Nanowrimo 2005

[Skar]

Rewrite it so that you don't hate it.

You know Heinlein said that a story was like an omelette.  You can fiddle with it while it's cooking, you can spice it up afterwards but if it's sitting there on your plate, all greasy and nasty and you don't like it, you can't put back in the pan and expect to make it any better.

And to bring that further home, when I was in college and writing two or three 5 page essays a week I discovered that the best way to turn out a good essay fast was to do two drafts.  Write the first one, throw it away in toto and then write the second one.  The second one was always a thousand times better because of all the things I learned about it while writing the first.  And two drafts was much faster than endlessly editing and tweaking the first draft.

Of course Nano isn't really about writing a "good" novel per se, is it?

2 cents added

[The Jade Knight]

A little over a thousand for the day and I'm calling it a night.

I'm still pitifully behind (projected to finish mid-January), but I am making process, and I'm learning tons about myself, writing, and my own writing process.

One thing I've learned is that I can't really write this story without prewriting randomly before each and ever writing session (it seems).

Also, I seem to be able to think/write better late at night (like now).  This is unfortunate, because it is, in part, keepign my wordcount down.

I'm not giving up yet, though.  Really, I'm only about 12,000 words behind schedule.  Not so bad, in the big scheme of things.  =þ

[stacer]

I haven't written for a week. I'm not saying I'm out of Nano, but I don't think now is a good time for me to try to push myself to write. I did finally finish one of the three edits today that I need to do within two months, which doesn't sound like much, but it's been overwhelming to me, what with traveling last month, getting the flu, and the company move. I've been so behind at work that I work late hours if I don't have to be somewhere (like FHE tonight--had to leave right at 5, which I can't normally do). So, either way I get home late and exhausted.

So, perhaps I'm not cut out to be a writer. I knew that already, of course, as far as full-time writing goes. But I'd like to clear my schedule (and my brain) enough to feel like I can get a little writing in. Perhaps next month, or January. Meanwhile, I'll continue to try to get in a little bit of writing on a regular basis, even if it is just a few hundred words a day, or less.

[The Jade Knight]

Sorry to hear that Stacer.  I hope things go better for you, and good luck with keeping your writing up.

[Nessa]

Technically I'm not doing NaNo this year, but I had to share...

I've made it to 40,000 words. Horray!

That is all.

[Fellfrosch]

How are you not doing Nano, and yet have an enormous word count?

[Nessa]

Because I started it in October.

[MsFish]

I'm still at 4,000.  I can't concentrate on anything.  This means I'm probably getting depressed again.  I hate my life.  

[stacer]

I wish I had a video camera. I'd send you a video of Mogget chasing a feather, MsFish, and it would cheer you right up!  

[The Jade Knight]

Yeah, I think we're all sucking at NaNoWriMo this year but Fell.  I'm currently running at about 40% capacity, myself (that is, 40% of what I should have at this point in the month).  And I've had a LOT of free time to do it in, too.  So I'm just stupid.

[Nessa]

Jade, for you, I think it has less to do with stupidity than frustration with your story. But you have to be motivated! I mean, I need it in two weeks to read it, right?

[Archon]

So, who's up for taking next month off, and then doing an unofficial Nanowrimo in January? It seems that there are a bunch of people, including myself, that have not had a good month as far as word count, so would anyone be in for a redo?

[Chimera]

I would. 'Course, I wasn't participating per se currently, but November is a terrible month for everyone for some reason. I would be up for doing our own nanowrimo some other month.

[The Jade Knight]

Probably not if I'm back in school then.  If not, then definitely.

I'm still hoping I might, by some miracle, succeed this month.


Though, Nessa, to be honest, I've fixed or overcome most of the problems with my story, and I don't mind it so much anymore.  My real problem lies with...

Wikipedia.

Yeah, I spend literally hours reading Wikipedia (so much knolwedge, so convenient to find!) rather than writing.

This is why I suck.  The nerd in me is winning against the writer in me right now.

[Chimera]

At least you're learning. My writing avoidance tactic is meaningless RealArcade games. That is truly a waste of time. I know this, and yet so often I can't resist...