NaNoWriMo 2009- Over for another year!

Oh yes, it's that time of year again! The official site has relaunched and it's time to start the insanity!

Welcome!

This thread is devoted to the madness that is National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. If you've participated in NaNo before, you may want to skip the next few paragraphs, but if you've been wondering what the craziness is about read on.


What is NaNoWriMo?
In its most basic definition NaNo is writing a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. Many people get much more out of it, some people don't, it's really up to you what NaNo is about. If you've always wanted to write a novel but never got around to it, this is your chance. You'll be doing it along with thousands of other crazy people, so don't worry about being alone in your insanity!

NaNo is not about writing the next great novel (though it has been known to happen) or writing the perfect story, it's all about the writing. You will write some crap -turn your inner editor off now or it's going to be a long month- but you may find that giving yourself the freedom to just write without worry results in some great writing!


How do I participate?

You go to the NaNo website and sign up. Don't be alarmed if it takes a while for the site to load, it tends to be a little busy this time of year! Then starting at midnight November 1st (and no sooner!) write your heart out! You can write in a notebook, you can write on your computer, heck you could write on your walls, just as long as you don't write the same word over and over again!

Don't forget to check out the official How NaNo Works and What is NaNo? pages.

I've signed up, what do I do now?
Well, you can start outlining your story, make your characters, do some research (but no actual writing until November 1st!) or if your more of a fly by the seat of your pants kind of writer you can check out the Forums at the official NaNo site and discuss pretty much anything with your fellow Wrimos!


What Do I Get If I Win?
Nothing!!

But seriously, you get to know you wrote a novel in 30 days. How many people can say that? Even if you don't make it to 50,000 words you've done more than most people will ever do! They also make some shiny web badges so you can show off to the the internet how awesome you are!




Post in this thread if you are planning on participating and if you use a different screen name on the NaNo site then let us know. Once NaNo starts keep us up to date on your word count and it will be shown beside your name in the participants list.

During the weeks leading up to NaNo I'll be posting some discussion questions so be sure to check back here and join in!

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[b][u][color=blue]Discussion Questions:[/color] [/b][/u]

[b]How many years have you participated in NaNo? Have you won? If so (or even if you haven't won) what is your advice for the noobies? If this is your first year, what made you decided to join? [/b]

[b]What are your must haves for Nano? Food? Beverage? Candy? Music? etc. [/b]

 

Participants List:

Those who reached over 50,000 by the end of the month are in this color!
Those who participated but did not meet the word count but participated during the month are in bold.
Alasse_Earfalas: (ssumppg) 30,000
Alexis_Wingstar: 2,683
Alley_Skywalker
C1-J2: 48
Ceillean: 51,673
CelseteAntola: 50,041
Commander-DWH: 25,207
Corellian_Ale: 5,049
DarthBobbalot
DarthIshtar
DarthXan318
earlybird-obi-wan: 50,277
Idrelle_Miocovani
Iverna
jaina_clan_solo (jcs_52462): 51,406
Jaina_Solo_Goddess (flamewolf101)
JEDIGUNSHIP: 170
JediNemesis: 64,329
Jinngerbread: 32,063
LAJ_FETT (LAJ_Fett): 50,122
KELIA: 35,017
KirneySlane22 (KristinOhman): 4,505
Lady_Jade (ShayeraJLU)
LittleMissNightsaber: 15,002
mavjade: 32,158
MiralukaJedi: 2,150
moosemouse: 50,009
MsLanna: 13,387
PadwanKayla
Rau_Fang
Sauntaero: 8,500
ShrunkenJedi
SithGirl132: 50,003
SoA: 108,609
Storms_Legacy: 50,144
TheMacUnleashed: 42,631
Thumper09 (chrononaut67): 2,237

 

Okay, I'm totally insane. I probably won't make the wordcount, and I've no idea what story I'll write, but I'm in anyway.

EDIT: Though right now I'm not able to get on to sign up yet... I keep getting a message saying the site was resetting. Not unusual, for this early in the game, however. LOL

 

This is a do or die year--I'm going to absolutely take that month to write the fractured fairy tale that I've been wanting to write for a year.

 

Oh me! I'm participating.

I sign up for this insanity every year and I have only ever not finished one time years ago.

It's highly addictive!

I have no idea what I'm going to actually *write* I have several plots I'm working on now that I may focus solidly on come then (even though I know you're technically supposed to start fresh).

We'll see what happens when the time comes, those muses just aren't predictable.

 

I've recently been fleshing out a novel idea I've had for about five years. I've never actually written any chapters for it, so this is the perfect chance to start on that.

I probably won't reach the word count. My November is going to be HECTIC.

 

I'm going to try and do it this year for the first time.

 

I'm doing it for the first time. I've had this idea all summer and it's time for it to be a novel.

 

I'm in, under the same username! It's my first time and it'll probably be an epic fail, but I'm willing to try! I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun. And insanity. Bring on the Pink Floyd!

 

I've decided to do a pokemon story set in the United States for Nano. When will we be getting the nano icons for this year?

 

Yay! For the people new to Nano! Don't worry if you don't think you can make the word count, it's fun just to participate!

As for icons, Nat has gone green because her computer died but I'll send her a PM reminding her that NaNo is coming up!


Since most people are saying such things when they are posting their intent to participate, I'll post the first discussion question.


How many years have you participated in NaNo? Have you won? If so (or even if you haven't won) what is your advice for the noobies? If this is your first year, what made you decided to join?

 

I did NaNo for the first time last year. I did win, but the last 20,000 words were pretty pathetic since I wrote them in about five days. I found that at the beginning I was going really strong, then I didn't write anything for a week and then it became a huge struggle to finish on time. I'm still working on editing my NaNo project from last year since it's last part is such a muddle (I didn't actually write a novel, it was a screenplay that read more like a transcript than anything else. I like to bend rules, haha ).

 

How many years have you participated in NaNo? Have you won? If so (or even if you haven't won) what is your advice for the noobies? If this is your first year, what made you decided to join?

This is my third year participating, and haven't won yet (see sig). My advice is just have fun with your story. Don't worry if it's good or not, and DO NOT EDIT until the month of December.

 

I've won once and done it thrice. I always seem to get really sick or really writers-blocked around mid-month. This year, the story I've got is one that I want to write as a present for all my girl friends and is about a matchmaker's apprentice who needs to help find the perfect bride for the youngest son of the king.

 

I really think I'm starting to lose my mind, but yes, I'll be doing NaNo this year. This will be my third time doing it.

The first time I didn't get anywhere remotely near the word count (I think like 13k), but last year I made it!

Granted, I was also bending the rules a little... I was collaborating with a friend, and our joint goal was 75k by the end of Novemeber. It worked out really well because we had 3 main characters. We each picked one and then the third character we wrote together via IM. And we made our word count! Good times...

This year I've got a few ideas in the works, but I think I'm going to write a Kyp-centric fic that I've been thinking about and outlining for the last month or so.

Advice for Newbies? Well, for starters, makes sure you write that 1,700 words (or whatever the count is) EVERY day, WITHOUT fail. If you miss one day you'll feel incredibly behind... Believe me I know...

I think one of the best things I did last year, was not waiting for a computer to write. I brought a notebook with me to work, and I wrote all throughout the day, even if I was only writing a few sentences at a time. Then I would put it in the computer when I got home. This worked really well because often times I WAY exceeded the minimum word count. One day, when it was really slow, I actually got 10,000 words written!! This gave me the extra comfort of being able to take a day off here and there over the month, because I was now WAY ahead of the game. So, go ahead, write longhand!

~Celeste

 

Finally, NaNo is rolling around. I'm definitely in. This is my first time participating, but I discovered the NaNo thread on here last year (and proceeded to continue lurking as I usually do), but it was a little late for me to join in last year 'cause of the fact that it was more than a week into it. Of course, it pretty much would have been bad because I only had one fic actively going, and I didn't want to start another one actively.

But, as far as why I'm doing it this year, I have a novel that I've been dying to write (well, three, to be perfectly honest) and I know that if I don't just sit down and start it, I probably won't get around to it at all. So, NaNo seemed like the perfect option.

 

I will be in this year but with two weeks gone from november (firefighter exercises and a planned trip) I have only two weeks to write

 

Showing up to write everyday is a big part of winning. Just mental discipline to have no word count days with 0. I've won twice. The first year I crashed and burned 10,000 words in. The other two times, I made it and have shiny certificates that say I won.

But the second year when that happened I brought in my OC's to act as Narrators. And they were giving their own commentary on what I was going to do -- and so on and so forth.

Find people who like to do word wars! Those are great ways to boost your word count in a short amount of time. Find someone to challenge you to write for anywhere from 10-30 minutes at a time and see how many you get. If you're a decent typist it only takes a couple of 15 minute challenges to get word count in.

 

I've wanted to do NaNo the last couple years, but I forgot about it and then decided that it wasn't worth it to start halfway through November. So, I have been planning on doing it this year.

 

I'm definitely in this year. My plan is to finish up the end of one of my Sailor Moon fanfics that has been hanging over me for some 7 or 8 years. In the mean time, I'm marathoning revisions to the first 11 chapters so they don't look like I wrote them 8 years ago. If there is word count left after I conclude that story, I'll work on my KOTOR fic. That's bending the rules a bit too, but it's about the experience and having fun with it.

I've done it three times before. The two times in high school, I finished and won. My freshman year of college, I got half way and stopped, realizing that I hadn't made friends yet and needed to get out of my room to do so. Now graduated, I'm excited to try it again.

 

Storms, I know what you mean. I have three novels that I have currently in the works:

1) Historical fiction co-written with Anakinsfavorite about a forced labor camp in Austria during WWII.
2) Contemporary fantasy set in Philadelphia involving a magic-practicing high-schooler who we think is the Harry Potter figure, but turns out to be the Hermione instead. The Harry has disappeared and both sides of the war want her help in finding the Harry. It gets complicated.
3) NaNoWriMo project: The Matchmaker's Apprentice. 'Nuff said.

 

This will be my fourth year doing nano and last year I actually made the 50K! This year I'm hoping to finish an original story. I have several notes already now it's just about writing. Much fun!

 

Oh hey, it's that time of year again!

I 'won' last year, but with a bit of creative shenanigans on my part. Towards the end of the month I gave in and started including stuff I'd written for other things in my total - so while I technically did make 50k, my original fantasy had strange 'dream sequences' involving lightsabers in them. And I never finished it properly; the last 4k or so words were more like the summary of the story's ending than an actual story ending.

I might try again this year. Though ... well ... I got through it last year by having a general plot and a cast of characters to begin with, neither of which I have this time around.

 

Yea, I'm in. Why? I dunno. I'm stupid, thanks for asking.

How many years have you participated in NaNo? Three prior, I think...


Have you won? Not even close.



If so (or even if you haven't won) what is your advice for the noobies? Don't care, and when I say "don't care", write whatever makes sense at the time. Edit in December, but write in November. And don't re-read things "just to see where you left off", pick up where you think you left off. Otherwise, Darth Inner-Editor sneaks up on you...

 

OK, I'm in for this. My id over on the site is about the same - LAJ_Fett.

Years done/won - 2005-2008

Newbie advice - get as many words as you can in the beginning. I like to get a day or two ahead wordwise at the beginning when my story is flying just in case Darth Real Life intervenes. To stay on track you need to do about 1700 words a day. I aim more for 2000 a day. In the past this usually enables me to take a day off here and there and finish up about 3 or 4 days before the end. Getting ahead is especially important in the US since the Thanksgiving holidays intervene.