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Novel Writing-Age: NaNoWriMo 2014
- Thread starter Cyan
- Start date
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Dead Prince
Banned
mechanical keyboard. because let's be real. all that clicking > * and it might drown out any problems you may have ;P
A coworker helped me to hone my idea. Instead of just writing a number of different stories....write a number of different stories in different genres that still tie into the same world and central theme. How a neighborhood handles a crisis of some kind with each story having a bit of crossover at different points. Snowflake >>
That sounds potentially hard to write, but a really cool concept. Love it.
That just gives me an idea for a future novel, lol.=p
Well you're welcome. : )
Well thank you. : D
I didn't read your notes. Scouts honor.
Necromanti
Member
This is precisely what I'm doing. (Well, kind of!)
Necromanti
Member
Don't worry, it's written in invisible ink. Somewhere...
I have the opposite problem. You're free to outline my story if you want instead.
Elfforkusu
Member
Throw it all out and chain 10 of your (apparently infinite) short story ideas together into a twisting, turning epic!
Union Carbine
Member
As much as I love software, I'm outlining my story old school-- index cards. I can't seem to replicate the feel and process of using physical cards on my PC: writing out, laying them out, shuffling them around, etc.
Nope keep going!
Dead Prince
Banned
tablet ftw. ;P jk
Wish I could do something like this. My hands cramp after a good ten minutes of holding a pencil or pen.
Union Carbine
Member
I've got tablets. Even with the touchscreen, it's just not the same. Maybe I'm just fixated on physically being able to handle the cards. What app do you use?
Just crested 40K words, still another 14 chapters to finish outlining.
This book is pretty much going to write itself.
FlowersisBritish
fleurs n'est pas britannique
Is anyone else doing any practice writing? Not preprep, but like random short stories or whatever to prepare for the 1666 words a day. I'm trying to work to a pace of at least 1250 a day writing random shorts before the challenge so it's not too harsh a jump when the first comes around.
I write something most days. Either parts on short stories or poems. And not necessarily on paper either.
How long does it take you to write 1250 a day?
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I've got huge gulfs in my preparations for Nanowrimo. Need to shed some of my thoughts and leak em on to something more permanent. Or at least less ephemeral. Twice, I've caught my self thinking of a solution I've already found!
FlowersisBritish
fleurs n'est pas britannique
Depends on a lot of things. Around an hour in a half if I'm really focused and know what I'm writing. Usually longer though cause I like to pause and think, or goof around on the internet after every couple hundred words. I really need to devote a specific time of day to this. Make a schedule or something. It be nice if I had a desk too :/
Last Nano, I was writing around my sleep cycle:
http://blog.bufferapp.com/the-best-time-to-write-and-get-ideas
My sleep cycle alternates to the american sleep cycle, even though I live in London due to night shift work.
SquiddyCracker
Banned
I'm actually doing some proper prep-work this time around.
Done:
Need to do:
In fact, I wouldn't mind some feedback on the magic system I've come up with.
Quote to see.
Done:
- Basic story outline.
- A couple of character outlines
- General world history
- Magic ground rules
- Locations
Need to do:
- Evolutionary history of the sentient species
- A map
- More character outlines
- Clear up the third act
- At least one fictional language
In fact, I wouldn't mind some feedback on the magic system I've come up with.
Quote to see.
viciouskillersquirrel
Member
I just made the switch from iPhone to Android and I mostly write on my phone. Does anyone have any recommendations for decent replacements for iaWriter or Writeroom? In-built wordcount is nice to have, but Dropbox sync is an absolute must. Anyone able to help?
Also, I've heard of third party keyboards that help with accuracy and speed. Any recommendations regarding that?
Also, I've heard of third party keyboards that help with accuracy and speed. Any recommendations regarding that?
Wiktor
Member
What you need are energonomic keyboards, those that are broken/bended in the middle, like The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop or one of those KB Kinesis makes.
Just wanted to say thanks for this- I completed in 2012, but last year tried something more complicated plot-wise and collapsed in on myself half way through. I've been doing all the stuff in this book and am now sitting with an actual proper outline finished 2 weeks before we start, which seems insane to me. woo!
I am gonna give it a go this year!
Just decided after a discussion at work gave me a really loose story idea. I have a place and a time period just need to work out everything else. Quite excited to get started, although I know Im leaving it a little late compared to most of you guys in terms of prep work. This thread is very inspiring and full of useful tips though, glad to be a part of it.
Just decided after a discussion at work gave me a really loose story idea. I have a place and a time period just need to work out everything else. Quite excited to get started, although I know Im leaving it a little late compared to most of you guys in terms of prep work. This thread is very inspiring and full of useful tips though, glad to be a part of it.
As a followup:
I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much.
Taken from the essay Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott.
Anybody have any good advice or online resources when it comes to choosing between the different types of first or third person perspectives?
Despite having never written anything longer than a short story I've decided that I want to complicate things further by telling a tale from the differing perspectives of a half-brother and sister. I've worked out it's probably best for them to alternate chapters.
Despite having never written anything longer than a short story I've decided that I want to complicate things further by telling a tale from the differing perspectives of a half-brother and sister. I've worked out it's probably best for them to alternate chapters.
RadicalRad
Member
Same here! I've also been telling all coworkers and friends about it too! I have to apply so much social pressure on myself so that I can't back out even if I want to!
matthewwhatever
Member
The NaNoWriMo founder is doing a webcast on it right now (8 PM EST): http://www.blurb.com/workshops/nanowrimo
fredrancour
Member
Go to writingexcuses.com and search through the archives for any podcasts on first and third person, and different types of each.
I believe that generally third-person is advised if you have multiple viewpoint characters. A big part of first-person is how characters' voices color the narration. Making distinct but complimentary ones can be harder than third-person switching, which is a problem for nano. You don't want your reader to hear, "and then I did stuff,"and go, wait who's "I"in this chapter again?
On the other hand, it's nano. If you naturally find first person easier to write at a breakneck speed then worry about voice and clarity if you ever revise the thing.
Disclaimer:i am a shitty author. Take my writing advice with more salt than an angry video game fanboy drowning in the dead sea.anything intelligent i say on the subject was probably regurgitated from somewhere else, and may not be reproduced perfectly.
Okay, my outline is finally finished at ~15.5K words, plus another 27K words of world building and character sketches for a total of 42K in pre-writing alone. Jesus Christ.
Maybe that 10:1 ballpark still holds true, as I can very easily see this being somewhere in the neighborhood of 150K. Maaaan, no way I'm going to finish this monster in November.
Maybe that 10:1 ballpark still holds true, as I can very easily see this being somewhere in the neighborhood of 150K. Maaaan, no way I'm going to finish this monster in November.
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
NaNo hard mode!
Man, I did anything but slouch last year and finished up at 77K with a few days to spare (because let's face it, my real deadline is Thanksgiving). And that was with me taking three weeks off from work!
If I can match or beat that, I'll be impressed, but I can't fathom doubling it.
Fix it in post!
?Impatience is starting to set in, it needs to be November 1st so I can finally start writing this
Oh well, I'll just plan out some more stuff in the meantime.
Same, I really can't wait to start writing! Compared to last years, I'm a lot more hyped for my new story.
timetokill
Banned
Fuuuuuuuck I really gotta figure out my damn plot.
Thanks, I don't think I'm a good enough writer to overcome that problem with two first person views so I think third person limited will be the way to go.
fredrancour
Member
You're welcome. It's also possible I am overstating the problem. I've never tried juggling first-person perspectives myself, hence the obnoxious self-deprecating disclaimer in the other post.
Petit Melon
Member
I cannot for the life of me figure out what I want to do with the second half.
This year, my novel is about a young boy who was abandoned by his parents, with only a coin in his pocket. The coin has a particular symbol on it that he sees everywhere from government murals to pop videos (think of how the illuminati conspiracy theorists see evidence of them everywhere). He decides to run away from his adoptive home to search for the meaning behind the symbol but... what is the meaning? What will he find?
I HAVE NOTHING. ;_;
edit - awww crap top of page
This year, my novel is about a young boy who was abandoned by his parents, with only a coin in his pocket. The coin has a particular symbol on it that he sees everywhere from government murals to pop videos (think of how the illuminati conspiracy theorists see evidence of them everywhere). He decides to run away from his adoptive home to search for the meaning behind the symbol but... what is the meaning? What will he find?
I HAVE NOTHING. ;_;
edit - awww crap top of page
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