NaNoWriMo 2010 !!!

Howdy ladies

Is anyone else planning on doing nanowrimo this year?

If you are, let me know, and we can encourage each other :D

If you have no idea what it is, let me know, and I will elaborate ...

Ciao!!!

I was thinking of it.....but I can't work out how much time it will take. Do you have any idea Peanutter?

looks interesting
not a chance in hell i'd have the time between work and family and moving - will be interested to see how you go though

what I did last time, was type any old crap for 10 minutes, and see how many words I got written, to see roughly how long it would take me to storm 50K words, without letting myself do ANY editing, rewriting, etc ...

to get the whole 50K done, you need to write 1667 words per day.

Or, 1K per weekday, 3.5K per weekend day.

Last time I did it, my grandmother died, and I didn't have a chance to keep up with writing, and ended up writing 17K words in the final 28 hours!! Sleep? who needs sleep ...

But generally speaking, I find you can write 2000 rough words, or 1000 polished words per hour.

If it was practical, I would do my writing on the train to and from work, but I might try to do it while expressing at work.

Otherwise, bubba goes to bed around 7-8pm these days, and so I can write over dinner. DH will support that, because he knows I haven't been able to dedicate any serious time to my writing since last nanowrimo!!!

In terms of time, it is a push, but the benefit I find is huge. Last time, I wrote about 40% of my novel, and have 3 other ideas for books (at the moment, I'm deciding which to do).

And then I'm planning on dedicating February to finishing them, and setting another month to editing.

My long term plan is to have the books polished and ready to send to a third party for opinion by the end of next year. Long way away, but achievable with a full time job, small child, recovering from birth complications and other committments!!

I love writing! I'm so excited :)

ladies and gentlewriters of all shapes and sizes - nano is fast approaching.

but fear not! it is still t-5, so you have time my lovely possums to sharpen your pencils if not your wits, dust off your erasers, and calculate how much coffee and how many tim tams you will need to sustain you through your nanowrimo blitz!!

who's with me??

Ohhhh I've definitely had Nanowrimo on my radar for 2 years now. First Nov we were leading up to a *huge* interstate move & then I developed gallstone attacks...then last year I was in the lead up to having a mastectomy and still totally chemo-addled...not sure that I've got it in me this year, I still need extra rest & sleep. But then I think - there will always be some sort of excuse of why not to, sometimes you just need to commit to things.

Does it matter whether you go fiction or non-fiction?

ETA - and isn't the temptation to just pour forth 50K words of crappola just to get it done?

Can you elaborate for me Peanutter? Haven't heard of this before. Ta

ah, marydean, what a few years! I don't know how you've had time or energy to do anything at all ...

I agree that there's always something, but hopefully any further roadblocks are positive, pleasurable, intended events!

:leap:

Fiction or non-fiction is fine - just needs to be something new! I think the intention is that it's fiction, but I know plenty of people who've done a non fic :D

I'm deciding between writing the second short novel of a trillogy I've got in mind (it was supposed to be all one book, but 50,000 words in from last nano, I'm maybe 1/3 of the way there!) or something totally new ... or writing a travel book, based on my post-high-school trip ... decisions decisions!

And as far as the crappola goes - absolutely!! I know how many times I've had to write something tricky, and as soon as I've got something on the page, I can fix it! But getting on the page *at all* sometimes can only be done with a looming deadline (self set or otherwise) and a *huge* brain vomit to start.

and PacRakMG - the general premise of NaNoWriMo (national novel writer's month) is that in November, you write a new 50,000 word book. That's it. There's no prize other than the honour and glory (and you get an electronic certificate, ooh lah lah!) but it's a great kick up the bum to get cracking on your writing, if you've been lacking motivation to get writing lately :D

more info can be found on the nano website at www dot nanowrimo dot org

come and play!

:loveshower:

Ahh, thanks Peanutter. I've been dabbling again in writing after years of being too busy and I'm enjoying it again because I'm putting no pressure on myself. Its weird because I used to work best under pressure. So maybe I'll skip this November one, finish what I've started, and then do the November one in '11.

I've been making excuses all year ... it's nano or bust for me this year!

I think the deadline will work well for me :D

I was just thinking I need to get writing again, so this could be the push I need!

oooh, I just checked out the web site. I had never heard of NaNo before, I have been living under a rock obviously. I like it! Sounds awesome!

Damn, I have just taken on a consultancy, work from home, blardy blah boring thing and I should be spending my spare time doing that (it does pay the bills after all!).
Oh, but this intrigues me and inspires me. I am interested to hear how it goes for you Peanutter, and hope you keep us updated on your progress. It looks like next year for me!

Thanks for sharing this peanutter! It looks like fun and I think I might give it a go! :)

I'm thinking about doing it. I've done it before but never finished it! Would looove to finish one year.

ive always dreamed of doing it..but terrified of it...

But I might just do it this year...as long as you girls can help motivate me, (and ill try to do the same to you)

One of the things on my bucket list is to be published... I've tried writing novels before, so have a few random ideas..

you just write dont you? and write and write and write, in terms of editing and making it better you can do after the month hey..it main key is just to have the 50k words right?

terrified is a great start!! it is the guzzly juice of motivation.

yes, you just write and write and write.

you only need to write 1,667 words per day to make that. And they don't have to be good words. they just have to be there!!

so get thee to a computer, with a vat of coffee (or tea, water, chai, whatever) with some scrap paper and a pen for any necessary mind mapping, and get ready!

1,667 words is more achievable than it sounds. if you can write 30 words a minute (and I'd bet most of you can type between 45 and 80 words per minute!) then you'll pump out 1,800 words per hour. just force yourself not to "fix" as you go, and you'll be sweet.

my plan is to write 50,000 words in November, take December off, finish the book in January, proof it in February, ask two friends to read it in March, and send it to a publisher or agent in June.

and my plan is *not* what I did last time, when I got all caught up with work and famliy matters and I ended up having to write the last 17,000 words between 8pm on 29 November and midnight on 30 November.

but I did it :D

come to the dark side! we have cookies!

and we definately can encourage one another :D after all, what are women if not natural story tellers?

:leap:

Damn you and your motivational pushes!!!!

*goes and checks out the website*

Some thinking and pencil chewing going on here. Not sure if I have 50k worth...not without drawing on small chunks of stuff that I've previously scribbled down... Not sure if that counts.

But it's not like I can grow a moustache during November instead :lol:

Peanutter, how many pages in a paperback novel does 50k words translate to?

yo, party peoples!!

50K works out to roughly 175 pages. So a novella - or "part 1" of the next masterpiece of the century!

go team belly!!

I find that I tend to write very character driven stories, so when when one characer is running hot, I'll put the chater numbers and a really brief thought for the other threads in (Chapter 14 - Katie finally gets to Gipsland and meets Bob while putting up her tent (badly) and gets invited to Timbucktu; Chapter 15 - next bit about Beth ... still at work?) and then keep going with the red hot one.

And of course if the red hotness fades then I'll keep going with other characters.

If I get really stuck, I go to the end of the document, do a line of *** and then type more stuff ... back story, scene description, a future chapter which we haven't got to yet ... it all counts, because it's all going towards the book. It might get edited out later, but creating it and getting it onto the screen/page is King, and if you're doing that, it counts!

T-2 ... getting close, ladies!

Please consider it ... and kick me up the bum if I don't have 10K by the end of next weekend!

ladies, start your engines ...

:D

OOOH yeah! Sorry peanutter, gonna give it a miss this year - not enough fiction in me right now - but am going to apply myself instead to my non-fiction project. Just maybe not to the tune of 50K.

Good luck for you though, please do share your progress/thoughts etc...you know it's all fuel on the fire for me next year.

How are you going?

have begun! but might abandon current story for a new idea I had today ... will decide tomorrow, and post word count up :D

Woohoo peanutter, I was thinking of you in my lunch hour yesterday, wondering whether you were typing away frantically somewhere LOL.

Peanutter - What are you at? I'm around 5k at the moment and nap time has commenced. Hoping to get ahead of my daily quota before the weekend of sidetracking occurs!

Wow Kamarine, didn't realise you'd registered as well. :cheer: Keep going, sounds like you're going really well!

Thanks Marydean. I used to write so much. I've gotten rusty now though, so it's very disjointed. Oh the urge to stop and edit!
The hardest part I've found in previous years (and in life sometimes) is not getting started, it's keeping the motivation.

Oooh Kamarine, 5k! You go girl! I've only managed a measly 1800 words so far. I'd better get moving...

I'm so far behind already ... I'm planning on catching up on the weekend!

But I totally understand the sentiment about trying not to edit as I go ...

I'm considering putting the current story on the back burner, and starting another book I have in mind... will have to make a firm decision today and I plan to have 10K done by Sunday night.

25,000 by the end of the weekend or bust!! I don't want to be writing the 17,000 words in the final 28 hours like last time!!

and I've gone with story idea #2 ... I really like my other book idea, but want more time to consider the characters properly first ...

how are girls going, kamarine and eluned?

anyone else taking the plunge? It's not too late :D

**trying to close BB window, and type...**

see you soon!

Peanutter, I was just thinking of you & Kamarine & Eluned as we were driving home about an hour ago, wondering how you're getting on! How far are you off your 25K?

As luck would have it, I find this half way through the month! LOL

Oh well, 3k words a day was never an issue before - why would it be now? Oh yeah, deadlines. Darn it.

At least it will motivate me to finally write that story I have been mulling over. Thanks for sharing peanutter.

ummm....yeah.....there was a book writing thingy happening?.... LOL....I've kinda fallen off but I think about it every day. I should really get back into cause I really have enjoyed writing my 3000 odd words so far....gotta lot of catching up to do...not sure where the story is going, starting out all lovey dovey stuff.

24K down, 26K to go!! :dance:

:leap:

Oh wow Peanutter. THat's awesome!

I'm only at about 22k words. I fell behind a bit! Trying to frantically catch up. I am SO determined to finished.

Whats yours about?

mine is about trying to have a baby ... and then having one!

I started something totally different (romantic comedy style) but decided this year to just go with what I know, and write ... it's been very cathartic :D

what about yours?

Mine's kind of random... I decided to just jump straight in with no sort of plot or planning.

It's romantic, because I cannot help myself. With a back drop of a bit of science fiction.
Exiled Prince from another planet planning to drain our planet of elemental magic to take back his place on his planet.

Oh man. Even when I say it like that, it sounds lame.

Oh man... November is my absolute busiest month of the year for working, and I'm a consultant so I don't have a choice. :( Instead, I've done a 22,000 word corporate report and about 15,000 words of another report, neither of which will be anywhere near as interesting as your exiled prince, Kamarine!

Maybe I should use January (when I will be completely f-r-e-e) to get something ready for next November. :think:

GL girls!

that doesn't sound lame, kamarine!! and jennifer - I totally know the feeling ... I'm just loving not having exams this November, so I don't feel guilty tapping away on my book when I really should be studying!!

Very liberating :D