Who wants to join me in starting to write a novel in 2013?

[milk]

As subject says: Who wants to join me in starting to write a novel in 2013?

I thought we could push each other on to get it finished :) Similar to a losing weight thread, except it would be for gaining words

Hi, I haven't actually written anything but have a few ideas for books but need a bit of a push so can I join in?

I struggle to find the time to gather my thoughts and make a start, as I work part-time as well as looking over family and home! There don't seem to be enough hours in the day!

Rookie that's an excellent idea. From what I read it would work beautifully within a Christmas theme, and there'll be less competition than with the non-specific submissions, and the deadline sounds perfect.
Go you!

Thanks Tunip - the encouragement definitely helps to keep going !

I gave my 13k words story so far to my illustrator to read so she could get a feel for what the cover should be. She really got into the story and saw the subtle links between the different sub-stories. She is brilliant, she sees what my mad brain imagines and has the skill to draw it!

Wow it must be terrifically exciting to have an illustrator.

I sell illustrated framed short stories, I got an illustrator on board very early on. She's a student friend of mine, does it round her studies.

Just had to share this moment! I have just written The End! 136,782 words! Wahay! Still need to come up with a title though! Why can't I think of one? Need to work on my synopsis now. Have edited the book several times. Will leave the final chapter a couple of days then do a final edit....Need a title though! Then, once I've done all that I'll get my folder ready for all the rejection letters! But just to show those I reject rejection(pramface), I shall start my next book!!!

Can I join? I started writing a novel last year but rhen gave birth.
I'm planning to self publish, does that still count?

Lurk

Ooh can I join? I have two complete plotlines for one novel idea (crime/thriller) but never get much done because I can't decide which one to concentrate on... I can't decide whether to make it a thriller told from the first person pov of one of the characters involved or a more straightforward detective novel. Hmmm - should I just toss a coin?!

Sounds interesting cardinal - have you tried writing from each style? It may be that once you get going it will become obvious which is the best choice. My advice for what it's worth is to just toss the coin and commit to it for at least a month.

Procrastination (and mumsnetting) is the enemy of writing.

Hello. I finished editing and rewriting a few weeks ago and have moved onto the sequel (I love my characters so much I cannot bear to let them go just yet, also there were issues I deliberately left hanging to give me a reason to carry on writing).

I have my synopsis done, and am up about approx chapter four. Feels very good to be writing again, rather than nitpicking at myself as I've done for the last three months.

Hi sadeyed and welcome to our suspiciously quiet at the minute thread !

I know what you mean about the editing - I suspect I rather under edited by last effort as I just got fed up with hacking away at all the bits that I felt were rather good in the first place.

I'm up to 14k tonight and was thinking that the second one wasn't going so well but checking back I was on 7k at the end of Jan so actually that's not so bad progress wise.

Sorry albie I think I rather missed your post on 20th Feb congratulations on completion, thats fab news.

Ah well, now you see, I had a lovely chat with someone last night who gave me massive amounts of ideas and now I'm back to story one, rewriting like a demon and thinking how to integrate what's in book two with book one. I'd forgotten how amazing it feels when you know you've written something good that really works, dammit! It's so exciting and so overwhelming I just want to write and write and write while the house falls down around me.

Wow notsosadeyedlady you sound like you're on a roll - enjoy.

I'm almost up to 15k, was hoping to get there today, but it's a scene I want to get just right, so I thought it best to start afresh on it hopefully tomorrow.

Thanks, theoriginal! I have finally come up with a working title, done the synopsis and am happy with the covering letter! Found the details of an agent I like the sound of too....so, just need to do the print off and just manage expectation!

allbie, send it off to lots of agents. That's the advice I've seen again and again, because if you invest too much emotion in one agent and they reject you, it feels really personal. Send it out to six people, and that first rejection won't sting so much Also, everyone says that agents take forever to get back to you - one of the agents I sent to said they'll contact you within seven days. It's been four weeks and I have heard nothing (which is probably a good thing. The chapters I sent out were terrible.)

I met a proper writer type lovely person recently, and she said that the chance of a book being written, taken on by a agent and published is something like 1%. And after that, you can add in reviews. So if your sole Amazon review is crap, no one is going to buy it.

Why do we write?

Oh yes. Because we need to.

I agree, submitting in batches is the way to go.

Have you had it thoroughly test-read by perceptive friends or acquaintances? You want to make it as good as possible before sending it off and a fresh pair of eyes is likely to pick up things you've missed.

Good luck!

Thanks Tunip and Sadeyed! Will create a list and send a few more out. Too many rejections at once may just be a little too hard! Ho! 1%, eh? What the hell am I even bothering for? I should go straight to Kindle, eh?

Don't self-publish as a way of avoiding getting rejected. Self-publishing is wonderful if you do it for the right reasons but you need to polish it just as much (and ideally pay a professional editor) and be prepared to put some effort into marketing.

The odds of getting picked out of the slush pile are terrible but it's not a game of odds - it's in your hands because the better you make your book, the more likely it is.

Anyone still doing a Sunday word count
I'm up to 17k - came up with lots of great scenes when I did my running race today ( I go quite slowly so I have lots of time to think) but unfortunately just need to get to those bits before I can write them.

Thanks Tunip...I shall forge ahead! The original, I'm a runner too. I love to have a think whilst running!

Can I join you all?

I usually join these threads every year but end up giving up as trying to write a novel while juggling uni work and a job is a bit of a nightmare and I haven't written or edited anything since Nano last year.

Anyway I had a dream last week and when DH woke me I HAD to write it down (I usually forget dreams before writing them down) first time I've had a story come to me so clearly, normally I struggle with endings but I already know the ending this time!

In the little spare time I had I wrote down the basis of the dream and now I'm using snowflake (I love snowflake but only use about the first 6-7 steps I don't note down all the scenes first). I'll probably wait till I finish my last two assignments before first draft but at the same time don't want to lose my motivation for writing it. Doutful I'll get beyond first draft this year, and I usually do a second draft before editing too, but I could do with some support.

Can I join too? I've always wanted to write a novel but life has got in the way. I am now in the position where I can write due to not working. I decided on 10 march to just do it. Since then I have come up with a plot, wirtten backstories for characters, written a story outline and have spent the last two days writing the actual book. I'm over 5000 words and loving it. I have no idea if it's any good but at least I am at long last doing what I've wanted to do since I was 10.

Well done JoshandJamie!

Don't worry too much about whether it's any good. First drafts are meant to be crap. Just get the first draft down and then once you've got it on paper you can work on making it better.