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Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Final update:

Code:

CheesecakeRecipe	50,060
toddhunter		50,210
Kimaka			50,108
Incendiary		50,282
Ceebs 			51,355
Aaron			50,003
meijiko			50,271
CyclopsRock		50,750
Wyndstryker		50,002
Schlomo			50,062
Verdre 			50,267
Plasticine		50,686
viciouskillersquirrel	51,106
Nezumi			50,047
Norua			50,284
bakemono		50,034
Sonicbug		50,178
Sober			50,476
Mister Wilhelm		50,000
multivac		50,056
xeris			50,137
WJD			50,185
BlazingDarkness		50,131
Alur 			50,059
-Cade			50,000
Ruuppa 			50,138
mu cephei		50,071
Ashes1396 		54,000
BeesEight		51,503
Narag 			50,168
Tangent 		50,144
LuffyZoro		50,002
Shizzlee		53,408
Nert			50,003
DumbNameD		50,320
Cyan 			50,775

Whyyyy?

Code:

Prothero		46,617
Master Milk		46,000
Petit Melon 		42,172
H.Protagonist		35,237
Green Mamba		32,274
The One Who Knocks	30,000

Whaat?

Code:

ahoyhoy			29,619
Valerie Cherish		28,595
Santiako		26,000
Candeldandel		25,014
SquiddyBiscuit		25,000
Jintor			25,005
Delio 			22,000
Skilletor		21,700
Siyou			21,230
Dresden			19,435
cloudwalking		19,305

When?

Code:

Loona			14,134
ZeroRay			15,910
Mystic Theurge		13,529
RetroGamer42 		13,374
John Dunbar 		13,126
Iceman			11,916
evilwart		11,583
Esiquio			10,406
Epcott			10,223

Where?

Code:

Prince Aren 		9590
dantevsninjas		8423
Klendathu Club Owner	7842
Yeef 			7785
elry09			7646
Earthstrike		7500
Misanthropy		7240
the walrus		7198
Mifune			6973
Necromanti		6702
Weapxn			5451
GSR			5088
Lissar			5077
Aiko Heiwa		4743
Gattsu25		4379
Alien Bob		4260
choodi			4062
Diablos54		3760
nicoga3000		3706
WriterGK		3700
tiggerkiddo		3633
B-Dubs			3300
Like the hat?		3286
bengraven		3000
Martian			2669
Fine Ham Abounds	2547
Bootaaay		2392
SteveWinwood		2309
nakedsushi		2287
Where's my goat?	2000
A Human Becoming	1986
DMPrince		1924
Moral Panic		1845
SkyOdin			1703
IamMikeside		1695
Carlisle		1678
Nappuccino		1620
Ikabu			1462
On The Edge of Insanity	1300
Lirlond			1135
Fiction			1108
t-ramp			1000
Veelk			977
Amzin			971
Ichor			558
Bovadose		200
Ainaurdur		188
Vampire Baseball	53

Who?

Dragoon En Regalia 0
Megalodactyl 0
GDGF 0
Lionel Mandrake 0
terrdactycalsrock 0
vectorman06 0
Omikaru 0
jph139 0
TheFatOne 0
Crumpet Trumpet 0
Cousteau 0
RevoDS 0
lupin23rd 0
zethren 0
AnkitT 0
BowieZ 0
SlowRevolution 0
V_Arnold 0
Buckethead 0
jns 0
Grakl 0
Notrollious 0
AcciDante 0
Foxy Fox 39 0
Hato-kun 0
Aon 0
ultron87 0
Lord British 0
ArooGuy 0
Seraphis Cain 0
Belisarius 0
kudos. 0
Rezbit 0
8BitsAtATime 0
Frenchie 0
Box of Bunnies 0
Mick Swagger 0
Scribble 0
28 Posts Lateer 0
Kyzer 0
skyBorn 0
DJ_Lae 0
Monosukoi 0
Kusagari 0
Raonak 0
Mr. F 0
Agent Cooper 0
Entropia 0
wihio 0
Verbal Intercourse 0
8byte 0

OP preserved for posterity:
My fellow GAFers! Have you dreamed of writing a novel some day, but somehow never gotten around to it? Do you hate having free time? Then NaNoWriMo may be right for you.

http://www.nanowrimo.org

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

Who: You!

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: 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.

Write a 50,000 word (175 page) novel in a month? Yes it's insane, but that's the point. Write like hell, shut down your internal editor (that can come later), and just get it done.

NaNoWriMo.org said:
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.

We have some time until the start of November--enough to decide you're going to do it, and come up with a few ideas for your novel.

We had 99 GAF participants and 34 winners last year. This blew every previous year out of the water. Can we beat that shit again? Why the hell not!

I will keep this post updated with participants and their word counts.

Leaderboard:

Code:

[B]Benchmark		50,000[/B]

Wall of Shame:

.

(People in red have completed NaNoWriMo previously. The benchmark for completing 50k in 30 days is bolded.)

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Useful tools:
Software:
Scrivener: a word processor that incorporates scene and character notes, outlines, research documents, and more. Get a free trial through December for NaNo.
Q10: an alternative word processor which removes all distractions, helping you focus on your work.
Write or Die: start writing in a text box. And don't stop... or else. Give it a try, very motivating. (click the "web app" button for the online version)
Sites:
Snowflake Method: a highly recommended system that helps you get from single-sentence plot to detailed outline. I have used this several times and it was instrumental in my actually completing my novels.
Adoptions: on the NaNo forums, it's traditional to leave some ideas that other people can pick up and run with. Adopt-a-plot, adopt-an-opening-line, adopt a title, and many more!
NaNo Sprints: start your engines! Get off to the races with some NaNo sprints, where you compete with other NaNoers to write a bunch of words in a short interval. Also on Twitter.
Backwards NaNo: a slightly different way of managing your word count. It's amortized! That means for the first two weeks, you're writing a lot more than everyone else. But by the last day, you only have to write a single word! (I might give this a try this year)
Other:
How to Get and Develop Killer Story Ideas: Youtube video of a con lecture. Does what it says on the tin.
No Plot? No Problem: a book by the site's founder, intended as an aid for completing your novel and getting through the month.

FAQ:
The internets are broken?
No, the site is just getting hammered. This happens every year.

How do I write 50k words?
One at a time. Seriously though, if you can keep up with the benchmark (1,667 a day) you're golden. If you can't, don't panic, just set aside a weekend day or days to play catchup.

Any other strategies?
If you can, aim for 2000 a day rather than just keeping pace with the benchmark. This leaves you some elbow room for a few bad days later on in the month, which is a huge help. Also, try the sprints and word wars!

How do I update my word count?
They don't have very good grouping features on the site, so we just use the OP to keep up to date. If you want your word count updated, post your final word count for the day in this thread. I'll try to update the leaderboard in this post daily, most likely in the morning.

Is there any reason to actually sign up on the site itself?
Yes! First of all, you can have your novel officially validated by the site (copy/paste from your word processor into their word counter). This lets you officially win, and gets you congratulations and all sorts of fame and glory. Second, by signing up, you will get "pep talk" emails each week from famous authors. This year, that list includes Nick Hornby, Scott Westerfeld, and Kate DiCamillo.

Does my story have to be an original work of genius?
No. It's whatever you want to write. So write Brony/Thundercats crossover fic to your heart's content.

Can I/Do I have to share a synopsis or excerpts?
You don't have to do anything in this thread except update your word count if you want to be on the leaderboard in the OP. But if you want to share any of your writing, or your plot, or your totally awesome characters, please do so! It adds to the fun.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Previous results:

2011:

99 participants. 34 winners.

Code:

Misanthropy		75,101
Verdre 			50,293
bengraven		52,121
Incendiary		56,133
Rezbit			54,411
Jedeye Sniv		50,305
RetroGamer42		50,236
Sonicbug		50,590
GoncaloCCastro		52,882
John Dunbar 		50,074
Wurst			50,005
Delio			50,152
Alien Bob		50,183
bjork			52,352
BorkBork		53,722
bakemono		50,150
Ruuppa			50,426
Aaron			50,018
Souplak			51,058
Cyan			50,401
Yeef			50,073
Niblet			50,217
Ashes1396		50,000
Narag 			50,218
zaryn			50,095
Tangent 		50,050
Spruchy			50,001
Ela Hadrun		50,116
DumbNameD		50,009
FairyD			50,007
lupin23rd		50,080
Alur			51,340
Petit Melon		50,594
Ceebs			64,285

2010:

61 participants. 21 winners.

Code:

Spruchy			65,483
Prince Aren		54,590
Narag			57,000
SephriJ			50,002
Skilletor		50,004
Jedeye Sniv		50,297
Omikaru			50,163
Ceebs			51,469
Sonicbug		50,058
Cyan			50,452
bakemono		50,052
GoncaloCCastro		51,323
DumbNameD		50,071
bbsting120		51,169
Aaron			51,000
Anslon			50,367, baby
Ashes1396		50,106
Niblet			54,815
ZephyrFate		50,238
n0b			50,063
Tangent			50,902

2009:

55 participants. 13 winners.

Code:

Great Rumbler			66,843
ZephyrFate			52,002
noi5e				50,640
SephriJ				50,324
Ward				50,242
Cyan 				50,207
Sloane				50,060
koam				50,054
Yaweee 				50,030
Charron				50,021
Aaron 				50,015
DumbNameD			50,011
bakemono			50,006

2008:

32 participants. 10 winners.

Code:

Ela Hadrun			61,121
Mr. Snrub			52,734
Cyan 				51,088
Aaron				50,144
Wilsongt			50,611
Azih				50,492
Yaweee				50,049
DumbNameD			50,031
bard				50,019
Motion Picture Soundtrack	50,008

2007:

36 participants. 5 winners.

Code:

Penguin				56,126
Cyan 				51,365
The Experiment			51,078
DumbNameD			50,302
Oldschoolgamer			50,203

2006: 14 participants. 0 winners.

John Dunbar · Oct 13, 2012

i'm in, though i don't expect to get to 50,000 words this year. been in a rut lately.

WJD · Oct 13, 2012

I always say I'll take part around this time every year but I still haven't got round to doing it. Maybe this will be the year!

Dragoon En Regalia · Oct 13, 2012

I'm going to do this for the first time ever. Yes: this is rather exciting for me. I've never written a novel before, but this is a good venue to try.

Petit Melon · Oct 13, 2012

Gonna do it again this year! I think I'll write a shit novel like 50shades or Twilight. No plot or characterization required, should be a cinch! I've been wanting to try my hand at supernatural horror though. Choices.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

John Dunbar said:
i'm in, though i don't expect to get to 50,000 words this year. been in a rut lately.

Believe in yourself, ta'tonka!

WJD said:
I always say I'll take part around this time every year but I still haven't got round to doing it. Maybe this will be the year!

Great, putting your name down.

British Monsoon · Oct 13, 2012

I may try again this year, if only to benefit my discipline in writing every day - last year, in a fit of frustration, I deleted everything about 9000 words in once I realised it was utter trash. So demoralising.

Verdre · Oct 13, 2012

I'll try again. It was good fun even if I thought the finished product was mostly trash.

WJD · Oct 13, 2012

Bootaaay said:
I may try again this year, if only to benefit my discipline in writing every day - last year, in a fit of frustration, I deleted everything about 9000 words in once I realised it was utter trash. So demoralising.

I wish things I wrote didn't suddenly turn to shit upon re-reading the day after writing. Definitely the most demoralising thing about writing. Occasionally I'll write something which stands up to the "day after test" but it's a rarity.

Fusion Pizza · Oct 13, 2012

Fuck it, I want to do this, I'm gonna do something Sci Fi for sure, don't know exact details though, I really dig inter-stellar civilzations that are post-golden age, so that will probably be central.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Bootaaay said:
I may try again this year, if only to benefit my discipline in writing every day - last year, in a fit of frustration, I deleted everything about 9000 words in once I realised it was utter trash. So demoralising.

Note to other participants: NEVER, EVER DO THIS.

Seriously though, one of the key points of NaNo is writing without shutting yourself down for fear of writing something sucky. Don't go back and reread and start freaking out about how shit it is until after November!

ZeroRay · Oct 13, 2012

No shave and writing a novel in the same month.

Look ma, I'm a real writer!

Plasticine · Oct 13, 2012

I was planning on writing my second novel anyway, so I'm down.

Master Milk · Oct 13, 2012

*sigh*

I'm in. Let's do this.

Narag · Oct 13, 2012

I've been waiting for this. I'm in!

Wurst · Oct 13, 2012

Last year was an amazing experience so it hurts that I have to pass this year

.
I'm working full-time AND have to study for University. Have been doing this routine for a month and barely have any free time.. and if I find a few calm minutes I'm practically brain dead.

Good Luck, fellow writers. I'll be monitoring.

British Monsoon · Oct 13, 2012

Cyan said:
Note to other participants: NEVER, EVER DO THIS.

Seriously though, one of the key points of NaNo is writing without shutting yourself down for fear of writing something sucky. Don't go back and reread and start freaking out about how shit it is until after November!

I guess that's why I suck at NaNo - I rarely plan my stories in any great detail, so I'm always going back to make sure things fit and make sense. And it's not really a fear of writing something that sucks, but rather that I have trouble giving a damn as soon as I realise I wouldn't enjoy the story I've written, and if I don't think I can get something at least salvageable out of it in the end, it's near impossible to motivate myself to carry on.

bjork · Oct 13, 2012

I might have another go at it, but I'm not sure yet. Making it once was good though.

B-Dubs · Oct 13, 2012

OK boys, I'm gonna give this a shot. Sign me up.

CyclopsRock · Oct 13, 2012

I'm going all out for this in London this year. Going to try and go to a few writing meet ups a week.

Let's do this shit.

Delio · Oct 13, 2012

Yes!! I am so ready for this Nano. Im dipping my toes into a gay erotic novel this year. Basically a gay american host club and how the main char interacts with the other hosts and the guy over them all.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Bootaaay said:
I guess that's why I suck at NaNo - I rarely plan my stories in any great detail, so I'm always going back to make sure things fit and make sense. And it's not really a fear of writing something that sucks, but rather that I have trouble giving a damn as soon as I realise I wouldn't enjoy the story I've written, and if I don't think I can get something at least salvageable out of it in the end, it's near impossible to motivate myself to carry on.

I sort of had the same trouble at first, until I made my goal finishing the project rather than making sure it's something good and salvageable. The funny thing is, I found that as I shut down my quality filter, while the ratio of good/crap did go down a bit, because the quantity was so much higher, there was a lot more good to salvage than I would've thought. Also, you'd be surprised how much that looks terrible on the page the next day turns out to be quite salvageable when you look back with fresh eyes.

CyclopsRock said:
I'm going all out for this in London this year. Going to try and go to a few writing meet ups a week.

Let's do this shit.

Nice! I like you more the more I see of you.

Ashes · Oct 13, 2012

Bootaaay said:
I guess that's why I suck at NaNo - I rarely plan my stories in any great detail, so I'm always going back to make sure things fit and make sense. And it's not really a fear of writing something that sucks, but rather that I have trouble giving a damn as soon as I realise I wouldn't enjoy the story I've written, and if I don't think I can get something at least salvageable out of it in the end, it's near impossible to motivate myself to carry on.

Think of a bad day as a rain day on holiday. Why waste the rest of the holiday?

Note to self. The most important thing to do every day is to start writing. Once you start, things will pop.
And don't waste your creative juices. Leave all the dreaming for the writing desk.
I'm in.

tiggerkiddo · Oct 13, 2012

I'm tempted, so tempted but I'm in the middle of a story and it's super hard to just drop it for a month and then try to come back to it. I did it the last two years and finished early both times...if I entered, I would love to finish earlier than I did last year when I hit the 50K mark 14 days into the month.

CyclopsRock · Oct 13, 2012

Cyan said:
Nice! I like you more the more I see of you.

Praise indeed from such a nano veteran!

GDGF · Oct 13, 2012

Sign me up. I never finish these things, but you never know. This could be the year

(plus I've been writing reviews and profiles and the like so I would really like to get back to doing something creative)

BorkBork · Oct 13, 2012

Can't do it this year, but good luck to everyone participating. Just a tip: make sure you let the people in your life know before sinking all your time into this endeavour.

Ainaurdur · Oct 13, 2012

My attempt last year was delightfully... short. But I want to try again!

Been noticing more of the NaNo emails coming into my inbox over the past month, giving me plenty of warning that November was nigh. Plus the short I just wrote for CWC108 has whet my appetite a tiny bit.

Now to start thinking of my topic.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

tiggerkiddo said:
I'm tempted, so tempted but I'm in the middle of a story and it's super hard to just drop it for a month and then try to come back to it. I did it the last two years and finished early both times...if I entered, I would love to finish earlier than I did last year when I hit the 50K mark 14 days into the month.

Dooooo iiiiiiit.

BorkBork said:
Can't do it this year, but good luck to everyone participating. Just a tip: make sure you let the people in your life know before sinking all your time into this endeavour.

Bummer! But yes, that is a good tip.

Santiako · Oct 13, 2012

I may try this, I need to get motivated to write somehow, although I'd write it in Spanish.

Delio · Oct 13, 2012

Lord last min planning though. Always happens with me.

SquiddyCracker · Oct 13, 2012

Okay, I'll give it my best :3

Kimaka · Oct 13, 2012

I'm in. Every year I say I will do it but end up dropping out from lack of motivation. I'm going to try to finish again this year.

LuffyZoro · Oct 13, 2012

I did this last year, and think I got around 1,000 words. I can probably beat that.

Jintor · Oct 13, 2012

I'm in.

But

I have exams for the entirity of the first week. Law exams.

I'm gonna die

Nert · Oct 13, 2012

My efforts last year kind of crashed and burned, but I still want to give it another shot. Count me in!

Lionel Mandrake · Oct 13, 2012

I'm doing it. I'm going to finish this year, or else.... I'll be very disappointed with myself.

Cyan · Oct 13, 2012

Updated!

Loona · Oct 13, 2012

For years I've read about this and got intrigued, but then I forget and by the time I realize I forgot half of the month is gone - since I've been spending more time in this forum, maybe this topic hanging around will help me remember...

Cyan said:
Does my story have to be an original work of genius?
No. It's whatever you want to write. So write Brony/Thundercats crossover fic to your heart's content.

Ever since I discovered this fan-made diary of Darth Vader, the SNK fanboy in me has toyed with the idea of somthing similar for an SNK villain, and it was enough to change my favorite from Rugal to Geese since there's so much more to work with, even if there are plenty of blind spots in the character's history - could just be the topic to get me started.
Having been recently reminded that The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck exists, I get the feeling I should look into that too...
Thing is, since this pic makes me think his mother was a nun, I keep thinking I'd have to start the story with his father meeting or seducing her, which is a tricky enough kind of scene in normal circumstances, let alone involving someone who's taken a vow of chastity - I don't think there's enough reference material out there to research _that_ - then again, I tend to think of keeping that brief, as the dream of Udon handling SNK stuff like they did their early Street Fighter one is a recurring one, so scenes are best kept short in that format. On a more free-form narrative style I could get away with ditching brevity...

toddhunter · Oct 13, 2012

Sounds interesting. I have the time so I'll give it a bash.

Edit. Signed up

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/thetoddhunter/novels/when-god-gets-bored

RetroMG · Oct 13, 2012

Woooooooooo Nano Thread Subscribe get! I've been waiting for it! I'm excited about my novel and talking to people about my novel!

EDIT: Oh, and I'm in, obviously.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/retrogamer/novels/the-unchosen-one-180704

Delio · Oct 13, 2012

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/delio

Add me!

SteveWinwood · Oct 14, 2012

I'm in again! Hopefully I'll actually get far into it this time...

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/SteveWinwood

terrdactycalsrock · Oct 14, 2012

never written any kind of fiction before, and have only read a handful of novels. However, I want to try this. It sounds wacky and fun

cloudwalking · Oct 14, 2012

I'm going to give it a try this year... my first time! I don't expect to win, but I'll do my best.

Here's the link to my page: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/lauren-g/

lordfroakie · Oct 14, 2012

Looks like im in: http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/vrhodes

CyclopsRock · Oct 14, 2012

I'm heading to a pre-Nano nano meet up in a pub in London tomorrow, where people share their ideas for stories and tips. Check the London Nano page for details, if anyone else wants to come! It's literally a road away from me, so I'd be crazy not to go.

Omikaru · Oct 14, 2012

I screwed up badly last year, but for 2012 I'm back in again. Hoping to beat my 2010 final word count this year. Happy writing, everyone.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/akwinters

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