Who's doing NaNo2008?

[Crittias]

www.nanowrimo.org

I'm the Municipal Liaison for my town (Lawrence, KS) this year. It'll be my fourth NaNo.

Anyone else participating?

[TurboKinny]

If I wasn't trying to read 1,500 pages a week for school, I would be.

[Crittias]

If I wasn't trying to read 1,500 pages a week for school, I would be.Bah! Reading and Writing are two separate things! Don't they teach you kids to multitask nowadays?

[Doctor Setebos]

I would love to. I did it last year and knocked out a really crappy 51,000 word "novel". I'm planning to go back and finish that one and clean it up.

Unfortunately--and somewhat ironically--I'm not participating in NaNo this year because I'm actually working on my first real novel. I started in mid-September and I plan to have it completed by the end of the year, at a final goal of around 70,000 words.

Depending on how crazy 2009 gets, I'll probably jump back into NaNo then. I loved the experience and going insane with a close-knit group of writers.

[Crittias]

Unfortunately--and somewhat ironically--I'm not participating in NaNo this year because I'm actually working on my first real novel.As long as you're writing, you get a thumbs up from me. If you need a reader/critiquer for your novel, just holler!

[Sandman]

What are the specifics? The site is getting hammered it seems.

[Doctor Setebos]

What are the specifics? The site is getting hammered it seems.The site gets hammered hard between Oct 1 and the end of November. They moved everything to a new server system and host this year and everyone was hoping they would be able to hold out, but it looks like they just can't keep the site operational. :( Last year, it was slow as molasses, but at least it worked.

The idea of NaNoWriMo is pretty simple: write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. That's all there is to it. It averages out to about 1,600 words a day. It sounds simple, but actually getting your butt in gear and doing it is insane. But I have to say, I enjoyed the hell out of it last year. I definitely want to do it again.

[PlusOne]

I'd love to do NaNo again... the first and only time I completed it was in 2002 (yikes, I hadn't realized it's been so long) but I was looking for a job so I had a lot of free time on my hands. I tried again in 03 and 04, but juggling the writing with work and social obligations was too much to handle.

I know I'm an unknown here, but I'd sign up in a heartbeat if I had other people to bounce ideas off of and curse at when I fall behind in wordcount. :D

I need to write another crappy novel!

[Sandman]

The site gets hammered hard between Oct 1 and the end of November. They moved everything to a new server system and host this year and everyone was hoping they would be able to hold out, but it looks like they just can't keep the site operational. :( Last year, it was slow as molasses, but at least it worked.

The idea of NaNoWriMo is pretty simple: write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. That's all there is to it. It averages out to about 1,600 words a day. It sounds simple, but actually getting your butt in gear and doing it is insane. But I have to say, I enjoyed the hell out of it last year. I definitely want to do it again.

What's the average page count we are talking here for 1600 and 50,000 words?

[Xerxes]

I'm actually thinking about it. I'm actually thinking about doing a series of short stories that's related to a larger project. Could help flesh out the word.

[Doctor Setebos]

What's the average page count we are talking here for 1600 and 50,000 words?I have no idea. I suppose that can differ greatly depending on a great number of variables. Most writers buy, sell, and trade in word counts, not page counts.

[Doctor Setebos]

Using some handy text stats functionality I just discovered on Amazon, I find that Old Man's War is 320 pages and 90,556 words (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Mans-War-John-Scalzi/dp/sitb-next/0765348276/ref=sbx_txt#textstats). Doing the math, that means that 50,000 words could roughly translate to somewhere in the neighborhood of 176 pages. But obviously, this is not an exact science.

[Xerxes]

Using some handy text stats functionality I just discovered on Amazon, I find that Old Man's War is 320 pages and 90,556 words (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Mans-War-John-Scalzi/dp/sitb-next/0765348276/ref=sbx_txt#textstats). Doing the math, that means that 50,000 words could roughly translate to somewhere in the neighborhood of 176 pages. But obviously, this is not an exact science.

Sounds like a novella. :rolleyes:

Correction from wiki:
the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000

[Doctor Setebos]

Sounds like a novella. :rolleyes:

Correction from wiki:Yeah, technically, 50K is a novel. But it's definitely a short novel. :rolleyes:

[Crittias]

Yeah, 50k is a very short novel, and probably not a marketable manuscript. But it's a potentially great start. Of the 3 NaNo efforts I've made, only one is anything better than a really rough draft, but I have a ton of fun every year, regardless of the quality of the final product.

[Crittias]

The site gets hammered hard between Oct 1 and the end of November. They moved everything to a new server system and host this year and everyone was hoping they would be able to hold out, but it looks like they just can't keep the site operational. :( Last year, it was slow as molasses, but at least it worked.The NaNo site is experiencing a hardware issue:
It was bound to happen at some point, and what better day than October 1?
As many of you have probably noticed, our sites are down. The error message is showing that the site is currently overloaded, which is false. According to Russ's diagnostics, one of the database's discs failed and took the site down with it.[...]We're installing back-ups and will be running on just one database server instead of two, so things will be slow until we can get both servers working together again.

[Sazime]

I think this will be the year I actually start doing it. We'll see how far I get...

[Xerxes]

Yeah, 50k is a very short novel, and probably not a marketable manuscript. But it's a potentially great start. Of the 3 NaNo efforts I've made, only one is anything better than a really rough draft, but I have a ton of fun every year, regardless of the quality of the final product.

Is a collection of related short stories a novel. I was just wondering about that.

[OUX]

I enjoyed this when I did it before, however, I am already working on a novel.

[Crittias]

Is a collection of related short stories a novel. I was just wondering about that.I can answer you in a couple of ways. In my personal opinion, if the short stories are connected by some unifying theme, I think it would count. As for whether it counts for NaNoWriMo, that's entirely up to you. No one polices your work, so you can type the word "the" 50,000 times and call it a novel if you want.

Write what you want. Write what works for you. Just use NaNo as a good reason to write A LOT.

[Crittias]

I enjoyed this when I did it before, however, I am already working on a novel.I'm working on a novel as well, but I'm going to table it for November to start a new idea. I think it'll be good for me to take a break from my current story.

[Doctor Setebos]

Is a collection of related short stories a novel. I was just wondering about that.Technically, no. It would be either a compilation (if they've never been published), a collection (if they have been previously published), or an anthology (if they are by various authors). But I agree with Crittias' assessment on NaNo. It can be whatever you want it to be. No one looks over your shoulder to make sure you're actually writing a novel.

[Xerxes]

Technically, no. It would be either a compilation (if they've never been published), a collection (if they have been previously published), or an anthology (if they are by various authors). But I agree with Crittias' assessment on NaNo. It can be whatever you want it to be. No one looks over your shoulder to make sure you're actually writing a novel.

Well it's like Lost. It's all related in a way. It's would be about 5 separate back stories for about 7 characters. This would be about their lives before something else I have planned for different medium. These people are the only people to remember everything about their whole life. As you can imagine the rest of the world is going to have other issues and memory is just one of them.

[Doctor Setebos]

Well it's like Lost. It's all related in a way. It's would be about 5 separate back stories for about 7 characters. This would be about their lives before something else I have planned for different medium. These people are the only people to remember everything about their whole life. As you can imagine the rest of the world is going to have other issues and memory is just one of them.Ah, I see. In the writing world, we would refer to those as "chapters". :rolleyes:

I know. I'm a jerk. :D

[Xerxes]

Ah, I see. In the writing world, we would refer to those as "chapters". :rolleyes:

I know. I'm a jerk. :D

They could be chapters I suppose. I thought of chapter as bridges to the next, chapter.

[Crittias]

Ah, I see. In the writing world, we would refer to those as "chapters". :rolleyes:

I know. I'm a jerk. :D1. You're correct, those would be chapters.
2. You're correct, you're a jerk. :D

[Sazime]

I think I may just blow your collective minds and write mine in issues, considering it's a comic book idea that I think I want to write in prose first.

[Aggort]

The idea of NaNoWriMo is pretty simple: write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. That's all there is to it. It averages out to about 1,600 words a day. It sounds simple, but actually getting your butt in gear and doing it is insane. But I have to say, I enjoyed the hell out of it last year. I definitely want to do it again.

As it turns out, that was how I wrote mine last year, by simply writing 1,600 words a day. Granted I write much better short stories than I do novels, but I've been thinking of a topic all year this year and hope that I can participate as well as I did last.

[Xerxes]

I think I may just blow your collective minds and write mine in issues, considering it's a comic book idea that I think I want to write in prose first.

Long as it's not like that horrible Southland Tales graphic novel. :rolleyes:

[Sazime]

Long as it's not like that horrible Southland Tales graphic novel. :rolleyes:
Never read those... so I dunno....

No, what I want to do, since I have scripted pages, is try writing in regular prose and see what I can do with it. If the story if solid enough, and I have a clear a picture of what things look like, it shouldn't be a problem. It'll just be interesting dividing things up and keeping a 22-24 page comic format in mind.

[EWolfmanD]

Hey, Sazime. I know something that you could be working on writing right now. ;)

As for NaNo, I've never done it before, although I have read about it in various places over the years. This is actually one of the few times that I haven't been furiously jotting down ideas for a novel. I usually have a ton of ideas and fragments of a story or dialogue, but I never get around to actually doing any writing. I've pretty much given up on ever writing anything at this point, so perhaps it would be the perfect time to actually try for once. :p

Most likely I'll just end up reading a lot instead.

[Sazime]

Hey, Sazime. I know something that you could be working on writing right now. ;)
I know, I know. Keck brought it up in my birthday thread... I just, feel too bad to even look at those forums now...

[Ten19]

I know, I know. Keck brought it up in my birthday thread... I just, feel too bad to even look at those forums now...
Well, just let us know if you're coming back :p

[VerseD]

I just heard about NaNoWriMo this year and I'd really like to participate. We should start a CoG group to bounce ideas and rough drafts of each other.

Now I just need to come up with an idea for a novel...

[pomeroy]

I would only have a shot of being successful if I did NaNo as a collection of short stories...still doing the same words per day, but being able to move on after a bit.

[Xerxes]

I just heard about NaNoWriMo this year and I'd really like to participate. We should start a CoG group to bounce ideas and rough drafts of each other.

Now I just need to come up with an idea for a novel...

I think you mean the CoG Writer's Guild. We're re-forming.

NaNoWriMo suggest No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811845052/nationalnov09-20/104-6228216-5586334) book.

[Xerxes]

I would only have a shot of being successful if I did NaNo as a collection of short stories...still doing the same words per day, but being able to move on after a bit.

Someone told me they are called chapters. :rolleyes:

[Doctor Setebos]

Someone told me they are called chapters. :rolleyes:Only a complete jerk would say something like that.

[VerseD]

NaNoWriMo suggest No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811845052/nationalnov09-20/104-6228216-5586334) book.

I probably won't come up with a plot before I start writing, as that's a bad idea. I would like to draw up some characters though, and a basic premise. Hard to start without those.

[Spacetronaut]

I'm all up ins for the fourth year. We'll have to make a word count thread for November, it's easier to stay motivated when you have other people rubbing their success in your face.

[Xerxes]

New idea. So last night I was in the IRC Forum goofing.
(4:18:05 AM) Xerxes: I have had nerdy dreams of playing tetris with her(Hikaru Utada), and it gets all heated and we like throw are DSs to the side.... Then she's like all moaning and stuff. @_@

(4:34:44 AM) Xerxes: So maybe if I go to Japan, I just throw my challenge out at the airport, Hikaru could never beat me Tetris... they'll summon their singer champion to vanquish me... I'm going to write about this for NaMoWriMo
(4:35:30 AM) Lekon: ...
(4:35:37 AM) Lekon: I don't even know what to say to that
(4:36:16 AM) Xerxes: I'll send you my novel in December
(4:36:18 AM) Xerxes: ^_^

I'm actually considering this and it's like my mind is running with so many ideas about it. Can novels be written as like a series of journal entries?

[Hellbug]

I would absolutely love to have time for this, but sadly, I think November will be a pretty busy month for me. I will be spending far too much time working (writing) and trying to get my GED, which are both far more important to me than writing a novel which could be done in any other month.

Maybe next year?

[shunoshi]

New idea. So last night I was in the IRC Forum goofing.


I'm actually considering this and it's like my mind is running with so many ideas about it. Can novels be written as like a series of journal entries?

You ever read Rant by Chuck Palahniuk? That's basically written entirely in "interview format" so I would think journal entries would work just as well...?

[Xerxes]

You ever read Rant by Chuck Palahniuk? That's basically written entirely in "interview format" so I would think journal entries would work just as well...?

I'll start off with my planned trip to Japan, to stalk Utada. And love will blossom. Then reality sets in with tragedy. All told in daily entries. I'll call it Simple and Clean. :o

I'm actually a little emotional about the already planned ending.

[shunoshi]

I'm actually a little emotional about the already planned ending.

Where the restraining order gets placed against you? ;)

[Xerxes]

Where the restraining order gets placed against you? ;)

Nope. It's better than that.

[Doctor Setebos]

New idea. So last night I was in the IRC Forum goofing.


I'm actually considering this and it's like my mind is running with so many ideas about it. Can novels be written as like a series of journal entries?At one point (a LONG time ago), I had an idea of a novel told entirely through letters home from soldiers fighting in a war. The setting was a fantasy world. So, like, letters home, but with magic and dragons.

[Xerxes]

At one point (a LONG time ago), I had an idea of a novel told entirely through letters home from soldiers fighting in a war. The setting was a fantasy world. So, like, letters home, but with magic and dragons.

Sweet. That could even end like how I plan to end my novel.
where the entries stop and you are to assume the writer died. Least I didn't tell you how it happened. :(

[Arphahat]

Well it's like Lost. It's all related in a way. It's would be about 5 separate back stories for about 7 characters. This would be about their lives before something else I have planned for different medium. These people are the only people to remember everything about their whole life. As you can imagine the rest of the world is going to have other issues and memory is just one of them.

They could just be chapters, like the jerk mentioned, but you could also sounds like a framed story (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_story). In fact, a modern Sci-Fi novel I really enjoyed was Hyperion, and it used that format.

[Generation ABXY]

Drat, didn't see this topic before. I intended to try this before and, in fact, I had set my sights to actually do so this year. However, I may actually "cheat" this year: my computer died recently, and I lost chapters of work, so I may use NaNoWriMo to try and recreate them, then finish the entire story. For me, I'm thinking 50,000 word goal may actually be the perfect length; I'm writing a children's novel, and I really don't want it to get too lengthy.

BTW, to those of you who've done it before, have you ever gotten one of your NaNoWriMo works published (or turned it into something that has been)?

[shunoshi]

Well, after contemplating this for awhile I've decided to bite. I signed up today for NaNoWriMo and have about 5 days to figure out what I'm going to write about. I think this will, at the very least, be a helpful excercise to get me writing daily. Who knows, maybe it'll be good enough to win something. :p

[Crittias]

Well, after contemplating this for awhile I've decided to bite. I signed up today for NaNoWriMo and have about 5 days to figure out what I'm going to write about. I think this will, at the very least, be a helpful excercise to get me writing daily. Who knows, maybe it'll be good enough to win something. :pWoohoo! Welcome to the club!

[Xerxes]

I'm still thinking about it. I think the format I'm thinking about would be easy since I'd be mostly writing a fictional journal.

[alienmastermind]

The Alienmastermind will toss his airhelmet into the ring. Then, scrambling, and turning an odd shade of blue, try to put it back on before Earth's poisonous miasma of an atmosphere kills him.

[Xerxes]

They have this in the email they sent me.

1) It's okay to not know what you're doing. Really. You've read a lot of novels, so you're completely up to the challenge of writing one. If you feel more comfortable outlining your story ahead of time, do so. But it's also fine to just wing it. Write every day, and a book-worthy story will appear, even if you're not sure what that story might be right now.

Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong... I think the longest thing I ever read was Goosebumps or I Am Legend. O_o

I finally signed up, but I'm game. I think my format will guide me just fine.

[Generation ABXY]

They have this in the email they sent me.



Wrong Wrong Wrong Wrong... I think the longest thing I ever read was Goosebumps or I Am Legend. O_o

I finally signed up, but I'm game. I think my format will guide me just fine.

Wait, is that a joke? I mean, is that seriously the longest thing you've read?

And I don’t mean that to at all embarrass you, if it is true, but you are missing out on some great works, Xerxes.

[Xerxes]

Wait, is that a joke? I mean, is that seriously the longest thing you've read?

And I don’t mean that to at all embarrass you, if it is true, but you are missing out on some great works, Xerxes.

I won't say ADHD, but I can't sit down and read like for imaginations sake for the life of me. I can get through graphic novels just fine, or like school text books, but I find fiction soooooo dry. Text books are probably in reality more dry, but at least I'm getting something out of it. I have even read boring reference text. I've even dragged my corpse through non-fiction books. With fiction my mind wonders into other stuff quick. My own imagination gets to active.

I know everyone in the world says I'm missing out but it's like nature. I've tried though. I even have WWZ on my shelf. :(

[Spectre-7]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but..... if you don't enjoy reading novels, why in the name of Zeus' bunghole would you want to write one? I can personally guarantee you that writing a novel is at least a thousand times more boring and time consuming than reading a novel, and I mean that quite literally without even a hint of exaggeration.

[Xerxes]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but..... if you don't enjoy reading novels, why in the name of Zeus' bunghole would you want to write one? I can personally guarantee you that writing a novel is at least a thousand times more boring and time consuming than reading a novel, and I mean that quite literally without even a hint of exaggeration.

:o Cause I'm all sorts of complicated. I was going to say crazy, but complicated might fit better.

[Jeffool]

I'm in, for the record. And damn it, I'll be winning!

[Crittias]

Xerxes will be completely incapable of proofreading his novel, because it'll be too long for him to read.

Unless he illustrates it while he writes it...

:D

[Xerxes]

Xerxes will be completely incapable of proofreading his novel, because it'll be too long for him to read.

Unless he illustrates it while he writes it...

:D
I have an editor. :)

[Generation ABXY]

I had a similar problem when I was younger; I just couldn't sit through a book - even if it was for school - for the life of me. That all changed some years back, after I read Beowulf. (Yeah, it's odd, I know.) Ever since then, I've become an avid reader and I am desperately trying to catch up with all the classics I missed out on myself.

There are some I still can't get through, but that is mostly the really long-winded stuff (curse you, Lord of the Rings!), where they start to go into dental histories of horses and stuff like that. If you pick up the right stuff, though...smooth as butter. If you're interested (which you may not be, and that's fine), I'd recommend Sherlock Holmes. Their short stories and novellas, so they aren't too time consuming, but they are surprisingly well-written for the time.

But, either way, good luck with writing a book, Xerxes...and, well, everyone here. On a related note, do you guys know what you're going to write about? I've decided to try and recreate a side project detective story (instead of my children's book) that was lost when my laptop crashed.

[Xerxes]

Also, remember my "novel" will be a fictitious, journal telling a story of another world version of myself. Not walls of text.

[Abednigo]

I want to. The handful of people who read my 2006 novel really liked it. I need to clean it up though and get a nice copy printed just to save. But I'd love to do it again. It was a blast.

I started last year but things just got too busy. I only got about 1000 words into it before I had to give it up.

[Crittias]

On a related note, do you guys know what you're going to write about?I'm going to write about a technology somewhat similar to iTunes's new Genius list: software to select music to suit your mood. I'll extrapolate the technology out about 15 years, allowing for some pretty extreme advancements and tangential technologies, and then see what the good guys and the bad guys cook up to abuse the tech.

Part of my success last year was really focusing on the flaws and features of my characters, so I'll be trying hard to stay grounded in human interaction again this year.

The handful of people who read my 2006 novel really liked it.If you're willing to share, I'd enjoy reading it.

[shunoshi]

On a related note, do you guys know what you're going to write about?

I finally decided this afternoon what my subject will be. My story will be about the murder of William II, king of England. It'll be an account given by a traveling bard who claims to have interviewed the assassin prior to his secret execution as ordered by King Henry I.

[Xerxes]

On a related note, do you guys know what you're going to write about?

Well so far all I know is, me, japan, Tetris, romance with Hikaru Utada, other bizarre stuff.

That or this warped out world with a nomad leading a few people who can't remember anything.

[Crittias]

I finally decided this afternoon what my subject will be. My story will be about the murder of William II, king of England. It'll be an account given by a traveling bard who claims to have interviewed the assassin prior to his secret execution as ordered by King Henry I.Dude, awesome idea!

[Abednigo]

If you're willing to share, I'd enjoy reading it.

Certainly. :) But I'd reserve the "enjoy" part until you've read it. ;)

I've started cleaning it up a little bit (cleaning up some of my "shortcuts" to get to 50,000 words) but I haven't finished doing that yet so if you don't mind that I'll email it to you. It's nothing major. Just changing back some of the "you are" to "you're", "can not" to "can't". Stuff like that.

To give you some background of the story, I got the idea for it from a song (and album title) by the band Dead Poetic. The novel is kind of written around the song Vices (and is the title of the novel too). I had just got the CD a week or so before I started so it kind of inspired me. The drummer Jesse Sprinkle said it was cool to use the song throughout the story (there are other uncredited songs in it from other bands).

[Aggort]

8 hours for me to go! BTW some of you should find me on the site, the number is 441270.

[Crittias]

8 hours for me to go! BTW some of you should find me on the site, the number is 441270.Anyone starting at midnight? We're having a midnight write-in at a local 24-hr bakery. Should be fun!

[shunoshi]

8 hours for me to go! BTW some of you should find me on the site, the number is 441270.

I'll try to add you as a buddy. My profile is linked in the sig.

Anyone starting at midnight? We're having a midnight write-in at a local 24-hr bakery. Should be fun!

Not sure if I'm doing the midnight thing, probably not. I'll be putting in a long shift tomorrow to try and get ahead of the curve though. :D

[Arphahat]

Oh shit... it does start tomorrow... I kept meaning to finally decide on a topic, but kept postponing. I guess I need to do that ASAP.

Edit: Oh, and my user name there is the same that it is here: Arphahat. Feel free to add me as a buddy.

Double Secret Edit: I don't see a way to search by user name, so here is my account number: 85560

[Generation ABXY]

Anyone starting at midnight? We're having a midnight write-in at a local 24-hr bakery. Should be fun!

I am; though I am still, sadly, flip-flopping between which story to do. We don't have to actually be at a NaNoWriMo event to do this, do we?

EDIT: Also, I'm trying to add some of you, but the NaNoWriMo site is (as is to be expected, I suppose) rather slow tonight. If you want to add me, my number is 430139.

Oh, and good luck everyone! :)

[Xerxes]

Anyone starting at midnight? We're having a midnight write-in at a local 24-hr bakery. Should be fun!

I'll probably start this evening, as in 1am after work. I thought I know where I was going to start but I got a little confused. Err? I'm taking inspiration from the beginning of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. When Joel is writing in his journal. Similar to the narrative I want to use.

[Abednigo]

Midnight? No way. I might write a little tomorrow.

[Aggort]

Anyone starting at midnight? We're having a midnight write-in at a local 24-hr bakery. Should be fun!

I was trying to get my library interested this year but they were no dice. I mean as if literacy wasn't great around here and it's important to everyone. It really annoys me that foundations around here don't try and do more to promote reading and actual writing beyond essays.

Since nothing is that cool here in Eastern Ohio, I will be starting tomorrow once I get home from work. It'll be easy since I've had this first part planned for a while now.

[Xerxes]

It really annoys me that foundations around here don't try and do more to promote reading and actual writing beyond essays.

That's why it's got to be done supplementary. I've been trying to get my niece to do some form of arts. Read, paint, play music, something. I can't do none of this shit but I think the next generation in my blood line should do more. Not as in pressuring but find something you like and excel at it. Be more interesting than I.

If she old enough I'll just bribe her with RAB DAR GAB!

[Spacetronaut]

I'll probably be drunk at midnight, but I'll try to knock out 1700 tomorrow. I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay in this year, I'm taking 18 credits and just starting a new job. It'll be interesting anyway.

[Xerxes]

Anybody confusing themselves before the clock strikes? I'm now confusing my self on the story, I want to tell. I mean I'm really planning on winging it. But once I start on a concept I'll be set on a path. It's just like what's the right path.

[Crittias]

I am; though I am still, sadly, flip-flopping between which story to do. We don't have to actually be at a NaNoWriMo event to do this, do we?No, you don't need to be anywhere in particular. Just start writing any time after 11:59:59 this evening!

[Xerxes]

Wait, is that a joke? I mean, is that seriously the longest thing you've read?

And I don’t mean that to at all embarrass you, if it is true, but you are missing out on some great works, Xerxes.

It'll be totally awesome if I finish. Then I'll have written something longer than I've ever ridden. :rolleyes:

I finally logged in; 430319 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/430319).

[Crittias]

Got 709 words in tonight. Not a bad start! We'll see how tomorrow goes.

[Xerxes]

Got 709 words in tonight. Not a bad start! We'll see how tomorrow goes.

I'm frozen. :(

[shunoshi]

I'm frozen. :(

I'm drunk. :p

[Spectre-7]

I'm drunk. :p

I'm not quite drunk enough.:mad:

[alienmastermind]

2,000 words and then some. More to come. :)

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I am going to outline things out right now and I hope to get my first couple thousand words down by midnight.

[Generation ABXY]

Had a bit of electrical trouble last night, so I ended up just jotting thngs down in my notebook; I'm not sure how much I did, but I'll update once I've typed it up.

[Xerxes]

Hmmm... Maybe I should go read a novel this month. :(

[VerseD]

I'm visiting friends this weekend and haven't started yet, but I will when I get back Tuesday. I'm user 312027 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312027).

I want to write a sci-fi story about a group of humans colonizing an already inhabited planet. Since I don't want to spend time contemplating technology and politics, I'll it through a low and unimportant observer, some laborer, pilot, or aide. That's my starting plan.

I finally decided this afternoon what my subject will be. My story will be about the murder of William II, king of England. It'll be an account given by a traveling bard who claims to have interviewed the assassin prior to his secret execution as ordered by King Henry I.

That's a great idea. Sounds like a Steven Pressfield novel.

Historical stories can be a pain to write if you want to stick to facts and use them to explore an argument or thesis, but since yours is told second-hand through a bard you have a lot of room for creative license.

[Generation ABXY]

Hmmm... Maybe I should go read a novel this month. :(

What's your trouble exactly, maybe there's something I can help you with? (And, yeah, I know I haven't had a book of my own published yet, but I have a whole stack of books on how to do it. :D )

I'm visiting friends this weekend and haven't started yet, but I will when I get back Tuesday. I'm user 312027 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312027).

Hopefully the NaNoWriMo site will be working for me again by then; if so, I'll try to add you, if you don't mind.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

My concept might be a little tired, but it will deal with economic and political collapse in the not so distant future United States, in a fictional major city in the midwest. It will be told through the words of a yet to be named (I am awful at thinking of names) male who will write about what is going on in the world as he sees it.

I am not the best writer, but I hope to have fun with this and maybe write a novel!

[Crittias]

I'm visiting friends this weekend and haven't started yet, but I will when I get back Tuesday. I'm user 312027 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312027).

I want to write a sci-fi story about a group of humans colonizing an already inhabited planet. Since I don't want to spend time contemplating technology and politics, I'll it through a low and unimportant observer, some laborer, pilot, or aide. That's my starting plan.I like this idea, in particular your POV. Good luck!

[shunoshi]

I'll try to get everyone added as buddies as soon as things cool down at the NaNoWriMo site. It's barely functioning right now.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'll try to get everyone added as buddies as soon as things cool down at the NaNoWriMo site. It's barely functioning right now.

I'm having a lot of problems with it at the moment as well. I was able to register however.

[Generation ABXY]

Oh, so it isn't just me (site troubles); my router has been known to plot against me in the past, so I wasn't sure. :p

[Arphahat]

Woo-hoo! 192 words down, only 49808 to go!

[Crittias]

The nanowrimo website will be almost unreachable for the next few days. They can never handle the traffic of the first days of November. It'll settle down soon, though, so don't panic.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I did 1,371 words tonight! I was just winging it for the beginning, but I hope that when I chart down the path the story will go, the words will flow much more freely.

[Arphahat]

603 tonight. Whew... this is tough. Hopefully, now that I've started to breathe some life into my brief synopsis, it will start to pick up.

[Generation ABXY]

Ah, congrats guys! They may seem like small steps, but I guess that's how everything begins.

I'm still trying to type up my notes, but now - since I've written it once before - I've run into that classic pitfall of trying to edit it as I go. :(


EDIT: In the meantime, I've updated my profile with a (very) brief summary of the story I'm working on, All Things Detective Agency.

[Crittias]

I'm at 3,829 words so far. And I'm still on Chapter One, which makes it the longest chapter I've ever written BY FAR (I like bite-sized chapters usually, but this book might be a bit different than the norm for me).

How's everyone else doing on Day Two?

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm laying out a path for my story. This first chapter of establishing everything I need to continue with the rest of the story is turning out to be a large project. I too will have a lengthy first chapter it seems.

I will add my total word count later tonight when I finish it. (Then do my homework and update my music blog. It's going to be a busy month!)

[Arphahat]

My day of writing hasn't yet begun. Good job at reaching almost 4k in two days.

I think I'm going to be doing this very non-linearly. I find that I am not really interested in the beginning, but I am anxious to get to other later parts where I know what is going to happen. I figure that after I write those parts, it should help clarify some of the earlier stuff for me.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I clocked in at 3,801 words tonight. I am really enjoying myself so far. I know that it's pretty terrible, but I think it will get better.

[Crittias]

I clocked in at 3,801 words tonight.Nice!
I am really enjoying myself so far.THIS is what is most important.
I know that it's pretty terrible, but I think it will get better.Maybe it'll get better. I hope so. Maybe it's not as terrible as you think. But as long as you're having a good time, no worries, eh?

[Arphahat]

OK, I'm up to 2,454. I started at 603, so assuming the sacred 1667 needed per day, I gained 184 on being caught up to where I numerically need to be. This is the best I've done at NaNoWriMo so far, since I always end up having a hard time finding time at the begging and trying to catch up much later. As long as I am diligent, I should be able to do this.

My idea of jumping between interesting parts seems to be paying off. I still don't have a really strong start for the novel, but I have an entertaining and creepy first zombie encounter; I still need to finish that off. I also have the breakup of a relationship, and in writing these have introduced two more people that I can introduce earlier and can write descriptions about. I also have a sex scene to write, as well as a comedic introduction to a new love interest.

[Generation ABXY]

Bah! An extremely slow start for me. I've only got about 400 words or so right now; I'll get an official count and update my stats later (once I can connect to NaNoWriMo again). :(

I'm hoping things will greatly improve tomorrow, once my brother heads back to work.

[Hellbug]

I've decided to hop in on this. The loss of two days hardly effects me, because it seems I will have a lot more free time in the next month than I had expected midway through October. I'll start tomorrow, after I have worked out some sort of outline.

[Ancalagon]

Wow, never investigated this before now. I've been thinking about writing a novel for a while, but this is the first real encouragement, first real kick in the ass I've seen. So I might actually do it, dunno how I'll average 1600 words a day (and its already the 3rd) but it sounds interesting.

The problem is I need to decide what story to write! I have... well two in mind. The first is... well a supernatural drama. Cant explain more right now. The second is a sci fi detective story. I think the first might be a better pick, its a much simpler plot with far fewer characters.

I wish I had more free time... I'm going to have to start waking up earlier in the morning and writing then, since my work starts late.

[alienmastermind]

My number over there is: 427914 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/427914)

My book is like a Harry Turtledove novel about the inventors' war between Tesla and Edison. With lots of speculative sci-fi thrown in for good measure. :)

[Mr. Murphy]

My number over there is: 427914 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/427914)

My book is like a Harry Turtledove novel about the inventors' war between Tesla and Edison. With lots of speculative sci-fi thrown in for good measure. :)

Tesla FTW. Ladies please!

[Jeffool]

My number over there is: 427914 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/427914)

My book is like a Harry Turtledove novel about the inventors' war between Tesla and Edison. With lots of speculative sci-fi thrown in for good measure. :)Hah! Mine is (prospectively) about a proxy-war between Tesla (science) and Grigori Rasputin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Rasputin) (mysticism.) :D It'll be told in the journal/letter style of Dracula.

/edit: Me (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/84758).

[Crittias]

I'm 102169 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/102169). Feel free to join me as a buddy.

I had dreams about my story last night. Go, unconscious mind, go! Do my work for me!

[Ancalagon]

I'm 453183 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/453183)

Got a question for the more experienced writers. Of the two main characters in my novel, only one can communicate using spoken language. The other communicates through other means. Do you think that will make the dialogue suck too much?

[Crittias]

I'm 453183 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/453183)

Got a question for the more experienced writers. Of the two main characters in my novel, only one can communicate using spoken language. The other communicates through other means. Do you think that will make the dialogue suck too much?No, I think you can make that work quite well. It allows you to explore gesture, innuendo, misinterpretation, etc. Keep rolling with it!

[Arphahat]

I'm 453183 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/453183)

Got a question for the more experienced writers. Of the two main characters in my novel, only one can communicate using spoken language. The other communicates through other means. Do you think that will make the dialogue suck too much?

Something that I am doing for my main character is revealing her thoughts via italics. That might add some depth to your character if you are concerned about it.

[Ancalagon]

Thanks guys.

I thought the idea of a non verbal main character using symbolism to communicate could add something to my story, but I just wasn't sure it would be one of those ideas that sounds good in theory but makes for a bad read in practice.

[shunoshi]

I'm a little behind at 2549 words, but things picked up a bit this morning. I posted the prologue on my blog page, but came across a small snag. The term "Mister" seemed out of place to me and The Continental was kind enough to point it out as well. I don't think the honorific title of "Mr." existed in 11th/12th century England. What title would have been used for an upper-class/wealthy commoner?

[Arphahat]

I'm a little behind at 2549 words, but things picked up a bit this morning. I posted the prologue on my blog page, but came across a small snag. The term "Mister" seemed out of place to me and The Continental was kind enough to point it out as well. I don't think the honorific title of "Mr." existed in 11th/12th century England. What title would have been used for an upper-class/wealthy commoner?

My advice is to not get hung up on details like that right now. Make a note somewhere that you think "Mister" is out of place, but keep using it and do a global search and replace at the end after you won with whatever real title you come up with.

[shunoshi]

My advice is to not get hung up on details like that right now. Make a note somewhere that you think "Mister" is out of place, but keep using it and do a global search and replace at the end after you won with whatever real title you come up with.

Yeah, that's what I've done for now. "Mr." was used a few times in my prologue and I've just left it that way. Just curious if anyone happened to be a history major specializing in medieval England (circa 1100 AD). ;)

[Spectre-7]

Mister appears to indeed be anachronistic. The first citations I see are from 1447, as a variant of Master. I believe Master would be the appropriate choice, but I'm having trouble finding text to support this belief.

Of course, English was vastly different during the time of your story (around the time of the Norman invasion), so every piece of dialogue you write is going to be horribly anachronistic unless you decide to write it all in authentic Old English -- Þâ wäs Hrôðgâre here-spêd gyfen, wîges weorð-mynd, þät him his wine-mâgas georne hýrdon, ôð þät seó geogoð geweôx... And no one wants to read that. ;)

I'd suggest you just write your story in language that you're comfortable with, and if you feel it's important to add touches of historic flavor when you're done, do the research then and adapt what you already have.

[shunoshi]

Mister appears to indeed be anachronistic. The first citations I see are from 1447, as a variant of Master. I believe Master would be the appropriate choice, but I'm having trouble finding text to support this belief.

Of course, English was vastly different during the time of your story (around the time of the Norman invasion), so every piece of dialogue you write is going to be horribly anachronistic unless you decide to write it all in authentic Old English -- Þâ wäs Hrôðgâre here-spêd gyfen, wîges weorð-mynd, þät him his wine-mâgas georne hýrdon, ôð þät seó geogoð geweôx... And no one wants to read that. ;)

I'd suggest you just write your story in language that you're comfortable with, and if you feel it's important to add touches of historic flavor when you're done, do the research then and adapt what you already have.

You know, I didn't even take into account the heavy use of Old English at the time. You're right, I'll add in whatever I see fit. I will be removing "Mr." though. It just doesn't sound right. I guess the occasional "milord" wouldn't hurt. As I dug further, it turns out that the term "Sir" actually didn't come about until the 13th century itself. I'm keeping that one though. ;)

[Ancalagon]

I'm installing OpenOffice 3 as we speak, lets get my write on!

[shunoshi]

I'm installing OpenOffice 3 as we speak, lets get my write on!

Go! Go! Go! :D :D :D

[Ancalagon]

Go! Go! Go! :D :D :D

1000 words done. I'm not finding it easy! think I'm going to head to bed now, and continue tomorrow morning.

Is the NaNoWriMo website incredibly slow for anyone else?

[shunoshi]

1000 words done. I'm not finding it easy! think I'm going to head to bed now, and continue tomorrow morning.

Is the NaNoWriMo website incredibly slow for anyone else?

Yes, it's not just you. The site can't handle the traffic it gets while NaNoWriMo is in action.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

My favorite part about this is that every time someone asks me what I'm doing, I can just tell them that I'm working on my book. :D

[Arphahat]

2974 and I am stalled something fierce. I am already burning out. Fuck, I wanna play some fucking video games! *sobs*

[TheEpicOfTyler]

4,929 words. :)

[shunoshi]

4,929 words. :)

Wow, kickin' ass, I'm sitting at 2990 right now. I'll be putting in some heavy writing tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to pass the 5000 mark.

[Crittias]

In answer to a writing challenge issued in my region, I crossed the 7000 word mark this evening with one minute to spare. Woohoo!

[Arphahat]

OK, after a bit of struggling, I was able to get to 3524. So, I am about 1500 off my mark, but still not too bad.

I am hoping to do some mind mapping at lunch to further figure out what elements I want to include in my story (plot devices, encounters, characters, etc.) Hopefully that will give me the boost I need to get the story moving a bit more.

[VerseD]

I am hoping to do some mind mapping at lunch to further figure out what elements I want to include in my story (plot devices, encounters, characters, etc.) Hopefully that will give me the boost I need to get the story moving a bit more.

That's a good idea. I'm having trouble figuring out how I want to organize things since I've never written anything this long.

I had dreams about my story last night. Go, unconscious mind, go! Do my work for me!

I always keep a pad and paper next to my bed, because sometimes I get great ideas right after waking up.

Hopefully the NaNoWriMo site will be working for me again by then; if so, I'll try to add you, if you don't mind.

Go for it.

[Generation ABXY]

Well, it looks like I've got a couple of hours before work gets real heavy, so I'll try to catch up on some of the time I missed while my brother was home (he picked up the flu at work). Hopefully I can get past this pitiful word count now. :)

[Jeffool]

I'm officially bowing out already. I can already see that I'm not going to make the time investment right now. I've got too much stuff I'm wanting to do, and I'm just not feeling NaNoWriMo right now.

[alienmastermind]

Do your ideas come to you whole or in pieces? Is it weird that I pretty much have a beginning middle and end thought up?

[alienmastermind]

You know, I didn't even take into account the heavy use of Old English at the time. You're right, I'll add in whatever I see fit. I will be removing "Mr." though. It just doesn't sound right. I guess the occasional "milord" wouldn't hurt. As I dug further, it turns out that the term "Sir" actually didn't come about until the 13th century itself. I'm keeping that one though. ;)

What about Sirrah? Seems like that might be Colonial American...but who the hell knows...:)

[Ancalagon]

You could always add a Liege, or a mi'liege in there. Find which cultures those particular pronouns came from, and see if they had been integrated into English at that point. You could even find an old form of Lord, for more authenticity.

But I must say, as was mentioned above, pretty much your whole book will be anachronism. So dont waste too much time in trying to avoid a small example of it.

I did some more planning today, this morning I had no idea what to write next, now I have some idea.

[Generation ABXY]

I'm officially bowing out already. I can already see that I'm not going to make the time investment right now. I've got too much stuff I'm wanting to do, and I'm just not feeling NaNoWriMo right now.

Already? Even if you don't make it to 50K, you can still get a workable chunk done. Then you're that much closer to your dream!

[shunoshi]

Well, I'm sitting at 4035 now. I'm still behind my goal, but am hoping to close in on it during a boring work day coming up.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm not sure how much work I'll get done tonight with election craziness going on.

[VerseD]

But I must say, as was mentioned above, pretty much your whole book will be anachronism. So dont waste too much time in trying to avoid a small example of it.

That's definitely something to edit later. For this month, I wouldn't worry about little details like formatting or authentic words. Just write and don't worry about how good it is.

[shunoshi]

That's definitely something to edit later. For this month, I wouldn't worry about little details like formatting or authentic words. Just write and don't worry about how good it is.

That's what I've been doing, but the pace to make 50K is grueling. I've been lagging behind since the start. I'm still going to keep at it regardless of the outcome. Even if I don't make the word count on time, I'll have a very large portion of a novel finished which is something I've wanted to do for many, many years now.

[Crittias]

That's what I've been doing, but the pace to make 50K is grueling. I've been lagging behind since the start. I'm still going to keep at it regardless of the outcome. Even if I don't make the word count on time, I'll have a very large portion of a novel finished which is something I've wanted to do for many, many years now.That's the right attitude. No matter what happens, keep at it. Being a writer is all about practice (or so I've read from LOTS of credible sources).

[Jeffool]

Already? Even if you don't make it to 50K, you can still get a workable chunk done. Then you're that much closer to your dream!Eh, it's not just that. I've just got other stuff that I'm more excited about right now, so that's commanding my time. (Writing a comic notion I've pushed around, re-learning 3d modeling, etc.)

[Arphahat]

I'm not sure how much work I'll get done tonight with election craziness going on.

I added about 100 words total tonight, due to watching the election coverage. I am going to have some serious catching up to do.

[Kielaran]

I guess I should check in here. I have been doing it, but never went in search of a thread about it. Tonight I added everyone in the thread that I saw...I'm 430712

So far I have 6333 words and I am stalled. I have the next section I want to write, but I feel that I am missing a connector between what I have and what I want next. Also, I need to name about 12 characters before I continue on, seeing how I plan a big meeting in the next chapter where everyone comes together. I have found it is very hard to write at any point in the past, because things haven't happened yet, or dialogue should sound different, but it is coming along.

My story: Set in the Cold War times (around Vietnam...not sure on a date exactly yet), the USA is collecting individuals with unusual abiliities (small differences, such as amazing vision or hearing for example...not superhuman powers) in an effort to gain any advantage possible against the USSR.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I added about 100 words total tonight, due to watching the election coverage. I am going to have some serious catching up to do.

I didn't get any writing done, but I did chart out some story elements and I drew up a map of the city my story takes place in. So I hope those will help me pump out 4000ish words tomorrow.

[VerseD]

I got some work done tonight, and I'm really enjoying myself so far. I'm doing a first-person perspective that's a lot of fun to write. Tomorrow I want to think more about the main character and how I should develop him.

We need a spot to show off what we write. Some people have been using blog posts, so should we just go with that? Maybe a new thread?

[Kielaran]

We need a spot to show off what we write. Some people have been using blog posts, so should we just go with that? Maybe a new thread?

I think blog posts work well. We could also throw up links to our blogs so everyone sees them.

Speaking of which, here is my first NaNo entry (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=388).

[Ancalagon]

Well, its going badly for me. This week has been stressful for me, so I wasnt in the mood to write much last night. Consequently I'm at 1269 words right now. I cant write tonight because I'm going to a bachelors party.

I'm not giving up just yet, I think this weekend I should be able to write a lot more.

[Crittias]

Here's my first excerpt. I'm not sure how well it stands on it's own, but I'll let you folks be the judge of it:
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=402

[Khrymsyn]

Good luck to everyone on the NaNo!

I don't have the balls to try it. I can form ideas and concepts, but anything that long and I get completely lost somewhere in the middle =(

[shunoshi]

I think blog posts work well. We could also throw up links to our blogs so everyone sees them.

Speaking of which, here is my first NaNo entry (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=388).

I do think the blogs work well for posting samples. Here's the prologue to my novel. (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=394)

Good luck to everyone on the NaNo!

I don't have the balls to try it. I can form ideas and concepts, but anything that long and I get completely lost somewhere in the middle =(

Thanks, Khrymsyn, I need all the luck I can get. ;)

[Crittias]

I've decided to also post my regional Pep Talks on my blog. If you're looking for some NaNoWriMo inspiration, you may want to check them out:

Day One Pep Talk (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=404)
High 5! More Dead Than Alive! (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=405)

[Arphahat]

Heh... I think I'll pass on posting any parts of my novel, as I do not believe most of it is in a readable state, yet. :)

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm having problems getting ball back to a rolling. I'm at about 6000 words right now.

[shunoshi]

Well, I got some writing in tonight and was able to get on a bit of a roll. I started today feeling way behind at 4,035 words, but I nearly tripled my total word count today and am resting happily at 6,025 words. I'm still behind, but the story is beginning to pick up as I near the end of the first chapter.

I would have high hopes for keeping up, but I leave for deer hunting Friday and it's going to put a major strain on my writing. I'll be gone for 6 days. I'm bringing my trusty moleskine with and going to try and fill it up at every chance I get though. Hopefully I won't lag too far behind and have to play catch-up.

[Arphahat]

Whew... this is tough. 4527. I was able to get about 1k words tonight. I sure hope that once I finish determining all the pieces I need that I can pick up the pace by "gluing" them together.

[Generation ABXY]

I suppose it could just be the continued congestion of the site, but is anybody else getting routed to ask.com when they try to visit NaNoWriMo?


EDIT: Also, in a point actually related to my story, is it normal for a detective story to seem like a bunch of visits to people? I don't read many myself, but I have the basic plot planned and my characters seem to be going from Point A to B to C to D, etc. (all the way up to Z, probably) just to get there...

[Kielaran]

I would have high hopes for keeping up, but I leave for deer hunting Friday and it's going to put a major strain on my writing. I'll be gone for 6 days. I'm bringing my trusty moleskine with and going to try and fill it up at every chance I get though. Hopefully I won't lag too far behind and have to play catch-up.

6 days?!? Now who is going to trade comments with me on the blogs and log onto Live, making me feel guilty that I'm not writing?

I suppose it could just be the continued congestion of the site, but is anybody else getting routed to ask.com when they try to visit NaNoWriMo?

It has been chugging for me, but never got sent to ask.com

[Crittias]

Another excerpt posted: NaNoWriMo Excerpt: Chapter One (Pt 2) (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=416)

I'm writing Chapter Four now. As expected, the writing pace is slowing now that the initial excitement is over. I'm over 10k, but it's becoming a bit of a slog.

How goes it for the rest of you?

[Generation ABXY]

Another excerpt posted: NaNoWriMo Excerpt: Chapter One (Pt 2) (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=416)

I'm writing Chapter Four now. As expected, the writing pace is slowing now that the initial excitement is over. I'm over 10k, but it's becoming a bit of a slog.

How goes it for the rest of you?


Is it natural to want to change to a different story? Or, if I'm feeling that, should I actually do it?

[Spectre-7]

Is it natural to want to change to a different story? Or, if I'm feeling that, should I actually do it?

I'd say it's pretty natural to feel that way, although I'm used to that feeling hitting a bit later in a project. Unfortunately, you really need to answer that one for yourself... just keep in mind that fatigue can really change your opinion of your project. Sometimes it's nice just to take a breather, then come back with fresh eyes.

As for your other question about detective stories, that jibes with pretty much every detective story I've ever read. It's what detectives do... they go around talking to people. *shrug*

[Crittias]

Is it natural to want to change to a different story? Or, if I'm feeling that, should I actually do it?It's definitely natural. What happens during NaNo is that you start to miss that exciting feeling you get when you're cooking up a new idea. After all, the initial creation process is usually a LOT more fun than sitting down and putting it all on paper.

My advice is to take a few moments to write down notes for any new ideas you have, but to stay the course with your existing story. Most failed novelists fail because they have a filing cabinet filled with half-completed stories. Having at least one completed novel can serve to do a lot to break that cycle.

And as Spectre said, detective novels are definitely a series of bouncing from scene to scene as they collect clues, interview people, get beat up by the bad guys, etc. etc. So it sounds like you're right on track!

[TheEpicOfTyler]

Homework is really kicking my ass when it comes to Nanowrimo right now. :(

[Generation ABXY]

Ah, thanks Spectre and Crittias. It is good to know my story is at least flowing the right way. So, I'll try to stick it out, but also take a moment here and there, as suggested. :)

Most failed novelists fail because they have a filing cabinet filled with half-completed stories. Having at least one completed novel can serve to do a lot to break that cycle.

I know this part only too well; I'd say I have more than a dozen, likely novel-sized ideas just waiting to be written. And, over the years, I've told myself that, if I could just finish one (not even publish, just finish), they they would likely flow much better, since I would know I am at least capable of it.

[Crittias]

I know this part only too well; I'd say I have more than a dozen, likely novel-sized ideas just waiting to be written. And, over the years, I've told myself that, if I could just finish one (not even publish, just finish), they they would likely flow much better, since I would know I am at least capable of it.You sound like the perfect candidate for NaNoWriMo. So, FINISH YOUR BOOK. That's an order.

[Arphahat]

This is the first year where I have actually put a determined effort into really doing this, and it is much, much more difficult than I thought it would be. I am fighting hard against the desire to just give up and play games, or sleep, or watch TV.

I am finding that I often just don't want to write. I think it is because it feels so overwhelming, especially now that I am behind. The amount is not insurmountable, and as long as I maintain a 1667 per day pace, I should be able to catch it. Still, are there any tricks to getting into a more positive place?

[Crittias]

This is the first year where I have actually put a determined effort into really doing this, and it is much, much more difficult than I thought it would be. I am fighting hard against the desire to just give up and play games, or sleep, or watch TV.

I am finding that I often just don't want to write. I think it is because it feels so overwhelming, especially now that I am behind. The amount is not insurmountable, and as long as I maintain a 1667 per day pace, I should be able to catch it. Still, are there any tricks to getting into a more positive place?There are lots of things you can try:
1. Find someone on the forums and challenge them to a one day Word Duel.
2. Get an egg-timer (or download a virtual one: http://www.pc-tools.net/win32/mintimer/) and force yourself to write like a madman for 15 minute sprints
3. Skip the next chapter you were going to write. Forget it. Jump ahead from Chapter Four to Chapter Six, and start writing.
4. Accept a Plot Challenge from the NaNo website. There are lots of them, some serious, most silly. All of them will spur you to get more creative.
5. Repeat this mantra: "Quantity Over Quality." For the month of November, live by the mantra.
6. Find your ideal time to write. Mine is after dinner, when I'm tired, but not yet exhausted.
7. Find the right music for inspiration. I like classical, or instrumental movie soundtracks.
8. Post an excerpt (here, or on NaNo) and solicit opinions. Some will be positive, some negative, but all of them can serve as a great way to get motivated.

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Whatever you do, don't give up. Finishing NaNoWriMo is a really wonderful and rewarding experience!

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I think my problem is that I have a problem with putting down things that potentially are word padding or might be irrelevant. I mean, I don't intend for anyone to ever read this, but for some reason I still have that issue.

[Crittias]

I think my problem is that I have a problem with putting down things that potentially are word padding or might be irrelevant. I mean, I don't intend for anyone to ever read this, but for some reason I still have that issue.Yeah, um, you need to get over it. :D Just get into the habit of streaming words onto the screen. Forget quality. If you can get past the pacing issue, you'll find that the quality comes back pretty quickly. But first you've got to get your speed up.

[Arphahat]

There are lots of things you can try:
1. Find someone on the forums and challenge them to a one day Word Duel.
2. Get an egg-timer (or download a virtual one: http://www.pc-tools.net/win32/mintimer/) and force yourself to write like a madman for 15 minute sprints
3. Skip the next chapter you were going to write. Forget it. Jump ahead from Chapter Four to Chapter Six, and start writing.
4. Accept a Plot Challenge from the NaNo website. There are lots of them, some serious, most silly. All of them will spur you to get more creative.
5. Repeat this mantra: "Quantity Over Quality." For the month of November, live by the mantra.
6. Find your ideal time to write. Mine is after dinner, when I'm tired, but not yet exhausted.
7. Find the right music for inspiration. I like classical, or instrumental movie soundtracks.
8. Post an excerpt (here, or on NaNo) and solicit opinions. Some will be positive, some negative, but all of them can serve as a great way to get motivated.

Those are just a few off the top of my head. Whatever you do, don't give up. Finishing NaNoWriMo is a really wonderful and rewarding experience!

Thanks for the tips. Really, the most helpful thing is just being reminded by someone else not to give up! :)

I am sitting at 6233 right now. Not exactly where I need to be, but I did get in 1703 words this evening, a little more than the 1667 neede to maintain my position, so I am slowly catching back up.

Hopefully, this weekend I will be able to devote more time to this. That whole having to go to work thing makes this much more difficult. ;)

Alright, time to go crash.

[Doctor Setebos]

Just popping in here quickly to give everyone a bit of encouragement!

It's awesome and utterly amazing to see so much activity in the creative section of CoG. We never had this level of creative juice or such positive, uplifting comradery in the creative section of EvAv. I'm loving it, and I hope everyone keeps up the great work! Wish I were writing alongside of you all! :D

Keep it up!
http://studenthacks.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/thesis-paper.jpg

[Crittias]

Just popping in here quickly to give everyone a bit of encouragement!

It's awesome and utterly amazing to see so much activity in the creative section of CoG. We never had this level of creative juice or such positive, uplifting comradery in the creative section of EvAv. I'm loving it, and I hope everyone keeps up the great work! Wish I were writing alongside of you all! :D

Keep it up!Thanks, Doc! Are you writing a NaNo story this year? If so, what's your NaNo ID? If not...why?!?

[Doctor Setebos]

Thanks, Doc! Are you writing a NaNo story this year? If so, what's your NaNo ID? If not...why?!?Well, my NaNo ID is 214719 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/214719), but I'm not participating. I find it odd that NaNo has me listed as an "Official Participant" even though I never indicated that I was participating this year. I just left my account as-is from last year, and it somehow carried over.

This year, I'm working on my own novel, but I'm not constraining myself to complete it within the month of November. ;)

[Generation ABXY]

It's awesome and utterly amazing to see so much activity in the creative section of CoG. We never had this level of creative juice or such positive, uplifting comradery in the creative section of EvAv. I'm loving it, and I hope everyone keeps up the great work! Wish I were writing alongside of you all! :D

Just remember, this looks to be whittled down considerably when you have your vengeance on all those who didn’t vote Pancake, Ninja & Pie. :p

Oh, and shame you're not doing NaNoWriMo this year, but good luck with your novel anyway!

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm up to 8000 words today, hoping to recoup the other 3000 or so later tonight.

[Crittias]

I'm up to 8000 words today, hoping to recoup the other 3000 or so later tonight.That's great! Keep up the pace!!

For those of you following my NaNoBlog, I've posted another excerpt:
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=422


Thanks to everyone that's reading and commenting, it really keeps me motivated! It's kind of fun posting my early chapters in serial format, although breaking up the chapters (because blog posts have a 15,000 character limit) is somewhat challenging.

I am keeping my 2k/day pace so far, which is very good for me. 14,000 words and counting!

[Arphahat]

Crittias, you are doing an awesome job with keeping up a consistent pace. I think I've finally started doing things the right way. I've started trying to care less about quality and more about quantity, since it is always easier to take something that is there and make it better.

I started at 6,233 today. I'm shooting for a 2k pace to catch back up to where I need to be. I've calculated that I need somewhere around 1800 a day to finish on time, but the 2k will get me back to only needing 1667 eventually. Right now, I only need 667 to reach my goal for tonight before I can take a break.

I am hoping that during the weekend I'll be able to up my output to 3k per day, but it is tough since I have a five year old daughter who is always excited to play with Daddy. Fortunately, my FIL is in town and she is always happy to play with him, too.

[Arphahat]

Got to 9061 tonight, a total of 2828 words tonight. If I can keep this up, I'm golden for getting back on track by the end of this weekend. Now, time to reward myself with some quick gaming.

[Generation ABXY]

I’ve been having to fight those sudden gaming urges something fierce, and it’s particularly hard since, being my job, I normally just give into them at a moment's notice. >_<

Glad to hear you're catching up; even though I'm going to stick it out, I am almost certain I am going to be behind at the end of the month (unless I get some serious bursts here and there).

[Xerxes]

Well, my NaNo ID is 214719 (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/214719), but I'm not participating. I find it odd that NaNo has me listed as an "Official Participant" even though I never indicated that I was participating this year. I just left my account as-is from last year, and it somehow carried over.

This year, I'm working on my own novel, but I'm not constraining myself to complete it within the month of November. ;)

I'm a failure that choked. :o

[alienmastermind]

I only have around 6000 words. But I keep playing 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen and 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey and 'Don't Bring Me Down' by ELO...You know, a lot of 70's artists had a lot to say about the blues, and mostly it was 'Don't talk to me about depressing things, where's the coke?'

I'm going to hammer out around 6,000 words on Sunday (my day off of work).

[Arphahat]

I only have around 6000 words. But I keep playing 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen and 'Don't Stop Believing' by Journey and 'Don't Bring Me Down' by ELO...You know, a lot of 70's artists had a lot to say about the blues, and mostly it was 'Don't talk to me about depressing things, where's the coke?'

I'm going to hammer out around 6,000 words on Sunday (my day off of work).

Funny, I've been listening to a lot of Queen while writing. Their songs do a good job blocking out the world, but are not disruptive and can fade into the background.

[Arphahat]

10066 words, 1005 words tonight - 995 short of my goal. Not complaining, since I was out most of the evening. I should recover tomorrow.

Holy shit, Aggort! You are making NaNoWriMo into your bitch! 21,165! You are way ahead! Keep up the pace!

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm going to make a few more attempts to get back up to speed, but I am simply coming up short with time to make for this. :(

[Doctor Setebos]

I think I've finally started doing things the right way. I've started trying to care less about quality and more about quantity, since it is always easier to take something that is there and make it better.Our motto during the last half of last year's NaNo was "Yay crap!", if that gives you any indication as to what to expect for the rest of the month. :D

[alienmastermind]

I try to think of it as dumping as much clay as possible onto the potter's wheel, to be able to make the best final sculpture as possible.

Is there a place to show off one's effort?

[Generation ABXY]

I try to think of it as dumping as much clay as possible onto the potter's wheel, to be able to make the best final sculpture as possible.

Is there a place to show off one's effort?

Crittias has been posting excerpts of his novel on his blog, if that's what you mean...

EDIT: I know this isn't how this process is supposed to work, but I'm going back and re-writing some of my stuff. I think I was in a bit of a rush to get down a lot of the key parts before I forgot them, but I think it really hurt my word count in the end. I worked on the intro today and already trippled the word count with only a little bit of time and patience, so I think it will be worth it. Hell, it might even help me catch up a little. :D

[Arphahat]

OK, guys, need some help here. I've been jumping around to different parts of the book, focusing on events that interest me and then merging them into the flow of the story. But, in doing this, I need to have enough events to connect everything.

So, here is what I am looking for help with. Zombies are pretty much overrunning a hotel that the heroine is in. Including the heroine (Jessica), four people are now on the roof of the hotel. I have determined it is about ten stories high.

So, uh, how the fuck do they get down? Can't really jump and fighting their way back down seems like certain death. At any rate, I need to get her (and her ex) off the top of the building and back to the archaeological site. Any thoughts?

[Generation ABXY]

OK, guys, need some help here. I've been jumping around to different parts of the book, focusing on events that interest me and then merging them into the flow of the story. But, in doing this, I need to have enough events to connect everything.

So, here is what I am looking for help with. Zombies are pretty much overrunning a hotel that the heroine is in. Including the heroine (Jessica), four people are now on the roof of the hotel. I have determined it is about ten stories high.

So, uh, how the fuck do they get down? Can't really jump and fighting their way back down seems like certain death. At any rate, I need to get her (and her ex) off the top of the building and back to the archaeological site. Any thoughts?

A fire escape is the first thing that springs to mind. But, I'll mull it over and see if I can come up with anything more creative, assuming you don't get another answer first.

[Arphahat]

A fire escape is the first thing that springs to mind. But, I'll mull it over and see if I can come up with anything more creative, assuming you don't get another answer first.

Thanks for your help. For the benefit of the others reading this, as I mentioned in our PMs, my story is taking place during modern day. The story is horror / occult. The zombies are the first sign that something isn't right; they are not the most important part of the story, but only one bad part, so if need be, I could kill off all of the zombies outside the hotel.

About the fire escape, I like the idea and had not considered it. However, in the story, I have already established interior emergency stairwells; I don't know how common it is to have both emergency means available on one building.

[Crittias]

What about climbing down the elevator shafts? I think most modern elevator shafts have ladders in them.

[Spectre-7]

There's a huge number of ways to go, depending on what you want out of your story, what sort of characters you have, and how you would prefer to get them out of jams. Here's a random sampling of dumb ideas. :)

Deus Ex Machina Answer:
As Jessica and her four friends find the living dead swarming at them from all sides, a military helicopter appears overhead. Rifle fire barks from the open doors and zombie heads pop in a rain of grey matter, then the heli finally swoops in and grabs them.

Slightly Less Deus Ex Machina Answer:
Jessica notices some janitorial supplies left out on the roof. After jamming the door with a broom, she pours out paint thinner in a line and sets it on fire, then prepares for the final battle. The horde busts through, burning and writhing in agony, and just when it seems that all is lost... a helicopter appears (see above).

Daring Answer:
Harried by the hordes of undead, Jessica looks out over the nearby alley and thinks she can make the jump to an open balcony of another building. One by one, she presses her companions to make the leap before finally jumping across herself, leaving her attackers stranded on the other side.

Shawn of the Dead Answer:
As a last resort, the heroes imitate the zombies and manage to slip past unnoticed.

Mysterious Answer:
At the last possible moment, when death appears imminent, the zombies all suddenly (drop dead / burst into flames) at the same time. What the hell caused that?

Convenient Friends Answer:
They're backed up to the edge of the roof, and then they hear a familiar voice. Another character that you sent off on an errand earlier is in a nearby building, and he lays down a plank / throws them a rope / starts firing on the dead / does something heroic.

Anyway, just some bog standard ideas. Hopefully, something there sparked an idea of how you might get them out of the situation. Personally, I try to plan for these seemingly inescapable situations, since they tend to be particularly memorable parts of the story. They're your set-pieces. Readers will be dazzled by a daring, clever escape, and they'll be pissed off at mindless, predictable escapes. It pays to know how they're going to get out before you get them in.

Cheers, and best of luck!

[Generation ABXY]

There's a huge number of ways to go, depending on what you want out of your story, what sort of characters you have, and how you would prefer to get them out of jams. Here's a random sampling of dumb ideas. :)

Deus Ex Machina Answer:
As Jessica and her four friends find the living dead swarming at them from all sides, a military helicopter appears overhead. Rifle fire barks from the open doors and zombie heads pop in a rain of grey matter, then the heli finally swoops in and grabs them.

The helicopter popped into my head, too, though I wasn't sure quite the setup (are these the last people alive?) and I didn't want to pry too much beyond just present day or future. Also, the helicopter, if military, likely wouldn't just drop 'em back at the dig; in most zombie movies, they take them to some sort of safe zone. How far out of the way are you willing to take the story, Araphat, because escaping from some base could provide further excitement and a nice contrast (escaping the animal-like zombies versus escaping the thinking mind of man)?

[Arphahat]

What I am really enjoying about this process of writing a novel is the discovery. I didn't realize how similar writing a story would be to actually reading one. I am learning new things about the world and events all the time. It is really pretty cool.

So far, it seems like the zombies are a weapon being used by other-dimensional beings who are attempting to release their mad god from captivity in an Undimension. This zombie outbreak is happening throughout the city, and this is the first the zombies have been seen. I don't know if there will be further zombie attacks.

I think... one of the survivors has already been acting like a prick. Maybe he is actually a betrayer. Hmmm.

Thanks, you two. I think I might have a deus-ex-mysterious solution.

[Arphahat]

12677 total. That's 2611 words today, 111 over my goal of 2500 for tonight. Tonight, I finished tying some of the elements I had to complete my ending. I might tweak some of the end, since the tie-in revealed some new details to me.

Tomorrow, I should be in position to work on the conclusion of the first zombie attack. I'll let you all know how that goes.

Something that is starting to concern me a little bit is that it looks like the story might end up being very short. Although, I haven't been doing much in the way of developing the characters, focusing almost exclusively on the events, so that will be something. And, once I have the full storyline complete, it should be possible to start adding in things to support the various elements, tying them together better.

[Crittias]

12677 total. That's 2611 words today, 111 over my goal of 2500 for tonight.Nice work! Keep it up!

As for story length, remember that you can ALWAYS throw your main characters an extra detour that would add a few chapters. It might we worth thinking about a little side adventure that you can interject before returning to you main story.

[Arphahat]

Doing my nightly check in to keep me honest and on pace. The accountability to you guys helps to keep me motivated.

I'm starting at 12677 and shooting for another 2500 tonight, hoping for 15177. My stretch goal is 3993, which would get me completely caught up.

Nice work! Keep it up!

As for story length, remember that you can ALWAYS throw your main characters an extra detour that would add a few chapters. It might we worth thinking about a little side adventure that you can interject before returning to you main story.

Thanks! I may end having to add a little detour in, but first I have to see how they get off the roof and what direction that takes them. That's my goal for tonight. :)

[Crittias]

Doing my nightly check in to keep me honest and on pace. The accountability to you guys helps to keep me motivated.

I'm starting at 12677 and shooting for another 2500 tonight, hoping for 15177. My stretch goal is 3993, which would get me completely caught up.Definitely go for the gusto and get the 4k!! I have written 3,906 words tonight. I'm taking a short break, but I will definitely be back for the remaining 94 words. 4k in one day, as well as COMPLETELY catching up to pace? That will make for a sound night of happy dreams and good fortune tomorrow, for sure.

Go go go!

P.S. And go post an excerpt over on NaNoWriMo! Even if you think it's terrible, other people (like me, for instance) would like a taste of what you're writing!

[Arphahat]

Definitely go for the gusto and get the 4k!! I have written 3,906 words tonight. I'm taking a short break, but I will definitely be back for the remaining 94 words. 4k in one day, as well as COMPLETELY catching up to pace? That will make for a sound night of happy dreams and good fortune tomorrow, for sure.

Go go go!

P.S. And go post an excerpt over on NaNoWriMo! Even if you think it's terrible, other people (like me, for instance) would like a taste of what you're writing!

It is looking like I am going to have to "settle" for a measly 2500 tonight, since it is getting late and I still have 1264 until I hit the 2500 mark.

But, as per your request, I have used the novel excerpt portion of my account (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/85560) at NaNoWriMo to provide a bit of the rooftop adventure and a teaser of the "solution".

[Crittias]

It is looking like I am going to have to "settle" for a measly 2500 tonight, since it is getting late and I still have 1264 until I hit the 2500 mark.

But, as per your request, I have used the novel excerpt portion of my account (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/85560) at NaNoWriMo to provide a bit of the rooftop adventure and a teaser of the "solution".

Nice excerpt!
The zombie flood onto the helicopter was awesome!
Glad you solved your dilemma with getting your characters off the roof. Sonja's solution seemed particularly elegant :)

[Arphahat]

Hey, awesome! I'm glad you liked it. I don't know if it came across while you were reading it, but I saw that whole scene in slow motion.

Alright, my final check-in before bed. Got in 2662 words tonight, bringing me to a total of 15,339. I am now down to being only 1328 words behind. If I can keep this up, I will be caught up and even ahead in a couple of days, maximum!

[VerseD]

I'm at 5,000 words but still resolved to finish by the end of the month. For some reason the beginning has come really slowly, and I have a feeling I'll cut it later if I ever edit this. I jumped to the middle tonight and wrote a thousand words really quickly.

[Arphahat]

I'm at 5,000 words but still resolved to finish by the end of the month. For some reason the beginning has come really slowly, and I have a feeling I'll cut it later if I ever edit this. I jumped to the middle tonight and wrote a thousand words really quickly.

I don't know if this helps, but the math shows that you can finish on time if you average 2250 words per day from here out. I've been cranking out 2500 per day, so it should be in reach. Good luck!

[Kielaran]

I have gotten lazy lately and everything came to a halt. I have still been planning and hope that it will make easier to catch back up, but we will see. I am determined to make it, but Gears is calling my name whenever I get home:(

[VerseD]

I don't know if this helps, but the math shows that you can finish on time if you average 2250 words per day from here out. I've been cranking out 2500 per day, so it should be in reach. Good luck!

I'm going to try and hit the 10,000 mark today, so only 2,100 words a day after that. That is, if my novel only ends up being 50,000 words.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I'm roughly 10,000 words behind schedule at this point. I'm going to work as long as I can tonight on it as school has been light this week and try to get back into this.

Wish me luck!

[Arphahat]

I'm going to try and hit the 10,000 mark today, so only 2,100 words a day after that. That is, if my novel only ends up being 50,000 words.

I'm shooting for exactly 50,000 FTW. After that, I'll finish out the month to see what kind of total I can get to. If I can keep up the 2500 words/day, I'll be at 50k on the 24th.

I'm roughly 10,000 words behind schedule at this point. I'm going to work as long as I can tonight on it as school has been light this week and try to get back into this.

Wish me luck!

Good luck! Though, it is still doable at about 2200 words/day, so don't fret if you don't get 10k tonight. :)

[VerseD]

Put the first page of my novel on my blog (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=441). I'm trying to add in as much voice as I can, but still include a lot of exposition. I'll post some more later this week.

[Arphahat]

OK, it's that time of night again; I am about to start writing for the evening.

I've been doing well at 2500 per night, but tonight I am at 15339... which I calculated is 2998 away from being caught up. I was originally planning on catching and surpassing the 1667w/day average point tomorrow night, but it is so close, that I think I need to go for it.

Wish me luck!

[Generation ABXY]

Good luck! :)

I should be able to get some work done tomorrow; with all the game releases on Monday and Tuesday, I spend most of those days just writing news for several hours on end. The rest of the week is usually light though, so that'll be my chance to catch up.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I didn't get as much time as I'd hoped in tonight, but doing the math and seeing 2222 words a day was kind of reassuring. I don't think that is to bad, and I hope to write more and more per day now that I've got the story more or less charted out to the end.

[Crittias]

I'm at 22k, with 8 minutes left in the day. Today was relatively slow going, with just 1700 words. Which, compared to yesterday's 4k, was puny. But tomorrow I'm gonna try to go for another 4k day (no work until 2:30pm).

I'm soo happy to see so many people posting here about their NaNo experiences. Keep it up! If you need any help with your progress, let me know!

[Arphahat]

Hey, everyone! Keep up the effort! Don't stop! Knowing I'm doing this with you guys makes it easier to push my way through.

Tonight, I totally dominated! I finished at 18393, 56 words ahead of the 1667 words/day average needed! I finished with a personal best of 3054!

The best part is, my mind was looking for any reason to quit early. Fortunately, I was able to decide that I would at least get the 1667 for the day. Then, I figured I would try to pick off the extra 300 so that tomorrow would have been just a 2500 word day to catch up. Then, I was only a couple hundred away from 2500. Then, I saw how close I was and pushed through. Only bad thing is it is 2 am and I am now PUMPED and ready to go run a marathon instead of going to sleep.

On an interesting note, I linked all the pieces of my story, now completing it on at least a rudimentary level. I will probably need to add a couple of additional plot points and events, but at least I have my "timeline" complete.

OK, time to crash. Woo-hoo!

[Arphahat]

I have gotten lazy lately and everything came to a halt. I have still been planning and hope that it will make easier to catch back up, but we will see. I am determined to make it, but Gears is calling my name whenever I get home:(

This was particularly difficult for me, too. My favorite hobby/type of relaxation is video games and it was very hard the first couple of days when I saw friends jump on TF2.

Once I got it through my head that I wasn't playing until I had hit my word count for the day, it acted as a motivator. Although, in all honesty, the novel is still sucking up almost all my free time. I did get to play some Eets a couple days in a row on the weekend, but for the most part I am game free.

I cannot wait to finish. If I can keep this pace, I should be done on the 24th, but I might be able to accelerate it a bit here and there.

Don't give up! Shoot for the minimum word count per day and work from there. :)

[Kielaran]

This was particularly difficult for me, too. My favorite hobby/type of relaxation is video games and it was very hard the first couple of days when I saw friends jump on TF2.

Once I got it through my head that I wasn't playing until I had hit my word count for the day, it acted as a motivator. Although, in all honesty, the novel is still sucking up almost all my free time. I did get to play some Eets a couple days in a row on the weekend, but for the most part I am game free.

I cannot wait to finish. If I can keep this pace, I should be done on the 24th, but I might be able to accelerate it a bit here and there.

Don't give up! Shoot for the minimum word count per day and work from there. :)

My goal is to catch up over this weeked. With all my planning, I should have enough for a marathon 10-15k increase, not to mention some tangents that I haven't even developed yet. I figure if I keep my direction, I will be ok.

[Aggort]

Kiel had asked me if I went on a writing spree and I never got to elaborate why. Work this week had scheduled me almost every shift possible. So I took the one day I had off and wrote as much as I could. When i got done I had crammed out a whopping 7k words.

Anyone else int he same kind of bind?

[Arphahat]

Alright, gentlemen, it is once again that time of evening where I begin my writing for the day.

Starting at 18393, to hit the 1667 words/day average, I need 1611 tonight. However, I hope to maintain my 2500 pace instead.

Something funny I notice is that pretty much every evening, I don't really want to get started. I don't know what I'm going to write about and the enormity of the task is depressing. Then, I sit down and do it anyway and am amazed.

[Crittias]

Something funny I notice is that pretty much every evening, I don't really want to get started. I don't know what I'm going to write about and the enormity of the task is depressing. Then, I sit down and do it anyway and am amazed.Very common for me as well. It's like you're fighting momentum: you're at rest, you want to stay at rest. Writing is motion, but your brain resists that initial acceleration into the writing phase.

Once I realized that it was how almost every writing session began for me, I made a conscious decision to ignore that feeling, and force myself to write a paragraph. Kinda like jamming my foot on the accelerator to warm up the engine. Almost every time, once I break the logjam, I'm good to go.

Good luck with your 2500 goal! Definitely doable!

[Crittias]

I'm still posting novel excerpts to my blog. I'm up to the first half of Chapter Five. Any and all comments are welcome!

Today has been a dialog day. Dialog can be SOOOO hard to write!

[VerseD]

Today has been a dialog day. Dialog can be SOOOO hard to write!

Dialog is always the hardest for me. It either feels unnatural or doesn't give enough insight. For this I'm just writing without stopping. I'll fine tune the dialog after its over.

[Crittias]

Dialog is always the hardest for me. It either feels unnatural or doesn't give enough insight. For this I'm just writing without stopping. I'll fine tune the dialog after its over.Yeah, if I hit the right rhythm, dialog can work out very well. Or at least, I can write it quickly! It almost always needs lots of tweaking during a later edit.

This chapter has a character who's young and uses lots of slang. So I'm trying to project myself into the mind of a typical Halo 3 player on XBLA. :D

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I only got a 1000 words done today. I feel like I failed myself. :(

[Arphahat]

I only got a 1000 words done today. I feel like I failed myself. :(

Don't get too down on yourself. I have meant to really do this for the past four years. This is the first time I was able to get on track, and that was because I was so aggressive about it. Even still, it is tough trying to do this every night, when there are any number of other things I might be doing.

Everything is about perspective, I think, especially in this "game." It isn't only 1000 words. It is 1000 fewer words that you'll have to write later. It is also only 667 words away from the necessary daily average.

You are doing something that, in past years, didn't work very well for me. I would fall behind and then get overwhelmed and depressed by the mountain of work in front of me. Something that is working a little better now is to set little goals and try to tack on larger ones on top of that.

For instance, I use changing mini-goals to keep me motivated through my writing during the evening. First, I start out trying to just hit the 1667. Whenever I need a break, I get a word count, record it and then subtract it from the value I'm trying to hit. Every couple hundred whittles it down and the constant progress helps.

After I hit that, I feel good about myself, then calculate how close I am to my extended goal, which is less than the original 1667, so it feels like I know I can do it since I just finished more than my current goal. Essentially, I play mind games with myself, "tricking" myself into getting higher numbers.

If you do eventually get to the point where you are sure that you are done, don't let it get you down; there is always next year and you can try to learn what does and doesn't work for you.

Hope that helps. If you need any help or want to bounce ideas off me, you can PM, post here, or just Twitter it and I'll help out if I can. I know that the rest of the gang here would be willing to help, too.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

What do you guys think about changing the perspective of the story... kind of abruptly? Right now my novel is being told as though you are reading the journal of the main character. If I were to suddenly switch to a 3rd person narrative style, would that still work? I think that I could get more word content out of the story that way.

[Arphahat]

What do you guys think about changing the perspective of the story... kind of abruptly? Right now my novel is being told as though you are reading the journal of the main character. If I were to suddenly switch to a 3rd person narrative style, would that still work? I think that I could get more word content out of the story that way.

Do it. If it doesn't quite fit, you can revise and rework later.

[Arphahat]

OK, time to crash. Fell a little short of 2500 at 1955. Final total is 20,348: 344 ahead of necessary pace.

Added some gluey text at the end and expanded on the beginning, actually introducing the characters and describing the primary location.

TheEpicOfTyler: I thought about your question and can think of several ways you could suddently change the style without it seeming too odd. You can have the journal catch up to real time, and have the main character do something like: "He put the pen down and closed the journal. Writing some of the details helped organize his thoughts. And, now he was thinking about cheeseburgers" or whatever.

Or, you can finish the chapter you are on in the journal style and then start the next chapter as though you are implying it is still being read from a journal, but jumping right into the actions as though it were now taking place because you have already established the style and now it could be assumed.

Or, you could jump up and back between the styles, maybe using it as a means to hide details that you don't want to be immediately obvious.

[VerseD]

What do you guys think about changing the perspective of the story... kind of abruptly? Right now my novel is being told as though you are reading the journal of the main character. If I were to suddenly switch to a 3rd person narrative style, would that still work? I think that I could get more word content out of the story that way.

You should write it how you think is best while you're writing. Like Arphahat said, you can revise it later on and rewrite the beginning or figure out a way to segway into third person better. That's something for editing though.

I'm thinking about doing something similar in my story. It's all in first person from one character, a colonist, and I'm considering adding chapters between the ones I've written, these ones in third person from the perspective of a native alien.

It would add a lot to the story, but take away from the whole "Heart of Darkness in the stars" thing I have going.

For now I'm just going to finish the story I started. I'll add the alien chapters later if I have time or need space or feel like writing them.

[Kielaran]

TheEpicOfTyler: I thought about your question and can think of several ways you could suddently change the style without it seeming too odd. You can have the journal catch up to real time, and have the main character do something like: "He put the pen down and closed the journal. Writing some of the details helped organize his thoughts. And, now he was thinking about cheeseburgers" or whatever.


I was going to suggest something similar, though I would go with sushi over cheeseburgers :p

[Generation ABXY]

So I'm trying to project myself into the mind of a typical Halo 3 player on XBLA. :D

Actually, I'll believe all you'll get out of that is a homophobic, misogynistic racist? But good luck! :p

BTW, I've been reading through everybody's stuff (those that have posted on their blogs here, that is); great stuff, guys!

[Kielaran]

Posted to my blog. (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/blog.php?b=456) I would appreciate feedback on if the playful banter comes off as natural if anyone can break away from their own writing for a few minutes :D

[shunoshi]

Well, I'm home from hunting. I'll post about my adventures in my blog tonight along with some photos. Suffice it to say that you can't hunt and write at the same time. Writing requires too much focus to constantly break off and look around for deer. I'm sitting at a lowly 7,692 words. I have to play some serious catch-up now. I hope to get a couple marathon days in here soon and slowly get back on track. It's going to be a rough road.

I am determined to make it, but Gears is calling my name whenever I get home:(

This is one of the massive land mines sitting in the middle of that rough road. :(

[Generation ABXY]

I've finally gotten a chance to just sit down and do some straight re-editing of my previous stuff. Later tonight, with any luck (and a great lack of cowardice), I'll get a chance to at least post Chapter One: The Angel, the Atheist and the Amazon.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

TheEpicOfTyler: I thought about your question and can think of several ways you could suddently change the style without it seeming too odd. You can have the journal catch up to real time, and have the main character do something like: "He put the pen down and closed the journal. Writing some of the details helped organize his thoughts. And, now he was thinking about cheeseburgers" or whatever.

I was actually thinking of going down the "He put down his pen..." approach, but I wasn't sure if 1/5th of a novel in that would be acceptable. :p

It is what I plan to do now though. I have all of these vivid images in my head that don't get the proper attention to description in the context of a journal that they will now get. I am excited again!

[Arphahat]

I was actually thinking of going down the "He put down his pen..." approach, but I wasn't sure if 1/5th of a novel in that would be acceptable. :p

It is what I plan to do now though. I have all of these vivid images in my head that don't get the proper attention to description in the context of a journal that they will now get. I am excited again!

Awesome! Go, go, go! :)

Alright, speaking of "going," it is that time of the evening, once again.

Starting at: 20348, planning a minimum of 1667, hoping for 2500, and gunning for 4652 -- 25k.

Tomorrow should be promising, too, since I have the day off of work!

[Crittias]

Alright, speaking of "going," it is that time of the evening, once again. Starting at: 20348, planning a minimum of 1667, hoping for 2500, and gunning for 4652 -- 25k. Tomorrow should be promising, too, since I have the day off of work!Good luck to you! I crossed the 25k mark today, and tomorrow I plan on writing a LOT, taking a short break to go out and watch Quantum of Solace.

[Generation ABXY]

I was actually thinking of going down the "He put down his pen..." approach, but I wasn't sure if 1/5th of a novel in that would be acceptable. :p

It is what I plan to do now though. I have all of these vivid images in my head that don't get the proper attention to description in the context of a journal that they will now get. I am excited again!

If you're uncomforable with the sudden change part way through, I know I've read some books that go back and forth with it; off the top of my head, the only one I can think of is Holes (though that is actually flashbacks, but they happen like every other chapter.

I'm actually with everyone else, though - I like the idea of him just putting down the pen. :)

[Kielaran]

2,744 today. I still have a way to go before I catch back up, but this was a step in the right direction.

[Arphahat]

Good job, gang!

I compromised and settled for 2013 words today, taking my total to 22,361. That puts me 690 ahead of pace. Man, after years of not getting anywhere, I am ecstatic that I am actually negative words behind. :)

As I "finished" the story already, I spent tonight going back over and expanding areas that needed more detail. I am working on my story like it is an interlaced jpeg, each pass bringing it more and more into focus. So far, I am still pretty close to the start of my second pass; I wonder if I will "win" during the second pass, or if I will need a third before my count is high enough.

Sorry to those who are a bit behind, still; I don't mean to annoy you with my posts, but I am so thrilled that I have to share it with someone.

[Kielaran]

Sorry to those who are a bit behind, still; I don't mean to annoy you with my posts, but I am so thrilled that I have to share it with someone.

Don't be! If you've got it, flaunt it. It is a great accomplishment. I may still be behind by 8k or so, but i figure that it really isn't that bad. In fact, I am ecstatic that I made it so far already and should hopefully be able to catch up.

On a side note, I have almost finished my researching, so hopefully my writing will not be hampered by anything in that realm. I still have wo questions that need answered if anyone has a clue:

1. What is a common Japanese last name? It must be Japanese, though any surname will do.

2. Does anyone know of a tabloid around in 1960? I was checking around on wikipedia, though nothing struck me as what I was looking for. It would need to be out there enough to have the headline "Man survived being locked in a freezer for four days. Said it was slightly chilly."

#2 is far less important, because if I can't find an answer, I will write if off as "one of those supermarket tabloids"

Thanks all and keep writing :)

[Crittias]

2. Does anyone know of a tabloid around in 1960? I was checking around on wikipedia, though nothing struck me as what I was looking for.I think you have to go with National Enquirer or The Globe back then. According to Wikipedia, the Enquirer had stories like ""I Cut Out Her Heart and Stomped On It" (Sept. 8, 1963) and "Mom Boiled Her Baby And Ate Her" (1962)," so that seems about right for you. :)

For last names:
LAST NAMES:
Abe
Hayashi
Ikeda
Inoue
Itō
Katō
Kimura
Kobayashi
Matsumoto
Mori
Nakamura
Satō
Saitō
Sasaki
Shimizu
Suzuki
Takahashi
Tanaka
Watanabe
Yamada
Yamaguchi
Yamamoto
Yamazaki
Yoshida

[shunoshi]

I think you have to go with National Enquirer or The Globe back then. According to Wikipedia, the Enquirer had stories like ""I Cut Out Her Heart and Stomped On It" (Sept. 8, 1963) and "Mom Boiled Her Baby And Ate Her" (1962)," so that seems about right for you. :)

HAH :D That's horrible!

I'm partial to the name Ito myself, but for the sake of padded word count I'd go with Watanabe. ;)

[Arphahat]

HAH :D That's horrible!

I'm partial to the name Ito myself, but for the sake of padded word count I'd go with Watanabe. ;)

Actually, both names count as the same number of words. Ito might be the better choice with regard to word count, as it can be typed faster and, therefore, might be included more frequently.

[Crittias]

Ito might be the better choice with regard to word count, as it can be typed faster and, therefore, might be included more frequently.That's not writing hard, that's writing smart!

[Kielaran]

Thanks Crittas! i couldnt remember the National Enquirer. The only one I could think of was the Weekly World News, which wasn't around til the 70s.

As for the names, that was a great list too. I believe I will be using Ikeda. It has a nice ring to it.