Oh I didn't find this till just now! I'm also participating in Nano, it's going well so far! Is there a group on the nano site I can join as well? EDIT: My username on Nanowrimo.org is the same as it is here.
Sure, there are plenty of groups on the NaNo site but I will invite you to the one I've created if you'd like to join that one too (You can join more than one group)
Thank you very much. This reply means a lot to me. It does help very much. It is now the third day and I did find an idea to work on. So far I have been hitting my target of 1667 words a day and sometimes over that. I am not going to take it too seriously. for me personally this is about writing everyday and creating a positive routine for myself. My username is saldanamoreno and I would like to join a group if it is possible, I think that can help and hope to help others if it is possible.
I am in a pretty good position for this. I just have to write the sex scene for my novel; something I have been putting off, but other than that, and my novel is done. I spun off a business I have, into a sub-business of publishing for legality reasons earlier this year, and I do my own printing and binding, so my novel could be in print by the end of November. My goal was to be in print form by the end of 2020, but it could be as early as November with the novel's current directory. (A memoir I did, made it into print a few months ago, so its been a good writing year)
Just a note on my post above, that novel is now complete, and for those that like the details, that is an 80,000 word, Romance-Thriller. It came off the printer last night, and I am binding the first few copies as I speak.
Hi, I've been watching the November writing from a distance for nearly a decade. I read a lot of articles that highlighted the low completion rates (winning), subsequent revisions, and eventually publication. The pandemic provided me with a lot of extra time this year. I spent much of that over the summer researching and outlining my story. I wrote my first 15K early in October. That's when I realized that all the characters sounded like me and they seemed to get along. Boring! I took a couple of weeks to read about "voice", conflict, and studied many examples. It seemed the right time to start. I kicked it in high-gear on Nov 1st. There were several factors that allowed me to succeed and write 72K in November. I'm a news junkie. I stopped reading the news, and using Facebook and Instagram a week before the election and throughout November. I had a clear direction based upon my outline (sorry pantsers). I made myself write every evening, motivated or not. My only internet social connection was the Nano forums which I would tap into to get pumped for writing. Read Stephen King's book "On Writing" to appreciate the 2K/day goal, rain or shine. This is the more important factor. I wrote in 15 or 20-minute sprints all the time using two Discord servers. I finished the novel on Dec. 3rd.I'm planning on writing my next work during Nano-2021. I'll need to outline it next summer.
Congratulations on your win, 72k is a good result. Sounds like you were very strict with yourself and it paid off! Have you got any further plans for your story? I took part for the first time in a few years, I got to 52k and I'm still writing it - it's a big mess but it helped me find my creativity again (I haven't found it an easy year) so I'm not too worried. It's given me a few ideas for writing in the new year.
Thanks! I'm generally good at sticking to a regimen less than 5 weeks. I'm working through the 2nd draft now. I read a few chapters each night out loud to my wife. She suppresses the English grammar and pose critic within and helps me focus on the story. I tackle the low lying mistakes by marking up my manuscript during the writing. I've chopped several sections so far. It's painful but makes for a better read. I'm studying word crafting when I'm not editing. Once the story has been verified as complete in this version, I will start massaging all those nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, metaphors, similes, cadence,...., through several more versions. I hope I don't hate my WIP when I'm all done. Congratulations on 52K. That's a big deal!! Finishing a 1st draft is satisfying, and a bragging right to family and close friends who get it. However, there really isn't anything to show. As you write, "...it's a big mess..." I chatted with people during November on a couple of Discord servers. A few said their 2nd draft would be a complete rewrite of the 1st draft. How about you? Is it constructed well enough to salvage? Will it stay intact? "...given me a few ideas for writing in the new year..." By this do you mean story ideas? Improvements in preparations? Planning? I see you are located in (or around) Edinburgh? I'm in the states. However, I learned to drive a manual transmission in Dunoon, Scotland. Great memories.
It's a big mess for a few reasons! Firstly, I'm a planner and I didn't plan this one very well, so I was still working out the storyline as I wrote it, which doesn't really work for me. So there are some Enormous plot holes. Secondly, after writing at least 10k words I realised I'd made a mistake with my MC and was getting bored with him so I created a new MC, while just continuing with the story - so if I do ever do a second draft a lot will need completely re-writing! Having said that, I do like the general idea of my story so it's something I can probably use. I'll just have to be completely ruthless with what I have done so far, probably cut out most of it, sort out my characters ... it would take a lot of work! I'm actually still writing it - I've slowed down a lot, though I'm hoping it's done in time for Christmas. I've said it gave me a few ideas - it's always the same, once I start writing something I get ideas for other things I want to write. I really like the setting I created, so if I don't use the story I will definitely keep the setting. It's definitely given me the push I needed to do something creative again - my imagination left me at the start of the year and it's starting to return now. I'm quite exciting about writing again.