I wasn’t sure I’d commit to this annual plunge into writing 50,000 words in November. Someone close to me decided to go for it and encouraged me to sign up again, thinking it might help me with a small daily goal, even if it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the actual project goal.
Are you planning on it?
Have you done any prep, or are you winging it?
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I am! Just put down a whopping 209 words so I can go to bed happy 
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I am unofficially taking part in NaNoWriMo this year. I decided to avoid the stress of the ticking clock and the mounting word counts that signing up always brings and simply promise myself that I would work on my writing projects every day. As an INFJ with OCD, NaNo has proven to be counterproductive for me in the past, leaving me feeling like a failure and plunging me into winter-long depression. When in reality, I write slower than others, needing time to let my ideas percolate. Adding the pressure of time limits and daily word counts shuts me down every time.
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Yes! The Nano community is top notch. I’m @moonflowermolly if you’d like a friend 
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I have yet to tackle that challenge. I am so content with @Danielw classes I just go back to my print outs and dabble there.
I do think it may be a bucket list item for myself.
I would love to see folks share how the NANOWRIMO is working for them, if anyone could to share?
*Any bits of writing you may wish to share? *
(I can not express enough how it helps other writers reading in this group to see snippets from one another. I know I feel super charged by it and what a great way to support other writers.
Seriously zero pressure, just a warm welcome invitation.)
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For me, it’s pretty overwhelming. I’ve done it a few times. “Won” by 26K, “Lost” by over 30. My first completed story came from the fruits of NaNo, but I can no longer maintain that kind of momentum. It’s a great cause. I’ve donated in the past, but this year my animal friends had a devastating fire on their farm and I am committing financially to them. I do think it’s a great way to fully appreciate the various disciplines of writing . . especially for those wh’ve never held a couple of hundred pages of “your” work in their hands. But if ever there was a “Journey, not destination” analogy to remember, laying down 1,700 words a day for thirty in a row would be it. Best to all. Hold on to the big picture.
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I am. I’m using it as a way to improve my ability to write a Zero Draft. On Day 1, I completed 2,000 words of a new humorous fantasy “A Monk, A Page and A Soldier Walk Into A Tavern.” Day 2 is always much harder.
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Not participating in the traditional sense this year. Got to edit the last two chapters of my WIP tomorrow, then do a couple readthroughs before diving into querying.
This sounds hysterical. I would so read this.
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I am! I’d love to have NaNo buddies. I’m @Kiirs there.
I got 1704 words in yesterday. It isn’t stellar writing, but I’m telling myself sternly, “Just write it!! You can’t edit/revise a story that never got written down, and you can’t get better at writing unless you WRITE.” So I’m trying to ignore the itch to delete it all and start over.
NaNo is great motivation to develop a daily writing habit and make it a huge priority instead of putting it off, like I usually do.
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@cgbeam it’s great to see you!
Congratulations on the 2,000 words day 1!
Your story sounds like it would be full of wit from the title alone.
Would you feel comfortable sharing a snippet here, to share in your experience?
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Thunderous applause for your courage to trek on and being your own best writing buddy by encouraging the way onward.
Congratulations on you 1704 words!
Would you feel comfortable sharing a line or two with us?
Routing for you, celebrate every step of the way!
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As for the experience, wasn’t it Tolstoy who said something like “Happy people are all alike. Writers are all unhappy in their own way?”
Here’s a snipped (bearing in mind this is the s**** first draft.
From a fist of land in the most northern region of Draxle, a defiant middle finger of an isthmus juts into the icy sea. And at the nail of that finger sits the small port city of Thar.
Legend says that when pirates sailed through the perilous area, the crew asked the captain what would be the least-worst location to land their ship. He pointed and said, “Thar.”
For decades, Thar remained a speck on the map, a hamlet of a few dozen crude wooden buildings housing fewer than 200 crude people. Its fortunes changed when merchants learned that wizards could guide their cargoes through the floating ice and jagged rocks, opening up the northern passage to the exotic riches of Arasia. Seemingly overnight, Thar swelled to a thriving city with two-and-one-quarter paved streets, and stone buildings that included a theater and a tax office.
But fortunes reversed during the wizard work stoppage of 111174 and the cost for safe passage rose to an exorbitant 480 International Magic Units per vessel. The port once again became nearly impassable except for those 10 weeks of the year that were generously called summer. The theater closed. The tax office remained open.
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I love this! It’s a delightful start to what promises to be a rollicking good time.
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Me! I’m doing a daily 10-11am (EST) write-in with a bunch of authors all month. You’re all welcome to join We mute our mics and listen to different instrumental music every day. It’s lovely.
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This is Awesome! If this is the S**t draft I can hardly wait for the he final.
I laughed out loud 3 times and that’s always a great way to start.
I was reminded of the Princess Bride (actual book) mystery, pirates, adventure and humor.
Brilliant!
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Thank you for the link free events for authors! This is lovely idea to write together (individually) to music.
It helps to have a meeting for getting work done.
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Something I found very helpful with NaNo involves a deconstructed outline. Start with one sentence describing one of the 20-28 chapters I’ll need for a 50K novel.
I. Mother Hubbard finds the Cupboard bare.
II. Mother Hubbard must go to the store
III. Traffic is a Bear, in fact, it’s a carload of 3 Bears
IV. Finally, the Store. Any bones in stock?
V. The Terribly Unhelpful girl at the counter appeared to have other things on her mind. And that red. Not her color at all
VI. Mother Hubbard’s step-daughter #2 wants to got to the ball
VII. Now #1 wants to go.
VIII. Fortunately Cindy is here to fetch the water from up the hill
IX. Knock- knock … Who’s there?
X. What do you want, Jack?
**Now I go in and fill out 2-3 at a time. I can add more chapters, but let’s see what happens with these. More importantly, I can break these apart. Such as when Jack’s sister comes looking for him because their mother has taken another sleeping draught and isn’t coming out of it. But mostly, I can visualize the progress I’m making if not directly to the paper, but in the overall process of putting words in place.
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I am, and it’s my first time. No prep for me. I’m a pantser, so I just jumped in. Going well so far. I’m writing about 1800-1900 words daily. It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m enjoying all the writing. If I get 50k words, I’ll be happy, but if I don’t, it won’t kill me. I already had 20k written prior to Nano, so any amount would advance my story. I had put it aside because I was busy with other things, but this has helped me focus on it. I’m @patty.barrue if anyone wants to be buddies.
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Yes. I’ve been writing on a novel for a little while (first draft), but not really “prepping.” I’m more of a pantser anyway. So I’m a “rebel” for Nano this year. My goal is to leverage Nano to write more words on the page, but I’m not expecting to hit 50,000. Fortunately there are no Nano police, so I should be good.
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This is brilliant! I really like the no fluff on task approach!
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