Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related NaNoWriMo 2007 - Sign up now! Mere hours till Nano starts!!

Okay guys... NaNoWriMo is MERE HOURS away!! It's time to start contemplating story idea's and making outlines in preparation for the big month.

So who is in? Last year we had one great fic come out of NaNoWriMo, which was LaraMoon's Reversal of Fortune so it would be neat if we had more people participate this year to see what the community can do.

It can be any type of novel so it doesn't have to be a fanfic. Even if you aren't writing a fanfic come join in on the thread to tell us you are writing. ^_^ The more the merrier!
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For those of you who have no clue what NaNoWriMo is:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and -- when the thing is done -- the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

In 2006, we had over 79,000 participants. Nearly 13,000 of them crossed the 50k finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists.

So, to recap:

What: Writing one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time.

Who: You! We can't do this unless we have some other people trying it as well. Let's write laughably awful yet lengthy prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.

When: Sign-ups begin October 1, 2007. Writing begins November 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach the 50,000-word mark by November 30 at midnight. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

Here are some nice articles and tools for your Nano Experience:

How to Win NaNoWriMo is 5 (no 6!) easy steps.
Printable Plot Planning Worksheet
NaNoWriMo Report Card

If I could only find a cool "what if?" type idea... *sniffles* Because I so totally want to do this again this year. I'm just lacking the right little spark that's going to get me started and turn into something cool.

...and I hope that a few other people from here are going to join this year. It's such a wonderful challenge to take on!! Come on, people!! If I could make it, right in the middle of the most insane month of the year at work, anyone stands a chance of completing this!!

Haha, well that's why it is good to start thinking ahead of time. you have two whole months to find that story.

Maybe you should look through the fanfic challenges and see if anything sparks your interest? ^_~

hey cool idea the whole month-long writing fest etc...

sounds like fun


now if only i had the time

oh yeah, and if only I lived in the states


btw
do you guys play it via a fanfic motif, or just plain anything goes???

It's not organized through lcficmbs, actually. It's a national organization. And really, anything goes I believe. It doesn't have to be fan fic.

I looked it up after I read the wonderful Reversal of Fortune story that Lara wrote. It sounds so fun! I'm going to have to see how my homework looks this year, but maybe I could give it a shot... maybe. Thanks for reminding me of the contest, Jojo!

I have an idea. It's not a fanfic idea, but it's something I came up with the other day, so... I might. But I can't imagine finishing it when I only have evenings and weekends to do it. But I know thousands of other people have done it (including Lara last year!) so that's no excuse for not trying.

Here is what the NaNoWriMo website says:

Can I participate if I'm not American?
You bet! We are very proud to be an international event, and don't consider the "National" in the title to refer to the United States. This is an event for all nations. We'd change the name to "International Novel Writing Month," but InaNoWriMo doesn't roll off the tongue in quite the same way.

Lisa: It actually is weird. It is a neat little exercise and after the first few days you hit this weird point where writing becomes easy. At first you still want to pick over it but after a while you learn to just write. It is amazing what your mind will start to pump out and how fast you will write. There are tools to help you gage how fast you are writing as well and I think you only need to write about 1700 words a day (actually less but 1700 lets you finish a little early). It's not so bad if you think about it. ^_^

It's very interesting to let yourself just write. If it is something you want to share later you can edit it the next month... but it sure is fun to see those pages grow and grow.

You'd be amazed at how many people from all over the world try it. And some don't even write in English - I've seen stories in French and people discussing their efforts in French on the boards as well.

There are stats that you can look up. For instance, I know that in the Montreal region (or at least, for people who listed Montreal as the region where they are) there are 60 people who completed the challenge last year. I think it's kinda cool to be in such a select club.

Lisa - evenings and weekends is all I had. And some weekends, I sat there and did nothing but write... I remember weekends of over 10000 words. *lol* But it was really lots of fun!

And I'm really glad that it turned into a story that people enjoyed reading (thank you!!) but just the fact that I can say that I started it and finished it - the accomplishment in itself - is worth more to me than any Kerth noms that I got for it.

As JoJo said - it does get easier as you go along. Honest to goodness, it really does. I started out not really knowing where I was going and then eventually it's like words just started pouring out of me, literally. The secret - to me, anyway - is to just write and write and not worry about polishing your story. Don't worry about finding the actual perfect word right then and there - put in a word that works, you can go on a quest for perfection later. While you're writing it, just concentrate on getting words out, sentences aligned and paragraphs out on the page. You can polish and fix the story when you're all done, once you start thinking about posting it. Which, you know... you don't even have to, if you don't want to.

Just go on, try it. You know you wanna!!

I'm giving it thought.

James and I have talked about writing Black Leather over Kansas for years. He's given me permission to take over the project for him, but I've written bupkiss so far--not even an outline, although we've verbally fleshed it out. Recently, I toyed with the idea of writing the intro only, just so I could say I'd done it and move on to something new, but that wouldn't really do it justice.

However, I'm not sure I could leave my family wifeless and motherless for a month to do it. And also, IF I finished (that's a big if considering less than 1 out of 6 accomplished it last year) who would betaread a full length novel--even if I did do a rewrite in December and January to polish up the many rough edges?

Elisabeth
who's still thinking

Okay, I hadn't realized what 50,000 words looked like. No, In Any Language was 48,000 words. I always thought of it as a novella, but I suppose a novella is just a short novel.

Elisabeth
who has passed the link on to my local homeschoolers group. Wouldn't it be neat if a few of my friends would participate, too? Oh, that's right. I'm just thinking about it.

Elisabeth, if you homeschool you may also want to pass this one on as well:

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/ This is the nano for school teachers and their kids.

Rules: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/modules/xoopsfaq/index.php?cat_id=8

Just a FYI for everyone. In 9 days you can sign up for NaNoWriMo on the website if you didn't last year. ^_^

When you do post your names up here so we can all keep track of each other.

~Jojo, who came up with her NaNo idea this morning. ^_^

I wish they'd extend this writing to include NONfiction. I have no time for the fun work of fiction.

I also wish they'd move it to the month of November. I have a feeling all the support everyone gets from these boards in accomplishing their goals would lead to some really great paper production on my end!!

Capes: It starts in Novemeber. Sign ups for the website start on October 1st.

Also this is taken from the website:

How do you define "novel?" Does fan fiction count? What if I want to write interconnected short stories rather than a novel? What if my story is largely autobiographical, or is based on a real person? Can I still write it in November?

We define a novel as "a lengthy work of fiction." Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you're writing falls under the heading of "novel." In short: If you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel too.

Really you can write whatever you want.

The main idea of this event is to get people interested in writing who normally wouldn't believe they could write. It is also to help raise money for not only the site to continue this program but also so they can start programs to help kids all over the world learn to read and write. Most recently they were partnered with Room to Read .

Just a reminder to everyone that sign-ups begin today. ^_^

They will start this evening. If you are going to participate it would be nice (but not necessary) if you post your nick here so that we can put you on our friends list.

The friends list lets you keep up with your friends progress and you can see how many words each person has written. ^_^

Woo! I can't wait.

Years, er...Decades ago( gosh, am I that old!?) I outlined, all on A floppy, a five world federation of planets, got all the details worked out and...wrote only one story about it.

Five days after I finished the story, the disk got wipe clean in a freak magnetic accident (read, I have become a backup freak).

I was devastated and didn't write ANYTHING again and swore off writing until I found the FOLC community some 10 years later. That was (GASP) 12 years ago.

I am going to sign up and write another story from that same universe based on what I can remember of it.

I already have a basic outline written, as of today.

James

I even updated my Avatar for the occasion!

Oooh! On my way to sign up right this instant!!!

ETA: um... ok... I'm a little over excited, sign ups only open this evening. I shall endeavor to relax a little in the meantime.

Sign-ups still aren't ready. *sniff*

Lara: I'm pretty sure we will just use our sign up info from last year. ^_^

I keep hitting refresh on the site...

No guarantee I'll actually get to do it, but I'd like to have the option...
Carol

WOOHOO! I'm in:). Same nick as here.
Carol

I am signed back up as jojo_da_crow

^_^

Now to really nail down the story I want to write, Gah... outlines outlines.

Signed up as MrsMosley!

I'm using mr_d8a.


James

OK... I'm in. hehe! (as LaraMoon - in case anyone wondered.)

Adding you guys! I'm Anna B. the Greek there too.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

ETA: That is... *when* it allows me to add you.

I'm game. Thought about it in previous years but wasn't brave enough. Or maybe it was laziness. Anyway, I'm up for it this year. Not sure what I'll write yet. Maybe one of those sequels I've promised? To Away from the Sun or Wherever You Will Go. Who knows?

Signed up as KSaraSara.

Sara

Just a question...

I've added 5 buddies and yet can only see jojo_da_crow in my list. The sites 'says' I have 5 buddies, though...Am I doing something wrong?

James

D8a right now they are in the middle of an overhaul on the sight and changing things. The authors profiles are brand new this year and they expect to have some bugs. I figure I'm not going to mess with anything for at least another week while they stabilize and the site picks up speed. Right now they are getting hammered by everyone trying to sign up again.

I figure it is just a glitch on their end.

The only one I can see is JoJo too - though I've got 5 or 6 [first I could only see... I forget who. Then I added someone and still saw the first person. Then I added LaraMoon and could only see her. Added a couple others then JoJo and now can only see JoJo - you must be special!!!

Of course, it also says we all signed up in 1969...
Carol

*lol* yeah, they're having issues...

[q] I'm game. Thought about it in previous years but wasn't brave enough. Or maybe it was laziness. Anyway, I'm up for it this year. Not sure what I'll write yet. Maybe one of those sequels I've promised? To Away from the Sun or Wherever You Will Go. Who knows. [/q]

YAY!! More 'Away From The Sun'!!!!!

Go for it Sara!!!

I finally got around to signing up. Since Elisabeth is a popular name, my log-in name is Elisabeth_queen_of_D8aland

I also signed up as a teacher, but I haven't signed up my students, yet.

>edit< BTW, they're not allowing me to add anyone to buddy lists right now. Apparently, it slows down the system.

Elisabeth

Just a little article I have found about nano:

http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/novel-way-to-pass-the-time/1070092.html

How is everyone's outlines going?

Okay, I've taken the plunge. I've signed up under the name 'aromassa', which I use on ... every site except this one

I don't have a specific story idea, yet. But it will definitely be an L&C fanfic. My muse keeps throwing so many ideas at me that it's hard to choose one in particular. Maybe I should combine a few... just to get the word count up there.

Here are some nice articles and tools for your Nano Experience:

This is a great article for those of you who have never done Nano. It helps you see just how manageable this really is:
How to Win NaNoWriMo is 5 (no 6!) easy steps.

Need some help planning the outline? Here is a nice printable worksheet to help you plot it out:
Printable Plot Planning Worksheet

This is a link to one of my favorite tools. It is a spreadsheet that helps you calculate how much more you have to. It has all kinds of neat features. ^_^ You don't have to use it but sure is it fun. To make this work for 2007 all you have to do is change the dates down the left side to 2007 instead of 2005.
NaNoWriMo Report Card

If anyone else has any tools they want to add please let me know and I'll stick them in the first post. It's gonna be a great year!

Ooh! Thanks for the links to the tools, Jojo!

Is everyone excited, yet?

/me wonders if she could start Mon and finish 11/22 or if that would be cheating...

Carol [who has her outline done and is itching to start it but who instead should spend the next two weeks getting her schoolwork done so she can do as much fic writing as possible in Nov...]

Haha well part of the fun is the fact that every day you upload what you have done to the website and it counts the words for you. You can't start doing that until the 1st. I suppose you could start when you wanted though.

~jojo, who is holding off till november.

Well, I've signed up. *fret* This whole 'plot' thing scares the bejeebus outa me...

Sadly, I couldn't think of an LnC story to write that would be long enough (except for one I've already started... >.>) so I've decided to dig up an old Farscape story I started and will work with the notes I have for that. (No worries, gonna start the actual story from scratch, so yay me!)

ZOMG 50,000 words in a month was I INSANE??

(truthfully, the only reason I considered this was because I have most of November off... course, I'll most likely STILL not get all 50K words done... Oye!)

Are we getting excited???

One more tool for you:

http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters

Two different word meters to show your progress. ^_^

Well, I signed on as sheilah, which is my nick here and on zoom's boards. I'm working on an original novel which I only have the vaguest idea of where it's going, so I guess I'll find out next month.

Although this is the first year I've signed up for NaNoWriMo, I actually had to write at that pace (1670 words/day) for two weeks when I was writing Without a Trace two years ago, and I was working fulltime for over half of it. What I discovered is that the words began to flow at 2 or 3 times my normal pace. As one of the world's slowest writers, I usually average 250 words/hour, but under the gun like that, I was consistently producing 500-750 words/hour, so instead of taking me almost 7 hours a day, it took between 2 and 3. And I could only count words that I kept for the final draft, which I don't have to worry about this time, so I should be able to write even faster.

When the writer of the 5 or 6 steps article mentions something that is even before a first draft, s/he is referring to "free writing," which is what a NaNoWriMo novel actually is, a totally unedited sort of stream-of-consciousness flow.

To do it, set a timer for 10 minutes, turn off your computer monitor, and start typing without stopping, without correcting, just pouring what's in your head onto paper. When the timer goes off, set it again, turn the monitor back on, and clean up some of the garbage on the screen. You'll have to get rid of those places where you typed "I don't know what to do now," or those long strings of "and and and and and" that occurred when your brain stalled momentarily.

But if you do alternating 10 minute bursts of free writing and editing, you'll find that 2000 words/day isn't that impossible to achieve. It also lets you use short periods of time (a fifteen minute break am and pm, time left over after eating lunch before you're due back at work, etc.) instead of thinking you can only work when you have plenty of time.

I haven't signed up any friends yet, but I'll get to it. Will you open a thread in this forum, too, jojo?

BTW, the guy who originated NaNoWriMo, wrote a book entitled, "No Plot? No Problem!" because he did it the first year without even an idea of what he was going to write about, and he discovered what the plot was over the course of the month. However, I've done a lot of pre-planning already in the form of character development and world building, and I know where I want my plot to go--just not how to get there. I guess I'll find out next month.

I'll be glad to open any threads you guys want in relation to NaNo. What type of thread are you wanting? A fresh one once we get started so everyone can share their word count? Something else?

I'm game for anything!

Yeah, I was thinking of a fresh thread for word count, or possibly one where we can list a one sentence description of our novel. This was the first thread in the fantasy forum of the Genre Lounges:

Sure! I'll go ahead and make a new thread tonight. I'll put a little Q&A about stories there. I have seen it being done in several places that way. ^_^

Also, I have to share two things that made me giggle:


Nano wallpaper someone did: http://scarlettarcher.deviantart.com/art/NaNoWriMo-Wallpaper-VIII-67546459

My NaNo icon: [img]http://pics.livejournal.com/neitherday/pic/0063a42b[/img]

Because that one was just to funny to pass up. If you guys are interested in NaNo icons:

http://community.livejournal.com/nano_icons/