Discussion Remember Remember the First of November...

...because that marks the start of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). if you're wondering what the heck this is, check out the official website here. Basically, the idea is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month.

How It Works

Just a note on the tech side - prior to this year the NaNo forums have been public. However due to spam issues in the past they are now private, so you need to be signed in to read as well as to post.

If you are planning on doing this, let us know here and I'll add your name to the participant list! Once things have started, post your word count and I'll update here.

Participants

LAJ_FETT (LAJ_Fett on the NaNo site) - 50,205
JediMaster_Jen - 41,084
Grade - 26,388
DaenaBenjen42
Thumper09 (chrononaut67 on the NaNo site)
whiskers - 2,621
my kind of scum (c.c.Russell on the NaNo site) - 50,100

 

I was undecided on this year. It's been a stressful year for me and I pondered not adding to it with NaNo, but I had an idea for a story. I am so not ready though because I only had the idea last week!

Anyway - some questions to get started:

Have you done NaNo before?
What genre are you writing?
Are you a planner or a pantster?
Sustenance of choice (food/drink)?

In my case:
Have you done NaNo before? - Yes, first year was 2005. I've managed to win every year since.
What genre are you writing? - Horror, probably Lovecraftian, with some crime/dark humor.
Are you a planner or a pantster? - Pantster with a bare outline. I do make a character list as I go along.
Sustenance of choice (food/drink)? Diet Coke for caffeine.

 

I'm going to try my hand at it this year!

Have you done NaNo before? Nope.
What genre are you writing? Star Wars, with lots of drama, angst
Are you a planner or a pantster? Didn't used to be, but I'm a planner.
Sustenance of choice (food/drink)? Diet coke or coffee for caffeine and usually blueberry muffins to snack on.

 

Have you done NaNo before?
Yes, I have done it 4 years in a row.

What genre are you writing?
I still like SW fanfiction

Are you a planner or a pantster?
Pantster

Sustenance of choice (food/drink)?
Diet coke


I don't know if I will do it this year. I am taking college classes, I have a part-time job and I still have to haul my kids around to school functions. The last two years I have done it as a rebel...you know, I am writing 50K words but they may be for multiple stories. Last year I wrote 50K words for two stories I was working on. I just wrote and wrote and wrote and then later on I looked at these various scenes and cut out about 30K of the words and didn't use them. I did finish my fanfics last year though.

 

Let me know if you plan on doing it and I'll add your name to the list in the first post.

 

With at last getting my degree, i have more time for this.

Have you done NaNo before?
Yes, two years ago, but failed the target. last year my degree and work got in the way.
What genre are you writing?
Star Wars fanfiction.
Are you a planner or a pantster?
I'm little bit of both, but I'm going 90% of Pantster, but I have key objectives to the story, I hope to reach.
Sustenance of choice (food/drink)?
Water and Coca-Cola/Pepsi

So count me in.

 

Have you done NaNo before?

Sort of... on and off since 2006. I have never won it in November, but even writing a little counts for a win.

What genre are you writing?

...the Marvel plot bunnies have yet to let me go again. Seriously. (Not that I'm complaining about this, because... plotbunnies! Yay!)

Are you a planner or a pantster?

...pantster, mostly.

Sustenance of choice (food/drink)?

Water...

 

First post has been updated.

 

I really wish I had the time to do NaNo this year, but I don't. Usually I'd be optimistic and say I could give it a shot, but I just don't think even that is going to happen this time around.

But I'll be here happily cheering on those who are doing it!

 

Like Mav, I really wish I could give it a shot, but I know there's no way with the amount of research papers I have, so for my own sanity (and my GPA), I'm sitting out (again) this year. I'll be cheering on from the sidelines (again) and maybe even doing some planning for the next Word Race (which will be in January, probably).

But a special thanks to LAJ for hosting Nano here again (while Mav and I are busy butts).

 

I'm intending to do NaNo this year. I'm chrononaut67 on the NaNo site.

Have you done NaNo before? Yes, several times, but I've only won once (my first time).
What genre are you writing? SW Fanfic.
Are you a planner or a pantster? I'm a pantser by nature, but it tends to backfire on me more often than not so I'm trying to be more of a planner upfront.
Sustenance of choice (food/drink)? Chocolate and Pepsi Throwback.

I skipped NaNo last year, and the year before that I tried doing a complete overhaul of an early story of mine. It was going well (50+ pages) until I hit a bad plot problem and wrote myself into a corner from which there was no escape. I'm going to try redoing that story this year with a better outline/plan gleaned from Spiffy New Methods™ some writing books and programs have convinced me will help. So I have... five days to get that outline figured out, with the added bonus of this morning realizing I had another Large Plot Problem I hadn't identified before. This'll be fun, LOL.

 

First post has been updated. You could always kill off a major character to cure a bad plot problem. Space zombies can help as well.

 

Oh, I'm certainly in!

Last year was my first attempt at NaNoWriMo and I was able to make it.
I write in several different genres, but prefer action/drama.
I'm far more a planner than a pantser, but when it comes to shorts, you never know.

Good luck, all!

 

First post updated.

So one day to go (unless you're in the Australia/NZ area). Everyone at least have an idea of what they are going to do?
Did my grocery shopping yesterday and bought extra Diet Coke for sustenance.

And don't forget - back up your story. I usually back up to a USB drive daily.

 

Are y'all implying that us, Pepsi Max drinkers, are not creative?

 

Nope - just that Diet Coke is my choice of caffeine. I'm not really into coffee/tea.

 

It was a joke.

 

I know..

 

i have Alternative Universe story, about writting a different origin story of Mara Jade.

 

I can't decide what barely started long-form work I want to complete this month!

Last year was so much easier...

 

Not a bad start - I made it to 2,014 today. I'll probably write a bit more but I won't type it in til tomorrow.

 

Okay, I start this year nanowrimowith 1,968.

Not bad, for the first day.

 

That's pretty good - just a bit under my count. First post has been updated.

 

I have to know...what is a "pantster?"

 

It's someone who doesn't really have much of a plan, (no outline, few fully fleshed ideas, etc.) and writes "by the seat of their pants".