Author Topic: Novel in a month  (Read 35283 times)

The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Novel in a month
« on: October 28, 2003, 07:13:45 PM »
I thought we'd give it a thread
Entropy
Fuzzy
Fell
Saint
Gemm
MoD
HoM
are declared participants.

You have 30 days to write 50,000 words. you may not start early, and you have to finish in the time frame. I don't *think* there's a punishment other than the derision of your friends, but there you go. That's 1,666 and 2/3 of a word each day (though I don't recommend leaving off the last third of the word to be strict, you may forget where you were. That's the rough equivelant of 6.5 pages in 12pt Courier New doublespaced. Doable, but you've got to get it out.

Said novels do not have to be good (in fact, they probably won't be). Nor do you ever have to share your work. You're on your honor. Fell and/or I may or may not work out a way to share them if you like. We'll see about that.

Tip: don't correct glaring mistakes. If the novel turns out to be worth it, 2 months of revisions can fix all that. Just get the plot, banal as it may be, down.
Tip: don't go for style, go for getting the stuff out of you body. Really, like Entropy said, you've got to get the crap out first anyway, it might as well be all at once.
Tip: Seriously, don't be frustrated if it's not good.

Entsuropi

  • Level 60
  • *
  • Posts: 5033
  • Fell Points: 0
  • =^_^= Captain of the highschool Daydreaming team
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2003, 07:20:23 PM »
Just thought i would mention:

Me, Gemm and SE are on AIM a lot. SE comes on around 12:30 pm to 3pm GMT, Gemm is on all day and i am on quite often. Grab us if you need ideas.

entropytwg
gemm0987
saintehlers

Feel free to declare the subject of your novella here. Updates and morbid counting down of days are also encouraged.

Finally, good luck and have fun!
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

Fellfrosch

The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2003, 07:30:15 PM »
oh, question. Whose midnight are we using? I suggest subjective midnight. IE, since we're spread across a continent and two sides of an ocean, midnight local is when you start and stop.

Fellfrosch

  • Administrator
  • Level 68
  • *
  • Posts: 7033
  • Fell Points: 42
  • Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder.
    • View Profile
    • Fearful Symmetry
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2003, 08:53:56 PM »
Aha, I see someone already made a topic for this.

MoD, I'm willing to bet cold hard cash that your fears of "writing a novel in a month" actually translate as "writing a good novel in a month," and that's completely beside the point. I don't even care if the words you write are coherent or even connected--just give us 50,000 words by November 30 and you're golden.

If I may offer my own advice, as a follow-up to SE's, I'm going to predict that the middle two weeks are going to be the hardest--not because the job will seem too hard to keep up, but because you'll start to really like what you're writing and you'll want to slow down and take more time with it. Don't.

Also, even though you can't start writing until November 1 it seems like a good idea to start planning now.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net

Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock

  • Level 57
  • *
  • Posts: 4591
  • Fell Points: 0
  • I Am Your Worst Nightmare's Dream
    • View Profile
    • Perfect
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2003, 09:04:01 PM »
I suggest Eastern Time, since thats the only one I know, and live in. And I hate converting.
“NOTHING IS TRUE. EVERYTHING IS PERMITTED.”
                William S. Burroughs

“Who needs girls when you’ve got comics?”
                Grant Morrison’s Flex Mentallo

The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2003, 09:08:50 PM »
That's why I said local. So we all start at our own midnight.

fuzzyoctopus

  • Level 57
  • *
  • Posts: 4556
  • Fell Points: 0
  • fearsome and furry
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2003, 09:32:55 PM »
It's really only fair to use your own midnight, because if you're 2 or 3 hours off Eastern time, your sleeping/waking times will also be off.  So you might get cheated of 3 important writing-hours.
"Hr hr! dwn wth vwls!" - Spriggan

I reject your reality, and substitute my own. - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

French is a language meant to be butchered, especially by drunk Scotts. - Spriggan

JP Dogberry

  • Level 41
  • *
  • Posts: 2713
  • Fell Points: 9
  • Master of Newbie Slapdown!
    • View Profile
    • Effusive Ambivalence
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2003, 11:00:44 PM »
I can only ever finish writing something when I'm under this type of pressure. That said, I have two exams in a week, meaning I don't have time to start writing a lot everyday, since I have study to do.

That said, following the exams, I'm completely free for several months. I'd be therefore interested in participating, but only if a conisderation could be made to start a bit late.

Anyone mind/not mind? Even if people object, it sounds like a good idea, so I think I'll try doing it anyway, as soon as I'm free.
Go go super JP newbie slapdown force! - Entropy

The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2003, 11:12:21 PM »
Quote
I have a lot to do in November. Can I start in October and end early?

No. One of the best things about NaNoWriMo is the way it spreads the agony of creation throughout a large community of co-sufferers. For the pain to be properly distributed (and thereby diminished), all participants must be working on the same deadline.

(from the NaNoWriMo site....)

JP Dogberry

  • Level 41
  • *
  • Posts: 2713
  • Fell Points: 9
  • Master of Newbie Slapdown!
    • View Profile
    • Effusive Ambivalence
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2003, 11:18:03 PM »
Ok, in that case I simply can't do it. These exams are rather, err, important, deciding as they do pretty much what I'll be doing for the next three years at least.

I might have my own personal go later, since nothings stopping me. In any case, I'll be interested to see the finished works.
Go go super JP newbie slapdown force! - Entropy

Lieutenant Kije

  • Level 33
  • *
  • Posts: 1945
  • Fell Points: 1
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2003, 02:18:36 AM »
So this thing starts Nov. 1st?  Hmmm...very interesting.  I very well may participate.  Although I'm going to be typically male and not commit fully right here.  But if I do commit then I'll do it.  The right way, no cheating.

Ramble ramble ramble!

(Just warming up.)

fuzzyoctopus

  • Level 57
  • *
  • Posts: 4556
  • Fell Points: 0
  • fearsome and furry
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2003, 04:19:21 AM »
Without being specific in any way, I'm trying to decide what I should write about.  I have an idea in mind, but it needs more developing; or there's something I tried to write a while back but never really did.

Does anyone who is less of a wimp than me want to post what they're going to write about?
"Hr hr! dwn wth vwls!" - Spriggan

I reject your reality, and substitute my own. - Adam Savage, Mythbusters

French is a language meant to be butchered, especially by drunk Scotts. - Spriggan

Entsuropi

  • Level 60
  • *
  • Posts: 5033
  • Fell Points: 0
  • =^_^= Captain of the highschool Daydreaming team
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2003, 06:59:07 AM »
I can't decide. Images of atlantis, dragons, horror stories and chocolate are dancing in my head. I may just wimp out and do fan-fiction.
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

Fellfrosch

The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2003, 07:48:54 AM »
well, i shan't be doing fan fiction, that's for darn sure

The problem is, I have a lot of ideas, and don't necessarily want to sacrifice any of them to NaNoWriMo. the most recent is one about knights, but I have a LOT of material on that that's really good. I'll have to review my ideas and see if there's any I'm willing to sacrifice.

Entsuropi

  • Level 60
  • *
  • Posts: 5033
  • Fell Points: 0
  • =^_^= Captain of the highschool Daydreaming team
    • View Profile
Re: Novel in a month
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2003, 07:50:10 AM »
You could regard it as a extremely rough first draft for an idea.
If you're ever in an argument and Entropy winds up looking staid and temperate in comparison, it might be time to cut your losses and start a new thread about something else :)

Fellfrosch