The Novel Challenge Hub

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
8,267
Reaction score
2,551
Location
NZ
Website
www.justgoodfiction.com
You ready to write? Champing at the bit to get those novels out into the world? Of course you are.

This here is your check-in and update page. Tell us all about how you're progressing, what challenges you're facing, what awesome stuff you've accomplished.

If your goals change, let us know. If you need a hug, let us know. A kick? Likewise. Just need somewhere to rest for a minute or two before leaping back into the novel pool? Here be the place!

:welcome: one and all, to the novel challenge. You are the first of many. Trailblazers, pioneers, just plain awesome.

Write long and prosper!
 
Last edited:

JoyMC

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
1,212
Reaction score
181
Location
Seattle-ish
Website
www.joymcculloughcarranza.com
i'll start! i'm excited because my first project for the challenge was a revision based on some agent feedback. but when i made that goal, it was just feedback, not a request to see a revision. but i wrote to the agent and asked if she'd consider looking at the revision and just heard back from her in the affirmative. woo-hoo!

also, i picked up a couple books at the library this morning for research on my WIP.
 

JenniferB

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
89
Reaction score
12
Location
North Yorkshire, England
Website
writingcocoon.blogspot.com
Yay! It is going to be a good year in writing, I can feel it. (Good to record the optimism for future reference from the pit of despair).

I'm going to finish up outlining the scenes I'm planning to write tomorrow. Trying a new process for NaNo this year. Well, actually, trying a process, period.

Last year I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen in my novel past the first chapter - I woke up every day and wrote whatever flew into my head. Rough going.

I've got my main plot scenes outlined, basic character sketches, I've made general notes for my first chapter and I even have some drawings and photos I've found, pasted into my files for inspiration. Ready to write in 4.5 hours!

@JoyMC - that's excellent news from the agent!
 

JenniferB

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
89
Reaction score
12
Location
North Yorkshire, England
Website
writingcocoon.blogspot.com
Oh man. I've got a battle ahead of me. I didn't finish my edits on Dreadlight. :( So I will be editing at least an hour a day and writing at LEAST two hours a day to get my 3k a day goal.

It's gonna be intense.

I'm facing a similar schedule. I didn't finish my revision of my WIP1, so I'll be editing WIP1 and writing WIP2 for NaNo in November. I like to make things more difficult than they should be.
 

Aggy B.

Not as sweet as you think
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 28, 2008
Messages
11,882
Reaction score
1,557
Location
Just north of the Deep South
I'm focusing on finishing up the fifth draft of the novel-in-progress. It's right at 20k right now. I figure by the end of November I should have the rest of it written.

Assuming I don't get dragged under by the lingering cold-like-illness-of-doom that's been plaguing me this past week.

Aggy, who heard the words "pus" and "your throat" in the same sentence this afternoon >_<
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,055
Location
Not where you last saw me.
Congrats to Joy! :snoopy:

Big hugs to Jennifer, bettielee, and Aggy. :Hug2:

I made a chocolate run to the Russell Stover Outlet on Saturday, so I'm stocked up and working on finishing up my outline today.
 

Spiral

looking at the stars
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
Messages
1,306
Reaction score
294
Location
Ontario, Canada
Oh man. I've got a battle ahead of me. I didn't finish my edits on Dreadlight. :( So I will be editing at least an hour a day and writing at LEAST two hours a day to get my 3k a day goal.

It's gonna be intense.

I'm facing a similar schedule. I didn't finish my revision of my WIP1, so I'll be editing WIP1 and writing WIP2 for NaNo in November. I like to make things more difficult than they should be.

Well, it's good to know I'm not the only crazy one :D
Happy writing everyone!

And Joy, that's fabulous news!
 

bettielee

I'm a sparkly fairy princess!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
24,466
Reaction score
12,761
Location
Enchanted Forest and/or editing cave
Website
bettielee.wordpress.com
Congrats to Joy! :snoopy:

Big hugs to Jennifer, bettielee, and Aggy. :Hug2:

I made a chocolate run to the Russell Stover Outlet on Saturday, so I'm stocked up and working on finishing up my outline today.

*hugs back*

One too many 'ups' in the previous post. I think I read that's a side-effect of chocolate.

It's ok. We don't judge here. :)
 

V1c

Hmmmmm
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 31, 2010
Messages
435
Reaction score
31
My mind has been working on a rewrite and refocus, so that's my goal!
 

AnnieColleen

Invisible Writer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
4,355
Reaction score
1,392
Location
Texas
General outline done; I'm working on a scene outline of start/end points (which necessitates at least an idea of what goes in between). It won't be done by tomorrow, but I'm at least ahead of what I need tomorrow. Shooting for a 90K(ish) finished draft in November. I also have a Sekrit Santa story to write in that time -- outlined and ready to go.
 

AdamH

Pumped Up Kicks
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 17, 2005
Messages
1,123
Reaction score
115
Location
Canada's Ocean Playground
My goal is to just write something every night. I'm not aiming for numbers...well, I guess something more than 0...but just to keep the ball rolling.

As a single dad with a young daughter, gotta make time when I can. Usually after her bed time and before mine. But it'll be fun.

Best of luck to one and all! :D
 

Ovid9

Professional Procrastinator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Messages
81
Reaction score
2
Location
A cornfield
I start writing in 2.5 hours. I still am not sure what my basic plot is. :Shrug:

Oh well, that never has stopped me from trying!
 

faerydancer

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
596
Reaction score
103
Location
So Cal
Website
www.brendastokes.com
Good to see so many people hanging out already! My novel is at 65k right now and I'm going to take part in NaNo (as a Rebel) to finish the draft. After putting the manuscript on the back burner this January, cutting 30k of the manuscript to fix plot issues, and focusing on short fiction for several months, I'm ready to finish this draft for once and for all!
 

Lillie

practical experience, FTW
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
1,585
Reaction score
178
Location
Wales
Ummm. Well. 1000 words in, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm starting to suspect that vampires might be involved somewhere.

I'm going to have to put a stop to that, even if it's just turning them into kinky blood fetishists.

Meh.
 

Izz

Doing the Space Operatic
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
8,267
Reaction score
2,551
Location
NZ
Website
www.justgoodfiction.com
1,050 words on new novel. Different to the novel i was going to write, but this idea just came a-calling and i'm going to go with it for now and see where it goes :D
 

Danalynn

NEVER give up!!!!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
861
Reaction score
118
Age
52
Location
Troy, Ohio
This is my first year doing NaNo, and I can't wait to get started.

I've been in a writing slump for over a year now (as far as new material goes), so I'm looking forward to throwing my Inner Editor into the kennel and getting down to uninhibited writing for a change. This'll be fun!

Good luck, everyone!
 

ShadowFox

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 4, 2008
Messages
298
Reaction score
24
Hmph. Need more coffee.

You know the feeling where the novel you were writing just changes on a hairpin? That is what just happened.

I have demons. And a secret order. And I don't really know why I have demons and a secret order, except that I was bored, and the secret order is there to fight the demons.
 
Last edited:

amergina

Pittsburgh Strong
Staff member
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
15,599
Reaction score
2,471
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Website
www.annazabo.com
Haven't started nanoing yet... tonight. :) I'm actually thinking of a goal of 1500 words on a "new" project and at least 250 on the WIP... we'll see if that's tenable.
 

Agonyzer

Writer, enthusiast, semipope
Registered
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
30
Reaction score
4
Location
Nashville, TN
Well, I'm not doing this NaNo style, I'm shooting for a year. All that means is that I don't feel quite as far behind as some.

I was hoping to finish an outline yesterday, but in fact there's been so much research that it's barely begun. That's okay- I've got a year.

Good luck and good words everyone!
 

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Messages
8,943
Reaction score
3,151
Location
In God I dwell, especially in Eugene OR
Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Like Agonyzer, I've given myself a year to finish the WIP, and like a few of you, it's a work I'd already started. I'm 41K words in. But I'm facing the most difficult part now. And looking forward to it.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal
 

Ari Meermans

MacAllister's Official Minion & Greeter
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 24, 2011
Messages
12,854
Reaction score
3,055
Location
Not where you last saw me.
Got off to slow start--almost 3 hours of "white screen paralysis". Now, calling it a day with 1,207 words for a novel which, like Izz's experience, is not the one I started with.