NaNoWriMo

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is coming up quite soon! I’m quite excited (and nervous!) for it as it will be the first time I’ll be participating. Despite having first heard of it about six years ago, I’ve never had the opportunity to participate as it’s always clashed with end-of-year exams in the past.

As much as I would love to try reach 50K words, I think I’ll most likely end up setting myself a lower target (maybe 30K words), especially seeing as my main goal is to write more regularly than I currently do (which is very sporadic at best >>).

Is anyone else planning on participating this year?
If you have previously participated, how did you find the experience?
What is your advice for newcomers?
Do you have a writing routine/schedule planned out?

Share your thoughts!

[Leonie Hauri]

I actually signed up for NaNoWriMo yesterday. I didn't get to explore it much, but I plan on exploring it further today. I don't think I would have the time to write 50k in one month, so I will set my goal for something lower.

I have always wanted to write a novel but I have never been able to decide on which plot out of the several in my head to write about, so I will usually start a novel, work on it for two or three months, and then decide that I want to do a different plot...

I really would like any advice some more experienced members may have!

[Aleisha Stone]

I was curious if there were any more NaNoWriMo-ers about! Hi!

I am participating now as we speak. I'm a bit behind, but I want to try to get 50K or more by the end of the month. I tried a couple times before. Once in 2010 and again in 2012. I dropped out in 2012 due to too much going on in real life, and though I actually reached a little over 50K in 2010, I dropped the story. Wasn't my best, and it went everywhere it wasn't even supposed to. There was honestly no way of saving it.

I wouldn't really be experienced enough to give advice, so all I can really say is... 1) Don't give up, if at all possible, 2) find people to participate with in word wars and sprints, those games are a lot of fun and can boost your story along nicely, and 3) Have fun with it! Don't overthink anything and let that inner-editor of yours be silent. This is a time to just a time to let loose with your writing and not let anything else deter you.

Now, if only I could follow my own advice... I'm pretty much one of those "do as I say, not as I do" people.

As for my own writing, I don't have a routine. Surprisingly, this is the same story I tried to start back in 2012, so thankfully I do have a rough outline for how I want the story to go, who is the bad guy, who is going to die... all that lovely information that just needs to be written out. I'm doing a Mystery/Thriller/Fantasy type story. Likely for Young Adults or Adults. We'll see as the story goes along.

So I want to wish everyone who participates the best of luck! And if anyone would like to attempt my second advice with me, let me know! I'm sure we can find a way to message each other and go from there!

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

So how is everyone doing with their NaNoWriMo month? You're 3 weeks into it tomorrow and there's not a lot of time left to go.

I did NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago because I had a story that wanted to be written. I found it was very good to have a deadline for myself for daily writing (somewhere around 1,500 words I think it was) because I'd push for more story. I found out that I needed to get the story written and then, later on, go back for editing, because I'd waste time thinking about little details of editing instead of keeping the story flowing along.

That was a hard thing to do, to not go back and edit, but I found out that it worked well for me, especially after I'd catch myself having to go back and CHANGE something because the story tilted in a way I didn't expect so here I am changing something that I'd previously edited? As it was, I made it, but that last week, which you are getting into, was very difficult!

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

Despite having looked forward to this year’s NaNoWriMo, unfortunately I didn’t really get much of an opportunity to write — it seems RL conspired against me once more (although at least end-of-year exams weren’t to blame). I’m hoping I’ll have better luck with Camp NaNoWriMo though, as April and/or July are likely to be a bit quieter for me.

I’ve got a story that I’ve had in the works for some time now, so I was hoping to continue working on it last month. It’s changed shape over time, so not going back and editing has proved tricky for me in the past. I remember reading over something I had previously written when I had a very different idea in mind and having to try very hard to resist the urge to scrawl all over it, but despite my best efforts, all those pages ended up with lots (and lots) of sticky notes all over them.

I had since decided to start from scratch (for better or for worse), and had seemed to be making some progress until RL got in the way (as it seems to have a habit of doing >>). I am hoping to set aside some time later this month though to revisit the story, but regardless of whether or not that works out (which I really hope it does), I’m definitely setting my sights on next April!

How did this year’s NaNoWriMo go for you, Leonie and Aleisha and anyone else who participated?

Is anyone else thinking of participating in Camp NaNoWriMo?

[Prof. Sky Alton]

(Yeah, I know it's only September!)
BUT
I just became a NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison (regional coordinater type person for those not in the know) and I'm so excited for November I literally cannot contain it!

Is anyone else thinking about trying it this year? I'll be trying to get the Wrimos in my region through while also tackling the 50k myself. It would be amazing to buddy up with some people not in my region who I can focus on writing alongside. (Obviously, I'll be more than happy to help people out as well but that's what your own MLs are for!)

I've done (and won) NaNo since 2012, including a couple of camps. Even with all that behind me, every year is different and has it's own challenges. Sometimes, the novel flows so easily it's a joy (I've not found many things to equal the buzz that gives me) but then there are also those years where it can be hard to get and keep going. I certainly second what everyone has said about firmly telling your inner editer to go and take a well earned holiday somewhere nice and distant. It's hard not to edit as you go but it can also be liberating. (Actually, that probably goes for the whole NaNo experience: hard but at times wonderfully liberating)

[Reggy Faraday]

I'm definitely giving it a shot this November! I haven't tried since 2009, and I'm excited to tackle it again! I had a great experience with the camp this past July. I love being a part of a community of writers all working on their projects, and having the (exhilarating) pressure to write.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Yay! I'm really glad camp worked out. I know what you mean about the exhilaration- I was so wrapped up in my first NaNo project that I ended up writing it in class (Shhh, everyone thought I was writing notes!). Haven't recaptured that feeling to that extent since but I kind of live in hope that with the right idea, I might do.
I've been doing NaNo prep all day - booking our venue for write-ins and making crafts to hand out to wrimos - I'm way too into this.

[Kia Brushman]

I did NaNoWrimo LAST year and completed it, so hopefully if I can start managing my time with college starting and all my HOL things, I'll do it! I think it's a wonderful experience and a fun little challenge with so many ways that you can do it and obviously I'll be going for that 50k

[Reggy Faraday]

It's finally here, 2016 NaNoWriMo! Anyone tackling the challenge this year?

(I've already fallen behind the recommended wordcount, mumbles to self...)

[Lucy Tyler]

I'm (probablyish) doing it this year! It sadly does conflict with final exams (as it has every year since I heard about it in about 2011), but what the hey, it's not going to stop clashing anytime soon, so I'm just going to wait until exams are over (on Wednesday week) and see how it goes. I may have a significant plot all lined up though via procrastinating though...

Is there much of a community doing it near where you live to do write-ins with?

[Reggy Faraday]

Yea, go for it, Lucy! More and more I'm finding there is no "perfect time" to write, you just have to go after it. Even if you don't "win", participating in itself is worth it!

I haven't looked too much into finding a local write-in. Mostly I've just been communicating with friends who are taking on the challenge as well. I've joined my local region on the NaNoWriMo website, though. Maybe I'll look into it!

Speaking of write-ins and events, how are municipal liaison duties going, Sky?

[Vanessa Hewitt]

I'm doing it this year for the first time as well! Often I find that I am quite bad with time management when I write, so hopefully this keeps me on track. I started a few days late due to exams, so I'm a bit behind in terms of word count at the moment, but I'm sure that I'll catch myself back up as soon as I get carried away with writing the story. Really hoping that I manage to get to the 50,000 words, but I think I'll be happy with whatever I manage to get done

[Lucy Tyler]

Thanks for the encouragement, guys my final exam is tomorrow, so I'll get started tomorrow afternoon. I haven't got much of a word count yet, but I've been using the trips into and out of uni (which are about an hour each) to do plotting in my head, and I've definitely got something I'm excited to work on
I would have thought myself a pantser, but I realised as I did a little bit of writing, that I write like you'd draw a picture- I draw the outlines of a little section, then colour in the lines, then draw the next section. That is to say, I'll write down what's happening in a chunk of scene, write out the dialogue while throwing out bits of planning for what's to come, then fill in more dialogue... I think I'm definitely a plantser. I have no idea what the end of my story will be, but I've got my first scene planned out, as well as some events to happen in the near future, and some wildly scattered bits of backstory to weave in later.

Are you guys planners, panters, or plantsers?

[Reggy Faraday]

Yay, join the writing party! Good luck on your exam!

I think I'm a plantser, too. I start out pantsing, but I have notes of running commentary to myself in a side document where I pitch ideas and sketch out plans for the main work. It's a sweet spot between having a plan to follow and being able to go in new directions as I think of them. (Although, maybe this still falls under pantsing? Maybe I morph from panster to plantser as time goes on and I feel my initial inspiration flag, haha!)

I also finally caught up to the daily wordcount yesterday. Stayed up way too late doing it.

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Sleep? What is this strange concept of which you speak?
*coughs*
I'm so sorry I haven't checked in here all month. My heads been full of sending pep talks, sorting out wrimos, organising events and writing...mustn't forget the writing. (So, to answer your question, Reggy, it's been amazing but my head is going round in circles!).
How are people doing? Has anyone managed to win yet? Did anyone lose their novelling mojo? (cause you can still win, you know).
Sorry...I'll take the ML hat off now.
I think I've done well this month (I got my purple winner bar the other day), though I haven't written as much as I usually would because I've been trying to be nice to myself and not go crazy with unrealistic targets. As for the pantsing/plantsing/planning debate (try saying that quickly several times when you're tired...I dare you), I think I'm with you-I fluctuate quite a bit. I'll never be an all out planner but I do tend to have an idea of where I'm going at most stages of the process, even if it's only a few scenes I'm aiming to get to. (very bad at writing them down though).
Hope everyone's having a fabulously creative November, whatever your actual word count ends up being!

[Prof. Amy Lupin]

I somehow found myself at the regional kickoff party for NaNoWriMo last night, so I guess this means I'll finally be taking the plunge and participating!

With just over a week to go before NaNo officially starts, it looks like I'm going to be a pantser, but hopefully as I get into writing again I'll be able to segue into being more of a plantser.

Anyone else planning on participating this year?

[Prof. Sky Alton]

Me!!!! (Quellle surprise, I know)

No idea as of yet so it will be a full-on pantsing year. I may try to continue last years romance which I loved but haven't had time to work on since. Rushing round in a panick gathering goodies and sage advice for our own regional kick-off and loving every manic minute

If anyone participating finds themselves in need of some support or a bit of cheerleading, just drop me a line.

[Katya Snow]

i'm getting so excited!!! only nine more days and i can start writing! this is my third year in a row competing (i did all the cam nano's too, save the last one)i'm planning on finishing the 'vomit draft' of my very first novel this nano and i'm so excited! i'm itching to write so much!! i really need to get myself organized though or i'm not going to have the time i need to do the writing! that would super suck. good luck to everyone!!! We can Do it!

[Prof. Sky Alton]

It's that time of year again! I know we have some Wrimos on HOL so big question is: who's braving the challenge this year? What are you hoping to write?

I can't believe how quickly it's snuck up on me! Our first meeting in my region should be in exactly 2 weeks and the planning is 'mostly' there.... except actually finding a roof to have it under (but shhhh). I'm also trying to keep the actual novel writing aspect secret from my brain which keeps blissfully forgetting that as well as organising it all, at some point time and energy needs to be found to write 50 thousand words. So, if you hear a terrible screech from the direction of the UK at some point between now and November 1st: you know why.