NaNoWriMo Escape Pod - It's over and we rocked the house!

My name is JL and I am insane. Why, you may ask?

Because in the confines of the 30 days of November, I'll be writing a 50,000 word novel. Or at least giving it my best shot.

My novel, and approximately 75,000 other people's stories, will be part of NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. Every Novemeber for the past seven years folks from all over the globe have gathered in increasing numers and attempted to fulfill their dreams of writing a novel.

What are the rules? In simplest terms, you start with a blank page on November 1st (that's right, you can't write a single word ahead of time, so no works in progress, though you can outline and character create to your heart's content) and on November 30th you end with at least 50,000 words of a novel in progress. It's quantity over quality with the goal of getting your inner critic out of the way and just writing!

I could keep rambling on here, but the official information pages give a much better explanation of the project:

What is NaNoWriMo?

So why is there a thread dedicated to this in Resource?

Well, first of all, NaNo participants are allowed to write a fanfic novel if they so chose. Yes, folks, it's time to dig out that epic plot bunny that's been nibbling at you for ages!

Secondly, I thought this would be a great place to let readers know that some of their favorite authors may not be updating their ongoing stories during November.

Third, to many of us, Resource feels like homebase. While the NaNoWriMo site does have its own forums, it will be nice to have someplace here to gather and commiserate.

And lastly, it will be a hoot for all the other fanficcers to come in here and point and laugh at our craziness!

Sign ups for NaNoWriMo started October 1st and continue right through the third week of November, so its never too late to get started! Let the novel planning begin!

30 days, 50,000 words... who's with me?

P.S. LAJ_FETT has kindly started a companion thread for us on the official nanowrimo forums. You can find it here.

NaNoWriMo 2006 roll call: (PM me your word counts!)
(author nano names in parentheses if different from board names)

Alishu06 - 20,518
Alley_Skywalker - 50,188
Anapad_Nabooine (Dapana) - 50,173
Commander-DWH - 2,450
Darkwriter (Janet_Pen) - 51, 369
DARTH_MU
DarthIshtar - 12,312
Elana - 52,003
Eleventh_Guard - 70,021
Flowerlady - 50,227
furrylittlebantha
JadeSolo
jaina_clan_solo (jcs_52462) - 50,123
JediNemesis (Atheling) - 50,439
Jennifer_Lyn - 55,271
Kestrel_Kenobi - 50,051
Kidan - 10,000
KTfanfic - 29,003
LadyLunas - 50,054
LAJ_FETT - 50,626
Layren - 14,300
leia_naberrie
Luton_Plunder - 4,308
maderic - 21,000
MiaTieska
micky-nikki - 19,710
musingmiyu
ophelia (0phelia) - 8,971
oqidaun - 50,131
Pandora26 (Pandora Beardsley) - 6,600
Persephone_Kore - 50,000
rebel_cheese - 10,188
SpiritofEowyn - 8,700
thesporkbewithyou (UnfinishedNovel) - 5,630

 

Thanks for starting this thread, J_L. I really want to give this a shot. I finally have a plot bunny ahead of time enough for NaNo that I want to turn into an Epic I've wanted to try it before but never have had a bunny in time.

 

Oh, I'm definitely doing this again!

 

I've been swearing to do this for about three years now. This year I'm gapping, got some promising bunnies . . . I think I'm actually going to have to.

I'm mad, right? Someone tell me I'm mad.

 

"Come on, let me hear you say it."

"You're insane!"

"No, no, the other one!"

 

I'm already signed in and ready to go.
It's a top secret project, but I'll be sending you the word counts.

\m/ Rock On NANOWRIMO!!! (there should be some cool anime music to go with this)

 

JediNemesis, i'm putting your name on the list, so you're just going to have to be insane and do it!

yippee! i'm not alone! i put this on my list of goals for the year and i can't believe i'm actually following through on it!

i'm taking the deep plunge and doing an original, non-fanfic story. i've been worldbuilding for weeks now. *bounces*

 

Tried 2005, didn't get far. Did complete the contest in 2004.

I'm debating whether or not to try it for this year... but if I do, I will likely choose original fic, or at least something original that might be inspired by Star Wars but not enough to actually count as more than that.

 

I tried for the first time and succeeded last year.

 

go you, Ish!

this is my first year. so, could you tell us newbies... is it as insane and difficult as everyone makes it out to be?

 

I'm in! I'm going to do what I did last year, though, which was not to write a 50K novel, but to write 50K words period. Didn't get there, but a lot of stories grew, and that made me happy.

This year I'm going to concentrate on short stories. They're a lot easier for me than novels.

 

That's a cool idea. I want to work on an angst-novel that I've been hashing out in my mind for a while now.

 

Nice one, Ish.

Oh, what the hell. I'll do it.

 

I did it last year and just made the 50k. I'm thinking of doing it again (probably will) but this time I have no idea what I am going to write about. It probably won't be fanfic though.
The idea of short stories, possibly linked by a common main character, has possibilities though.

 

Actually, I HAVE a fanfic idea I'd love to do, but I don't think I can make it hit 50,000 words. Maybe I could, though, if I pad with lots of backstory, lots of side plots, and lots of description. That's actually not a half-bad idea, because while the story it generates will almost certainly be tripe, it might breed a dozen plotbunnies that eschew the path of Sithly suckage and become Jedi-worthy vigs in their own rights.

 

isn't that part of the fun? all the side tangents and padding to get to 50,000?

and breeding new plot bunnies is always a worthy endeavor!

Eleventh_Guard and LAJ_FETT, just let me know (here or pm) if you're definitely doing it and i'll add you to the list!

 

You might as well add me in - I'm going to try again.

Anyone doing it for the first time might want to get a copy of the book - I got it last year and found it quite helpful.

Edit - since no one else has done it yet, I started a TFN thread over in the NaNo forums. You can add to it here.

 

I want to do this, but since my next baby is scheduled to be born that first week of november i'm not sure if i'll be able to....

 

Congratulations Kidan!

 

ah, babies-schmabies. i'm sure you'll have loads of writing time during those wee hours feedings!
just kidding! congrats!

good show LAJ_FETT! i'll get that link up in the first post!

(super secret... JL has not actually officially signed up yet. eek!)

 

I could never do a fanfic for Nanowrimo. It's my one month a year to work on my original stuff.

 

I just signed up. I'm going to be doing an original story. Now I just have to decide which of two possible plots to go with...

 

I've got the same problem--one is sci-fi angst and one is drama.

 

This always looks like so much fun, but there is no way I'll have time this year. I'll definately think about it for next year, though.

 

Count me in, yeah. The idea is starting to grow in my head.