Welcome to MuNoWriMo 2022! Why not start/finish/edit your manuscript with us?

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Good morning @Iceniii @MargaretThursday @TheCountessofFitzdotterel @StellaOlivetti @Drybird2020 @Hippywannabe @britneyisfree @snowqu33n @dogsdogsgods @loveisagirlnameddaisy @vivariumvivariumsvivaria @BearWoman @Snow1n @toomuchfaster @samvimesboots @Ylfa @52andblue @Dellabob123 @AintNoPartyLikeANumber10Party @Superwomble @FledglingFountainPen @IShouldBeWriting

It's the 1st of February, and Day 1 of Mumsnet Novel Writing Month 2022.

Check in here daily for moral support and chat about your writing process.

The idea is to keep one another focussed on completing an activity during the month of February, whether that's a 50,000 word first draft (for the pantsers), pulling together a long-considered draft from notes, doing an edit, or just taking time every day to get thoughts down on the page.

As life got in the way for me, in December and January, I've decided to spend the next 2 weeks progressing the MS I fell 15k words short of completing during NaNoWriMo November last year. After that, I may move onto the new idea I had originally earmarked for Feb.

Everyone is welcome, just chime in. And don't worry if you miss a day, obviously, or life gets in the way. It's supposed to be supportive, not a millstone around the neck, or a source of unwelcome pressure.

Let's give ourselves both the carrot (pats on the back for one another), and the 'stick' (a daily word count).

On that note, I'm off to grapple with my too-long and unwieldy fifth chapter, and extend the story by 1,500 words.

Good luck, everybody! May we all experience creative clarity, and a sense of achievement, this month.

#MuNoWriMo #MuNoWriMo22

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/creative_writing/4414710-Mumsnet-MuNoWriMo-in-February-2022?msgid=112923683#112923683

Me too. I find it helpful to know the thread’s here, and that I can check in every so often. I feel confident that I can see my way to the end now, even though I’ve only just finished chapter 4. February has been so productive (I wish I was faster but I’m just not). Don’t worry @Icenii character planning and plotting is valuable whenever you do it, I reckon. And I quite often feel overwhelmed! Just keep swimming.

Same here!
I haven’t been able to write much for a while as life took over, just rewrote a bit. I am glad I wrote so much earlier in the month because I only managed about 200 more words since my last post.
I’d really like another month!

I'd like to continue the thread-or start a March one.

I haven't written much this month, and have done much more fiddling around than writing. I don't think I write well when my head is too busy with other things, and I've got such a lot on I don't dare let it go.

I think it sounds like a general support thread would be helpful for lots of people, perhaps with an emphasis on keeping going and writing as often as possible.

DAY 28 - final day of MuNoWriMo!

I’m so delighted by how busy this thread has been, even when I haven’t been able to check in every day.

I reached my symbolic 50k, even though my draft is not complete. So that’s something to celebrate. It’s been useful to have the daily prompt not to get waylaid from progressing the manuscript. Thank you all for participating and sharing.

As you mention it @Drybird2020 I was thinking it’ll soon be time to tee up MuNoWriMo May…time set aside for another spurt after the Easter holiday.

Who’s in?

I would love a new thread. I have learnt so much and found this so useful. Last week was super-busy but I kept writing on my phone which I never thought I could do before.

Excellent @IShouldBeWriting

Two’s company, and I’m sure we’ll have more join us

clears throat today is actually the last day of the first installment of MuNoWriMo (I lost a day somehow)

Anyone for a debrief (apologies if you already have)? @Iceniii @MargaretThursday @TheCountessofFitzdotterel @StellaOlivetti @Drybird2020 @Hippywannabe @britneyisfree @snowqu33n @dogsdogsgods @loveisagirlnameddaisy @vivariumvivariumsvivaria @BearWoman @Snow1n @toomuchfaster @samvimesboots @Ylfa @52andblue @Dellabob123 @AintNoPartyLikeANumber10Party @Superwomble @FledglingFountainPen @IShouldBeWriting

I was pleased to look back at the first page of this thread and realise that over the past month I’ve advanced my MS by 10k words to 50k, submitted the opening to a competition, streamlined some bothersome early chapters, and resolved on how the story peaks and ends. Not bad all round. Yourselves?

Also, who else is up for MuNoWriMo May 2022?

I wrote 20k words this month and developed my plot and characters. I'm going to pause while I read Intuitive Editing. I'll be highlighting points and using what I've learnt to write my next scenes. I want a deeper 3rd person POV.

My WIP is around 52k at the moment but there are plot holes.

I didn't write too many words but I did a bit of editing.

I rewrote the beginning of one I wrote a long time ago. I'd like to try getting it good enough to do a publishing attempt. However I've been left at this point wondering whether I'm rewriting the story or writing a new story with the same characters. I've been meaning to go back and relook at it for ages so that's a good start.

I've done a good bit of editing on my WIP that I've had feedback on.

I've also written a couple more chapters in a very long fantasy I love writing and have no intention of letting it see the light of day.

I got about 8 chapters in and realized the plot just doesn't work. I might take a break and come back.

But it was a good thread thanks.

February passed in a bit of a flash, didn’t it. I have managed about 20 000 words, just about to finish chapter 5. It’s not a lot, but they’re (fairly) polished words, as I’m working from a messy and rough first full draft. And although I’m nowhere near halfway, even, I’m now confident I’ll finish it. Sorted out some issues with tense. I’m doing a dual narrative and the challenge has been adequately differentiating between the voices. It’s YA historical. I have run up an enormous bill in fines with the library in the course of research! I’ve got a free day today so I’ll go and pay it later. Absolutely up for a repeat performance in May; with any luck I’ll be on a final edit by then.

I completed the first six chapters, and I wrote seven and eight but am redoing them as I missed out important scenes. I've got three narrators. My biggest challenge is keeping the storyline flowing, and remembering what I've written, so I don't repeat myself or leave gaps.

Another thread in May sounds great. Hoping I will have finished this draft by then and be onto editing.

Started writing again today after a break but it’s been progressing well in my head meanwhile. Got sidetracked while doing essential research at antique markets and now I’m a part time trader - some extremely immersive method writing type of thing. Really enjoying it though. Will keep making space and time to write.

I fell off the wagon after the first few thousand words, but I was in hospital and have been quite poorly and tired since. Hopefully May will be a more wordy month!

@Snow1n hope you feel better soon.

@cloudmessenger I'm sorry I totally fell off the wagon. Life just got in the way.
I'm glad to hear others managed much better and would love to try again in May. Thanks

I've managed another 5k bring me to just over 55k. I had decided to read an editing book but ditched the idea and started writing again. I want to get the bones on paper then revisit. Lots of open ends and too many similar scenes. I'm also finding I may be repeating body language and action continuously. I think I also need to read some more fantasy books to see how they manage these issues.

Have reviewed what I wrote and I have another scene to add and one to rewrite, as well as a bit of foreshadowing. Should bring the word count up to novel length. I will then move onto a new story while I consider what further editing to do.
I am nervous about giving it to someone to read because, well, maybe it’s rubbish!
May MuNoWriMo sounds good but I won’t have as much time as last month so probably just a few hundred words per day.
Oh well, hare and tortoise!

Wonder how everyone is doing on this thread? I had a period when I haven't written but have picked it up again this week and made it to 60k. I'm hoping I'll hit my 80k mark by the end of April then I'll heavily edit. Having mega doubts now about then plot. It's so very character focused and I think repetitive but I am going to finish it just for the learning process. Who knows where I'll be in a decade if I continue! I certainly don't want to stay stuck in cyber for much longer.

Hello, @Icenii and tous les autres. I have been ploughing on with my first proper draft of my YA novel, and have reached about 30000 words, approximately just over halfway. Not an accurate word count as I am prehistoric and write in biro. I’m planning and hoping for a readable first draft by the end of May. And, personally, I think character is more important to focus on initially than plot, because plot can be fixed and character not so much, so don’t worry 😉

Hello!! Nice to see activity on here 🙂. I've picked up my project again, too, and I aim to write every day over the holidays. Its quite a target but I am motivated and am feeling better for writing more regularly.

@StellaOlivetti I write YA too. The last one was contemporary and this is a murder mystery/detective story. Which genre are you writing?

It's interesting to hear how other people go about the process. I'm not very linear- I tend to write a chapter here and a chapter there and then go back to fill in the gaps. But I start with a clear outline so that's not as random as it might sound!

Not a brilliant month. I'm trying to edit, which in my case means I edit it once to be basically the same, then try and more drastic edit, give up in despair and then try and do one between the two, which I'm still not happy with

I write YA historical, @Drybird2020. The first one was set mostly in Anglo Saxon times but I’ve come right up to date for my current book which is set during the second world war.
It is interesting how differently everyone works. I’m very linear and don’t like writing scenes out of order. And I don’t plan in very much detail, whereas I know other writers who have every character and story arc sorted before they start.