NaNoWriMo

[Rhiannon]

NaNoWriMo Official Site

I know some of you are familiar with this already, but many are not. NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month - is a challenge issued to anyone and everyone interested to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. More information can be read at their website, but the rules are simple: you can't start writing until November 1st, what you write has to be new (not editing an older work), and to "win" (though there's no prize, except to be on the Winner's List and get a nifty icon on the Nanowrimo boards) you have to write 50,000 words (verified by their word counting software) by midnight, November 30th. You can prewrite (make character notes, outline, sketch, doodle, and panic) before the 1st, but you can't write the actual text.

I've never participated before, but I finally got the guts to this year (or lost the brain cells). I'd like to hold this thread open for mutual support for others here on the Scholars taking the nanowrimo challenge (and for discussion of it itself).


Let me give a basic gist of what I'm doing with my own novel and why.

In early 2003, my grandfather passed away after a battle with leukemia. I was at peace with that, because of the incredible relationship that he and I had (which was mostly developed and shown in silence). I've wanted to try to write about that relationship for a while now, but I have been too reluctant to; firstly because of fear of my own grief, and secondly because of fear of my own writing abilities (a phase I've gone through before).

The idea behind this novel, then, is of a young Native Peoples girl (fictional; I'm not going to put the research in on a real group), a healer by trade, who must deal with her grandfather's death, as well as his dying wish that she take his place as a warrior of the tribe. The main text of the novel will deal with her struggle to understand her grief, and her struggle to change her path in life, while remembering back to times with her grandfather as a girl. Beyond that plot, so far, I don't know.

So, who's participating, and what are your ideas? I know at least one Scholar has to be as crazy as me.

[Ranbir]

If only this was over the summer where I had absolutely nothing to do!
Curse coursework assignments!
This could have really helped me get a going on my historical novel.
The expect quality to be sacrificed in favour of quantity too!
All I can give is support I guess. I like your plot idea, it would be interesting to find out, what the conclusion ends up being.

[Rhiannon]

50,000 words is about, from what I remember, a 135-200 page paperback novel (depending on the size of the pages and of the print). It's about 1650 words a day, which is about 6 pages in Word (double spaced). So yes, it's a considerable amount - about 180 typed double spaced pages, on average.

[Ts'aoist]

I wish I could participate in something like that.
It could be a real motivating force.
No time though. Not right now.

[Rhiannon]

Oddly enough, the sticking point about NaNoWriMo isn't about having time. It's about making time.

A lot of people say they'll write a novel when they have time. This challenge forces you to make time, to realize that it can be done. I have a lot of free time on my hands now, but I wasn't anticipating that for this month, and I will still be devoting a lot of time to other pursuits. I'm determined, however, to make time to write. Else, how else will I write?

[Kong Wen]

Oddly enough, the sticking point about NaNoWriMo isn't about having time. It's about making time.

I don't know about Ts'aoist, but I know that "making time" isn't possible for me unless I have some time to make it in. I have 15 hours of class per week, plus menial apartment-running tasks and immense piles of reading/writing/researching to do. I'm lucky if I can make time for things I am going to be marked on!

But I can guarantee that if I had a regular job, perhaps, I would have no problem making that kind of time. Only that I am too lazy to when I finally do have the time off.

[Rhiannon]

I know what it's like, somewhat, to be in that kind of position. Oddly enough, I've found that even then, one can make a half hour or hour in one's day to do something for oneself.

It is hard for college students especially though, and I doubt that in four years when I'm finishing up a second BA or perhaps working on my masters, that I'll be so eager to jump in on it.

[Kong Wen]

But hey, I'm more than willing to be a writer's support resource during NaNoWriMo. I never knew about this before you brought it up, so I will probably end up participating during some November during my PhD (when I should be writing my dissertation). I can spare a month away from that.

[Kong Wen]

Jaime, if you think it'll be an encouragement, I am going to start keeping track of the combined word counts of all the essays I am writing this month, as though they were contributing to a greater project. I'll put it in my location so we can be competitors (a la RTK8).

[Rhiannon]

I was wondering why I suddenly saw a NaNoWriMo count there in your location. I think it is encouraging, so please, do keep it up. It'll be fun.

Sadly I'm behind; I should be at about 12,000 words right now, and I'm only about 6,000. I plan to write hard this week. It's been more of an act of distractedness or laziness than anything; I think I just don't take good enough breaks.