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

I just registered for NaNoWriMo. I'm probably crazy. I've been complaining about my homework load (althoug it is steadily getting lighter). But the way I figure it, I can always drop out of NaNoWriMo if it gets to be too much of a burden. Besides, this would be a good excercise. It's exactly the kind thatmy APLAC teacher is always pushing.

 

Oh wow, totally awesome, icon, J_L! I really hope we get to use it!

 

Ooh, can you add me to the roll call list? I'm gonna need all the encouragement I can get! Last year I got up to 3,446 words... hoping to do more this time.

Not sure if I'll choose a fanfic or an original fic, but NaNo always gets me jumpstarted on other fics regardless of what I choose to for it.

-Mia

 

Our icon request is currently being discussed so no definite news yet..

 

Okay, I've got a definite idea now. It's SW, too

 

I'm still undecided on whether or not to do a Star Wars fanfic or to attempt to do original fic, which would basically be the same plotline I imagined, with the serial numbers filed off; revisions could turn it into something original if I deem it worthy, but likely it's going to be silly and self-indulgent and I figure, if it's going to be mostly for me, I might as well do it as fanfic.

Thoughts?

 

I've decided mine will be original fic, but it will have a SW angle to it (MC will be a SW collector, amongst other things).

 

My schedule for November will need to be double-checked, if its acceptable I'll probably be in. However, even in the best-case scenario I won't be able to write fanfiction in any serious quantity until I hit 50,000 words or reach the end of November, whichever comes first . . .

It'll likely be an original work, likely a Dune-style sci-fi adventure, only with a little more space travel along the lines of Dread Empire's Fall; with wormholes and stuff used to accelerate throughout the Milky Way. Except that everything will be a bit more upclose and personal than Fall (missiles won't take 20 minutes to hit ships in my fic).

 

MiaTieska, you'be been added! welcome!

AlisonC, depends on what you're looking to do and how comfy you are with fan vs. original fic. i know for me it is easier to write fanfic because the world is already in place and heck even the characterization if i choose to use it.

perhaps doing it as fanfic would make it a more do-able goal and then you can always go back and make it more original in your editing process.

LAJ_FETT, nice.

c'mon, rebel_cheese! you know you want to do it! don't you want to see your name and word count all pretty in the first post of the thread? *nudge, nudge* you've already got your spacetravel figured out, now all you need is some characters and a nice big conflict.

 

Yay! Finally a fellow nanowrimoer who lives in the same building! Glad to see you, Mia!

 

Right, but I'm thinking that, for NaNo purposes, a middle ground might be better. I mean, we know who the Jedi and the Sith are. But if my main protagonist's name is Jason Solar, and he's one of a bunch of people who call upon the Mystic Power and wield enchanted swords and call themselves Gemi, then I have an excuse to write pages and pages of backstory at various times. (It wouldn't be THAT obvious of borrowing, actually, but I rather like "Jason Solar" as a character name for a sci-fi-fantasy hybrid. Names are easy to search/replace out later, anyhow.)

He could have a sister Dana, and a brother Mannequin, and they'd fight against the forces of Lady Doomia.

I'm joking. I think. Then again, it IS NaNoWriMo.

 

All right, I'm in. Everything's sorta ready to go, I have the outline set and some characters whose profiles I've begun filling out.

I really wish there was a White Sox or Cubs banner this year.

 

Ish, I've been planning on NaNo since the beginning of September. Well, really, since last year, of course.

It's been only recently that I've started to realize just how close November is, and that I really need to figure out what I want to choose tow ork on, since that's what stalls me for much of November.

Leaning towards original fic again, though I have plenty of fanfics I could work on.

How do you all choose what to work on? And how many people use pre-made outlines and character sketches, and who just plunges in the deep end with only a simple idea in their head? (Does anyone even do that for NaNo...?)

-Mia

 

Oh, wow...This sounds like a lot of fun...Emmm...Question: can I write 50K in a month...I'm sure that I can if I lock myself away and do nothing but write...

Still thinking...I really would love to give this a shot...but I think I'll pull out a novel idea I've had for years...and I mean years...an original angsty historical romance...

Oh, really am concidering this...

FL

 

I'd never heard of NaNoWriMo before I joined these boards, but after spending the last couple days reading through the website, I really want to give it a try...

... trouble is I have no idea what to write about

maybe i should throw caution to the wind and just do it.

jcs

And best of luck to everyone who has (and will) decide to do this!

 

I'm going to try an original novel.... in November... even though its college apps month for us seniors.

I must be going crazy. *signs up*

 

If you are lacking ideas check out the NaNo Adopt-a-Plot thread. It helped to flesh out my idea. There's also one for characters in the same forum section.

 

I've a general sketch in my head, but nothing committed to paper. Day One is going to be totally dependent on the first song that shows up on my music library shuffle and I'll go from there--I write to music so might as well let a musical gamble set the tone.

 

Well, I go to my friendly neighborhood CR and go "Here are my two ideas" and she tells me she likes the one I was hoping to do best. Personally, last year, I had a little notebook full of everything from plot to the languages to the costumes of the realms.

 

After visiting the website, I have just signed up to do this. I know that I won't get anywhere near 50,000 words, but I only seem to be able to write when I have the option of immediatly clicking over to a community of writers and whining. I absolutely hated the isolation involved in writing original fic--maybe this will allow me to give it another shot. I used to really like the "Looooooooong story" thread, which was basically a year-round novel-writing . . . whine fest.

FWIW, I have actually written 50,000 words in a month before, and it took 6 hours a day of writing, seven days a week. If I removed even the feeblest attempts at revision, I might be able to get it down to 4, but it still ain't gonna happen. Too bad--I'd like to get to feel cool and say I "won." Ah, well . . . whatever I get done I get done.

 

All I know is that we're all crazy for thinking we can do this.

This is going to be so much fun, all of us going insane together online!

BTW, I'm just joking around, wasting time, getting a head start on my procrastination. It's something I've gotten extremely good at.

*sighs* Can't wait to get started. 'Till then I'll write my fanfiction before I have to put both of my fics on a month-long hiatus. 'Bout the only thing I'll be doing here in November is maintaining the Benella Index.

That reminds me! I gotta update!

 

ophelia--you understand my issue now. Everyone on the site just tells us to let it flow and don't worry about revisions and turn off the internal editor. And I'm going "Have you ever TRIED to be a good writer? You never TURN OFF the internal editor. He won't let you!"

 

Actually if you read No Plot, No Problem (the NaNo book), the author provides the "No Plot, No Problem Inner Editor Kennel" for your Inner Editor to take a month's vacation. So banish him/her there for the month where the IE can spend its day carping with other Inner Editors, happily pointing out typos in the newspaper and complaining about the numerous plot holes on daytime television. It will be very, very happy here.

However, you need a copy of the book to actually touch the Take My Inner Editor button to banish your IE to the kennel!

 

When it comes to writing, I'm either hot or I'm not. I cranked out the first version of Sithstrike, which comes in somewhere around 30,000 words, in 10 days. There have been other times when a month will go by and all I'll have to show for it is a half-arsed drabble and a couple of role-playing posts.

I just don't know HOW to make it spark at the right time. Although I remember what had me fired up for that little project (not really Nano-related, but still), and there are so many things - songs, outfits, smells, etc. that take me back to that charged-up mood that I spent a few months in. I'm planning on making some CDs with those songs and having the same snacks and all that stuff ready for November, and if it works, yay, and if not... ooh, tasty cereal concoctions.

 

Here's a virtual IE Off button:

[image=http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1990/ieoffem6.gif]

Also--it looks like a few people have tried to upload images to their Nanowrimo profiles and had them not show up in flash mode. Apparently you have to upload your image in .jpg format or the flash program will reject it.