Does anyone take part in NaNoWriMo? November is National Write a Novel Month. Last year was the first year I actually completed 50k.
Yeah i found out about it a couple of months ago, so i'm going in this year. Hopefully as it'll only be my first month at uni i wont be bogged down in too many assignments and stuff to do this too. Besides, I'm doing a Creative Writing Degree, how can my lecturer complain?
I try to wrangle as many people as I can. Last year I hit 62k but the year before I hardly broke 30k.
I'm hoping to achieve the 50k mark.. it said it can be absolute crap right? It does't have to be 'send of to a publisher' polished does it? I've already got my vauge plot idea, but other than the story i'm leaving it til november. I dont plan anyway, so i cant cheat lol
What would be the point of writing 50K of absolute crap though? That would be easy and pointless; just write: and copy it 5000 times, then go on an axe-murdering spree. The only point I can see to such an exercise is to throw down a (very!) rough framework in a month, then taking several more months to clean it up into something worth publishing.
I think of it more as a way to get the writing muscles in shape. Not to mention if you tell a lot of people that you are going to write a novel in a month it sets a deadline that effects yours pride.
I may try this year (if i can be bothered), i did a half sized practice in April and only just scraped 25,000 so i'm not sure if i should. However it did make sense and in my opinion it was a reasonably story, so i suppose the NaNoWriMo wouldn't have to make sense.
Anyone gearing up for Nanowrimo this year? We just started a local writing group to get our groove on for this year.
*le gasp!* It hadnt even occurred to me that that was coming up! Thanks for the reminder! Now I'm excited; I -hope- I'll be able to, but it all comes down to when November actually starts and I see where I am. As of right now, however, I plan on participating. That's the only reason I ever do it; I never go into it intending to come out with a masterpiece. Just to get even the first draft down in a month is an achievement, and after that, I feel, it only gets easier. I suppose I use NaNoWriMo as a tool more than anything. -D
I already started my novel, but I'd like to finish it by the end of November. Unfortunately, I've had too much work to get much done recently on it.
Last year was my first try, and I got to 72K. But right now, I have a job, I have a WIP, and a blog series to take care of. I don't know how I could fit in writing yet another 50K, so I'll probably give it a miss this year.
hmm i might give this a try. First time hearing about it though just signed up on the website, are there any people from WF on there?
I gave it a try once, and got to 30K by the end of the month. That story managed to stagger on to about 45K, but then it bogged down and fell into the Swamp of Not Making Much Sense At All Really. I plan to just keep up my daily requirements as I have been. NaNoWriMo takes about 1700 words a day, minimum, and that's just a bit much to my mind.
I just think it is a fun, staggering challenge, and it definitely makes you look at the pace you've been keeping! The cohost I'm working with for our group had an awesome piece he wrote during last year's competition. My goal isn't necessarily to finish - you could say 50K works is my "high" goal. My "low" goal is to get a new idea, put as much on paper as I can during the month, and keep the pressure on myself.
I was going to do this last year but I had to move in the middle of November so I didn't have the time to do it. I plan on taking part in it this year though. I've actually written novels that are over 50k since then, but it's been more than a month. I think I will be able to do it this year though. I believe I have an account there too. I'll have to check out the site to see.
It'll be a challenge, if nothing else. With uni and everything I doubt that I'll actually make 50,000, but you never know. I'd be hoping to produce something of good first draft quality at the very least, though. I'm not letting standards drop for the sake of just one challenge.
I may just take a shot at it this year. I don't know if I can really put in the time required to meet the target, but whatever I can achieve will be a win. So I won't make any predictions, optimistic or pessimistic. If I think of it in terms of some of the papers I had to write for college on short notice, it almost seems doable, especially considering that the papers had to be written AND revised on deadline. The hard part will be to train myself not to revise on the fly. The VERY hard part. I've the beginnings of a story concept, and even a working title. I have a month to put together a plan of attack and to get a stronger sense of my MC before it begins. Wish me luck.
A friend of mine got me to sign up for nano last year. I barely scratched 5k that time, but that was because I was clocking in lots of overtime. I guess there's no harm in trying again.
Go for it, Cog! Like you said - worst case scenario is you'll get more writing done that month than perhaps the previous month? That's usually the case with me, anyway. I've spent the last week trying to come up with an idea, so I can get the research out of the way. I'm usually chock full of them, until I have pressure to come up with a new one!
I finally got my idea for mine! My plot finally came! I'm so happy. It just kinda hit me during volleyball, it was like *BAM* there ya go. Thank God.
