Harpo
Getting away with it
It's that time again, we're counting down the days until this year's dose of 50K-mania.
This will be my third NaNoWriMo. How about you?
This will be my third NaNoWriMo. How about you?
NaNoWriMo 2014
- Thread starter Harpo
- Start date
It will be my my first time this year so steep learning curve. I have an outine written and some characters sketched, but no idea if I'll be able to do this thing. Feeling slightly overwhelmed and anxious.
Not doing it (although I have a new wip, as it happens) but will cheer you all on from the sidelines!
I'll join springs on the side with pompoms. 
Harpo
Getting away with it
Thanks, we'll need the support
I am still in the "will I, won't I" camp ... it's got to be good for writing fitness
Are their any dissenting voices?
Are their any dissenting voices?
I had decided last year that when it next came around I would do it but recently realised I'm pretty good at writing fast enough to not need to. But then... I'm still in a bit of a similar situation as @FibonacciEddie as I feel like I want to... Maybe I'll do Gash for NaNoWriMo...
pH
pH
No dissenting voices, provided you clear the decks for it. But when I write I go quite fast enough and don't need the deadline - or the pressure it would bring me (I'm not good at failing.)
Harpo
Getting away with it
I like the vast throng of other writers being at the same stage as me all the way through the month
Hmm. Depends on whether I have a job or not. If I don't have a job, I might as well!
Chel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2010
- Messages
- 368
I'm in.
I have a few ideas brewing in my head, too, so yay for that. I also have a 4-day trip planned at the end of the month, so I hope to have at least 50k words down before the 24th.
Honestly, though, I don't much feel like it this time. But if I don't try, I know I'll regret it.
Also, hello again, Chronners!
I have a few ideas brewing in my head, too, so yay for that. I also have a 4-day trip planned at the end of the month, so I hope to have at least 50k words down before the 24th.
Honestly, though, I don't much feel like it this time. But if I don't try, I know I'll regret it.
Also, hello again, Chronners!
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2008
- Messages
- 3,281
NOOooooooooooo!
Don't do it.
Ok, most of you know my thoughts on this (or should do by now)
How about an alternative.
Write 5000 words. Do it properly. Submit it to one of the many publications or on line sites that actually pay for short stories.
They may only pay a pittance, but it will be more rewarding (possibly literally) and you might even get some feedback.
If they publish it, You will have started on the path.
Oh I know, some people say it's an exercise. It brought some discipline to their writing. It was the basis of my self published novel. They even got a publishing deal.
Well, maybe. But if that really was the beginning of their writing success, I wonder what they were playing at before.
(Sits back and awaits the abuse)
Don't do it.
Ok, most of you know my thoughts on this (or should do by now)
How about an alternative.
Write 5000 words. Do it properly. Submit it to one of the many publications or on line sites that actually pay for short stories.
They may only pay a pittance, but it will be more rewarding (possibly literally) and you might even get some feedback.
If they publish it, You will have started on the path.
Oh I know, some people say it's an exercise. It brought some discipline to their writing. It was the basis of my self published novel. They even got a publishing deal.
Well, maybe. But if that really was the beginning of their writing success, I wonder what they were playing at before.
(Sits back and awaits the abuse)
Chel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2010
- Messages
- 368
TEIN, you really don't like NaNoWriMo, do you?
I don't think it works for everyone. It does work for me, though, on many different levels. First, as you mention, the discipline. I doubt I would have finished even a short story by now if I hadn't decided to try NaNo. And I didn't "win" it the first time I tried - I can't even remember what I attempted to write that time. But I know I wrote something and I probably learned a lot from it.
I never went for the quantity over quality-thing - if a story is worth my time and effort, it's worth me writing it to the best of my capabilities, regardless of what goals, limitations and rules someone set up years ago for and with people I have never and will never have anything to do with directly. Phew, what a monster of a sentence that was!
Still, NaNo is good fun. The NaNo forums are full of silliness and seriousness and supportive, awesome people. Not everyone intends to publish, even fewer intend to publish until after proper editing and rewriting. Sure, there are some who do, but most of the participants are more realistic than that.
As for writing short stories for magazines... Just like NaNo, that's not for everyone. I very rarely even read short stories. I prefer getting to know the characters properly over time, both as a reader and as a writer. I have tried (NaNo last year, incidentally) and out of the ten short stories I set out to write, I only finished two. Out of the rest, one quickly became too long with no end in sight, and the other seven... well, those ideas didn't hold even my own interest, so the less said about them, the better.
Either way. Seven days to go, and I'm slacking on the forums instead of trying to decide what to write.
(Sorry if this wasn't the abuse you were looking for!)
I don't think it works for everyone. It does work for me, though, on many different levels. First, as you mention, the discipline. I doubt I would have finished even a short story by now if I hadn't decided to try NaNo. And I didn't "win" it the first time I tried - I can't even remember what I attempted to write that time. But I know I wrote something and I probably learned a lot from it.
I never went for the quantity over quality-thing - if a story is worth my time and effort, it's worth me writing it to the best of my capabilities, regardless of what goals, limitations and rules someone set up years ago for and with people I have never and will never have anything to do with directly. Phew, what a monster of a sentence that was!
Still, NaNo is good fun. The NaNo forums are full of silliness and seriousness and supportive, awesome people. Not everyone intends to publish, even fewer intend to publish until after proper editing and rewriting. Sure, there are some who do, but most of the participants are more realistic than that.
As for writing short stories for magazines... Just like NaNo, that's not for everyone. I very rarely even read short stories. I prefer getting to know the characters properly over time, both as a reader and as a writer. I have tried (NaNo last year, incidentally) and out of the ten short stories I set out to write, I only finished two. Out of the rest, one quickly became too long with no end in sight, and the other seven... well, those ideas didn't hold even my own interest, so the less said about them, the better.
Either way. Seven days to go, and I'm slacking on the forums instead of trying to decide what to write.
(Sorry if this wasn't the abuse you were looking for!)
AnyaKimlin
Confuddled
Should the pittance be more rewarding than the writing? For me the reward is the afternoon in my pjs with a mug of herbal tea. It's just nice to be somewhere more interesting than the place that needs cleaning and laundry doing.
I'm getting plenty of feedback right now
Rather enjoy writing without having to care plus it forces me to focus on one project. My detective story would not have been completed without it. Like Chel I have no real desire to get short stories published as I don't particularly enjoy reading them.
lonewolfwanderer
The One and Only
I'm doing the NaNo this year... thought it might help me finally finish this novel. So far it's working, got my Plot map at about 60% complete, so i'm beginning to know what's going to happen. Looking forward to the challenge, and going to meet some other NaNo-ers tomorrow. Good luck to all those here taking part. Name's Lone Wolf Wanderer there, if anyone wanna add me as a writing buddy.
-LWW
-LWW
But isn't Nano supposed to be a new novel from scratch? I'm 10 k into mine and might have done it otherwise (though rarely need sped up.)
lonewolfwanderer
The One and Only
ye, though technically i haven't even started writing mine yet. Kept getting stuck with the plot and starting over. So i decided to take the time until NaNo starts to come up with ideas and work out a Plot-Map of sorts, then start writing from scratch when the whole thing starts...
Ah, cool. Good luck with it! (Sometimes writing the darn thing us the only solution...)
Chel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2010
- Messages
- 368
It was, yes. They've changed the "rules" to be 50k brand new words now, though, so you're in the clear even if you want to follow the rules.
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