Worried about burning out early?

[pookel.livejournal.com]

I'm ridiculously excited about my idea right now.

This is an idea I had in 2004, plotted extensively at the time, and burned out on actually writing it before I ever got started. So, now I've revived it, chucked out a lot of the old plot, and and getting all kinds of new ideas for it.

But we've still got a month before November starts. I'm torn - should I plot like mad now and risk getting tired of it? Or leave it all in my head and risk being stumped when November starts?

I have won NaNo with a barely-plotted novel and won it with an extensively plotted novel, and I've lost it with ... well, two barely-plotted novels. Anyway, there's not a real pattern over whether planning helps me win or makes me lose.

So anyway, what are you doing in terms of planning in advance? Are there some things you're avoiding writing down? Or just not bothering with figuring out yet?

Comments

[twistdfateangel.livejournal.com]

Well, I've tried not touching a story until Midnight, November 1st, and it didn't work out well for me. My suggestion is, figure out where the fiddly bits are (for me, the laws of magic and the timeline of events) and then don't touch it. That way, there's less work to get sick of and you have the most inconvenient things out of the way.

[silamai.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to just think of a plot point or two and a general direction to write in. If I get too much more then I end up hating the idea before I even start.

[crescent-gaia.livejournal.com]

I'm really not sure about what to do. I like the idea of outlining/plotting because that way I'll remember. At the same time, I don't want to burn out from it. So we'll see. I can barely touch my novel for the first five-ish days so I'm worried about that, really.

[honeyjojames.livejournal.com]

For me personally - the more planning the better! I'm getting kind of worried this year as I don't have a plot to plan, but usually I like everything plotted out in minute detail!

[byzantine248.livejournal.com]

I do a lot of planning. But I've learned to keep it fairly general, and allow myself to throw in extra plot twists and wrinkles etc. Usually I have too much background to throw into one novel, but this is a good thing because I can pick and choose.

[celestialgldfsh.livejournal.com]

I've been plotting and planning this since February. I have tens of pages of longhand notes, I've read four books in research, spent hours on a detailed chapter outline... and yes, I'm afraid of burning out. Petrified. I'll have done all this prep work, and I'll sit down at the computer on the first and think, "Durrrrrrrr."

But you know what? I'm terrified of that every year I do this. From what I've read on author blogs, they experience the same nagging worry, even if they've had numerous bestsellers.

I'm going to probably force myself to do no preparation stuff for the last week of October. Give my brain a rest. But up till then, I still have a lot to do...

[notanotherexit.livejournal.com]

I work from a basic premise for NaNo. More details and I lose interest.

Example of premises:
"What if a zombie hoard rose up and killed people?"
"What if an ordinary girl fell in love with a vampire?"
"What if you thought the sky were falling?"

Premise doesn't pin me down too much, but does give me something to work from.

[x-forgetromeo.livejournal.com]

I have two notebooks for my story - one for planning and a huge one for the story itself.

The first notebook I carried around all through August/September, writing down whatever popped into my head about the characters or the plot. It's fractured, unorganized, and there's a lot of in-the-margins writing. Some of it I forced out, wanting to know exactly what was going on, but a lot of it I just let come out.

I took that notebook out of my purse before going to school yesterday/Oct 1st, and I'm not touching it again until November 1st.

But, I would say, for you? Carry a notebook around, and whenever you think of something for the fic, jot it down. Don't think too hard about it, and don't try to force anything out. It'll give you enough of a starting point that you won't get stuck, while leaving you hyped up to actually be able to write the dang thing.

[natane.livejournal.com]

i have no clue what's going to happen past a certain point in my story.

that point is about halfway through. i guess i just have to cross my fingers...

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

I'm using my plot carding method...but I haven't even gotten to start on it because I've been stuck on trying to figure something out with my plot. :| Which is why I could use the boards right now, because I'd really like to be able to go and ask for some ideas.

If anyone is curious about my plot carding method, I'll gladly explain it. I have it all typed up and posted it to my community where I post my writing, so it's just a matter of copying and pasting.

Actually, maybe I should just make a post about it instead of just explaining via a comment. >.>

[pookel.livejournal.com]

Please do, it sounds interesting!

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

I just did here (http://community.livejournal.com/nanowrimo/1766705.html). ^_^

[oui-je-danse.livejournal.com]

The thing about NaNoWriMo, in my opinion, is that you only have a month and you have to keep up a good pace. Well, duh! But to me that means my plot planning has to be flexible towards starting and stopping. There are going to be times I'm on fire and will write thousands of extra words for a chapter or a plot arc. There are other times really important stuff if just kind of plopped down because I couldn't care less. If you plot out to much detail then you're going to be locked in to a more steady pace than you might want.

I like to have a list of characters (as detailed as you please), the beginning, the main problem and a couple cool ideas for fun events. I let the timeline fall out as it pleases.

[wfeather.livejournal.com]

I'm taking what is (as far as I know) a unique approach... I started writing this one in August. What I did was focus on the backstory - how the main character became cursed during the French Revolution and how she got from France to England. My novel concept is to write about her sexual adventures over the 700+ years of her life, which means that there can be a lot of things that happen. So I am not necessarily forcing myself to write linearly - I can write small snippets in effect, short adventures which take place anywhere along the timeline. I may still burn out, because this is my first NaNoWriMo and I have never attempted to maintain an average off 1667 words per day... although I am now "preparing" by trying to maintain an average of 1,000 words per day throughout the month of October (I actually started September 30, and so far, that is two days in a row reaching near 1,100 words each day; I have yet to sit and write today).

[lilacfield.livejournal.com]

I do a little extra research. It can sometimes suggests new plot twists, characters, and other possibilities. And I keep the general plot as non-specific as possible - more fun for me that way, since I'll get a few surprises while writing it.
Hope this helps.

[syntheticjesso.livejournal.com]

Make it part of the challenge! I'm a very seat-of-the-pants writer, and usually plotting means I fail. I've won the last three years by NOT plotting. This year, to challenge myself, I'm plotting out my novel, and I WILL finish this time. I'm considering the plotting to be part of the challenge, since it's a hard thing for me. Looking at it that way makes it more interesting to me.

[ahryantah.livejournal.com]

I am actually worried about burning out early, because I had a similar experience as you with my 2005 NaNo: I started plotting for it in August and had pretty extensive and detailed notes by the time November rolled around...at which point I wrote something completely different and unplanned because I was already sick of my original novel idea. So I've always stuck to the barely-plotted method and that works well.

But this year I have a novel idea that just won't leave me alone. I'm really excited about it and the only thing I want to do is start worldbuilding and making notes, but at the same time I'm trying really hard not to because I don't want to get burned out on it.

It's gotten to the point where I think I'm going to cave and start an ouline, but I'm only allowing myself to do this because I have a back-up novel idea that's considerably less developed in my head. So if my original idea just dies on the page on November 1st I'll have something else to turn to.

[syrensix.livejournal.com]

I am of two minds, really.
I have a few ideas, basic plot lines, but i like to (i'm not saying its functional for me, mind, but that i *like* to) just let the story wing out as it may.

But i'm going to be moving again.

Which actually leaves me with very little time to make much headway into plot outlines, anyways.....

Maybe i can use NaNo to help motivate me to get my house all squared away..."Whne these two boxes are dealt with, i can write for 20 minutes" lol

[technicolornina.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'm unable to write unless my writing is linear, so what I do to keep myself motivated is pick a few pieces I really can't wait to write, and then *don't write a word of them.* If you keep them bubbling in your head like a good stew, they'll remind you roughly what direction you're going, but because they're the good, juicy bits you really want to savour, you won't get sick of them.

But then, that's just me.