NaNoWriMo 2014

[GandK]

November is (inter)National Novel Writing Month.

For those who don't know, there is a worldwide challenge every November to write a 50,000 word first draft of a new novel... that's 1,667 words per day for 30 days. A few of us in these forums participate. If you're interested, you can sign up or find out more at the web site above. Theoretically everyone who writes 50,000 words of original novel-related material "wins" the challenge, but even in the years I haven't made it to 50,000 words I've found it worthwhile to participate. If "write a novel" is on your bucket list, this is a great way to do it.

And if you're not sure where to begin -- or if, like me, you enjoy the heck out of the planning phase of a novel -- Janice Hardy over at Fiction University (my favorite writing blogger by far) has spent the last few weeks putting out an awesome series of blog posts aimed at NaNoWriMo participants:

1. NaNoWriMo Prep: Planning Your Novel
2. NaNoWriMo Prep: Planning Your Novel’s Beginning
3. NaNoWriMo Prep: Planning Your Novel’s Middle
4. NaNoWriMo Prep: Planning Your Novel’s Ending

My plan this year is to write part three of a series I'm working on. It's Native American fantasy aimed at young adults. Part one is in the final stages of editing and I hope to shop it around soon.

Who else is in, and what are you working on?

[Spartan_Warrior]

In! I'll be working on book 3 in my serial killer/crime thriller. I've got it all planned out from start to finish with a fair amount of detail. I'm hoping I can meet the 50k word challenge, and carry that momentum into finishing the book by end of year, for publication early in 2015. I'm trying to increase my production and accelerate my release cycle, and I'm hoping Nano will be the boost I need.

In the meantime, I'm revising book 2 for publication at the end of this month, continuing to drill down the plot for book 3 (and on), and writing and editing short stories. I may start book 3 ahead of time, which might technically be "cheating" for Nano, but it's the thought that counts.

[Ian]

Aww, beaten to making this thread. Part of the reason I've been absent from the forums lately is that I've been clearing my schedule and planning for this. I have a novel pretty clearly in mind, so I expect to have a successful NaNoWriMo this year.

[GandK]

Me too. I'm just about finished with my plan. Woot!

[7Wannabe5]

In the tradition of the Bronte trio, my youngest sister just issued an all-sisters (4 of us) challenge to write a romance novel next month. My micro-genre will probably be something like cozy-garden-erotica-lite.

[GandK]

In the tradition of the Bronte trio, my youngest sister just issued an all-sisters (4 of us) challenge to write a romance novel next month. My micro-genre will probably be something like cozy-garden-erotica-lite.

That sounds like so much fun! My sister has told me a time or two that she wants to write a novel, but to her that means "I like the idea of writing a novel" as opposed to "I will plan and execute a novel."

[7Wannabe5]

GandK said: That sounds like so much fun! My sister has told me a time or two that she wants to write a novel, but to her that means "I like the idea of writing a novel" as opposed to "I will plan and execute a novel."

We'll see how it goes. All four of us are quite otherwise busy at the moment. I am far from disciplined but I can write very quickly if I absolutely do not allow myself to edit as I go. Obviously a romance is rather easy to structure and I am simply going to morph together the plots from two romantic children's books about gardening and a popular comic movie of the 1990's with some very detailed bits of horticultural lore and information. I know that the first rule of writing a romance is "Kill the parents." So, my heroine will have a sensible mother who died of a serious illness and a father who although still living is of no help to her because he is silly and rather vain. My hero may or may not resemble Jimmy Smits morphed with Sean Connery. Of course, since this will be garden erotica lite, there will be an overall-snapping rather than a bodice-ripping scene.

[Ian]

My time zone is ahead of many of yours, so for me this is the last day prior to NaNoWriMo. I'm pretty well set up for it, though I don't know when I'll report my daily progress.

[7Wannabe5]

Wrote over 800 words today and it was easier than I expected. I will shoot for 1200 tomorrow.

[Ian]

Are we reporting our daily progress? I know some people enjoy that, but I feel mildly self-conscious about it. In any case, my November 1st is complete and I managed 7017 words. Now back to writing...

[GandK]

6,904.

Had a good start, but I have a house full of sick people, so I doubt I can keep up this pace.

[Ian]

Day two I wrote 8872, but then the work week hit and Monday I only managed 5935. Today has been even worse, but we'll see how much I can finish before I turn in.

[Ian]

It's been a few days, how are we doing? I guess I won't give my day to day numbers if this thread stays quiet, but it has been a week. Bad work days keep me from writing more than 5k, but I had a day off where I managed just barely over 10k.

[jennypenny]

10K is a really good day. Had you blocked out the entire story before you started?

[Ian]

Extensively, yes. I'm fairly far on the planning side of the spectrum - I try not to start writing until I have a strong idea who all my characters are and exactly how the plot is going to progress.

Not everything is planned in perfect detail, though. I've had a slightly slower weekend because I'm tweaking the next section and fleshing out a few pieces of the outline. 7486 for yesterday, but Monday is rough so far.

[GandK]

Had an awesome weekend! I'm up to 24,209.

[7Wannabe5]

I am lagging behind. I seem to have no trouble throwing down around 800 words/hour but I keep hitting a particular flavor of writer's block which I might best describe as "losing respect for my intended audience." Also, my chapters seem to be far too short on average. I hope to get some solid work done today to get back on something resembling schedule.

[Ian]

Still plugging away at a similar rate.

[Spartan_Warrior]

Keeping head above water. About 21.6k total right now (daily average ~1660).

[TheWanderingScholar]

Started but feel off as time went on as school started to get crazy.