleshing in out for a while, but last year I didn't come up with my idea 'till like, a week beforehand.

Just in the subject of interest, what kind of novels/stories do you like to read/write? I'm more of a fantasy writer, but I did experiment with Sci-fi in a writing course that I took. I do enjoy that too, since I LOVE science. except for physics, I loath physics...

"ʌʅʅ ʛɾєʌƭ ʌɲɗ ƅєʌυƭɪƒυʅ ɯơɾƙ ɦʌƨ ƈơɱє
ơƒ ƒɪɾƨƭ ʛʌȥɪɲʛ ɯɪƭɦơυƭ ƨɦɾɪɲƙɪɲʛ ɪɲƭơ ƭɦє ɗʌɾƙɲєƨƨ." ~John Ruskin

 

[too2sweet]

Dark Doe Alysse

too2sweet

I'm thinking about it, but I didn't get very far last year, so I don't know that I'd do any better this go around. Not even sure what I'd write if I did.

Thorns and Spices

You still have 11 days to think of an idea! biggrin

I'd been thinking since the 10th and I've only really just started to solidify an idea.

“тнє ∂єρтн σƒ ∂αякηєѕѕ тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη ∂єѕcєη∂ αη∂ ѕтιℓℓ ℓινє
ιѕ αη єχαcт мєαѕυяє σƒ тнє нєιgнт тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη αѕριяє тσ яєαcн.”

Exactly what she said. You still have time, and if in doubt, do what I did last year, wing it!! If I don't have a solid idea, sometimes I find that writing down/typing up the first ideas that come to my head, and then picking the one I like the most. Or going off of dreams. That works too. Although they can sometimes be really weird and crazy, if you take out some of the stuff, they can really work! Depending of course on what kind of dreams you normally have and what you like writing about.

Of course, I've had my idea since August and have been fleshing in out for a while, but last year I didn't come up with my idea 'till like, a week beforehand.

Just in the subject of interest, what kind of novels/stories do you like to read/write? I'm more of a fantasy writer, but I did experiment with Sci-fi in a writing course that I took. I do enjoy that too, since I LOVE science. except for physics, I loath physics...

"ʌʅʅ ʛɾєʌƭ ʌɲɗ ƅєʌυƭɪƒυʅ ɯơɾƙ ɦʌƨ ƈơɱє
ơƒ ƒɪɾƨƭ ʛʌȥɪɲʛ ɯɪƭɦơυƭ ƨɦɾɪɲƙɪɲʛ ɪɲƭơ ƭɦє ɗʌɾƙɲєƨƨ." ~John Ruskin

That's really my problem, I'm not much of a writer. I'm great at coming up with ideas and basic outlines, but when it comes down to actually writing the dialog and stuff... I fail. Of the things I've been working on over the years, it runs the range of things - historical, romance, thriller, fantasy, etc... I don't really have a particular "genre".  

[Dark Doe Alysse]

too2sweet

That's really my problem, I'm not much of a writer. I'm great at coming up with ideas and basic outlines, but when it comes down to actually writing the dialog and stuff... I fail. Of the things I've been working on over the years, it runs the range of things - historical, romance, thriller, fantasy, etc... I don't really have a particular "genre".

“тнє ∂єρтн σƒ ∂αякηєѕѕ тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη ∂єѕcєη∂ αη∂ ѕтιℓℓ ℓινє
ιѕ αη єχαcт мєαѕυяє σƒ тнє нєιgнт тσ ωнιcн уσυ cαη αѕριяє тσ яєαcн.”

Ah... Well, all I can say, is that it's just like drawing, the more you practice, the better you get. I don't know what you're writing's like, since I've never read any of your work, but if you give it out to friends and family and such, and ask 'what did you like, what can I improve on?' You could get some constructive criticism, or depending on what kind of people you know, some straight out advice. After all, I know my friends are always itching to read what I've written and get excited when I talk about a story I'm thinking of, and I don't consider myself to be that great.

If you really love to write, than just keep at it! I you want to, you could see if there are some writing courses that are available for you to take, but depending on what kind of person is teaching the course (I was lucky enough to have an amazing one!) they might try to restrict your creativeness, or at least that's what I've been told...

As for genre, just do whatever you like. I stick to fantasy and sci-fi because I like them, and I've never really tried the others, although I might one day. You can write whatever genre you want to, right? It sounds like you've got experience with several genres at least, which is good, better than me, I know that when I tried writing horror stories I would always fail.... Although I haven't tried anytime recently. In fact, for this years nano, I'm trying with a real-world setting, which might put my writing more in the realm of YAF.

OH, and another thing, this may not apply to you depending on how you write, but never be afraid to hurt your characters or have bad things happen to them. After all, it's things that go wrong (whether created by the antagonist or not) that make the story interesting, at least in my opinion. And as a publish author once told me, 'Hurting your characters is like hurting your babies, and in this case, it's a good thing.' (unlike hurting real babies, that's not a good thing XD) If that piece of advice doesn't apply to you, then by all means, ignore it, or don't, your choice, after all, it never really applied to me, and I still find it to be one of my favorite pieces of advice.

Either way, I wish you luck, not just in nano, if you do decide to go for it, but in your writing in general!

And I don't know if you've ever received a welcome e-mail from the nano site, but they give some great words of advice:

"1) It's okay to not know what you're doing. Really. You've read a lot of novels, so you're completely up to the challenge of writing one. If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, do so. But it's also fine to just wing it. Write every day, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you're not sure what that story might be right now.
2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it's hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.

3) Tell everyone you know that you're writing a novel in November. This will pay big dividends in Week Two, when the only thing keeping you from quitting is the fear of looking pathetic in front of all the people who've had to hear about your novel for the past month. Seriously. Email them now about your awesome new book. The looming specter of personal humiliation is a very reliable muse.
3.5) There will be times you'll want to quit during November. This is okay. Everyone who wins NaNoWriMo wanted to quit at some point in November. Stick it out. See it through. Week Two can be hard. Week Three is much better. Week Four will make you want to yodel.
And we're talking the good kind of yodeling here."

So once again, good luck! And sorry this was so long... >.<

"ʌʅʅ ʛɾєʌƭ ʌɲɗ ƅєʌυƭɪƒυʅ ɯơɾƙ ɦʌƨ ƈơɱє
ơƒ ƒɪɾƨƭ ʛʌȥɪɲʛ ɯɪƭɦơυƭ ƨɦɾɪɲƙɪɲʛ ɪɲƭơ ƭɦє ɗʌɾƙɲєƨƨ." ~John Ruskin

 

[too2sweet]

Anyone participating this year?  

[oOGarrettOo]

I'm up to 12k so far. Haven't writen yet today, shame on me.

Mostly dialogue so far. Dialogue is quick.