Couple of questions

[autumnrae89.livejournal.com]

While I have the attention of the room, the newbie has two questions...

I was wondering how you're all writing, the whole linear vs whatever takes your fancy. Are you going from A to Z or did you take a pitstop at Q while B was taking a break?

And, I'm writing a fanfiction (I decided to protect my original novel from the vengenance of NaNo) and I was wondering how you all think this differs from writing a MC of an original novel. Do you think it's easier because you already know the boundaries of the characters or is it worse because you feel stifled because you can't create anything for yourself?

(no subject)

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

A silly but plot-related question:

Say you have some vague idea of a plot... except that "vague" isn't good enough when you're churning out 1667+ words a day. So, you end up writing about the main character's mother for a bit before he or she gets born. And then you realize you at least have HER as a character already, if not him, and so maybe you write about her a bit more. And then you begin to wonder if you shouldn't just have this be her story for a while, including while the kid grows up, and when the kid's ~10-16, change the main character to the kid. I guess I could excuse the mother's tale as "extended worldbuilding", but... eh.

Undisciplined? More of the "AAAGH NO COME BACK HERE PLOT! O_o D:" posts that have been happening recently? :D;; A bad idea? Yay for wordcount padding? What do you guys think?

(no subject)

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

A silly but plot-related question:

Say you have some vague idea of a plot... except that "vague" isn't good enough when you're churning out 1667+ words a day. So, you end up writing about the main character's mother for a bit before he or she gets born. And then you realize you at least have HER as a character already, if not him, and so maybe you write about her a bit more. And then you begin to wonder if you shouldn't just have this be her story for a while, including while the kid grows up, and when the kid's ~10-16, change the main character to the kid. I guess I could excuse the mother's tale as "extended worldbuilding", but... eh.

Undisciplined? More of the "AAAGH NO COME BACK HERE PLOT! O_o D:" posts that have been happening recently? :D;; A bad idea? Yay for wordcount padding? What do you guys think?

Daily Excerpt Post - November 3rd

[jynxgirl.livejournal.com]

This is where you can take a snippet from your writing from today that you want to share with the other members of the community. And feel free to comment on other people's snippets.

We're all about love and support here, and this is a great place to give it.


Comment limit is 4000 words. Please do not post multiple comments to show your entire NaNo

Daily Excerpt Post - November 3rd

[jynxgirl.livejournal.com]

This is where you can take a snippet from your writing from today that you want to share with the other members of the community. And feel free to comment on other people's snippets.

We're all about love and support here, and this is a great place to give it.


Comment limit is 4000 words. Please do not post multiple comments to show your entire NaNo

Daily Word Count - November 3rd.

[jynxgirl.livejournal.com]

And it begins! This is the spot daily where you can post a comment with your word count for your daily writing. Use it to keep track of your progress against the rest of the community!

Text and word meters are both allowed, and motivate each other on!

Daily Word Count - November 3rd.

[jynxgirl.livejournal.com]

And it begins! This is the spot daily where you can post a comment with your word count for your daily writing. Use it to keep track of your progress against the rest of the community!

Text and word meters are both allowed, and motivate each other on!

Weekly Plot Help - Week of November 3rd

[alison-sky.livejournal.com]

Got a problem in your NaNo? Who doesn't?! But we've got a way to help!

Post here with your plot problems, and all through the week members of the community will scan through and see if they can help.

AKA - The best way to procrastinate is to help others!

So post your problem. Then take a moment to look at everyone else's and see if you can help them.

People helping people. That's what makes this community great :)

So have at it!

Weekly Plot Help - Week of November 3rd

[alison-sky.livejournal.com]

Got a problem in your NaNo? Who doesn't?! But we've got a way to help!

Post here with your plot problems, and all through the week members of the community will scan through and see if they can help.

AKA - The best way to procrastinate is to help others!

So post your problem. Then take a moment to look at everyone else's and see if you can help them.

People helping people. That's what makes this community great :)

So have at it!

Music...

[with-new-eyes.livejournal.com]

So I'm really into listening to highly inspirational lyric-less music while I write. I like movie scores, some classical, and you know those women who sing really high and beautiful but in another language or without words (I guess kinda like modern opera or something...)?

Well, I need some suggestions on what to put on my computer. Does anyone have the same tastes as myself and have some suggestions? I'd really really appreciate it. Thanks.

Music...

[with-new-eyes.livejournal.com]

So I'm really into listening to highly inspirational lyric-less music while I write. I like movie scores, some classical, and you know those women who sing really high and beautiful but in another language or without words (I guess kinda like modern opera or something...)?

Well, I need some suggestions on what to put on my computer. Does anyone have the same tastes as myself and have some suggestions? I'd really really appreciate it. Thanks.

NaNo Pep Card -- Day 3

[age.livejournal.com]

Late? Me? Never! Here are Chris' words of wisdom for today:

One of my favourite books is call Rules of Thumb 2. The volume offers thousands of guidelines for any number of essential day-to-day activities, such as properly estimating a submerged crocodile's length and surviving a pistol duel. The dueling hint was submitted by historian Jim Barber, who write: "When dueling with firearms, always aim lower than your opponent's vital area - to pierce the heart, aim at the knees." This is something you'd do will to keep in mind in these early days of Week One.

Abandon the stultifying notion of brilliance and aim instead for the low mark of completion. It'll take the pressure off of you, which will allow your writing to become looser and more ambitious, paradoxically raising the quality of your book. It's Barber's law: Aiming low is the best way to succeed.

Day 3 flashcard from the No Plot? No Problem! writing kit, the genius brainchild of Chris Baty.

NaNo Pep Card -- Day 3

[age.livejournal.com]

Late? Me? Never! Here are Chris' words of wisdom for today:

One of my favourite books is call Rules of Thumb 2. The volume offers thousands of guidelines for any number of essential day-to-day activities, such as properly estimating a submerged crocodile's length and surviving a pistol duel. The dueling hint was submitted by historian Jim Barber, who write: "When dueling with firearms, always aim lower than your opponent's vital area - to pierce the heart, aim at the knees." This is something you'd do will to keep in mind in these early days of Week One.

Abandon the stultifying notion of brilliance and aim instead for the low mark of completion. It'll take the pressure off of you, which will allow your writing to become looser and more ambitious, paradoxically raising the quality of your book. It's Barber's law: Aiming low is the best way to succeed.

Day 3 flashcard from the No Plot? No Problem! writing kit, the genius brainchild of Chris Baty.

Sticking With One Idea

[cube-166.livejournal.com]

It's always been my problem; sticking with one idea for an extended period of time. I knew I would have the same problem with NaNoWriMo but I figured I'd just ignore any new ideas I got and I would have done however I came up with the perfect idea for an extended peice of Chuck fanfiction involving NaNoWriMo. And now I'm already 8000 words deep into my main idea. The problem isn't "should I chuck out the main idea to write my new idea?" because I still want to write my main idea. The problem is "is it inadvisable to attempt to write both?" or I should say "it is inadvisable to attempt to write both, but precisely HOW inadvisable is it?"

11/3 - Nanosprints

[callita623.livejournal.com]

AIM ROOM: nanosprints
TIME:9pm EDT/8pm CDT/7pm MDT/6pm PDT UNTIL 12am EDT/11pm CDT/10pm MDT/9pm PDT
WHAT: NaNo sprints! Write as many words as you can during the allotted time, and see how many words other people can manage.

Come and sprint in 10 minute bursts, at the :10, :30 & :50. There will be a 10 minute break between each sprint. That works out to be 30 minutes of sprinting for every hour. If you've read this post, please don't ask when the next sprint will be or how long it will run. I will give a two minute warning before each sprint.

I know the schedule might not work for everyone. If that's true for you, explore other options.

Fun fact: it is actually possible to write without sprinting.

Feel free to come in ahead of time and chat to fellow NaNo'ers.

Any questions, AIM me at 'callita623'.

You can invite yourself! All you need to do is in the menu click AIM/Chat/Buddy chat. Put your name there instead and in the place of room name, put nanosprints. Easy!

Rules are same as always:

- Discuss your novel. Ask people for ideas if you're stuck.
- DON'T discuss religion, politics, lifestyle choices.
- Don't tear each other down. Not on plot choice OR word count.

please remember that while the sprints are taking place there will be no talking as it distracts from the 'stop' time. some have their chats set to blink and the blinks take away from knowing when to stop. if you are asked to stop talking, please do so immediately.

Never, ever be the first to talk in the Sprint room. There MAY be a Sprint going on.


if you live outside the U.S. and are unsure what time this is for you (or inside the U.S. and don't really have a grasp of time zones), please refer to this handy website. http://www.worldtimezone.com

11/3 - Nanosprints

[callita623.livejournal.com]

AIM ROOM: nanosprints
TIME:9pm EDT/8pm CDT/7pm MDT/6pm PDT UNTIL 12am EDT/11pm CDT/10pm MDT/9pm PDT
WHAT: NaNo sprints! Write as many words as you can during the allotted time, and see how many words other people can manage.

Come and sprint in 10 minute bursts, at the :10, :30 & :50. There will be a 10 minute break between each sprint. That works out to be 30 minutes of sprinting for every hour. If you've read this post, please don't ask when the next sprint will be or how long it will run. I will give a two minute warning before each sprint.

I know the schedule might not work for everyone. If that's true for you, explore other options.

Fun fact: it is actually possible to write without sprinting.

Feel free to come in ahead of time and chat to fellow NaNo'ers.

Any questions, AIM me at 'callita623'.

You can invite yourself! All you need to do is in the menu click AIM/Chat/Buddy chat. Put your name there instead and in the place of room name, put nanosprints. Easy!

Rules are same as always:

- Discuss your novel. Ask people for ideas if you're stuck.
- DON'T discuss religion, politics, lifestyle choices.
- Don't tear each other down. Not on plot choice OR word count.

please remember that while the sprints are taking place there will be no talking as it distracts from the 'stop' time. some have their chats set to blink and the blinks take away from knowing when to stop. if you are asked to stop talking, please do so immediately.

Never, ever be the first to talk in the Sprint room. There MAY be a Sprint going on.


if you live outside the U.S. and are unsure what time this is for you (or inside the U.S. and don't really have a grasp of time zones), please refer to this handy website. http://www.worldtimezone.com

(no subject)

[seafoamwaltz.livejournal.com]

I have two questions, but I'll try to keep it short. First, how do you guys keep yourselves motivated? I can't be the only one who loses focus really, really quickly and then just can't seem to get back to where I was before ... right? :) I find myself checking this comunity and other online things when I know I should be writing, and I'm so far behind on word count because of it. What keeps you moving forward on your novel and staying off the Internet?

Second, did anyone else come into this challenge with absolutely no idea of what they were writing? I mean, with no plot whatsoever and only the vaguest idea of where they wanted the story to go? Because that's what I've done, and I think it's part of what's making this so difficult. I hate outlines and such, but I'm starting to think I should've used one. I find it really hard to get going with the story when I don't know where the story is going. :)

Correct me if I'm wrong...

[thetruefalse.livejournal.com]

I remember reading in a post about two weeks ago that all winners will be getting, as a prize, one published copy of their NaNovel in paperback. Is this correct? Any information on this would be much appreciated.

Correct me if I'm wrong...

[thetruefalse.livejournal.com]

I remember reading in a post about two weeks ago that all winners will be getting, as a prize, one published copy of their NaNovel in paperback. Is this correct? Any information on this would be much appreciated.

Ugh... It's a mess...

[darlingfreak.livejournal.com]

Well, it's day three and I think I desperately feel the need to just start over fresh. What I've been writing is just not working for me at all. I'm expanding an obscure Grimm Fairy Tale called "The Six Swans" into a novelization and what I have is just not working for what I've decided I want to do with it.

How "against the rules" is it to just start over, but not throw out what I've written so far? It's original. I wrote it in November. And every novel has scenes that get lost in the revision process, things that don't work... It happens. But is it that wrong to use them in my word count?

What I'm thinking of doing is just write a heading saying "End of Prologue: Chapter 1" and making a fresh start and pretending the "prologue" doesn't exist.

So, is that acceptable or is that cheating:

Discuss.

Ugh... It's a mess...

[darlingfreak.livejournal.com]

Well, it's day three and I think I desperately feel the need to just start over fresh. What I've been writing is just not working for me at all. I'm expanding an obscure Grimm Fairy Tale called "The Six Swans" into a novelization and what I have is just not working for what I've decided I want to do with it.

How "against the rules" is it to just start over, but not throw out what I've written so far? It's original. I wrote it in November. And every novel has scenes that get lost in the revision process, things that don't work... It happens. But is it that wrong to use them in my word count?

What I'm thinking of doing is just write a heading saying "End of Prologue: Chapter 1" and making a fresh start and pretending the "prologue" doesn't exist.

So, is that acceptable or is that cheating:

Discuss.

Word Count

[darkestfay.livejournal.com]

For my novel I was thinking about starting the begining of each chapter with a quote. Does the quote count in my word count?

(no subject)

[ruth-the-sleuth.livejournal.com]

Which books/authors inspire you when the going gets tough (and the tough just can't seem to get going)?

(no subject)

[ruth-the-sleuth.livejournal.com]

Which books/authors inspire you when the going gets tough (and the tough just can't seem to get going)?

0 words

[socksandaphone.livejournal.com]

Anybody else not started yet? Not even opened word? Not even really thought about your NaNo except for fleeting pangs of guilt when you have an hour in between classes and do something else when you know you should be starting your word count?

There must be somebody else!