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Creative writing

NaNoWriMo

374 replies

EmpressOfTheGoldFlames · 07/09/2012 11:19

Hello

Is anyone doing NaNoWriMo this year?
I'm going to start it at least & hopefully finish it. I've got characters swirling around in my head at the moment & some glimpse of a possible plot...

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FlyingAardvark · 08/09/2012 22:02

Hi Empress
I'm hoping to do nano again this year. Every year I say I'm unsure due to uni work but I always manage so I'm sure I wont be able to resist temptation this year. I've just started writing something recently so may cheat and use nano to continue that as only get chance to write for 4-5 hours a week and there will no point in starting something esle.
Not sure I will hit target this year but Nano is a really good way of getting lots written.

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EmpressOfTheGoldFlames · 10/09/2012 14:54

Hi Aardvark!

This is my first time. I have no idea whether I'll make it but I'm telling everyone I'm doing it in the hope that NOT finishing would be too embarrassing!

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FlyingAardvark · 10/09/2012 20:48

It is great fun. I've done it the past 2 years and it has made me much better at drafting. It might not make a lot of sense, my plot changes throughout, I go between talking in first person and third person but just getting that draft done and having something to work with is great.
We normally have a thread running on here aswell so hopefully others will be joining in. My name is jomac79 on there if you want to add me as a buddy, seeing everyones word count go up is a huge motivation for me.

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Kayano · 11/09/2012 11:41

I'm doing it this year. I signed up last year but it was unfortunately during my last month at work before mat leave an I had so much to do (and so much anxiety) that I just failed miserably!

I could however write a very convincing piece on panic attacks this year I suppose Confused

This year it falls in my first month back at work so totally stressing already!

NOVEMBER FAIL

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EmpressOfTheGoldOceans · 22/09/2012 12:31

Thanks Aardvark, I'll do that. I'm RafaellaCJ.

What about you, Kayano?

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DisorderlyNights · 03/10/2012 14:48

Hi, I'm signed up for it too. It'll be my first time. My first complete kids novel is with a few agents and I want to use Nanowrimo to kickstart my second.
If an agent gets back to me wanting a rewrite then I'll have to stop, but aside from that I'm excited about it, and finishing my outline this week.

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EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 05/10/2012 00:08

Are we meant to do an outline first then, Disorderly? I've got an idea and some rough notes but that's it so far.

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DisorderlyNights · 05/10/2012 06:55

I don't think we're necessarily meant to, but I like to write from a fairly tight outline, so don't want to feel uninspired on the first day and not get going IYKWIM?

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EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 05/10/2012 10:25

Makes sense Grin
I'm getting to know my characters atm.

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DisorderlyNights · 05/10/2012 17:10

Do you interview them, or write lots of background?
I feel like the characters for my last MS dropped fully formed into my mind, and I had to work much harder at the plot. For my next idea it's the other way round, it's a simpler plot that's clear in my mind. But I need to do some more work on the characters.

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NinthWave · 05/10/2012 17:14

I am! I won in 05 and 06 and got to 34k words last year, so fingers crossed for this time...!

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FlyingAardvark · 05/10/2012 19:07

I always start with a outline. I've normally abandoned it half way through! Grin
I have no idea what I am doing yet for this years.

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EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 05/10/2012 20:11

Monologues at the moment. I'm carrying a notebook in my bag and whenever I've got time (normally on the commute) I let the two main characters think aloud and write down whatever comes out. Some of it's a bit random but I'm getting to know them quite well.

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schmalex · 08/10/2012 08:15

I'm going to give it a go this year. I keep meaning to, but I tend to think of it in December (doh!).
You're all freaking me out with your outlines and characters ready prepared. Does anyone just start with a blank slate on 1st Nov?

Oh, and I'm alexthepink on NNWM.

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FlyingAardvark · 08/10/2012 13:03

A lot of people just start writing with no plan beforehand. It works for some people, I like a loose plan and to 'know' my main characters but I never stick to it rigidly as like to go with the flow of my writing (and then edit it to death!). I've tried writing without any outline and it just doesn't work for me, it would just be directionless and my endings were always weak.

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BertieBotts · 12/10/2012 23:01

I totally forgot about NaNoWriMo!

I've got an idea in mind that I'd love to write about but I feel like I'd have to do quite a lot of research. Also, I'm not even sure what to call my main characters Shock

Is it the kind of thing where you can research as you go? I think I'd get distracted and carried away researching and forget to write Grin What happens if I just write it without researching (ie guesswork!) and then research later and find it's all totally ridiculous - I guess I'd have to rewrite everything but I'm wondering if the draft would be useful at all in this case.

How long would you say you need to spend (per week for example) to realistically complete it, or get close?

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TunipTheVegemal · 13/10/2012 14:51

Sometimes you don't know what questions you need your research to answer until you start writing.

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EmpressOfTheSevenScreams · 14/10/2012 01:18

I've just added you as a buddy, schmalex, I'm RafaellaCJ.

Not at all sure what I'm going to need research on at the moment but I'm sure there'll be plenty.

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BackOnceAgainWithLoopyLoops · 14/10/2012 05:18

Just come across this and am intrigued.

I've just started my latest novel (after abandoning the last two). I'm feeling much more positive about this one and have it all planned out. I've just written the first chapter.

The rules for NaNoWriMo say that you can't include previously written work. If I want to join in, do I have to rewrite my first chapter entirely or can I just re-write it using the first draft as a guide?

How much time do those of you who have done it before find you devote to it?

Do you find your work is of a poorer quality when written to a tight deadline like this?

Thanks :)

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BertieBotts · 14/10/2012 10:08

I think it's just supposed to be a first draft, Back, so quality would improve with redrafting anyway.

I guess my research question is about how much time it takes up.

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KinkyandGhoulishDorito · 15/10/2012 19:43

Go on then. I need to commit to actually doing some writing...

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NinthWave · 15/10/2012 22:51

LoopyLoops Last year I spent 2-3 hours each evening on it, depending on how distracted I got by the Internet.

I did my first two years before I had DC, so was able to dedicate a lot more time to it.

Some people on the NaNo forums challenge themselves to write the whole 50k in 24 hours Shock

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BackOnceAgainWithLoopyLoops · 16/10/2012 00:34

24 hours?! That can't be possible unless you write absolute bullshit, surely?

What about my first chapter? Do I have to discard it?

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KinkyandGhoulishDorito · 16/10/2012 07:07

Ninth Did you ever develop any of what you did into something that got published?

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BertieBotts · 16/10/2012 09:17

Technically I think you're not supposed to use pre-written stuff but it's not judged or anything, it's just a challenge personally for you really. So make your own rules to an extent :)

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