Greetings & A Link & An Offer

[dreamalynn.livejournal.com]

The greetings: Hi folks. I'm Dreama and I've just discovered this community, though this will be my fifth NaNoWriMo. I'm 4-0 thus far, four novels written (even in 2003 when I ended up in the hospital having emergency surgery during Thanksgiving week, which sucked mightily, I assure you) and this year, I'm going for the challenge of NaNo-ing with a new baby. I've decided that NaNoWriMo is my personal version of masochism; forget chains and whips, give me a 30 day deadline to whip out 50,000 coherent words!

The link: This has helped me a lot over the years of NaNoing, I follow this basic structure every year: Outline Your Novel in 30 Minutes by Alicia Rasley. If you have a basic idea about plot and characters, this will definitely help you to take that idea and turn it into the framework of an actual novel.

The offer: Every year, I whip up desktop wallpaper calendars with a daily word count. In addition to a general one for average NaNo'ers, I do one for NaNo'ers like myself who are observant Jews who don't write sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. (Because we like extra challenges like that.) I normally put the wallpapers up on my wallpaper site (natch) but since my website is offline for the time being, I can't do that this year. If people are interested, though, I can certainly share them here for folks to download.

Please comment if you'd be interested; if people aren't, I won't bother with the general version, because frankly, they're a lot of work!

Comments

[sullen-hearts.livejournal.com]

I had to laugh at the 'extra challenges' bit.

But yes, I'd be interested in the general one :D

[lifesnotasong.livejournal.com]

Me too, please!

♥ jess

[sapphiretragedy.livejournal.com]

thirds

[maedb.livejournal.com]

me fourth, please.

(btw dreamalynn - where does it say they have to be coherent words? I didn't read that anywhere. Please tell that's just your sense of humor showing through!)

[dreamalynn.livejournal.com]

Oh, coherent isn't within the rules, that's my own thing. I have many small children, incoherence is rather a theme in my life, so if my writing is incoherent too, what's the point? If I want incoherent I can just try to have a serious conversation with my 3 year old! "Benji, why is the sky blue?" "Marshmallow!" "Do you like marshmallows?" "Teletubby?" "Should we watch Teletubbies?" "Outside! Sky! Boooooo!" "Okay, then."

[novemberangst.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! And that calander sounds like a great idea =)

[heatherbird.livejournal.com]

the Alicia Rasley website was a HUGE help in outlining my plot, thank you SO much for the link!

[escribalexis.livejournal.com]

I have the picture your icon is from on my wall. I love his work.

[escribalexis.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. The site seems like it has other helpful articles as well.

[cats-haven.livejournal.com]

I'm interested in the general caladers also.

[sandraregina.livejournal.com]

I am very interested in a general calendar wallpaper thingy. I had one last year and it was very helpful/motivational.

[perseph.livejournal.com]

Hi Dreama, and welcome. I recognize you from the old Journals list and a couple of parenting forums - you seem to turn up everywhere online eventually! I'm an infrequent poster most places, so no worries about recognizing me in return. Just wanted to say hello.

[dreamalynn.livejournal.com]

Oh, whoa. I totally recognize you, and I haven't been on the old Journals list since, uh, '99 I think? (Around the time of the great Al "this list is mine" meltdown.) How random to be found here.

I do turn up everywhere. I'm stealthy like that. :D

[galdeone.livejournal.com]

I'd love the general version too, please. Thank you. :)