Nanowrimo?

Fysh

Well, less than a month to go for this year's Nanowrimo. I took part in 2002, but never finished it - basically the idea is to bash out a 50,000 word novel within the month of November. Last time I was in, there seemed to be a decent enough Irish contingent present. I'm tempted to try again this year...anyone else have any plans to take part?

BEAT

hey, nice post

Stickied for everyone to see...

Raphael

Cool. I'll give it a shot!

Shad0r

It sounds like complete madness to me. I've signed up!

luckat

Yeah, probably - I'll use it to consolidate the work on the novel I'm actually writing, rather than lash into a new one, though.

PurpleFistMixer

This is the craziest idea ever.


I just might try it.

Doper Than U

*gulps* Yeah I'll give it a go... absolutely nothing to lose, and it looks like a great laugh.

Shad0r

Its good to see a good sized group in Ireland having a lash at it. I've managed to get myself back on track as far as regular writing goes and I did the maths.

As far as I can tell its actually not that mad a prospect as long as you dont miss a day of writing.
50,000 words divided by 30 days = 1667 words a day.

Last couple of days I've been writing from 9am till around noon and am managing to produce about 1700 in that time, and I'm slow!!

PurpleFistMixer

The hardest thing I'd say would be coming up with what to write.
Although I managed to churn out a 200 word piece about a donkey that was fairly coherent in a couple minutes yesterday while testing my laptop's keyboard... (special NaNoWriMo laptop, how exciting)

Fysh

Right lads, it's the moment of truth....

Today it begins. If you've signed up, you'll know - they sent out a nice motivational newsletter to get everyone going....definitely worth having a look if you're not feeling up to speed.

Personally, I have a vague idea for a story I want to write. I was torn between re-doing the idea I had two years ago or starting afresh on a new plan, and I figure fresh is better. I'll be posting up chunks on my journal.

Shad0r

Yeah go for fresh, I did and it seems to be working pretty okay. Been pumping out a steady 1700 words a day so far.

Raphael

I'm up to 6,070 after the first 3 days, and I still have ideas folating around my head

w00t!

PurpleFistMixer

*shakes fist*
Wait, I have 6293. Cool.

Shad0r

Chapter 1 is finished (9560 words) and I'm now about 5k into Chapter 2!!

At this rate though my book will be five chapters long. Methinks I will have to continue this tale on beyond the November competition.

Am I mad wrong to think that a normal book would be around the 150k words mark? Anyone know?

Fysh

Shad0r wrote:

Am I mad wrong to think that a normal book would be around the 150k words mark? Anyone know?

Douglas Adams considered a normal-sized book for him to be about 100k words. Stephen King would probably be more like 200k (althogh this is because he doesn't trim out extranous and unnecessary crap, imo). But yes, 5ok is pretty short for a novel, more like a novella or extended short story.

Shad0r

Week two's motivational mail is quite funny for those of you who havent read it.

I especially liked the bit about the rapid weasils jumping from the treetops. Classic.

Shad0r

Anyone still in the running? Or have the rest of yis abandoned hope?

Fysh

After a few days off sick and an annoying redirection of all available inspiration into my comic-drawing rather than writing, I am reluctantly throwing in the towel. Couldn't come up with an idea that would work as a 50k word story so I figure I'll not bother writing a crap one....how's everyone else getting on?

Raphael

I dropped out around 7k. I intend on continuing to write my novel though, I actually have it planned as a part of a trilogy now

w00t!

PurpleFistMixer

Amazingly enough, I'm still going. Last I checked I had about 32k, which is a bit behind. I was planning on having 34k by today but couldn't write yesterday. I foresee about 3 or 4 days yet I won't be able to write. Damn scouts...
But yeah, amazing.
I'm not getting this "second breath of wind" thing yet, though...

Shad0r

PurpleFistMixer wrote:

Amazingly enough, I'm still going. Last I checked I had about 32k, which is a bit behind. I was planning on having 34k by today but couldn't write yesterday. I foresee about 3 or 4 days yet I won't be able to write. Damn scouts...
But yeah, amazing.
I'm not getting this "second breath of wind" thing yet, though...

Good man. I think that that "second breath of wind" thing is a load of cobblers meself. I've been patiently waiting for it to arrive and theres not a peep. Had some nice ideas recently though...still got no idea where this story is going though...

I was sick there last week too and ended up missing two days. Been strugling to stay up to the mark in terms of word counts too. But then again I live in a funking zoo atm, alot of times its really difficult to write without interuption. At the moment I think I am about 2k words behind schedule. If I get a good week next week and aim for 2200 instead of 1700 a day I should be able to catch up.

gluck

PurpleFistMixer

Anyone else finished?
It's a great feeling.
In celebration I did nothing whatsoever today, and it felt wonderful.

By the by, does anyone know where I'd be able to go to print many pages? I was just thinking, it'd be cool if there were places that had facilities like that, because not only is my printer out of ink, but I don't want to use 174 of my precious sheets...

Raphael

Try a library, they charge like 5c a page though

Shad0r

PurpleFistMixer wrote:

Anyone else finished?
It's a great feeling.
In celebration I did nothing whatsoever today, and it felt wonderful.

I wish I could say yes but I am only at 45k or thereabouts at the moment. Took four days off there last week to write a short story for that Fish publishing competition (first prize 10k and the deadline was also 30th Nov). STill the book I'm working will run to about 120k or more so mentally I was never going to be finished at the end of Nov anyway. Got to try and get back in the groove of keeping up to my daily word targets though...very helpfull in terms of motivation.

By the by, does anyone know where I'd be able to go to print many pages? I was just thinking, it'd be cool if there were places that had facilities like that, because not only is my printer out of ink, but I don't want to use 174 of my precious sheets...

Reads on Nassau St in town have a new place that allegedly has funk loads of copiers that you can use for uber cheap. I would imagine its a similar situ for printing. Afair its like two or three streets farther down Nassau st from where they used to be. (i.e. away from Grafton St)

Shad0r

Well done btw. You should be proud; getting to the 35k (critical mass point) mark is a huge achievment.

Hardy

All,

Well done to you all. I've been reading your threads with great interest.

I have this idea in my head for ages. I just didn't have the courage/motivation to sit down & write. Its more courage that I lacked, I felt that I would be a failure...but sitting and doing nothing was the failing bit.

So well done to you all - good luck to those of you who entered the Fish Publishing Comp.

I'm definitely doing that next year.

Shad0r

Just this minute submitted a rather large pile of overly sentimental horse sh!t to that fish comp.

And not just that but 5000 words of it! I'll be lucky if one of the judges doesnt want to assasinate me after reading it!

Anyway its gone because if your not in you cant win.

gluck to anyone else who's entered.

PurpleFistMixer

Shad0r wrote:

Just this minute submitted a rather large pile of overly sentimental horse sh!t to that fish comp.

And not just that but 5000 words of it! I'll be lucky if one of the judges doesnt want to assasinate me after reading it!

I did something similar (only take out the "sentimental" bit) with a screenwriting competition during the summer...
Well, I'd say I can never go to Waterford in case one of the judges finds me...