Mumsnet Talk

I have scraps of paper, part filled note books, drafts started on the computer, I'd love to just get it all organised and write it out as a novel, so count me in please.

Yes, please. A weekly word goal would help a lot! I tend to let it slip away into the busy nothingness of everyday life... I need accountability.

This inspired me to actually look at the current wordcount... about 25K at the moment. I really want to finish the bastard thing this year and no excuses.

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/oct/20/how-to-write-premliminary-outline-day-one?intcmp=239

there's more than just day 1 on there

I've got a character sketch, a vague outline and a title

It inspired me to have a look at mine as week (51k). Really want to get it finished this year, a weekly goal of 1500 words could be very useful.

For those looking into getting started, I found online writing groups with prompts help me get the juices flowing (Runaway Tales on LiveJournal is good fun, and a lovely community to get feedback from).

I also want to get a diverse group for getting feedback (different points of view can pick of different ideas or issues).

Yes 1500 words a week definitely sounds manageable.

I now need to decide which novel I want to write. I have one that I've done some research on, and have some idea about in my head, but which needs a lot more development. Then another which has minimal development but that I am feeling the stronger 'pull' to write now.

Thanks for the link, printed them all out, I need to get the plot clear in my head and this will help.

I'm in!

Always had a desire to write so this will be fun and motivating too.

I will! My book has finally 'happened' in my head - kind of like now it's a memory that i can write down. Just ran to the pc to type up some phrases spinning in my head.

I haven't read the whole thread but a few years ago my sister bought me a course at the local adult college on how to write a novel.

I think I got to about 5000 words due to it being hard to write with baby dds 1&2 and pg with 3 I think...

Anyway I loved the course it was great & I would def recommend people to try it out if your local college offer it.

I am going to write a novel one day I am I am I am.

(after I run a marathon...)

head aching, will be back tomorrow when I can face putting words together :P

I'm in!

Been talking about this for years - to the point that I'm losing credibility as a would-be writer, so I'm going to just shut up and get on with it in 2013 (lucky for some... )

I'm usually a FanFiction writer, which I've found a good way to practice and keep the creativity flowing.

I'm going to give myself January to plan thoroughly. In the meantime I'm off to check out Runaway Tales on LJ - thanks for that, BigSpork!

Good luck all.

I have no idea what I would write about, but I'm going to start something. Let's see how this goes...

Impressed by Wordfactory being contracted to write a book a year. Can't imagine the creative pressure. I was often the 'night before' type when it came to college essays. In Wordfactory's place I would likely have a blank sheet until December!

Can I join?

I wrote 220000 words of fanfic last year including one story that went over 60000 words but I want to try my hand at original characters and figure other people doing the same might give me a push

Good luck everyone

Unexpected - NaNo is national novel writing month; it happens every November across the world and the target is to write 50k (as imperfect as you like) in a month. It's a lot of fun

Word - a book a year?! I can't even imagine writing one every 3. Wow.

Can I join? So far have around 15000 words from 3 novels that I've started and never finished. I always begin with such high hopes but end up losing my way a lot of the time.

Trust- unfortunately it is the reality of commercial fiction. Publishers want regular books. And authors want contracts.

Here's some cheery news - dd wrote a book, sent it to an agent and they sent back some personalised advice (pages!) ; i (endlessly put this on here) wrote a book, sent it on spec, and the agent asked for the rest of it. So, it is doable to write a book and get it seen. Bit of hope for those of us trying again?

Can I join too, although I'm trying to do more words per week I'm aiming for at least 5000 - which is working well at the minute because I'm off work , suspect it will slow down when I go back.

I'm writing a romance, have got to 22,000 words, need 30,000 more to fit the M&B criteria and I'm just having a bit of writers block at the minute because the synopsis I put together would only take it to about 30k.

Great news about your DD notactuallyme - has it been published?

I'm going to join if thats ok. I'm going to read the whole thread tonight and do the excercises. I havn't even an i dea for a novel yet. Just a vague notion. But i always wanted to write so maybe it's fate that i found this thread.

As DD decided she didn't want to go to sleep until after 2am I thought I would be productive and start some character profiles for my novel. I used this site: www.writerswrite.com/journal/jun98/lazy2.htm and have found myself actually getting somewhere with my characters.

Keep up the good work everyone!!

Thanks for the link Insomnia much appreciated. I think where I have failed in the past is I've just started writing, assuming a fully formed novel would just appear out of the end of my pen. Planning is working much better.

Unexpected - that is exactly where ive fallen down - so I'm going to do it differently this time. I'm going to get my characters together, write my synopsis and actually do my research before I kick off any writing.

I do feel that I have alot of stories to tell - I just seem to get side tracked with new ideas. I was having a tidy round and I've found 2 USB sticks with another 4 started but unfinished novels. If I actually get anywhere with is one it would be good to finish those up.

Another late night here - but I've managed to write a basic synopsis. This is the furthest planning wise I have ever come so I'm very pleased. Now that I have this I can flesh out my character profiles.

Was this weeks task to write 1500 as well as the character profiles?