Are you Ready for NaNoWriMo 2014?

Becky Black · Oct 23, 2014

So this thing that a couple of days ago was just a small aspect of the background of one of the lead characters has turned into the central conflict driving the story, a lot of the characters and tying everything together. Which is handy.

Reminds me of that time in 2006 when I gave the lead character a recurring dream mostly for the sake of easy additional words and it turned into the key to his entire personality and motivation. I do love the way that happens.

L M Ashton · Oct 23, 2014

Forbidden Snowflake said:
I don't know, any other story ideas that you already have that might work in this setting as well? So you just steal another idea's story?

Unfortunately... no. I'm not above doing such, by the way. Whatever works, you know? But no, nothing that occurs to me at the moment. I'll give it time...

Alma Matters · Oct 23, 2014

Becky Black - I've just noticed that you are in my region on Nano! That is pretty scary... otherwise someone has the same name/avatar as you!

Sage · Oct 23, 2014

Becky Black said:
So this thing that a couple of days ago was just a small aspect of the background of one of the lead characters has turned into the central conflict driving the story, a lot of the characters and tying everything together. Which is handy.

Reminds me of that time in 2006 when I gave the lead character a recurring dream mostly for the sake of easy additional words and it turned into the key to his entire personality and motivation. I do love the way that happens.

I love when this happens (in October)

Jassack · Oct 23, 2014

A lot of research this time around (Historical) but I think I'll have it done by the first. Hope so, having to stop and find things really cuts into the writing time.

I see a few on here from my July Camp cabin. Hi guys! :hi:

Becky Black · Oct 24, 2014

Alma Matters said:
Becky Black - I've just noticed that you are in my region on Nano! That is pretty scary... otherwise someone has the same name/avatar as you!

It's a small world.

Sunwords · Oct 25, 2014

L M Ashton said:
The kick-off party for my region was announced something like a half hour or ten minutes *before* it was to take place. That's one of two posts that the ML has posted on the NaNo forums this year. Somehow, I don't think there's going to be a whole lot going on. Either she's swamped or she doesn't care any more. /whine

I've fallen down a rabbit hole. I found a topic that I find interesting, so I've created the setting for the story. But I don't know what the heck the story is for this particular setting.

I've got tons of other story ideas, but this one is the rabbity hole one...

Last year we lost our long time ML and the new one who shared with him in 2012 got lost during NaNo 2013 - this year, her name is still there but until now she is absolutely no show. Anyway, the region is far spread and not many participants. Online I spend some time at the german board, some with the geezers ;-), and recentliy at litfic.

Wished I had an idea for a cover this year - I have no idea about design software.

L M Ashton · Oct 25, 2014

The ML showed up long enough to do a couple of posts explaining why it wasn't her fault that no one was approved for the facebook group, putting the blame squarely on me for not messaging her begging to be approved instead of her looking at my profile. She's basically worse than useless at this point. Our region is pretty big, too - it's all of Malaysia. Ah well. I'm just going to ignore the regional forum entirely and instead chat in here or something. Y'all at least make me think y'all aren't just imaginary friends in my head.

Sunwords · Oct 25, 2014

Our region is Middle East - streched out from Egypt till Emirates or more. I try to collect the Jordan WriMos, last year it did not work out. There used to be some more - this year we got someone who is involved with a local publishing project, maybe he will find us some company.
Otherwise, yes, here it is always nice and too much nice company might distract me too much ;-)

Thuro · Oct 25, 2014

I'd like to participate in the NaNMo one of these months. But not this month. Got to much going on.

CoffeeBeans · Oct 25, 2014

Sunwords said:
Wished I had an idea for a cover this year - I have no idea about design software.

We have an awesome girl in our region who has been making covers for people. She doesn't use copyright free material or anything, but makes them just for fun. To be honest, she's better than some people I've seen advertising their services.

Check her out (or the rest of the artisans board) here

L M Ashton said:
The ML showed up long enough to do a couple of posts explaining why it wasn't her fault that no one was approved for the facebook group, putting the blame squarely on me for not messaging her begging to be approved instead of her looking at my profile. She's basically worse than useless at this point.

As an ML, this makes me sad. It's a lot of work to organize a state (as I did for a while before we split it up), forget something larger. it's a lot of work to run a region, but I'm sorry to hear your ML isn't doing a good job of it.

Maggie Maxwell · Oct 25, 2014

Thuro said:
I'd like to participate in the NaNMo one of these months. But not this month. Got to much going on.

C'mon dude. Do iiittt. Join uuuusss. The November one's the best because everyone's busy but still trying (finals/end of semester for students, American Thanksgiving, American Black Friday, etc). It'll drive you mad, but in a fun, supportive way.

I wish I could bring y'all with bad MLs over here.

My region's got four on its own, with enough people in it that we've outgrown our local library for the kick-off party. Had to borrow a meeting hall instead. I'm heading out to that in about two hours.

Sage · Oct 25, 2014

Sunwords said:
Wished I had an idea for a cover this year - I have no idea about design software.

First, sign up for 30 Covers, 30 Days. I'm very interested to see which synopses they use for each book they choose (the 720 character one or the one in your profile?). Anyway, I had a 30C30D in 2010, so that was pretty cool.

In the meantime, check out the NaNo artisans forum, where people are often willing to make covers or avatars or sig banners for your novel.

L M Ashton said:
The ML showed up long enough to do a couple of posts explaining why it wasn't her fault that no one was approved for the facebook group, putting the blame squarely on me for not messaging her begging to be approved instead of her looking at my profile. She's basically worse than useless at this point. Our region is pretty big, too - it's all of Malaysia. Ah well. I'm just going to ignore the regional forum entirely and instead chat in here or something. Y'all at least make me think y'all aren't just imaginary friends in my head.

That is so disappointing. We have 2 MLs, and one's pretty hard working, and the other tries, but then always has an excuse for why she didn't get things done.

Thuro said:
I'd like to participate in the NaNMo one of these months. But not this month. Got to much going on.

That's when NaNo is the best!

Sage · Oct 25, 2014

So I have to say that I'm a little sad by my rebelling-but-not-rebelling this year. No matter what, I was going to start with words written (and I've done so before with novels I started and abandoned, then picked up again with 200-2000 words written), but I wish I had left the novel with what I had written in March and started up again on the 1st. I think I'm going to miss out on the big rush of excitement that comes when you're starting NaNo. Sure, there's the word count rush, but it doesn't compare to the big feel of starting the novel (more or less) at the beginning of the month.

I did want to get to the end of the scene I was in in March, just to make the November word counting starting place easier to find, and then I had grand delusions of finishing book 2 and starting book 3 for November, but those were indeed delusions. And at the very least, I thought, "Hey, I could get to 15K, and 50K more will be 65K, which is the same length as book 1, so book 2 should be that long!" and that's probably closer to what will happen.

On October 10th, having gotten back from the trip where I decided I was going to abandon my plotless amorphous magical realism novel in favor of my exciting book 2 in this trilogy, I woke up in my own bed feeling like it was Christmas. Like I was excited about *something* and I was pretty sure it was NaNo. But it wasn't NaNo. NaNo wasn't for 3 weeks! But, to be honest, I haven't been this excited to get up and start writing in ages, and there's no guarantee that I would still be that psyched about starting on November 1. So I used that excitement

But it is true that I feel like I'll be missing out on something next Saturday morning.

BenPanced · Oct 25, 2014

Well, it's looking a little iffy for me this year. I got a revise-and-resub rejection earlier this week so I'm not sure if NaNo's in the cards. If I can get the majority of the revision done within the next week (entirely possible), I can squeeze in NaNo and finish the revision during December to get it out by year's end.

Sage · Oct 25, 2014

I am holding off on a submission just for the fear of a revision request coming off it (it's already been R&R'd once) during NaNo, Ben. I do have a short story to revise, but I don't think that will take too much time away from NaNo. In fact, I hope to finish it this week.

meowzbark · Oct 25, 2014

Thuro said:
I'd like to participate in the NaNMo one of these months. But not this month. Got to much going on.

There's never a good month for Nano. November is the WORST month.

But that's why we love it.

Brightdreamer · Oct 25, 2014

I've gone five-for-five, so I hope to make it six-for-six this year.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to come up with a novel-length idea. (I had one, but it was just a passing fancy with no meat on the bones, and too similar to themes I toyed with last year.) I need to sit down and comb through my Idea Files and Story Stubs, see if I can get something to spark. I may end up being a Rebel and writing a short story a week, hoping to total 50K words at the end.

I also just got a Groupon thing to an online writing course, so I'm considering doing that instead of NaNo this year. Maybe I just need to try something different...

GingerGunlock · Oct 25, 2014

I'm excited to get going!

Had my first library group meeting today, and that went well. A few of the attendees have done NaNoWriMo before, which (to me) is helpful both when explaining how things go down to newbies, but also so I might get some support as well in the course of the month

moonwatch178 · Oct 26, 2014

GingerGunlock said:
I'm excited to get going!

Had my first library group meeting today, and that went well. A few of the attendees have done NaNoWriMo before, which (to me) is helpful both when explaining how things go down to newbies, but also so I might get some support as well in the course of the month

I've done NaNoWriMo for four years now and only just realized that there were such things as NaNo library meetings a couple months ago. I'm guessing I should definitely check them out, huh? They look like a great way to support each other.

wotcherH · Oct 26, 2014

For Nano I'm pretty much continuing with a WIP, but also trying to write the last 50k of it this month.

The people in my region seem to be much more active this year than last year. We have 3 MLs and they already set up tons of different write-ins and social events for the month, which is great. I'm super busy with school, though, so I'll probably end up only going to a couple write-ins, heh.

CoffeeBeans · Oct 26, 2014

moonwatch178 said:
I've done NaNoWriMo for four years now and only just realized that there were such things as NaNo library meetings a couple months ago. I'm guessing I should definitely check them out, huh? They look like a great way to support each other.

Not just libraries! Be sure to see if the region in your area is holding events too. It's a lot easier to spend a month in front churning out words when you know lots of other people are doing it too.

If there aren't any active regions near you, check if any locations participating in Come Write In are near by. They are nano friendly venues/cafes/bookshops, etc

Gringa · Oct 26, 2014

Tick tock tick tock....

GingerGunlock · Oct 26, 2014

moonwatch178 said:
I've done NaNoWriMo for four years now and only just realized that there were such things as NaNo library meetings a couple months ago. I'm guessing I should definitely check them out, huh? They look like a great way to support each other.

I'm kind of between regions, and before starting my own programs (thanks to my new boss!) didn't have much contact with other NaNoers. Definitely ask at your library, it seems like a lot of them participate!

moonwatch178 · Oct 26, 2014

Thanks Coffeebeans and Ginger, I definitely will check out libraries/ regional offerings

Are you Ready for NaNoWriMo 2014?

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