(no subject)

[creeper-keeper.livejournal.com]

Last year I did absolutely no planning for my novel. Even though I had a vague idea of what I was going to do, when the time came to start writing it I had to sit for a few minutes deciding on how to start. The beginning has absolutely no relevance to the end, yet I managed to "win" and come out of the experience with a book that is more personal than I expected. The month was tortuous a lot of the time, as I didn't believe I'd be able to keep pulling random ideas out of my butt to keep the pages rolling. Suffice it to say I don't enjoy having no plan at all as much as I thought I did before I began.

This year I took a lot of time deciding what to write about. I've probably leafed through at least ten story ideas before finally settling on one last week. And unlike last year, I am writing a skeleton of the background for the story and some of its key characters, which will all be retold in the novel. I won't copy and paste this work right into the novel, because that wouldn't feel right at all. Doing it this way, however, makes me feel a little more secure, because even though I have a lot to worth with, I still don't know how the story is going to end.

I'm hoping that I will "win" again this year, but I am a little worried. It's my senior year in high school, and I don't know whether I'll be able to manage my time any better than I did last year --- and last year I barely finished in time, only by pulling two all-nighters (which was amazing! I wrote 20,000 words in one night, the last night... I was behind since the beginning).

The nanowrimo is still two months away, and I'm already going crazy with the wait. In fact, I've been thinking about this year's rampage since last year's ended! I think it's going to be a bit more tense than last year because of the story... but I guess we'll see what develops when the time comes.

So I'm a little obsessed over the whole deal... is that so bad?

Comments

[daemonatrix.livejournal.com]

Obsession isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bad things can come of it if you let them.

The first time I did nanowrimo, I didn't plan at all. It was painful.

The second time I did nanowrimo, I created an outline. And it was still painful.

The third time I did nanowrimo, I created an outline. It was less painful. I wasn't stressing over finishing like I did during year one. I wasn't stressing over why it wasn't easier with an outline like I did during year two.

This year, I've been writing a minimum of 7500 words per week so I know I can do at least that much. I have no illusions that it will be easy, though.

Good luck to you in your own effort.

[creeper-keeper.livejournal.com]

There are so many ways to go about writing the novel... one year I'll figure out which way is best for me, hopefully. At leastI'm getting interested in writing again. For many months I've been having a dry spell. Good luck to you, too.

[clawfoot.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm chomping at the bit, too. :) I'm currently trying to decide between about five different ideas. I want to write them all!

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

Only 5? OK, well I'm ruling out some ideas because they call for lots of historical research, and I don't think I'll have the time.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's a bad thing at all. In fact, on the NaNo site, they even have a note in the FAQ saying that planning, outlining, etc., are encouraged. A lot of people in our local group went into it with very detailed plans.

I understand completely the stress of having to pull a story out of your butt every single day. It drives me crazy. Yet, last year I planned everything out and knowing it all in advance was worse, for me. I dreaded having to write it. At the last moment (or actually, at about 10am on November 1st), I discarded my carefully planned idea entirely and write something completely different off the top of my head.

[creeper-keeper.livejournal.com]

Do you plan on using the planned out idea in the future, though not for nanowrimo? It seems like such a waste otherwise. At least that's how I feel about these things... I can never discard an idea! This has left me with a lot more plotlines to develop than I really want or have the time to do so in, though..

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I may. I keep thinking about it now and then. I'm not really a writer in the "off-season" in any real sense, though. When NaNo is not on, I spend most of my creative energies on writing music, with the occasional foray into performance art. I might do it for a future NaNo, though.

[serpentrose.livejournal.com]

Right now I'm debating whether I want to have a plan for this year's novel, or just wing it like I did last year. My daughter, 11, has started planning hers and is eagerly looking forward to NaNoWriMo.

[morigale.livejournal.com]

A little obsessive is ok, unless it ruins your enjoyment of the whole thing.

I started out with characters I've had for a while, a starting point and an ending point. It worked out well enough. This next one I'm working on is set completely on an alien planet, so I've been spending my time sorting out their customs and such.

I think everyone had to do a lot at the end... I finished something like my last ten chapters on the last night.