NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month Options

[haute ecole rider]

Have any of you ever tried this?

National Novel Writing Month (fondly known as NaNoWriMo) is a challenge to writers everywhere (international, not just in the US) to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It doesn't have to be perfect. If it's crap, it's okay. They're not interested in what you write so much as challenging you to just simply write.

I have to agree with the concept. Just write 50,000 or more words in 30 days or less. There's time later to go back over the material and make it better.

I heard about it last year, but didn't join. This year I've decided to take the plunge. I'm wondering if any of my fellow writers here on Chorrol.com have tried this. If not, I'd appreciate encouragement from you! If so, please share your experiences - I'd love to hear about them!

For those of you who are curious about it, here it is:
NaNoWriMo

[SubRosa]

Goth Girl Danielle from the Beth forums did this. Her story there (Valkyrie?) was her entry if I recall. I thought about it when she mentioned it, but it is not for me. I do not like the short deadline, and the lack of time to do proper revisions. I know they claim that is supposed to help your writing by making you be more radical and 'edgy' with your writing. I cannot say I agree. To be honest, the lack of revising is one of the biggest problems I see with most brand new writers (and I will be the first to admit I was guilty of myself).

You can improve your writing simply by listening to feedback from others, giving yourself goals (such as to write more dialogue, to concentrate more on setting, to try something from a different perspective than you are used to using, simply reading what other people write, etc...) A long time ago I was part of an APA where we did all those things in a very structured manner, even using forms to critique every facet of a story such as setting, characterization, plot, grammar, etc... It improved my writing tremendously. Forums like these are something similar, although less formalized.

Perhaps even more importantly though, I can only write when the inspiration takes me. Right now my inspiration is with Teresa, I am not going to just put that aside and try to start writing something else from scratch that does not inspire me. That is the reason I never entered anything into those writing contests that Darkom organized at the Beth forums. I still have a lot of Teresa to write, and I need to stay focused on that if I am ever going to get it all down on pixels.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Oct 3 2010, 07:48 PM

[treydog]

On the first paw, I agree with SubRosa. I just don't write that way. My pace is glacial. I write after letting things "cook" for some indeterminate time. I work on one story at a time. But- that's me.

On the other paw, as a former teacher and a person who loves writing, I want to do everything I can to encourage others to write. One of the early exercises I did involved "object-oriented free-writing." I would produce an object (football, jar of peanut butter, etc.) and tell my students to write for 30 minutes, using the object as a focus. No worries about grammar, structure, etc.- pure ideas. The point was to show that almost anything can provide an idea- and when you are in the "idea" stage, all that other stuff (revision, editing) not only can, but SHOULD wait.

Ultimately, I would encourage anyone who wants to participate in NaNoWriMo to do so.

[haute ecole rider]

As I understand it, with NaNoWriMo, no one reads the story you write but you yourself. The point is to get as much written as possible. As it says on the website, December is for editing. Its main purpose is to get people writing.

As I often have so many story ideas bouncing around in my head, it would be good for me to give it a go. Currently I have ten open stories that I'm writing down as the inspiration strikes me - just scenes and character development, no real plots at this point. I'm just getting them down while the idea is hot, so to speak. I figure plenty of time later to go back over them and see which one is worth developing into a real story.

I've done it before - written a novel-length story in less than two weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing what I come up with.

[jack cloudy]

I tried it before, three times actually. First one was one big mess, second never even got started and the third was my second attempt at the big mess with similar results. All in all, I don't think it is for me, writing in general and not just nanowrimo. Dreaming up settings, plots etc is no problem. It is when I actually sit down and try to write stuff that I lose focus. Most often, I spend two hours sitting in front of the screen and in the end I realize that I've done nothing but work out plotholes and stuff but haven't written a single word.

But meh, I'm gonna try again this year. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[mALX]

After reading that link, I finally found out why the stories posted on the forums that had been written for the NaNo were raw, rough drafts - I didn't know that is how it was supposed to be. So your work isn't actually supposed to be finished and judged, the goal is the required number word count?

Chorrol.com had a writing contest back in the spring a year ago, I wonder if they'll do another?

Haute, you always hold my respect as a writer, and you have my backing. I have no doubt you can produce the required amount of words, but knowing the perfectionist in you, yours will probably be a finished work and not a rough draft in that same amount of time. HUZZUH !!!!!!!

[Destri Melarg]

I’m glad you posted this. My first time hearing about NaNoWriMo was in December of last year. I remember thinking then that it sounded like something that I should try this year, but I promptly forgot all about it. Now that it has been brought back to my attention, I find myself remembering what intrigued about it in the first place.

The problem I have in my writing isn’t coming up with ideas that feed my passion. No, the problem I have is that very often I don’t think that my craft is sufficient to execute those ideas. So I procrastinate . . . a lot! With NaNoWriMo it isn’t about writing ‘The Great American Novel’. It is, as I understand it, a chance to get some of those ideas you have floating in your head onto the page without the old internal censor interfering.

So what I guess I’m trying to say, hautee, is this: If what you are looking for is someone to say unequivocally that you should do this, consider it said. If what you are looking for is the friend that the website suggests roping in to do it with you then I think you have found one.

[haute ecole rider]

Thanks very much mALX and Destri.

I had already registered - I have a month to come up with an idea. That's not the problem. The problem is holding off long enough to start writing it on November 1st!

I was just wondering if anyone else had tried it. I heard about it in October of last year - the developer of the writing software I used is one of the sponsors and he announced it in a newsletter to all of us registered users last October. I toyed with the idea, but at the time my inspiration was lacking due to stress from work, so I didn't look into it further.

But this year things are different, and I found myself looking at the website and thinking - hmm, I could do this. . .

Maybe you and I Destri can root for each other!

[mALX]

WOO HOO!!!! Both you and Destri doing it? Where's Rachel? I'll root for you both !!!!!!!

[haute ecole rider]

Well, today's the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I've picked out my story idea (from a bunch I've digitally jotted down over the years) and started it. I figure if I shoot for 2000 words a day I should have no trouble making 50,000 words by November 30th. After my first pot of spiced tea, I've already got nearly 1,000 written.

I'll try to keep you guys updated on my progress as I go along! Wish me luck!

And I'm off!

[treydog]

Well, today's the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I've picked out my story idea (from a bunch I've digitally jotted down over the years) and started it. I figure if I shoot for 2000 words a day I should have no trouble making 50,000 words by November 30th. After my first pot of spiced tea, I've already got nearly 1,000 written.

I'll try to keep you guys updated on my progress as I go along! Wish me luck!

And I'm off!

You certainly have my support. If the product does not seem to "fit" here, please let us know where (or if) we can see it. You know I will happily read anything you write.

[Acadian]

You go, girl! Best of luck.

[haute ecole rider]

Thanks, trey and Acadian!

The idea I picked to write for NaNoWriMo is completely original, so it won't quite 'fit' here. At this point I'm not sure what's going to happen to it, so I'll likely won't be posting it online anywhere yet. I've been toying with the idea of getting published for some time, and I don't know if this story will be worth publishing.

So it's bedtime here, and I've got 3425 words written so far. Off to a pretty good start, if I may say so! I just hope I keep hitting my goal every day and succeed in getting this written.

[haute ecole rider]

Day 4 and 8953 words written so far.

It's good that I'm getting ahead of schedule. Thanksgiving is in three weeks and I may not get much writing done then!

[Acadian]

Your cookin'! Almost 1000 words ahead of schedule so far!

[treydog]

Day 4 and 8953 words written so far.

It's good that I'm getting ahead of schedule. Thanksgiving is in three weeks and I may not get much writing done then!

Outstanding! It would take me 4 weeks to get there.

Keep us posted!

[haute ecole rider]

So I may be crazy -

The story I started last week wasn't as inspiring as I hoped it would be. There's got to be a reason I haven't written it for three years . . .

Anyway, I hit a brick wall Saturday and couldn't go further. The passion just wasn't there.

But I'm not giving up!

New inspiration hit me Friday. Based on prior experience, this one is good for 50,000 words or more. So I started writing the new one yesterday. I'm proud to report that I'm up to 11,769 words as of now. I'm a little behind schedule, but I think another 5,000 words tomorrow will get me caught up.

So here I go again! I hope I don't have the writer's version of ADHD!

[mALX]

So I may be crazy -

The story I started last week wasn't as inspiring as I hoped it would be. There's got to be a reason I haven't written it for three years . . .

Anyway, I hit a brick wall Saturday and couldn't go further. The passion just wasn't there.

But I'm not giving up!

New inspiration hit me Friday. Based on prior experience, this one is good for 50,000 words or more. So I started writing the new one yesterday. I'm proud to report that I'm up to 11,769 words as of now. I'm a little behind schedule, but I think another 5,000 words tomorrow will get me caught up.

So here I go again! I hope I don't have the writer's version of ADHD! :lol:

GAAAH !!!! But this one sounds much more inspired, like it's flowing out of you !!!!

[Acadian]

I hope your course correction helps your inspiration! Good luck!

[Olen]

Best of luck with the new one

And 11+k words since yesterday?! That's some going.

There's got to be a reason I haven't written it for three years . . .

Interesting point, I'd always assumed that if an idea stuck around it must be good... but then I see much more logic in this.