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Original poster

NoNoWriMo 2010...anyone doing it?

216 replies

HappyWithLife · 02/10/2010 18:21

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year for the first time. For anyone who doesn't know it's a challenge to write 50k words in 30 days, starting on 1 November and ending on 30 Nov. Is anyone else doing it this year?

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RedFraggle · 06/11/2010 11:01

I've stalled at the moment. Two really busy days and a busy weekend ahead mean I'm going to have to slog like mad next week! Still determined to do it though.

Well done all of you still working away :)

GrendelsMum · 06/11/2010 21:18

Yey! I've kept up my daily word count despite (because of?) being away on a business trip for the last week. The thought of you all writing away has kept the guilt factor going.

I've hit the 10,000 word mark today, so 1/5th through. I'm due a mini-celebration at 1/4 through (Monday), a moderate celebration at 1/2, mini-celebration at 3/4, and then the champagne gets uncorked at the full 50,000.

Sorry to hear you've had bad news, DandyLioness. Why not set yourself a target of sitting down for ten minutes a day, just to get into the writing habit?

GrendelsMum · 06/11/2010 21:20

p.s. no Lolling at my spreadsheet! It's very motivating to watch my total adding up.

ninah · 07/11/2010 15:31

right have had a shit couple of days too, got to final FINAL selection for pgce and did not get in aaargh! but by staying in dressing gown ignoring dc and housework I am back up to what I imagine will be about 9k by bedtime
grendel's mum what is the target by now?
my heroine has changed sex and is now a hero as well
oh, when I logged in two people had added me but when I went back to click on them the names had gone so if it's you sorry and I hope I find you shortly

Zoidberg · 07/11/2010 20:04

I have totally dropped out Blush but I have written a short story for this competition here.

Very well done to all of you cracking on, am v impressed.

ninah · 07/11/2010 21:05

good for you zoid - admire your honesty and your altruism! hope you win
I really don't like the nano website I've decided. 'Novelling pen' anyone? Hmm

LightlyKilledCrunchyFrog · 07/11/2010 22:21

The forum is really hard to use.

I have hit my 10,000 today, so a bit behind but not too bad. Will try and catch up tomorrow.

I'm interested to read people's stuff - is anyone up for sharing?

ninah · 08/11/2010 08:16

yeah is horrible layout
my ms isn't fit to share, needs loads more work and words I just need to keep slogging away at it
rest of the month is quiet so have the opportunity

GrendelsMum · 08/11/2010 08:33

Yey! All going smoothly in terms of words here, despite me starting to think my novel is a bit dull, and that one of the characters is a bit one-dimensional. I'm going to have to liven it up a bit over the next few chapters, I think.

Original poster
HappyWithLife · 09/11/2010 10:31

Well, at the risk of sabotaging my word count I think I am going to start over. I hate my story...it's so cliched and 'must meet a man', and no matter what I do I can't turn it around, so I'm starting again with a new story line, new characters and possibly new genre.
Am I mad? Probably
Will I finish in time? Possibly
Will I have a better novel? Absolutely.
I can't write something that bores me so it had to go.
I'm going to be so behind, boo hoo.

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Original poster
HappyWithLife · 09/11/2010 11:40

Ooh....no, I won't lose my word count as I've found a way of continuing it into a new story, so word count stays...yaaaayyyy

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ninah · 09/11/2010 12:40

HWL of your three questions, the only one that matters is 'Will I have a better novel?'
it't not so hard to write 50k words of crp. I should know!

Original poster
HappyWithLife · 09/11/2010 13:46

LOL Nina... the reason I didn't write the first idea is because it involved domestic violence, and I didn't want to spend the entire month immersed in such a terrible subject. So I opted for chick lit, light hearted, humorous and uplifting, but it's not. It goes against everything I believe and it just doesn't sit comfortably with me. It's basically about a woman who's useless at dating (so far so good) who ends up with a sort of spirit guide who teaches her how to flirt. Still ok up to that point, but I downloaded a 'flirting masterclass' as research and it's the biggest load of tosh I have ever read! It is basically saying that women have to make men always believe they are right, women have to entertain men, women have to always be perfectly groomed, blah de blah...it's SO against my principles that I was starting to hate my characters for being such pathetic stereotypical stepford wives.
My new story is about three women, unrelated and unknown to each other, who escape domestic abuse and all meet when they end up in a refuge, and their lives there and post-abuse. Some of it will be dark, some of it humorous, but I found myself in absolute awe of women's strength when I found myself in a refuge that it's something I've been wanting to write about ever since.
So word count or not, it's begging to be written Grin

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GrendelsMum · 09/11/2010 14:14

That sounds terrific, HappyWithLife.

Mine is going smoothly in terms of words and plot, but I feel it's lacking a bit of excitement and passion. It's not a story that's dying to be written, if you know what I mean. However, I'm confident that I'll hit the 50k mark on time, and I can then go back and rework it to sort out the excitement.

ninah · 09/11/2010 16:46

hwl that sounds much more interesting. You have to do something that grips you, don't you. I couldn't do chick lit because it annoys me to read it. I am not a book snob, I will read almost anything, but as you say, it's the attitudes and predictable, dreary characterisation ...
Stephen King says writing a book is like excavating a story that's already there ..
have to say I have never had that feeling but the current one is easier to write than any other I've tried and I'm hopeful that's a good sign
I am drawn to the darker side of life in my writing and there is usually at least one funeral in any of my books
I am tempted to try a light hearted one set in a school one day, but I am sure I'll get bored and drag in some torture or incest

artifarti · 09/11/2010 18:34

Hello all, glad it is going well.

Happy - that does sound much more interesting, hope you enjoy writing it.

ninah - mine had a funeral in this morning!

My word count has been good so far but this week is far busier so it's going to be hard. I even resorted to writing on the tube this morning, which I don't normally do because I hate writing in long-hand without a computer. So that in itself has been valuable (if I can get a seat that is!)

Mine is going to need the biggest rewrite ever but I've had the story in my head for three years now so it's amazing to be finally getting it out and into words. My genre is...er...literary fiction, I suppose, although 'literary' might be stretching it a bit at the moment!

ninah · 09/11/2010 20:34

I like longhand sometimes, just for a change.
I really hanker after being like the 'lady novelist' in Little Britain, who eats chocolates and dictates drivel to her long suffering sectretary

artifarti · 09/11/2010 21:45

Oooh yes, ninah - whilst reclining on a chaise longue! Grin

Original poster
HappyWithLife · 10/11/2010 12:50

Lol, now isn't that a nice thought. Alternatively sitting on one of the comfy leather chairs in Costa's or Starbucks and drinking coffee with the laptop on the table.
I've decided to completely scrap my 13k words from my first novel idea and start again, so my word count is now back down to 2300, but it's a much much better story. Doubt I'll complete NaNo but such is life, I'll have a good go.

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Original poster
HappyWithLife · 10/11/2010 13:31

So given my new novel, what genre should it fall into? Any ideas?

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redhappy · 10/11/2010 21:47

Well, I came down with a horrible virus on the 30th October, and still feeling pretty awful, so NaNo has not happened for me at all this year!

But I had a amazing dream last night/this morning and when I woke up I wrote it all down- has the makings of a great story hopefully! Planning to do something with that everyday and see where it takes me.

It was possibly a bit overambitious to do this without having doe any creative writing before!

Very inspiring to read of those of you who are managing it though. It's really motivated me to just get on with it and not get caught up worrying about writing a load of rubbish!

ninah · 10/11/2010 22:36

happy it sounds like you've done the right thing, really pleased that you have such an exciting title on the go. I wouldn't worry about gentre til it's written I suspect a lot of 'genre bending' goes on in publishing. To my mind the story comes first. But literary fiction might cover it? god knows what mine is but I'm chugging along and this time it is writing itself, the characters are going their own way, not had this experience before. The others were blood and tears (and it shows lol)
red keep on writing, as you say. Nano's only a tool. Not sure i'll make 50. But it has kick-started a project that would have remained in the mulling stage otherwise. must say, this thread has been equally good (confess to liking that little blue bar on nano that shows the words creeping up tho)
arti looks like yours is galloping along!
I haven't written tonight, just typed up last night's long hand 'chaise' stuff (can't get the staff lol. Had the chocs tho)

artifarti · 11/11/2010 15:07

Hello fellow Nano's! Sorry you've been poorly, red, hope you're feeling better now and what a great dream! (I had a dream about Marti Pellow last night, which was a bit odd seeing as I haven't heard of him for many a year and here is possibly not the time or place to go into itBlush) Just keep writing and see what comes - we'll all still be here after November so can keep on going. Hopefully this will just be the kickstart needed.

I got a bit behind as I work Mon-Wednes but DS has just a had a lovely long nap so nearly caught up now. Keep thinking that it's going to dry up and that I won't know what happens next but so far it just keeps unravelling itself. Fingers crossed - terrified that it will just come to a dead end one day...

Original poster
HappyWithLife · 11/11/2010 17:01

Well, I scrapped my first attempt completely and started afresh with my second. So far I am back up to 6.5k which isn't bad considering I dumped 13 odd thousand which I'd already done. I'm enjoying this one much much more and the characters are actually telling me where the story goes to be honest. As I said before it's the story of how domestic abuse affected 3 different women (have loads of experience of it myself unfortunately) but when it came to telling the second woman's background it was her 7 year old daughter who spoke and wanted to tell the story. I tried several times to tell it from her mother's side but couldn't, so now we have a 7 year old narrator. I swear, it's like this little girl is channelling through me, lol.
Well done all of you, apparently week 2 is the hardest so all we can do is keep going.

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artifarti · 12/11/2010 12:06

A 7 year old narrator sounds really interesting. Sorry that you have experience of DV but I guess if anyone can tell this story it is you.

I am getting worried now. All has been good so far but I still have 32,000 words to fill and I am not sure what it going to happen now to get my characters to the end. Plus I keep thinking of subplots that I should have introduced earlier so may have to go back and shoehorn them in. Aaaarggghhh! Wish me inspiration for forthcoming nap-time...