NaNoWriMo 2015

[cybrxkhan]

Didn't see a thread up yet so I guess I'll just start one.

Who's doing it this year? What do you hope to achieve? Hope to see the usual suspects (you know who you are).

Since I managed to surpass 50k last year (and on time) I hope to repeat my success again this year. Even though I originally intended to do something else, I switched to a different project, which I've spent the past month or two planning. It's riskier, more difficult, and more personal (not to mention it is different from my usual fare in many ways), but I'm feeling quite a lot of passion for it so hopefully it'll work out.

Website here in case anyone cares: http://nanowrimo.org/

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Thanks for starting it; I intended to, but not until after the election here (that's where my mind has been, in case people were wondering when the next Iron Pen is going to be).

I'd like to do NaNoWriMo, but am behind in my planning (same reason for everything else I'm behind on - the election).

My best year was over 22,000 words, and I actually did manage to finish one of the Camp NaNoWriMo challenges. So now that I've got a winner's badge for that, I'd like to add one from the main event.

I'll have 12 days to plan...

 

[Synobun]

Eh... maybe. I've never done it and I struggle with the idea of forcing myself through 50k words just to say I've completed the challenge. I suppose I'll wait until Halloween and make a split second decision.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Thanks for starting it; I intended to, but not until after the election here (that's where my mind has been, in case people were wondering when the next Iron Pen is going to be).

I'd like to do NaNoWriMo, but am behind in my planning (same reason for everything else I'm behind on - the election).

My best year was over 22,000 words, and I actually did manage to finish one of the Camp NaNoWriMo challenges. So now that I've got a winner's badge for that, I'd like to add one from the main event.

I'll have 12 days to plan...

I was wondering why you didn't set up the thread....

Well, anyways, good luck with whatever you end up doing. Are you not much of a pantser?

Eh... maybe. I've never done it and I struggle with the idea of forcing myself through 50k words just to say I've completed the challenge. I suppose I'll wait until Halloween and make a split second decision.

You can always try a humbler goal like 20k or 10k or even 5k. Main idea isn't really the 50k words but getting you to write something.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Eh... maybe. I've never done it and I struggle with the idea of forcing myself through 50k words just to say I've completed the challenge. I suppose I'll wait until Halloween and make a split second decision.

It breaks down to 1667 words/day, which is approximately twice the number of words/day people do for Iron Pen, depending on where they fall between 600 - 1000 words for that competition.

I've discovered that I can rattle off 350 words in less than half an hour, and FWIW, keep in mind that most of us write many hundreds of words here per day when posting on CFC. If you take the sum total of your posts (not counting other people's words you've quoted) and ran them through a word-counting program, it might surprise you how many words you can do in a day.

Of course posting here isn't like writing a story, but at least you know it's not the number of words that's the problem. It's arranging them to make a story.

I was wondering why you didn't set up the thread....

Well, anyways, good luck with whatever you end up doing. Are you not much of a pantser?

What is a "pantser"?

You can always try a humbler goal like 20k or 10k or even 5k. Main idea isn't really the 50k words but getting you to write something.

These are good starting goals. I remember some years when I petered out at 500 words, and some other times when I registered but discovered I had neither the time nor creative energy to actually do anything.

Camp NaNoWriMo events give people more leeway, though. The minimum goal is 10,000 words, which means 334 words/day. They run in April and August(?) and let you choose your own goal. So that's how I chose, met, and even exceeded my goal. And even then the story wasn't even half-finished. But I got a good enough start, so it will be finished some day.

 

[cybrxkhan]

What is a "pantser"?

It means someone who writes off the top of their head without much planning. Apparently it's a word that originated in the NaNoWriMo community but I first heard it outside of it.

 

[Kennigit]

maybe.

no word goal, just for funsies

 

[Valka D'Ur]

It means someone who writes off the top of their head without much planning. Apparently it's a word that originated in the NaNoWriMo community but I first heard it outside of it.

Okay. I never heard it because I don't actually bother with the NaNo forums. I assume it refers to "flying by the seat of your pants"?

I need to have my stories planned, at least have an outline. I tried it the other way last year and the result was an awful, thoroughly unreadable mess that came nowhere near the word count.

 

[cybrxkhan]

Okay. I never heard it because I don't actually bother with the NaNo forums. I assume it refers to "flying by the seat of your pants"?

I need to have my stories planned, at least have an outline. I tried it the other way last year and the result was an awful, thoroughly unreadable mess that came nowhere near the word count.

Yeah, flying by the seat of your pants. I also generally need to outline myself, even if a little bit, otherwise I don't know where I'm going. I've experimented with different amounts of planning though I think all of them have worked in different ways.

 

[Blasph23]

I failed it last year, though I had a good start and kept up with the writing pace for the first ~8 days.
Maybe I can improve my result this time.

 

[Synobun]

It breaks down to 1667 words/day, which is approximately twice the number of words/day people do for Iron Pen, depending on where they fall between 600 - 1000 words for that competition.

I've discovered that I can rattle off 350 words in less than half an hour, and FWIW, keep in mind that most of us write many hundreds of words here per day when posting on CFC. If you take the sum total of your posts (not counting other people's words you've quoted) and ran them through a word-counting program, it might surprise you how many words you can do in a day.

Of course posting here isn't like writing a story, but at least you know it's not the number of words that's the problem. It's arranging them to make a story.

It's not so much the word count that bothers me so much as the actual process of writing it out. I very rarely write for myself and usually write smaller prose for an audience (my role-playing forum). I have dabbled in novel writing but end up quitting because I consider my writing to be so dreadful that I loath the idea of actually finishing something I find so bad.

Of course, I recognize this is mostly psychological. I might give it a shake this year. I'm giving myself until Halloween to decide mainly because I'm a "pantser" like cybr described. I am certifiably allergic to outlines.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Maybe I should run a month-long, 50,000-word version of Iron Pen... (but probably not, as the forum software isn't set up for the immensely long PMs that would require)


One thing about NaNoWriMo is that it doesn't have to be just one long story. Anthology-style is allowed. And you can do a story entirely in dialogue if that's something you might want to try.

There's also nothing wrong with RPG-style writing. I used to belong to an RPG gaming forum and there were a couple of people there who did ALL their posts "in character" - even the ones about RL stuff.

Since nobody at NaNoWriMo actually reads any of the submissions, just look at it as an extended session of writing for your usual audience.

 

[Synobun]

Maybe I should run a month-long, 50,000-word version of Iron Pen... (but probably not, as the forum software isn't set up for the immensely long PMs that would require)


One thing about NaNoWriMo is that it doesn't have to be just one long story. Anthology-style is allowed. And you can do a story entirely in dialogue if that's something you might want to try.

There's also nothing wrong with RPG-style writing. I used to belong to an RPG gaming forum and there were a couple of people there who did ALL their posts "in character" - even the ones about RL stuff.

Since nobody at NaNoWriMo actually reads any of the submissions, just look at it as an extended session of writing for your usual audience.

Hmm... I've been planning a special event for my RP for the past year... Maybe I could write it as a novel...

Damn you, Valka, you're giving me ideas!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Hmm... I've been planning a special event for my RP for the past year... Maybe I could write it as a novel...

Damn you, Valka, you're giving me ideas!

You're welcome.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

I will try this and start well and do like 15k in the first few days and then hit a wall and give up.

 

[Evie]

I've been focused on the elections, but now it's good that november is coming along.

 

[JohannaK]

I may join again to fail again. It's funny because last year I did like 10k in the whole month, but since it was also a college assignment and nowhere near finished, I rewrote about 80% of it in five days, and the only bad parts were the ones I hadn't touched.

I'm bad at beginnings.

This November I also have lots of college work to do, but yeah I'll try for like my 4th time.

 

[Luckymoose]

I fully intend this to be my third November win in a row (fourth NaNo if you count the one Camp I did in April 2014). But I'm cheating a bit, as I'm currently 56k into a novel, and don't intend to stop it for a new project, so I'll be counting my word count added to that novel during November. Add me as a writing buddy if you want (same username), and hit me up with messages if you ever need some pep talking.

It's not so much the word count that bothers me so much as the actual process of writing it out. I very rarely write for myself and usually write smaller prose for an audience (my role-playing forum). I have dabbled in novel writing but end up quitting because I consider my writing to be so dreadful that I loath the idea of actually finishing something I find so bad.

Of course, I recognize this is mostly psychological. I might give it a shake this year. I'm giving myself until Halloween to decide mainly because I'm a "pantser" like cybr described. I am certifiably allergic to outlines.

Definitely do not succumb to that fear. Every writer worth their salt feels bad about their work and hits that psychological wall at some point. Those who don't usually aren't writing much worth reading anyway.


Link to video.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Well, I'm not likely to get going this time around. The Canadian election had me distracted during the time I would normally use for prep, and since I like to have a good outline before I start, I've basically got nothing to work with this time.

I'm running Iron Pen 4 this weekend in another thread here, so while I'm still going to be engaged in writing and with writers, I will probably not be doing NaNoWriMo.

But I'll definitely be cheering you on, Luckymoose, and anyone else who takes part.

 

[Synobun]

It's Halloween. I've decided to go through with writing a novelization of a site-wide event for the role-playing forum I'm a part of. Registering later today and then oiling up the ol finger joints tomorrow.