Writers-National Novel Writing Month in November [Archive]

Sophia

10-26-2005, 04:24 AM

Okay, I started poking around the site (and looked into the whole Blogging While Intoxicated thing (http://abroad-abroad.org/index.php/2005/10/09/blogging-while-intoxicated/) as well) and I'm beginning to get a little overwhelmed and scared. I guess I do what I can, and if I finish, I finish. And if not, well, then I can say that I tried, right?

And I bought the book No Plot, No Problem (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811845052/nationalnov09-20/104-5507801-7978309)...anything to help the process.

Katy, don't stress. The point isn't to write The Great American Novel. It's to write A novel so that you know you can do it, remove any mental blocks you might have about the often-daunting scope of it all, and just let your ideas and words flow out on paper.

kissmary

10-26-2005, 05:26 AM

Katy, don't stress. The point isn't to write The Great American Novel. It's to write A novel so that you know you can do it, remove any mental blocks you might have about the often-daunting scope of it all, and just let your ideas and words flow out on paper.

Exactly. Your writing won't be perfect. And don't even try to edit while you're writing. The people in the forums over there have come up with so many ways to "pad the wordcount" that if you're feeling bad about how little you've written, just go read up on their tricks and tips!

I guess reading Chris Baty's book might help, since he started this thing! I haven't read it, though everytime I'm looking for a book to but from my book clubs, I almost buy it. So many people say it helped them.

And don't stress out. I'm so lucky not to be working in November (again) that I don't have a problem finding time to write. Write as much as you can, and don't look back.

kcjaime

10-26-2005, 07:21 AM

And I bought the book No Plot, No Problem...anything to help the process.

I bought this book as well. :) I heard it was an entertaining read in addition to being insightful about the project, so I thought, why not? I haven't started to read it yet, though.

greenbunny

10-26-2005, 02:59 PM

I don't do outlines or writing exercises or any of that stuff. I just ponder my ideas and characters a little in my head every day, in my free time. Don't feel overwhelmed with "necessities". You don't have to do snowflake exercises or anything if you don't want to. If sitting down and just starting from nothing is your style, then go for it.

phoenics

10-26-2005, 07:40 PM

Are you a writer or have you always wanted to write a novel? Then you might be interested in National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org), or NaNoWriMo for short. Visit the link for more info and to sign up.
(basically you write 50,000 or more words of a novel in a month)

I did it last year, although I didn't "win", and am trying again this year. My good friend greenbunny is also giving it a try this year.

Ooooh thanks for the link!!

kissmary

10-30-2005, 09:29 AM

Is everyone ready to start writing on Tuesday???

Katy

10-30-2005, 10:16 AM

um...no :o

libelle

10-30-2005, 02:05 PM

Is everyone ready to start writing on Tuesday???
I cannot wait. I want to start right now!!! :D

kcjaime

10-30-2005, 03:34 PM

I'm anxious to start, but I have NO IDEA what I'm going to write about! :eek: :)

Sophia

10-30-2005, 04:28 PM

I was ready to start a week and a half ago but didn't, and now I feel I lost my mojo. :(

Sophia

10-30-2005, 04:33 PM

I have a question for those who have done this before. Do you keep one large doc file, or do you break it down into different docs by chapters? Just trying to figure out the logistics.

Obviously I'd be backing it up somehow.

kissmary

10-30-2005, 04:55 PM

I keep one document file. It's easier to keep track of your wordcount that way, at least I think so. I also email it to myself every other day as backup.

Sophia

10-30-2005, 04:57 PM

That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure if it would be too cumbersome.

Katy

10-30-2005, 07:45 PM

oooh good idea on the email and backing up. So I guess I won't be able to complain that I somehow "lost" it, huh :rolleyes:

libelle

10-30-2005, 07:47 PM

Do you keep one large doc file, or do you break it down into different docs by chapters?

I kept mine all in one large Word file and actually didn't back it up at all. I wasn't really worried about losing it, and figured that if I did, it wasn't meant to be. This year it might be different but I don't know that it'll be essential for me to back it up.

kcjaime

10-31-2005, 08:50 AM

Is anyone else have trouble accessing the forums? I can get the actual nanowrimo website to open, and even the forums main page. But when I click to follow a thread its just taking me to a blank screen. Its been doing this since last night on two different computers. :confused:

kissmary

10-31-2005, 09:23 AM

Yeah, they weren't working for me this morning, either. Um, apparently this happens every year on the first day, but it's a little early, so who knows (according to nanowrimo LJ comm.).

kcjaime

10-31-2005, 10:06 AM

Okay, thanks! Good to know its not just me. :)

kissmary

11-01-2005, 05:53 AM

Today is day 1. If you're planning to write everyday this month, your goal should be 1,667 words. If you're like me and not writing everyday, then you have to write a lot more! Good luck everyone and get writing! :)

kcjaime

11-01-2005, 06:49 AM

I so wanted to write just a little bit last night, but being old and tired, I couldn't make it to midnight. ;) I'm still drawing a blank as to what to write! Ah! :eek:

kissmary

11-01-2005, 06:57 AM

Go over to the NaNo forums for ideas. Yes, they're actually working now! People are always offering up characters they can't use. Or read the dares thread and pick a few of those to put in your writing!

I couldn't make it to midnight, either, even with the Steelers game being so close. But I'm doing pretty well so far this morning.

kissmary

11-02-2005, 06:34 AM

So how did everyone's first day go? If you haven't done NaNoWriMo before, are you intimidated by the goal? Were you out of ideas when it came time to write? Need a kick to get going? It's only day 2 now. :)

Yesterday went great for me, over 2500 words! But I don't expect that kind of writing to last. I do have some plot points to get through, but who knows how long that will take!

kcjaime

11-02-2005, 07:27 AM

After sputtering along blankly all day, I ended up with 1234 words before going to bed. Better than expected! I expect I will probably have spurts of creativity where I write more, and downtimes when I write less. :)

justHB

11-02-2005, 07:38 AM

I ended up with 912 words. I would have written more but DH came home and he's a bit of a distraction.

Katy

11-02-2005, 09:19 AM

I had no internet access all day (which I realize has nothing to do with my Word program), so I never got around to starting. In fact, I was so annoyed by the no internet, that I must've wasted a couple hours just *trying* to get it to work. I was so focused that I totally forgot it was day 1.

Guess I need to get busy today :o

mmeblue

11-02-2005, 09:38 AM

I got 1275 words yesterday...they're not particularly exciting or interesting words, but they're words. :)

October2002Bride

11-02-2005, 11:20 AM

Hi just wanted to say I joined but forgot to post it here:o

Im up to 1500 words, dont know if Ill ever finish though.

Im writing a Mystery novel of sorts.

Ok good luck:)

greenbunny

11-02-2005, 11:21 AM

All you need to know about my progess is in my new and highly appropriate icon.

kcjaime

11-08-2005, 01:20 PM

This thread was buried! I unearthed it to see how everyone was doing on their novels. :)

After a very bumpy beginning, I feel like I am maybe on the right track. I only have 6188 words, but its a lot more than I had yesterday.

How's everyone doing?

kissmary

11-08-2005, 01:27 PM

I was about to dig this up, too!

I was a little ahead when I got to the weekend, so it was okay that I couldn't write on Saturday and I only wrote a little on Sunday. But yesterday I caught up again. Now I have 12,000+ words and am on target. (I hope!)

It's Week 2! I hope everyone read the email from Chris Baty. He gives great advice. :)

Katy

11-08-2005, 02:03 PM

*hangingmyheadinshame* I never got around to even starting. I do have the book though, so I plan on reading it and getting started sooner or later - really :o

mmeblue

11-08-2005, 02:53 PM

Well, I started, but that was about it. I really just need to declare a Personal Writing Month in June, because while I'm always excited about starting to write in November, things just seem to get hectic around that time. Ah well.

lawyerlee

10-22-2006, 02:58 PM

Is anyone else participating this year?

This will be my first attempt. I'm both nervous and excited. I am still trying to make a decision about what my story will be about. I have two competing ideas, and they are both appealling in different ways. I am going to try to do some background reading about each of them and continue to outline so I can make a decision by the middle of this coming week.

I am setting a goal of 2,000 words a day so I can meet the goal even if I have to sit out a few days because of migraines (I have about 3 in an average week).

So, what are you guys writing about? :)

apoppy

10-22-2006, 04:20 PM

I'm in! This will be my first attempt too.

I have no clue what I am going to write about---I've changed my mind at least three times since signing up.

kissmary

10-22-2006, 04:37 PM

Oh, I'm glad you dug up this thread, lawyerlee!

I'm writing again this year. Last year I ended up winning with just over 50,000 words. This year won't be so easy, since I'll be on vacation or travelling at least 12 days of the month.

Last year I wrote fantasy, and I just decided to continue the story I had already started for this year's NaNoWriMo: Part 2! I'm hoping to finish, but who knows how much I'll get written while on vacation. Knowing my characters already might help, or might not.

lawyerlee

10-24-2006, 02:08 PM

Yay! I'm so glad to hear you guys are participating. :)

I'm really excited about my story idea. I will be writing about a female military defense attorney assigned to represent a terror suspect. This link has more details about my story, in case anyone is interested.

terror suspect story idea (http://community.livejournal.com/wwrdwriting/1907.html)

I have a writing jounal on LJ. Feel free to friend or watch it if you like. :)

whatwouldruthdo writing (http://wwrdwriting.livejournal.com)

Alanna

10-30-2006, 11:05 AM

Im in!

Im going to try my hand at light fiction...

its going to ba a naptime endevour for me (my DD's naps - hopefully not mine :) )

im really excited about it... realistically im doubting i will get to 50K words... but id love this to be the start of something for me...

Lawyer Lee - your topic sounds really great!

I hope we will all be able to check in with each other as the month progresses!

PG-rated

10-30-2006, 01:05 PM

Writing's not my thing, but I told DH about it, and it looks like he's going to give it a shot!

KristieW

10-30-2006, 06:16 PM

I'm doing it with my 8th grade class this year--I'm REALLY excited!

kcjaime

10-31-2006, 06:38 AM

I'm doing it this year again. Tried last year, but gave up pretty early on. Hopefully this year I will persevere! An idea came to me yesterday for a plot, and it kept me writing notes my entire train ride home from work!

greenbunny

10-31-2006, 06:43 AM

I'm in. I won last year and I'm trying to finish that novel this year. I'm invoking the Zokutou clause (http://www.zokutou.co.uk/theclause.html).

lawyerlee

10-31-2006, 08:18 AM

I'm doing it with my 8th grade class this year--I'm REALLY excited!
That is so awesome! I bet it will be really fun to see what your students come up with. :)

Is anyone going to get started at the turn of midnight tonight? I am thinking I probably will just because I am excited to get some words under my belt and get going on my story.

kissmary

10-31-2006, 08:37 AM

I am probably not going to start at midnight, because I'm usually asleep then. I think I write better in the morning. I like my sleep. :)

Good luck to all the first time NaNoers.

If you want to check up on wordcounts, I will update mine daily on the NaNo website, except while I'm on vacation. I am kissmary over there, too, if anyone wants to add me to their buddy list.

kissmary

11-01-2006, 06:28 AM

Good luck and happy writing to everyone on Day One!

Gatsby

11-01-2006, 07:46 AM

I'm doint NaNoWriMo for the first time this year! I'll be writing in the evenings, after DH goes to bed, so I won't start until tonight. I have no plot, no characters, no genre. All I have is the first sentence, which I let DH pick. Should be an adventure! I'm "anna24" at the site if you want to buddy me.

Happy writing :)

Alanna

11-01-2006, 09:28 AM

hey Gatsby! (i know you from some journals we frequent)

Ill buddy you!

Im kittystar if anyone wants to buddy me... :)

literati

11-01-2006, 09:32 AM

Good luck everyone! I'll do it in a few years!

apoppy

11-01-2006, 10:26 AM

Ack! I am already behind! I planned to start this morning, but life got in the way. Oh well. I'll redouble my efforts this afternoon.

My username over there is Myrtle Groggins. :)

BeakersTrio

11-01-2006, 05:47 PM

I am also going to try! I will be starting in a few minutes. I'm excited...I'm hoping my muses will finally kick in and I can jump start my writing career!

KristieW

11-03-2006, 08:17 PM

That is so awesome! I bet it will be really fun to see what your students come up with. :)
I am beyond amazed and impressed with what they've come up with. They all set their own word count goals; I set a minimum around 10,000, and I'd say that most of them chose between 10,000 and 20,000, but I had one kid pick 50,000, and she's doing pretty well. We've spent two full class days writing and I have kids with 3500 words already, and almost all of them have surprised themselves with how much they've written. And the stuff that they've written is fabulous! I'm SO glad I did this with them!

apoppy

11-04-2006, 08:40 PM

OMG, I am sucking. I found the "NaNoWriMo Ate My Soul" topics in the forum to be very soothing and reassuring though. At least I am not the only one with a leaky plot and annoying characters. :p

LDS Angel 19

11-08-2006, 04:03 PM

bump.

i just started today. :o

literati

11-28-2006, 12:01 PM

I know it's not over yet but I'm dying to know how everyone is doing. If you aren't done yet, get movin'!

kissmary

11-29-2006, 09:07 AM

I am at ~47,600 and maybe will finish up today, otherwise tomorrow morning. I have some people on my buddy list at nanowrimo.org, but I want to know how everyone has done, too. Even if you don't finish I still think it's a big accomplishment!

I'm ready to start another writing project when this is done, but I may actually try to finish this story, since it is a continuation of last year's Nanovel.

kcjaime

11-29-2006, 10:33 AM

Hello! I forgot about this thread! I am currently at slightly over 40k, but I feel pretty proud of myself since I was only at 27k two days ago. :)

I WILL finish, in spite of the cold and sinus infection I have, in spite of a migraine I woke up with today, and in spite of the fact that I am JUST TIRED. :p

kissmary

10-23-2007, 08:57 AM

I'm digging this up for another year of NaNoWriMo.

Who's in this year?

kcjaime

10-23-2007, 09:00 AM

I've signed up again for this year. I won last year, and it was such a great accomplishment for me, and I want to do it again. :p

Currently, I have no plot, no characters, no idea. :eek: I hope to remedy that this weekend!

apoppy

10-23-2007, 12:36 PM

I can't believe it is time again. I am in again, with the goal of getting more words down than I did the last time.

mrschica

10-23-2007, 01:26 PM

Ooo! I'm going to give this a shot. Fun! :D

jeepgirl

10-23-2007, 01:50 PM

This sounds soooo neat! I am contemplating doing it, although, starting in November I will be working 50+ hours a week, so I'm not so sure about the timing of November (not to mention everyone that take on second jobs, especially retail jobs, over the holidays). Who chose November? January or February sound like much better months to me.

Still, way cool idea! I love the concept!

Alanna

10-23-2007, 02:15 PM

i can't decide whether to try again... :rolleyes:

alright... i will try... and like apoppy - i will try to beat last year's word count!

kissmary

10-23-2007, 02:23 PM

I'm glad so many people are going to give it a try.

Jaime, I don't have any ideas yet either! Yikes! Better get on that...

mmeblue

10-23-2007, 06:46 PM

I'm giving it a try...and I actually have a plot this year, so there's a slight possibility that I'll make it! :) I'm trying to get ahead on work for my classes in grad school so that I can focus on the novel in November.

LaughAtlantis

10-24-2007, 06:42 AM

I am signed up (as LaughAtlantis - feel free to make me writing buddy!) and have some semblance of a vague plot in my head.. but it's a VERY vague plot. I got Chris Baty's book "No Plot, No Problem" and am hoping that it will be of service in pushing me toward completing the goal.

My MIL is coming to visit from Scotland toward the end of the month. I can't exactly ignore her and work on my novel, can I?

tealynn

10-25-2007, 11:09 AM

It sounds so daunting...50,000 words. wow. I don't know if I can do it but I might give it a try. I write boring, mundane things all day and sometimes the last thing I want to do when I go home is write...but I used to love it. It's time to rekindle the love affair!

am_81

10-25-2007, 11:48 AM

I will cheer everyone on from the sidelines. Every year I say I'm going to do it, but have yet to actually put more than 100 words down on paper. So this year, I'm not even going to *pretend* to commit myself.

kcjaime

10-25-2007, 12:32 PM

Kissmary, it gives me hope that someone else is as unprepared as I am! :p I hope to come up with some ideas this weekend!

smilewithme

10-25-2007, 12:36 PM

Count me in! I signed up this morning as smilewithme. This will be my first attempt and I'm excited for the challenge! I also haven't written anything of much worth but it's my dream. November 1, here I come!

Good luck to everyone!

Cali*Girl

10-29-2007, 08:07 AM

I'm in! This may be just the motivation I need to finally sit down and write!

villanelle75

10-29-2007, 04:28 PM

Me too! it's my first time and I am so anxious to get started. I was writing some notes today and foudn myself beginning to write snipets of my novel, without realizing it. I am so excited to start that I'm finding it every difficult not to cheat and jump the gun. I'm villanelle75 if anyone wants to add me.

Cali*Girl

10-29-2007, 05:12 PM

I'm Cali*girl...forgot to mention that!

Actually, it's Cali_girl

JubileeDawning

10-29-2007, 08:21 PM

I'm plotless, but I'm gonna give it a try! I'm excited. We'll see how it goes!

I'm JubileeDawning. Best of luck to you all!

TX Sweetheart

10-30-2007, 01:29 AM

I signed up a few days ago... I'm IrishGrace there.

This is my first year as well but I've been wanting to sign up for a couple of years now, just kept forgetting.

kcjaime

10-30-2007, 08:18 AM

:eek: I'm still plot-less, and really, character-less! I better get some story planning done and FAST!

smilewithme

10-30-2007, 09:57 AM

I'm plot-less, character-less and clueless right now! I have not put an ounce of thought into this project and I'm really worried about being this ill-prepared. *sigh* I'm not going to kill myself stressing about it, but I sure would like to make this goal! Tonight I'll have some quiet time to get my thoughts together.

Cali*Girl

10-31-2007, 07:27 AM

I think I have too many ideas!

If it helps, you can do a Timed Write...set a timer for 2 - 3 minutes, put pen to paper and just write. Write whatever comes to your mind...even if it's lalalalala, I don't know what to write, etc. You can sometimes come up with ideas from there.

amberfiddles

10-31-2007, 07:38 AM

i've thought about signing up but i'm in the same boat as smilewithme!

good luck to everyone :)

melnv

10-31-2007, 07:38 AM

I am so excited about this! I have no plot, no characters, really not even an idea. It should be interesting.

LittleFredPunkinHead

10-31-2007, 09:01 AM

I just signed up. I'm littlefredpunkinhead there as well. Boy, doesn't bode well for my creativity, does it? ;)

And, I have no plot ideas, no characters, nuthin.' Just a lot of desire to procrastinate on the other stuff I ought to be doing, so maybe that will help me out. :D

tealynn

10-31-2007, 09:16 AM

Okay, I officially signed up. I'm Tealynn there as well. I'm a little nervous. I haven't had time to put one ounce of thought into this.

I'm not sure when I'll find time to write but my rational is that if I can find time to be on CC constantly....

villanelle75

10-31-2007, 09:29 AM

Are all of the rest of you able to add writing buddies? I cant' figure it out and I read a thread on the forum that led me to believe that the feature is essentially down right now, but with everyone here talking about it, I thought maybe I was missing something.

And now a confession. I started writing last night. It was an accident. I was working on my plot outline and writing summaries of some scenes, and the next thing I knew, I'd written some actual text. I plan to use it in my novel but not count it towards my total. And now, I'm even more anxious to get started. Is anyone else considering starting at midnight? Um, me neither.:cool:

tealynn

10-31-2007, 09:34 AM

Villanelle, I haven't tried adding buddies yet.

You sound so organized...I feel like a slacker!

I work for an in-house ad agency as copywriter. Does anyone else write for a living? Do you find it harder to make yourself write when you're not working?

LittleFredPunkinHead

10-31-2007, 09:47 AM

Villanelle, I was wondering the same thing (about adding buddies), and I saw somewhere in the multitude of FAQs that to add a buddy, you can either find the person on the forums or via "search author," click on their name and then add them as a buddy. The problem is, they take down the "search author" button when traffic on the site is high, which seems to be the case right now. If we could decide on a thread in the forums to post in though, we could pretty easily find each other and add buddies.

villanelle75

10-31-2007, 09:58 AM

I'm headed to the forums now to see if I can find a logical place for CCers to meet.

villanelle75

10-31-2007, 10:03 AM

Okay, I've just started a Constant Chatter Writers thread in the "Writing Groups and Clubs" section. If you want fellow CCers to be able to add you as a writing buddy, post here. (http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/1030250)

strwbrygirl

10-31-2007, 10:31 AM

I'm heading over there now!

jeepgirl

10-31-2007, 05:45 PM

Man, I want to do it too! I'm not sure that I'll be able to complete it. I'm working a lot of overtime this month... but... I think I might still sign up!

heading over there now...

jeepgirl

10-31-2007, 06:02 PM

Ok... I just signed up as jeepgirlwrites. :) I made my avatar the same as I have it now to make it easy to identify me.

amberfiddles

11-01-2007, 06:19 AM

i took the plunge and signed up. i'm amberfiddles over there too! :)

kcjaime

11-01-2007, 06:37 AM

Very cool to see more people participating this year from CC! Hopefully we can all "win". :)

Who managed to write something yet? I was up at midnight and got down a whole 103 words. ;) I just wanted to get a start, even if it was miniscule. Guess I should come up with a plot now. Ha! I sort of have ideas rolling around, I just need to pinpoint my plan!

mmeblue

11-01-2007, 08:13 AM

I didn't stay up until midnight (gotta get my sleep in), but I did wake up a little earlier than usual this morning and got 1,761 words out. I'm going to write some more this evening - keep going while the ideas are there and the words are flowing. :) I'm trying to shoot for at least 2,000 words a day, to give myself a bit of a cushion, since I know there will be some days when I won't be able to write for very long.

I've written the 50,000 word goal and my current word count on the board in my classroom, and I've given my students permission to nag me if they don't see it increasing from day to day. They'll do it, too! :)

amberfiddles

11-01-2007, 09:07 AM

jeepgirl

11-01-2007, 10:24 AM

the nanowrimo site is really slow for me and i wanted to x-post here w/ two ideas i'm kicking around. i want to write for a j/ya audience...

plot: a shy white girl decides to take up the civil rights cause when one of her african-american friends tries to desegregate the h.s. in her town. lots of drama when the girl realizes her dad is part of the segregationist group trying to stop her friend...

inspiration: the desegregation of clinton h.s., clinton, tn

main characters: no names yet, but, MC (shy, not well known at school, caucasian, oldest in the family, loves to read/write, big thinker in a small town), MC2 (one of MC's closer friends, african-american, athletic, bookish) the two MCs develop their friendship @ the public library.

idea #2
very few details but the plot would basically be about a girl in rural appalachia whose parents/friends all become hooked on meth and she tries to escape that life and save herself. inspired by a song by one of my favorite bands, old crow medicine show.

Wow, I'm so impressed by both of your plots! Excellent! If I were to choose between the two, i would choose plot #2 because I feel like it could be a "current" story. While there is still, very much, racial issues going on in our country, the desegregation of highschools, etc. is not a current part of the racial issues at this time. However, a girl trying to get out of a situation where she was born into a druggie family, is something, that, sadly, is a reality today.

That's just my 0.02. I think either plot is great though!

Btw, I also find the Nano site is VERY slow, and I'm not really finding myself wanting to go there a whole lot either until it gets less sluggish.

mmeblue

11-01-2007, 11:09 AM

amberfiddles - They both sound like good, intriguing ideas, but it sounds like you have more worked out in your mind for the first one. Since you need to get a lot of words out fast, I would go with that one. Good luck! :)

apoppy

11-01-2007, 11:35 AM

Thanks for starting the group Villanelle!

tealynn

11-01-2007, 11:37 AM

Amberfiddles, #2 sounds intriguing to me as well.

amberfiddles

11-01-2007, 12:04 PM

thanks jeepgirl! i do think the more current one is intriguing and could be easier to relate too, i need to decide and get a move on.

mmeblue, you're probably right! i think i could run faster w/ #1 and hold onto #2 for another time :)

thanks tealynn!

what's everyone else writing about?

villanelle75

11-01-2007, 12:26 PM

For NaNo, I'd probably do the first since it sounds like it would go faster, but I think both have a lot of potential.

I've gotten almost no work done today. It's after noon and I've seriously done about 15 minutes of work. This is *so* much fun!

greenbunny

11-01-2007, 12:51 PM

I'm not following the official rules. I'm trying to finish the novel I won with in 2005. Unfortunately, I don't write chronologically, so pasting in what I write this year is going to be quite a feat.

Mine is about a family with a mentally ill child and how dysfunctional everyone becomes due to dealing with her issues. Unfortunately, on the surface it sounds a lot like My Sister's Keeper, though I had never heard of that book at the time. That was back when I was hooked on murder mysteries and oblivious to the bestseller list.

amberfiddles, if you're really hooked on both ideas, you could probably find a way to incorporate the main points of both. Perhaps the MC in #2 can be trying to help a friend of another race escape her own family drug issues, and you can touch on the socioeconomic aspects of substance abuse.

tealynn

11-01-2007, 01:33 PM

I was just thinking about plots, I have a couple but nothing solid

Funny you should mention mental illness...

In the first story, the main character is young woman who's family is riddled with mental depression, schizophrenia, crazy aunts, mom, etc. She has grown up knowning that at any moment the disease could take her mind (a late onset).

She is struggling with living life for the moment but wanting to anchor herself in security.

I can't decide if I really want her to go crazy or if I want her to think she's going crazy, which could lend itself to humor. I'm thinking it needs humor.

Wow, this is starting to sound like "Ya Ya Sisterhood".

My other idea was to create a plot around an inappropriate relationship and try to make the character sympathetic...like a Teacher/Student affair. Young teacher, the subject of school girl fantasy.

Any thoughts?

greenbunny

11-01-2007, 01:38 PM

jeepgirl

11-01-2007, 02:30 PM

tealynn, this doesn't have the same urgency of inappropriate-ness but one thing I've noticed from being around teachers is that it gets awkward when they get new colleagues who used to be students of theirs. Perhaps this could happen and develop into a relationship? To complicate it, perhaps the colleague could even still have a sibling in school being taught by the first teacher? I'm just tossing stuff around.

Yowza! I'm not Tealynne, but what a great plot!

I've had a million ideas rolling around my head, but one idea that is much stronger than the others. It is a love story, of sorts, based on true events.

Its based on a relationship I had once, with a man I would never have normally dated (which would be obvious in the book). But I got to know him through an unusual set of events, fell in love with him, and found him to be an incredibly deep man, sensitive, handsome and strong. As the relationship progressed I found out he has serious depression issues and cannot typically hold a job, that he use to be married, has two kids he has not seen in a decade (but has their names tatooed over his heart). He fought for them for a time, and then felt, deep down, that their lives would be happier without him. Why? He use to own a guitar shop and even made guitars, which got him into the drug world, etc. and that is how he lost custody of his kids. He quite drugs years ago, but the memory of his children literally tortured him everyday that I knew him. His mental illness, although not diagnosed, was most likely bipolar disorder. He had all the symptoms, including being able to work long hours on very little sleep. As time went on, things were wonderful. Then one day, we were blissfully happy, even talking on the phone for six hours at a time when we were apart, and the next he dropped off the face of the earth. That led me into the world of researching mental illness, something I threw my whole heart into with tears streaming down my face the whole time. I was tortured thinking of his own mental torture. I wrote him letters, sent him care packages, left him a million messages on his voicemail... and became active in an online community for people suffering from mental illness. I learned so much. It is, in part, something that triggered my desire to go back to school and take nursing. (As a sidenote, needless to say, my best class was mental health, I aced it without any trouble due to all the research I had already done on the topic. I was not that lucky with my other nursing classes however).

So, I could make the book about our love story, and its bitter end. But then turn it into something beautiful... how it plunged the "girl" into learning more about mental health, originally to save the man she loved, and ultimately, to learn one of the greatest, and hardest, lessons of her life, which was, you cannot help someone until they want to be helped. I could show how the girl goes back to school to become a nurse and meets the man she eventually marries during that time. How happy they are together, and touch on how they build a family, and how she forgets about her former love, until one day she finds out the fate of the man she use to love... (and his fate would probably be the end of the book - the "rest of the story" so to speak).

Thoughts?

mmeblue

11-01-2007, 06:47 PM

jeepgirl - that definitely sounds like a great idea to write about! I like the focus being more on the "girl" and how the relationship led her to learn and grow.

My own novel is on the silly side. Last year, my 7th graders kept asking me not just what my favorite color was (hunter green), but also why that's my favorite. Thinking it a weird question, I responded by telling them that I just couldn't go into the reason why; it was too painful. That made them more insistent, so I told them that I couldn't tell them the story until after I made it up. So now, I'm making it up. :)

My main characters are three imaginary creatures who live in my classroom (I'm not in the story - this is like their backstory). My projector always shakes because there's a microscopic man who lives inside it; his name is Irving. He's my protagonist (before becoming microscopic). There's a loud noise that happens whenever the teacher in the room next to mine pulls down her projector screen; I've told the students that the noise is actually being caused by Trudie, the elf who lives in the wall between the two classrooms. She's another MC. And then there's Lars, the nocturnal dragon who lives in the filing cabinet. I can't remember why I made him up - maybe because kids were trying to look in the cabinet or something.

Anyway, so I figured that my "hunter green" story should involve those characters, and I came up with an idea that's light and fun. There will be mutant snails, space bears, and a few other creatures I've invented. My students don't know any more about it than you guys do, yet many of them are already pestering me to let them read it. I'm just telling them that it depends on whether I think it's any good! :)

jeepgirl

11-01-2007, 07:16 PM

mmeblue - how creative you are!

kissmary

11-01-2007, 07:28 PM

Wow, I'm excited that so many of you are taking the plunge! Hope your writing went well for the first day. This place is getting busy! :)

I managed to get around 600 words while we were flying home today. I'll get around to catching up next week after things have calmed down a bit!

chefker

11-02-2007, 05:20 AM

Crap! I just realized that I forgot to sign up for the challenge this year. Last year I did, but I ended up not having enough time to get anything substantial written. This year, I have an awesome idea for a plot (well, at least I think it's awesome :)), but here it is November 2....can I still sign up, anyone know?

ETA: Just checked the website, the cut-off date for signing up is 11/30. There's still time!

amberfiddles

11-02-2007, 05:38 AM

greenbunny i think your idea sounds interesting, but not too similar to MSK. thanks for the thoughts on intertwining the two ideas!

tealynn i like the going crazy+humor storyline :)

jeepgirl that sounds like a great idea, dittoing mmeblue in focusing more on the girl.

mmeblue i love it! are you going to share it w/ the classroom when you finish?

good luck chefker and kissmary!

i haven't started writing yet, but i plan on getting started while i have some quiet time...

chefker

11-02-2007, 05:51 AM

Thanks amberfiddles! Good luck to everyone this year...

Figured out my log-in from last time - I am klove over there, if anyone wants to add me.

It's so funny about my 'inspiration' this year. Last year, I over-thought everything for a month prior to signing up (I had planned a fantasy/sci-fi genre novel). Got one chapter written, and then...I don't know what happened. Lack of time, the story was going nowhere, and I simply got stuck - and abandoned the whole thing.

So this year's inspiration was a dream I had last night, involving Owen Wilson and dirty monkey sex. (I'll confess, he's my secret celebrity crush :)). When I woke up this morning, I thought to myself, "Holy sh!t! That would make a GREAT story!"

Naturally, I will more than likely change Owen's name to protect his reputation. ;)

tealynn

11-02-2007, 05:53 AM

Greenbunny, thanks for the help brainstorming. I'm starting to lean in that direction.

Jeepgirl, wow. You've got a great story there...start writing!

mmblue, sounds whimsical...not silly. Have fun writing.

chefker...great that you can still sign up!

Kissmary, 600 words is not too shabby.

amberfiddles, quiet time is hard to come by!

I really have no more than 100 words just trying to get the plot down. My plan is to make up for it this weekend.

kcjaime

11-02-2007, 06:40 AM

I've only got about 580 words, which means I'm behind already, but that's about right based on how I went last year. :p I hope to catch up some over the weekend!

I'm still trying to hammer out my plot, which is banging around my head in an unfinished way, and is definitely the cause of my slow creative process!

mmeblue

11-02-2007, 07:45 AM

jeepgirl - thanks!

amberfiddles - I'm definitely not going to use class time to read them the 50,000 words, like some of them are asking me to do. :p But depending on whether I feel like it's any good, I might let some of them read it, and I will probably give a general synopsis to those who want to hear it (at lunch time or something ;) ). Of course, I have some of them who believe that writing a novel is equivalent to publishing it, and it's hard to get them to understand that no, they probably can't all have a free copy!

tealynn - "Whimsical" is a better word! :) I'm just having a lot of fun figuring out who my characters are and what they're up to.

apoppy

11-02-2007, 07:55 AM

I went back and read what I wrote last year and I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it is not the great American novel, but it was a little better than I remembered.

I am going to cheat and revamp it. ;)

I'm writing a light-hearted mystery/suspense story. I feel like there is a certain amount of research that I need to do in order to make certain parts of my plot a little more realistic. Is anyone else running into the research issue?

amberfiddles

11-02-2007, 07:55 AM

ha mmeblue! :) i think giving the synopsis is a good idea...what grade do you teach?

i hope you're willing to share your story chefker, i'm intrigued by the owen wilson factor, hee!

that's not bad kcjaime!

question: i'm going to ask over on the nano forums too, but do y'all think its a def no-no to use the N word? i've heard both sides of the argument, no it's never appropriate, or yes, it is appropriate if it is a historical piece and is an integral part of the story... (i'm planning a scene where there will be folks marching against desegregation and holding signs/yelling/etc).

anyway, i turned out 940 words before i stumbled upon the above roadblock and wanted to get some opinions.

TIA!!

mmeblue

11-02-2007, 08:13 AM

I teach 7th, 8th, and 9th grades. My current 8th graders are the ones who were first asking me the question about why hunter green is my favorite color (last year), but the others have gotten into it as well.

Regarding the n-word, I would avoid using it. You could write the scene in such a way that it's strongly implied that the word was used, without actually using it yourself - something like a child asking what the sign says, and a parent responding that it's something mean (okay, that's a weak description, but hopefully you get the idea!).

chefker

11-02-2007, 08:18 AM

re: the N-word...I say put it in there for now. Read it back to yourself several times, both with and without. Does it seem like the word "needs" to be in there to propel your narrative or provide a background? Those are just a couple questions I would ask myself. One needs to be a bit sensitive, of course...but sometimes you have to use a certain word, or it's not the same.

i hope you're willing to share your story chefker, i'm intrigued by the owen wilson factor, hee!

I'm still hashing out stuff in my head, but I've got a basic outline. What a weird dream...but full of plot, at least!

Last year's not-quite-novel was a fantasy tale based on the Final Fantasy video game. This year's.....well, I want to write something different, I guess.

Basic points: the "Owen Wilson" character will be a former actor who decides to get away from it all and open a bar/pub in a quiet New England town. Trouble is, he's a recovering alcoholic...

The protagonist will be a 30-something mom of twin boys (I'm picturing the boys as 3-4 years old), who is trapped in an unhappy marriage to an absentee workaholic husband who may or may not be having an affair of his own. Protagonist will meet actor-guy, sparks fly, and they have an affair. Actor-guy misses his acting career....turns to alcohol, gets emotionally abusive toward protagonist, who by this point is deeply in love with him....

And I'm going to build on things from there, but this is my starting point. :)

kissmary

11-02-2007, 09:01 AM

amberfiddles, don't limit yourself in the language you use. If it fits the scene, then no word should be off limits. Later, if the word doesn't fit (i.e., you are changing to a younger audience, etc.), then you can always change it, but I don't believe in only implying things. If I have a character who is going to swear or use negative language, then he's going to do it!

villanelle75

11-02-2007, 09:21 AM

I would feel okay using the word, as long as the context made it clear that it wasn't an okay thing. I'd make sure it was clear that the charatcter using it was bad/ingorant/whatever, and/or I'd make sure the reaction was clear. If this if for a YA audience, I'd feel it necessary to do that.

OTOH, for NaNoWriMo, I might just end up writing whatevery came to mind. If you decide to try to do something with this later, you can go back and edit to take out the word if you like, or to add some content to the scene that clearly demonstrates that use of the word is unacceptable.
_____

As for me, I'm at nearly 10,000 words already!!!! It's all just coming so easily.

Oddly, though it isn't at all what I intended to write, and I've never even read one, it's sort of turning in to a romance novel of sorts.

It was supposed to be about a rare books appraiser and a vampire who brokers deals for collectors. In my head, they would met, she'd find outhe was a vampire, they work a fascinating case together, trying to foil a counterfiter who was attempint to pass of a fake discovery of an unpublished novel from a famous, long dead writer.

I started off by introducing the 2 characters and developing their relationship, and seuddenly, 10,000 words alter, they are about to be trapped in a cabin together, where they have lots of (amazing, of course) sex, he's drinking her blood to survive, etc.

I would never read awful crap like this!!! Yet I'm having SO much fun writing it.

mmeblue

11-02-2007, 06:20 PM

I'm at 5,452 words at the end of day 2! Tomorrow I'm heading to a local write-in at the library, so that's at least three hours of pretty dedicated writing time, plus hopefully a few more hours here and there over the weekend. :)

My second chapter (what I wrote today) seems kind of blah and boring to me - it's hard to introduce a character! But that's the one of my three that I had the least thought out for as far as intro goes; chapter 1 went really smoothly, and I think chapter 3 will go well, too. And I'm dropping little hints and clues about the conflict that's coming, so that's good.

apoppy

11-02-2007, 07:13 PM

I have suddenly lost my ability to control verb tenses.

chefker

11-02-2007, 07:16 PM

I have suddenly lost my ability to control verb tenses.

Don't sweat it. Right now, I am abusing/overusing hyphens. :eek:

Two hours of writing though, and I've got 959 words, woo hoo!

LittleFredPunkinHead

11-02-2007, 08:05 PM

I'm thanking goodness for my hour-long train ride. Two hours each day, full of writing. ;) Which translates to 4,800+ words so far. Woot woot!
I still don't know what my plot is, but I do have a direction and a character! :D

mmeblue

11-03-2007, 01:39 PM

My hyphens are probably on the crazy side, too - I'm trying not to read back over too much of what I've written, so I can't be sure. But then, I use them all the time in writing online, like in the previous sentence, so I'm not too surprised! :p

If you can go to a write-in locally, I strongly advise you to do so! I just spent 2.5 hours at a library, in a room with others who were typing away, and I came out of it with over 3,000 more words. I'm now at 8,648, and I may write some more this evening. :)

chefker

11-04-2007, 11:58 AM

How is everyone doing? I'm up to 3,289 words. Kind of pathetic, seeing as I should have double that by now - but not so bad considering the only day I've written anything so far was on 11/2! I'm on a pretty good roll today.

I never thought I'd write chick-lit, but I think my story is morphing into that. Or a screwy kind of romance, complete with lots of gratuitous sex. Yes, I have the mind of a 12 year old, because I'm kind of giggling when I type out the sex scenes. :)

villanelle75

11-04-2007, 12:09 PM

sublime311

11-04-2007, 01:20 PM

Do you think it's too late to join?? I signed up on the website and I wrote out my plot and have a couple titles I'm considering, Saving Red Canyon or The Wanderers, but I just don't think I'll reach the lofty goal by the end of the month. I've decided on a young adult/youth novel and am looking forward to starting, but I'm just freaking out about starting so late. I'm sublime311 over there, too.

amberfiddles

11-04-2007, 04:58 PM

i finished with close to 7k words today. i'm trying to stick to the goal of 1667 words/day so i don't have to write a ton at the end.

i've had ppl ask me about nano and if i'm going to share what i come up with when i finish and i have no idea how to kindly tell them hells no! :P i did post an excerpt to my user page over there, but i would feel wierd about sharing the whole thing...

sublime, i don't think its too late to join, esp since it sounds like you have a plot and know the direction you want to go.

mmeblue

11-04-2007, 06:43 PM

I've just finished out today at 13,904. I'm over a quarter of the way done! (And I've done five out of my twenty planned-out chapters, so I'm a quarter finished in that respect as well.)

sublime - give it a shot! You'll never know whether you can make it if you don't try. :)

amberfiddles - I've just been telling people that it depends on whether I think it's any good - I'm not promising a read-through to anyone.

chefker

11-04-2007, 06:57 PM

sublime - not too late! I asked the same question on November 2. :) Apparently you technically have until November 30 to join, and if you joined previously (like last year), you can still use the same log-in, which is what I ended up doing.

amberfiddles - Yeah, the more I get into it, the more I think "I don't want anyone reading this." Not that it totally sucks, I think it's pretty decent so far, but it's just so....personal, I guess. I did let DH read the beginning, though. :)

mmeblue - Wow! That's amazing progress! I have less than half that so far. :o

Okay, is anyone else completely making up their story as they go along? I have a basic outline in my head, but it seriously feels like I'm doing a stream of consciousness, almost. Which is good - I get more down on the page that way. I feel kind of lame though, that I'm not 100% sure how this story will end, other than just a vague idea.

I finished at 5,082 words today...was hoping to get close to 7K, but no dice. And I have to get to bed soon, so I think that's it for me. Ah well...

kissmary

11-05-2007, 05:23 AM

sublime, some people say it's never too late to join! Good luck. :)

I wrote almost 2500 words on Saturday, while watching college football (good thing I didn't go to the game!), but didn't write at all yesterday. I changed stories on Saturday, thus the good writing. Back to writing today, in fact, right now!

amberfiddles

11-05-2007, 07:19 AM

wow mmeblue! that's awesome :) keep on truckin'!

kissmary, i don't know if i could watch fball and write at the same time. i'd probably start interjecting my writing with a lot of woo-hoos and boos, haha.

chefker, i'm doing the exact same thing. i just have a general idea about the plot and where i want the story to go. it seems to be working thus far. when i hit a wall, i'll switch up tactics.

LittleFredPunkinHead

11-05-2007, 08:10 AM

I'm not really sure where my story's going either... I tell myself it's much fresher that way. (Yes, rationalization is my talent. ;) )

villanelle75

11-05-2007, 08:32 AM

I'm stressing to everyone that NaNo. is about quantity, not quality, so that's sort of my built in excuse should anyone ask to read it. "This wasn't written to be read, or to be good; it was written to prove I could do it."

I'm at about 36,000 words!!!! However, I hate that I moved completely away from the plot I had in mind. It's been fine writing trash, but I think my original idea was a good one and deserves to be written. So, as crazy as this may sound, I've started over. I may finish the other one just so I can win NaNo., but I'm now 3,000 words in to my new story. The first few paragraphs were taken from my original, and I maybe recycling at least a few parts.

apoppy

11-05-2007, 09:16 AM

Wow--36,000 words??! That is a terrific feat even if you did decide to change direction.

greenbunny

11-05-2007, 09:37 AM

I'm...not as high on word count. Let's say I have yet to see four figures. :o However, I am cheating and trying to finish my 2005 novel. I knew it would be harder than starting from scratch, but I really want to get it done even if it means shooting myself in the foot for purposes of word count.

I'm bamboo over at NaNo, by the way.

villanelle75

11-05-2007, 11:39 AM

I'm at 4707 on the Rewrite. Good thing there's no one else here to see that I am getting no work done.

chefker

11-05-2007, 12:22 PM

Hurray for my handy flash drive...I was able to write a bit during lunch today. Another 500 words (or so) under my belt. I would like to get CLOSE to 10,000 by tonight, but it seems daunting.

Anyone else writing a romance-y type story? Mine has somehow turned into that....and man, I am torturing my main characters horribly. :D I figure they must suffer in the beginning, so that when they finally get it on, it'll be MIND-blowing.

Well, that's the plan, at least. Heh.

Oh yeah...I am klove over at the NaNo site. I have friended a few of you who were on the CC writers page there. :)

kissmary

11-05-2007, 12:52 PM

There's a CC writers' page on the NaNo site? link? I'd rather post over here, though, since they get reeeeaaaaly slow sometimes.

chefker

11-06-2007, 04:53 AM

kissmary - there is a link a few pages back, I think villanelle75 posted it.

I will probably start a NaNo CFG in my LJ - if anyone would like to join, you can either PM me, or click on the link in my sig, and post a request to be friended.

Up to 6,506 today. Still have not achieved my daily goal yet, but I've got a steady pace going.

Question for you all - do you edit as you go along, or just write it out and then edit? I'm finding that there are some scenes that could benefit from way more detail, so I want to go back and fix them right away.

mmeblue

11-06-2007, 05:43 AM

I only got about 500 words written yesterday - made me glad for such a productive weekend! I'm now at 14,398.

chefker - I'm trying not to do much editing as I go along. I've changed a paragraph or two because I realized something didn't make sense, but that's only for really minor things (eg, I said someone's office was right next to my MC's, and then I said my MC walked down the hallway to get to that person's office, so I went back and changed the initial description). But I really don't like my second chapter very much at all, and I'm just telling myself to get the story out and then go back and fix it later. Same for other things that I think could use a good deal more description or build-up...I want to get the structure of the whole story in place, and then go back and fill those things in.

kissmary

11-06-2007, 05:51 AM

chefker, thanks, I found the link! As for editing, if you want to add info, go ahead and do it. Don't take anything out! If you find sentences/paragraphs/pages! that you don't want to use anymore, make them identifiable to you in some way so you can take it out when you're done. But I found that adding more was a good thing, as long as I found the right place to put it.

mmeblue, sounds like you're doing great! Wish I was ahead! At least I'm not in Hawaii for a week this year...

apoppy

11-06-2007, 09:46 AM

I edit almost daily. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not, but it is the way I feel most comfortable writing.

PG-rated

11-06-2007, 10:16 AM

Just wanted to say good luck to everyone! I'm not a writer, but DH is doing this. He tried last year and only got about a third of the way through, so he wants to win this year. He did win a similar contest that was just for screenplays in June, though, and went on to finish the first draft.

villanelle75

11-06-2007, 10:42 AM

I barely even edit the typos. In a few places, I've added a highlighted note that says "Description here" or "Add details", but I find that if I stop to finesse something, I lose the momentum.

I am at 9021 words on the second start. About 1500 of those have been cut and pasted from the first attempt. Sine I started over I'm very far behind where I want to be now. I think writing the ending is going to be much slower so I was hoping to be at at least a 2000 word/day pace so I have some slack at the end. If I can get 3000 more words today, I'll feel a little better about the progress.

LittleFredPunkinHead

11-06-2007, 11:20 AM

I'm not sure if my story is a novella... I like it, I like what's happening, but I'm not sure the plot wants to be that long.

greenbunny

11-06-2007, 01:01 PM

Parts I want to fix later I highlight in red, with notes like "contradicts paragraph 2 on page 45".

villanelle75

11-06-2007, 03:15 PM

I'm up to 11546 on the rewrite.

Once again, it's headed in an entirely different direction than I'd thought. It's now becoming the book forgery mystery I thought it would be, but I'm not so sure I want my collectibles broker to be a vampire. In the opening paragraphs, which chronologically fall much later in the book's time line, I have her discovering his secret and brining him blood from his stash, but other than that, I've only alluded to it by having him not want to walk a couple blocks during the day, etc.

So now I think I may not make him a vampire at all. What do you all think? (Gosh, this sounds so campy when I write about it here.) Do I skip it altogether? If not, should I have her find out just before they unravel the mystery (Ohmigosh, you're a vampire, but no time to dwell on that, as I've just found proof of the evil plot and we have to hurry or all will be lost), or should she find out a bit earlier so I can deal with the aftermath of the discovery and how it affects their relationship.

apoppy

11-06-2007, 03:31 PM

Will it work if she suspects he's a vampire but isn't? Or if she suspects, but can't prove it?

villanelle75

11-06-2007, 04:02 PM

I think if it happens, I want it to be a total shock. I haven't worked out all the details, but I picture her walking in to find him injured or sick and in need of bllod, which she retrieves for him. She finds out by just seeing him there, though he tries to hide his face, and blah, blah, blah.

This may sound extra crazy, but I'm having so much fun writing this that I think I may want to write a sequel and the vampire angle seems to give me more room for that. An bookworm rare books appraiser teamed up with a mysterious, gorgeous vampire. Zany adventure ensures, with an undercurrent of sexual chemistry.

I've convinced myself, I think. The vampire surprise is in. Until I change my mind. Again!

kissmary

11-06-2007, 05:05 PM

villanelle, In Jim Butcher's Dresden Files books, there is another type of vampire who feeds on people's emotions, so they are always having sex.

amberfiddles

11-07-2007, 06:03 AM

i haven't been making any notations of things to go back and fix although i probably should! there are some things that i have just left a _________ for b/c i wasn't sure what to fill in and i didn't have time to stop and do research on (ie popular film released at the time period of my book, etc).

i have a website project for school due this wk so its eating up all of my time :/ i'm currently @ 9,901 words.

Cali*Girl

11-07-2007, 09:24 AM

I haven't writting in days...I just can't seem to find the inspiration. :(

LaughAtlantis

11-07-2007, 10:07 AM

I haven't writting in days...I just can't seem to find the inspiration. :(

Me too. I whipped out 1031 words in an hour and a half on November 1 and haven't opened the file since. My character turned out to be a very embittered cat person with a serious grudge against her twin sister and I don't know why, and I feel like I shouldn't go back to the page until I figure that out. Ugh.

mmeblue

11-07-2007, 06:19 PM

Cali*Girl and LaughAtlantis - you can do it! Just make yourself sit down and start typing, and maybe some inspiration will come to you. :)

I'm at 17,307 now - I was trying to end today at 17,500, but I was close enough and at a good stopping point. My characters are having fun, especially the random creatures I'm inventing from scratch.

Oooh, a question for you guys, though: a bag that was grabbed on a whim on the way out the door has smelly old socks and a flashlight in it...and what else? The bag is heavy, but I don't know what else is in it any more than my character does. :p

sublime311

11-07-2007, 07:23 PM

Oooh, a question for you guys, though: a bag that was grabbed on a whim on the way out the door has smelly old socks and a flashlight in it...and what else? The bag is heavy, but I don't know what else is in it any more than my character does. :p

A book? A book of quotes? A journal of clues? A jock strap that they think is a hat (not heavy, but funny!)? A watermelon? Or perhaps a pumpkin? An old fashioned type-writer? A bag of tokens/currency? A chess set? A screaming banshee wearing a gag? A pencil sharpener? Marbles?

Twylla

11-07-2007, 07:57 PM

I just signed up!!! I'm a little overwhelmed so far... and started typing like mad, ending with about 1,200 words tonight. Not too shabby for two hours to start I guess, but I'll need to get cracking!

Fun... but scary!

LittleFredPunkinHead

11-07-2007, 08:31 PM

mmeblue

11-08-2007, 03:51 AM

Great ideas - thanks! I'd love a few more! :D

Twylla - you can do it! 1,200 is a good start!

sublime311

11-08-2007, 05:32 AM

A box of nails... A flea circus (lol)... A bowling ball... A globe... A photo album... A gallon of bad milk... A box of batteries... A camera... A guitar... A baby Whozit...

Twylla

11-08-2007, 02:38 PM

Thanks, mmeblue! I hope I can. By the way, any chance there was a laptop in that bag? Maybe someone else's laptop by accident? Or, since it's so heavy.... a jar of pickles??? lol

How does everyone else start writing? I have a basic plot that's been rolling around in my head for a good long while now, even a few character notes I made last month, and I know basically what's going to happen. But I'm having trouble starting at the beginning, so I'm sort of jumping in here and there. Does it sound like I'll confuse myself?

apoppy

11-08-2007, 03:28 PM

* A Swiss army knife
* A big hammer
* A small dumb bell
* A rotary telephone
* A bottle of champagne
* A thermos full of cocoa
* A bag of potting soil

Twylla - I jump around sometimes when I can't get going too. I think as long as you sort of keep things in chronological order, you should be fine. Good luck!

mmeblue

11-08-2007, 06:10 PM

Thanks for all the ideas! I ended up with the following in the bag: smelly old socks, flashlight, stale muffin, deck of cards, several rolls of quarters, keychain, and umbrella. If more stuff needs to have been in there later on, I'll go back and add it. ;)

I finished today at 20,279 words. Things are still flowing smoothly for me...crossing my fingers that it stays that way!

catch

11-08-2007, 06:37 PM

You all are doing so great!!

I started last night and so far I only have 1,211. Twylla - we're on the same boat it seems :p I'm feeling motivated though, here's hoping I can stick to it. My story is mostly autobiographical right now but I'm hoping to add some fiction to it to make it more entertaining. I'm babyfishmouth over there.

Twylla

11-08-2007, 07:48 PM

apoppy I think the chronological order could kill me... I'm just jumping in wherever, lol. I'll have to spend some time cutting and pasting and putting it right this weekend. I don't want to get too far this way and get too lost!

mmeblue Great word count so far! Keep it up!

catch You'll get there. Keep that motivated feeling with you though, write lots while you've got the bug!

chefker

11-09-2007, 05:04 AM

Well, I went on a tear yesterday and wrote just over 3300 words. :eek: Didn't know I had it in me! I'm now up to 12,413 total.

Twylla - good luck! I didn't sign up until 11/2, myself. Didn't actually start writing until the next day, and I skipped a day too, when I was OOT. If I can do it, anyone can...seriously. :)

catch - good luck! It seemed like I'd never get anywhere at first, but eventually my story started telling itself.

mmeblue - I am continually astounded at your word count. You're on fire!

So, as long as we're asking what's-in-the-bag type questions here, :)
I have one for you all. My female main character, M, is married to an a-hole of a guy. He's never home, under the guise of traveling internationally all the time 'on business', but M suspects he's maybe having an affair. (I haven't decided yet whether the husband will actually be having an affair, or if he's involved in something shady/nefarious in his business...or maybe both!)

Anyway, one night, husband is away (as usual). M takes this opportunity to snoop through his office to find something incriminating against him. She wants out of the marriage, but wants some sort of 'proof'. M finds, hidden underneath husband's desk, a locked briefcase that she's never seen before. It's obviously brand new, with not a speck of dust on it. She's suspicious, so she picks the locks and opens the briefcase. Inside is a large yellow envelope, tucked in the side pocket. M picks it up, and about a dozen color photographs fall out. She says, "Oh my God...I've got you now, you bastard."

Next day, she consults an attorney about filing for divorce. So...what I'm stuck on, is what are the photographs of? What's in them that's bad enough to make her want to file for divorce ASAP? :confused: Or, I could have her find incriminating financial stuff...but that doesn't seem as juicy to me. :p

sublime311

11-09-2007, 05:20 AM

Naked pictures of her sister? Or "peeping tom" type pictures of her.

Him in drag? Or with another man?

Child pornography? Maybe someone is trying to set him up because of his shady business practices... Trying to bring him down... Expose him. Maybe he's sexually harassing someone and they've had enough. Maybe it's his mistress.

mmeblue

11-09-2007, 05:40 AM

I like sublime's idea of pics of her sister (or best friend if she doesn't have a sister).

Or they could be pictures of him smiling with another woman and a child who's quite obviously his. Oooh, and there could also be a certificate of his marriage to this other woman - polygamy would be a surefire cause for immediate divorce.

chefker

11-09-2007, 05:58 AM

You all have some good ideas. :) Thanks for the suggestions!

Well, I definitely want the husband to be unredeemable - so whatever it is, has to be BAD. M is going to take up with the male main character after she files for divorce. Polygamy would be an interesting angle. I've set most of the husband's business travel in China & Japan....maybe he could have a wife and family squirreled away there, thinking nobody would ever find out. Hmm....

I think my story is turning into a soap opera....but it's fun writing it, anyway. ;)

greenbunny

11-09-2007, 06:47 AM

Photos could be:

Him shaking hands with a mobster

School portraits of a child, from K on up, that isn't her child

Nude photos of HER, but used in a seedy way she didn't know about (maybe he runs a porn website)

Or, simply enough, pictures of him getting romantic with another male (it's not illegal, of course, but a very good reason to divorce ASAP!)

greenbunny

11-09-2007, 08:49 AM

BTW, I need made-up names for a hospital and a university. Any ideas? I keep thinking of things too similar to real ones nearby.

apoppy

11-09-2007, 08:53 AM

Sometimes street names transfer well to names for institutions. And you can always throw in "Memorial" or "St. XX" for hospitals.

chefker

11-09-2007, 08:55 AM

Hospital names - you can always string a couple of random surnames together. i.e., Fenmore-Dickinson Medical Center; Clinton-Jones Medical Center (OK, maybe not the second one :D)

kissmary

11-09-2007, 09:03 AM

Springfield U (We used this in a library school class project--the instructor didn't get the Simpson's reference, I think)
Springfield U Hosptial

Once you come up with a university, just add hospital to the end, or medical center; i.e. University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or University of CITY Hospital

LittleFredPunkinHead

11-09-2007, 09:15 AM

How about War Memorial Hospital? That's a pretty common name...

villanelle75

11-09-2007, 09:36 AM

I'm past the 50,00) work mark, sort of.

I've written at least that many words, but since I started over, the one I'm actively working on is just over 17,000. My first attempt is 36,000 words, though I've cut and pasted some of that into my current one so there is some overlap.

Question for all of you:
Are you working toward the 50,000 word mark, or towards a goal of finishing your story? The way mine is going, I don't think everything will be wrapped up in 50k words. Does it still count as finishing if I'm at 50,000 words by Dec. 1st, but my story is only 3/4 finished?

mmeblue

11-09-2007, 10:29 AM

Go villanelle75!

I think to "win" is just to get 50,000 words in one long work of fiction during November. But mine is looking like it'll end up closer to 60,000, and I know I'll want to finish the story. Still, if I'm past 50k but not done by the end of November, I'm declaring myself a winner and getting NaNo to verify it. :)

greenbunny - You could flip through a phone book and find a couple of last names you like and name your hospital & university after them. So you could have Burdell Memorial Hospital and Gleeper University. Or for the university - if it's known for something in particular, you could name it after someone who's known in that field.

greenbunny

11-09-2007, 11:06 AM

:D You guys RAWK!

The official rule is 50,000 words, whether or not the story is over. You can edit and finish at your leisure, or not.

However, plenty of people bend the rules to suit their own needs. Some people write a collection of short stories, some write fanfic, some try to finish something already in progess (that's me).

I'm a bit of a stickler, so if I finish my story with less than 50,000 words written in November, I won't use the winner banner, but I'll consider my goal accomplished.

Twylla

11-09-2007, 01:57 PM

chefker I like the idea of the husband having nasty peeping tom type porn-ish pics of M, and it turns out his "business" trips were legit... as he was running a big porn business without her knowing!

greenbunny I like the idea of street names pulled in, or the phone book full of last names. For example, Upland Memorial Hospital or Hoffer University. Have fun!

villanelle I say the 50,000 is the goal, with or without actually finishing! Good luck!

literati

11-09-2007, 05:47 PM

I can't wait to do this next year. Good luck to everyone!

Twylla

11-09-2007, 08:43 PM

Now I'm back needing some brainstorming help. I have a character with a nickname, Cherry.... but what is her real name? I need it to be really horrible, something she doesn't want people to know is the name she was given at birth. I'd love it if the name seemed like it could be shortened with "Cherry" but it's fine if it's something otherwise generally awful. Thanks!

ETA correct spelling. This "output only" mentality isn't good for me, lol!

sublime311

11-10-2007, 06:56 AM

Charlese
Sharon
Charlotta
Cherylann
Cherylee
Cherylisa
Charmin (her mom always thought the name of the toliet paper brand would make a good girl name)
Sherman (because her dad was a war buff and wanted a boy)

If I'm not mistaken, Sakura is the Japanese name for a Cherry Blossom tree.. She was horrified that she was not Japanese, but had a Japanese name, so she changed it to the english word - Cherry. (Background: Her parents went to D.C. on their honeymoon and fell in love with the trees. Learning that the Japanese name for them is Sakura, they decided that they would name their future baby girl that in honor of their trip...) :D

mmeblue

11-10-2007, 03:36 PM

I went to another write-in today and got over 5k done while I was there. I'm now at 27,883. Past the halfway point! :D

Twylla - what about Chernobyl? Maybe her mom just overheard the word somewhere, had no idea what it was, but thought it would make a pretty name. :)

villanelle75

11-10-2007, 04:14 PM

Maybe she has an awful name that was shared by soemone else in the family so she started going by Cherry because her a dad or grandpa or favorite uncle called her 'mon cherie' (is that spelled correctly), and that became "Cherry" to the family.

PG-rated

11-12-2007, 09:14 AM

It would be "ma cherie," but that's a good idea.

villanelle75

11-12-2007, 04:05 PM

No wonder why I couldn't google a correct spelling. glad you knew what I meant, though!

I'm at 24k+ as of this afternoon. I realized today that I will get little or no writing done for all of Thanksgiving weekend, so now I feel a lot of pressure to pick up the pace before then. I'd like to be at at least 42k by Thanksgiving.

kissmary

11-12-2007, 04:33 PM

Glad some people are doing so well. I've had no motivation to write, but I've been forcing myself to. I really love my story, though, so I want to pick it up, but I'd rather be reading lately.

Twylla

11-12-2007, 06:52 PM

Oh, great ideas, ladies! Now I just have to figure out which back story will fit Cherry's parents... nothing too lovey dovey as it isn't a great marriage, but you've definitely got the ball rolling, thank you sooo much!

Hope everyone's getting lots written! Congrats to mmeblue for getting past the halfway point, and villanelle for getting so close! Keep it up!

villanelle75

11-12-2007, 07:01 PM

By the way, I've already informed DH that in December, I will be participating in what I have dubbed NaNoFiMo-- National Novel Fixing Month.

I have a running list of things I need to add or change. Some are fairly major, like I am considering changing from omniscient narrator to first person, and some are minor, like giving my main character a dog. But I'm afraid if I go back and do any fixing or changing, I'll get bogged down, so I am steaming ahead. Once I have at least a decent (and 50,000 word long) framework set up, then I can go back and fix everything.

mmeblue

11-12-2007, 07:17 PM

NaNoFiMo - I love it! I know there are some people who've declared March to be NaNoEdMo (Editing), but I like yours better. :)

I'm at 32,024 now. The chapter I did yesterday was sheer delight to write - the words were flowing so easily, and I loved how my characters were revealing more of themselves even as the plot was advancing. It was some good stuff. (I'll probably reread it in a month and think it's the worst thing in the whole novel, but for now I'm excited about it.) :)

chefker

11-13-2007, 04:35 AM

But I'm afraid if I go back and do any fixing or changing, I'll get bogged down, so I am steaming ahead.

I just made this mistake. :o I re-wrote a part I didn't like, and now I'm no further ahead than I was last week. I wish I had just left it in and forged ahead!

The weekend was too busy to get anything done, plus I was OOT for part of it; I had yesterday off, but couldn't get a thing written - my toddler was just 'go go go' all day, and I didn't get a minute to myself. Oh well...at least I can get more done from today forward.

amberfiddles

11-13-2007, 06:52 AM

glad to hear everyone still chugging along.

i totally fell off the wagon. i was sick for most of the wkd and still don't feel up to par so i'm stalled at 14k. hoping i'll get motivated and sit down and do some writing tonight.

smilewithme

11-14-2007, 03:23 PM

Everyone is inspiring me to keep going! Keep up the good work!

villanelle75

11-14-2007, 03:30 PM

I'm at 29,310. It was tough going for a while and everything felt forced, but about 4000 words ago, it started to take a turn and everything is natural again.

DH was at work all night last night so I was home alone and I got a ton done. I am now on pace (though just barely) to make my goal of 42k by Thanksgiving.

kissmary

11-19-2007, 05:30 AM

Now that we're past the halfway point, how is everyone doing? Anyone really behind and plan to catch up? You can do it!

I am *only* about 9000 words behind after not writing on Saturday at all.

chefker

11-19-2007, 05:33 AM

I am *super* behind and about ready to call it quits. :(

I am still under 20K words, and I had hoped to be much further along by now. I was pretty much sidetracked all week with stripping wallpaper and painting. It really HAD to be done, but now my writing has suffered. Plus, I'm kind of stuck on one of my plot points, and no idea how to advance things along smoothly.

amberfiddles

11-19-2007, 06:04 AM

chefker---stripping wallpaper is the biggest PITA....no wonder you haven't had time to write!

villanelle & kissmary---keep up the good work.

i'm at 19,410 words, so i'm about 10k behind :eek: i'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, i'm just going to try to catch up while traveling this wk.

mmeblue

11-24-2007, 05:21 PM

I just hit 50,000 words! :D I've still got a couple more chapters to go before the story is finished, so it'll probably end up around 55-56k.

How's everybody else doing?

phoenics

11-26-2007, 09:58 AM

Wow - I really should have come into this thread before now. I'm sort of coming along - but then again, I'm on my 100th rewrite by now - I can't seem to stop re-plotting and re-writing this story! I think I've finally gotten to the point where I'm not doing that as much anymore but on Saturday I had written out a brand new chapter - it was flowing PERFECTLY and then the file got corrupted! I use a writing program so I couldn't recover it... it just turned to junk and I had to rewrite the whole thing and I just feel like it's missing some of the magic from before!

Bummer!

I don't know how many words I'm at - because of the writing software, but just the fact that yesterday I sat down and rewrote that lost chapter made me feel better. Oh - I just checked my word count - it's at 85K - but I bet if I counted all of my different versions of the same story, it would be a ridiculously high number... like in the millions because that's how many times I've rewritten this book.

Someone please tell me something to STOP me from rewriting. Is there a mantra I can chant? Some way to convince myself that the book will be fine or better if I just go with my original idea? HELP!

Just so you guys know, I've been writing this book for nearly 4.5 years. I know, I know - that's terrible - but perfectionism took over and even though I KNOW that's bad, I can't seem to help it. Maybe I have fear of failure... that I'd actually finish the book and then be unable to sell it... *sigh*

I do sometimes start other books so my ideas can go to other places... but it is still tough...

I'm glad I found this thread and I hope we can keep it going even after November is over?

kissmary

11-26-2007, 11:04 AM

I did not write at all the last 5 days, for no reason other than "I didn't feel like it." But I sat down today for an hour and a half and wrote 2000+ words, so I feel like I might be able to finish this if I write 5000+ words/day! I got up this morning and didn't feel like giving up anymore. I CAN do it!

Good job mmeblue!!! And good job phoenics!! :)

Anyone else feeling like a loser and that they won't finish? I've won the last two years with a lot more going on, so I know I can do this. I've just never written over 5000 words in a day, but I see that I can do it, and I know that other people have pulled it out in the end (greenbunny, for instance).

Keep writing!

villanelle75

11-26-2007, 11:17 AM

I am at about 42,700 and writing today has gone really well. If works continues to not interfere ;) I am hoping to be at least close to 45,000 today, if not more. I'd like to finish on the 29th as I figure the NaNo site will be a little less busy if I can upload it then, but maybe I'm getting over confident.

Keep it up, everyone. You can write 5000 words a day, Kissmary!

chefker

11-27-2007, 05:01 PM

I'm so discouarged....I'm still stuck at just under 20K words. Basically I didn't write for a WEEK...some of that time I was OOT, and didn't have the laptop like I thought I would (it's DH's company laptop, and he 'forgot' to bring it home). Between that and stupid work, I just haven't written as much as I did in the very beginning.

I do have time to sit down and write tonight, and maybe the next few nights until the end...but can I feasibly write 30k words in several days? I doubt it. :(

I'm so disappointed in myself. I really wanted to finish this year. On the upside, this is the most I've ever written for NaNo....so I guess that's something.