Nanowrimo2018

[buttybuttybutthole]

Who is in?

I have my novel planned out, the whole thing is in my head, I just need to get it down. I have so many other WIP, I need to really work at this novel. I have no excuse other than my own self sabotage

How much does everyone aim to write per day? I'm thinking 2000 words. Gulp.

thanks for the heads-up. I'm on!

Hi, I've signed up - very excited, as I really want to get moving on this. Have others found it works OK with just writing in a Word document. Also, I really can't get my head around the word target thing. I've set myself a target for writing a certain number of words tomorrow, but can't see where you enter the amount of words that you HAVE written. ..it's driving me a be nuts, as I've been round and round the website.

OK - so, I've found it. Is the aim to write 2000 words a day?

Sorry, I really am all over the place. I've just settled down and answered my own questions. Now for the hard part. Writing it.

Hey Flo. The aim is 50k over the month. How you do that is up to you. I think it works out at around 1600 a day, but there isn't a fixed daily amount. Last year I did well over the 50k, but would have days were I wrote loads and days where I badly got it a few sentences.

I just use Google docs, word is absolutely fine if that's what you use. I'm just a Google kind of person and i like being able to get to my stuff on my mobile and other devices for those waits at bus stops and stuff. Last year I had I huge single document, but I'm thinking about splitting it into chapters this year as the huge doc got a bit much for my phone by the end.

....barely got out a few sentences...

Hi everyone Mind if I join you?

It's been years since I wrote anything original as I lost confidence while studying Creative Writing at university and started writing for others rather than myself. A few weeks ago I realised that I was hiding my favourite tropes in fanfiction because 'proper' writing was about something loftier or something like that. Only took me fifteen years to notice!

Anyway, I sat down the other day and a synopsis happened. It turns out what I've been suppressing all these years is post-Arthurian... fantasy... romance? Is that a thing?

I am fucking terrified!

Greetings fair idlenook! I too am terrified! 😁 In the run-up to the big 01/11 I'm entering flash fiction comps as a way of getting into the habit and nudging out ideas - anyone else?

Let your post-arthurian fantasy romance fly free idlenook. It's time has come!

Yes that's a thing idle! Welcome 😃

I'm not entering anything, but in writing scenes and snippets of anything and everything as they come into my head. Evernote is awesome

I'd like to join.

Got an idea but need to start writing!

I usually write with a pen and paper first but that that leaves a mammoth typing exercise at the end. Hope Nov provides inspiration!

Thanks guys

I'm still undecided as to whether I should start my story now or stick more strictly to the rules of NaNo -- I'm leaning toward the latter but can see the benefit of building up my stamina! Where do you find the flash fiction prompts?

Hellomatey another longhander here. I have a tendency to try and edit words on a screen whereas writing by hand somehow gives me permission to get the ideas out without thinking too much about their initial form if that makes sense?

Idlenook,

I understand completely. Something about pen and paper that feels more "direct" and dare I say natural. Writing out the words with your own hands (literally dotting the is and crossing the ts) makes me feel a bit more free. When onscreen I feel as though I can't be as adventurous.

However with this project I am trying to go straight to laptop to avoid the huge typing task at the end. Don't know whether it will work but will give it a shot!

I'm wondering if there's a middle ground between longhand and typing as am also concerned about having to type up 50,000 words at the last minute! Sitting down with a cuppa and my notepad and roughly sketching out the scene before shifting to the computer with appetite whetted, so to speak...

Is anyone else starting early? I have a vague synopsis and tried to do a bit of research yesterday but am feeling very antsy, which I think is a strangled form of the desire to just get on with it!

idle
I think there is a middle ground. My handwriting is far too messy to write it all by hand.
I’ve started planning scenes in more detail. I do a spider diagram of ideas then write about key points in the scene, include snippets of dialogue as they occur to me, internal thoughts of characters, etc. I end up with about three pages of notes (A5) and it makes writing so much easier. If I don’t plan I tend to waffle or write something intensely dull!

I have my plot and divded it into beginning middle and end, I'll just take it from there.

I've got a problem in that I've had an idea for a different novel and I dont know which to choose now!

Going to be my 7th year. Have an idea what I'm going to write, but not sure I'll keep my 100% win streak due to just not feeling it this year.

Can I join you all? I've had a story in my mind for years but have failed to get it on paper. It's planned, barring a few gaping plot holes, and several chapters done. The problem is I am an obsessive deleter/ checker/editor so I just get nowhere. I've failed NaNoWriMo before, I'm hoping this thread will make me feel more accountable.

I write factual content, so can churn out the words when I need to. This month I'm going to write 50,000 words, no matter how terrible they are.

Do you bother with buddies, events and the like? Or is that just procrastination fodder?

I'm trying to choose at the moment.

I could continue with the middle grade which is what I usually write. I have a vague idea, which is better than I started with last year.

Or I've got a youth theatre group which we perform in the summer. I'm considering trying something more ambitious-along the lines of children's view of WWI, using the WWI original songs, so a bit like Oh What a Lovely War, but from the children's perspective.
I think it would work quite well, but sure I'd not get to 50K words by quite a factor. Last full length script I did was 10k words, and we don't really want it longer than that as some of the children are quite small.

I've written a flipping plan! Hurrah! I even know who did the murder and everything. Phew. It's all just a scrawled mess on a big sheet of flip chart paper, but it is more plan then I have ever managed before so it's something.

Cathy I have a now good friend who I met during last year's nanowrimo. We met up regularly for coffee and writing sessions and continued meeting afterwards. I find it really useful having a person in real life to chat to about it and push each other along. We're going to spend a day in a cafe on the 1st November to make a start. If anyone is down Hampshire way and wants to join feel free.

Hello again everyone - and welcome to the newbies. I'm sorry for disappearing for a few days as I came down with a bad cold and am just starting to think in proper sentences again.

Witchend your second idea is brilliant but as you said I think 50k words is stretching it for a children's script - I've written a full length adult stage play before and that wasn't much over 10k.

cathyandclare you could join us longhand ers if editing is an issue for you? It's the only way I've found of stopping myself from constantly deleting and fiddling and stressing about random things like paragraph length (and where the last line of the paragraph ends in relationship to the last line of the paragraph below it which is a bizarre new development!)

Alternatively, there's a Hemingway quote I'm fond of - "The first draft of anything is shit". I'm very bad at retaining that advice so this year I'm taping it the edge of the shelf at eye level above my desk!! You could try similar

I'm wondering if it might be an idea to post about this thread in chat and see if we can draw any other Mumsnet wrimos out of the woodwork? I'm not sure all of them will know there's a Creative Writing board...

What do you guys think? The more the merrier?

Totally agree, actually you could post in AIBU its even busier!

Ha, I haven't had the balls to post in AIBU since 2012! You crack on though if you're feeling brave

I'll post something in Chat shortly. Will just wait to see if any more people concur.

LOOOL its a scary place alright!