Nanowrimo 2006

[starkiller]

So are any members of the board doing Nanowrimo this year? If you are, let me know what your writer name is, and I'll add you as a writing buddy. My profile is here: www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=1761

Not quite at 30K words yet, though. Sigh.

[Virgil Reality]

Er no

Please explain ( not to sound like Pauline Hanson or anything..)

[liz]

This sounds awesome! If I weren't taking extra classes this month at the University I would surely do this as well; but now I'm way too busy. Good luck with this, it looks awesome! Keep us up to date

[starkiller]

admin said:

Er no

Please explain ( not to sound like Pauline Hanson or anything..)

LOL.

Nanowrimo is an international writing thingy. It started out as being the US only but has grown over time to become international. The goal is to write 50000 words of a novel in one month. I've done it for several years, only failed one year (boo!) and succeeded the other years, although last year, after an act of extreme stupidity on my part, deleted my entire novel without saving a backup. Not even the many and varied restore programs I used could find it again. To say I was annoyed at myself is a huge understatement.

This year I'm now up to 35000+ words, and I'm quite proud of that, due to the fact that it's only the 11th. I'm writing buddies with one of my friends from the US and one of my long time local buddies who is currently living in London.

As to the specifics of what Nanowrimo is, from the info page:

NaNoWriMo is all about the magical power of deadlines. Give someone a goal and a goal-minded community and miracles are bound to happen. Pies will be eaten at amazing rates. Alfalfa will be harvested like never before. And novels will be written in a month.

Part of the reason we organize NaNoWriMo is just to get a book written. We love the fringe benefits accrued to novelists. For one month out of the year, we can stew and storm, and make a huge mess of our apartments and drink lots of coffee at odd hours. And we can do all of these things loudly, in front of people. As satisfying as it is to reach deep within yourself and pull out an unexpectedly passable work of art, it is equally (if not more) satisfying to be able to dramatize the process at social gatherings.

But that artsy drama window is woefully short. The other reason we do NaNoWriMo is because the glow from making big, messy art, and watching others make big, messy art, lasts for a long, long time. The act of sustained creation does bizarre, wonderful things to you. It changes the way you read. And changes, a little bit, your sense of self. We like that.

More info here: www.nanowrimo.org/modules/xoopsfaq/index.php?cat_id=1

[starkiller]

liz said:

This sounds awesome! If I weren't taking extra classes this month at the University I would surely do this as well; but now I'm way too busy. Good luck with this, it looks awesome! Keep us up to date

It's really good fun - a great motivator to write, too. Several of the people on the local board for my city are doing final exams AND Nano at the same time - better them than me, is all I can say! I don't think I'd be able to cope with that much stress all at once. I'm too old for that nowadays, hahaha.

Just got over the 35K word mark, so yay for that!

[Virgil Reality]

Thanks for the explanation. What a goal to strive for.

I was thinking "November? Unfortunate timing for Aussies receiving or imparting education with the end of the acadmic year nigh upon us." And then you go and mention that some people are trying to do both!! Good luck to them. As you say, too old for such self-imposed stress.

I take it you post a diary or somesuch of your progess and thought processes during the month? And results are published on line for feedback from others?

[starkiller]

Weeelll....some people do post bits and pieces, some don't. I'm one of the ones that doesn't, because until I edit the hell out of it, it's not worth reading, imo. I haven't really decided what I'm doing with it yet. I rambled a bit about the writing of it on my LJ, but I was slack yesterday and didn't do any writing at all, so now I have to make up for that. Bad Star!

[JenoWhatIMean]

I really love the whole idea...I started a little experiment with my boyfriend...I write some when I get home from work, then he adds some when he gets home, or the next day. It's turning into kind of a memoir, from both of our perspectives...and a neat way to keep in touch on our work days when we don't see each other much. I was hoping I might make the 50,000 words by Dec. 10th, but at this rate, I don't think we can. Just not enough hours in the day. Maybe next year.