National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

[Tuar_Ceatha]

Hi wyeuro,

Ten thousand words is awesome! Sounds like you are really writing out the tale you want to tell. I'm so glad that you and others on this board are keeping at it.

You are so right, it's not easy. I fell below the mark yesterday, but, even though it was late and I was discouraged, I'm glad that I wrote anyway, even just that little bit.

Actually, with the time change here in the states and my insomnia, this might still be yesterday, but I'm too tired to figure it out.

Peace of the day and of the night to you,

Tuar Ceatha

[Hairy Woman]

Well done for writing 10,000 words, Wyeuro.

I reached 10,000 on Friday, but did nothing but bugger about on the internet yesterday, so I wrote less than a thousand. As long as I write 2000 tonight though, I'm safe. Anyone got a rhythm going? I'm gonna try do 2,000 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 3,000 on Tuesday and Thursday. Weekends are the days I work the hardest, so 1,000 per day isn't a problem if I keep to my schedule the other days.

Still need to read through the story that was sent me: sorry.

[Bracken]

Erg. I've been so mad busy that I've written nothing since day one.
Maybe I should just shelve it till next year.

[Willowen]

Greetings to all! I am lagging behind at a total of 8,256 words, but I have decided to hang in there. Well, got to run because I want to make it to ten thousand tonight. Good luck to everyone!

[wyeuro]

well, i'm experiencing writer's block - i hope it won't last. i doodled and fidgetted all day and got nothing done at all. so i'm going to have to gear up to catch up again and get ahead of schedule if i can.
hairy woman, nobody gets time to read each others stuff so don't worry about it.

[Hairy Woman]

Thanks, Wyeuro.

Bracken, it's not too late. If you want a quicker write-up, go the recorded voice route: talk into your microphone at night just before you fall asleep, or put in on during the day whilst you're cooking, and type it up the next time you have a moment. I'm behind my target by 4,000 words because of work on the weekend (and my amazing talent at finding distractions) and this's my way of catching up. My phone has a recording button and on my way to work on the bus, I'm gonna sit there and talk my story into my phone. As a foreigner, nobody on the bus is likely to work out that I'm actually crazy/a writer and not actually talking to anyone: they'll just be feeling sorry for the 'person' on the other end who can't get a word in edgeways!

[Kima]

I haven't managed anything in the last three days and am already discouraged. I find it impossible to write as much as I was hoping without sacrificing important PhD work or crucial time with my partner. It doesn't help that I also have two jobs...

I'm trying to remind myself that my aim is to write every day and that I would like some of my writing to be fiction, that I want to set time aside for non-academic writing. And I believe that this goal can be reached and maintained, but probably not every single day. One of the reasons why I'm a NonNaNoWriMo is that I'd rather develop sustainable writing habits than binge-write for a month (no judgement here: I admire those who can, it's just not my style).

Gods, it's hard!

[Kima]

Erg. I've been so mad busy that I've written nothing since day one.
Maybe I should just shelve it till next year.

You could also set up your own achievable goals. And you still have time to catch up! In any case, better to write less than expected than not to write at all.

[Kima]

If you'll excuse me for flooding the thread, I have a question for everyone: when and where do you write?

Before the month started I pictured myself writing every afternoon in my favourite café, but what actually happens is that I write at my desk, at home, after dinner. This requires a) not having much of a social life and b) having had a productive day already.

I'm very curious about other writers' arrangements!

[Willowen]

Greetings,
Well as far as writing schedules go and having a social life this is really tough. I am behind because I took some time out on Saturday to go out with friends, and now I am really paying for it. I have come to the conclusion that for this month unless I write a lot ahead of time I won't have a social life.
For those of you experiencing "writer's block" try going for a walk that seems to help me if I get out and get some fresh air. Well got to run. Kima I hope this was of some help.

[Tuar_Ceatha]

I write in the living room.

I try to write in the morning after my husband goes to work but before I have to. We both write together after dinner.

Peace of the night time forest to you

Tuar Ceatha

[Hairy Woman]

I write wherever I can. This is usually at home, in the office, or in the cafe, where I seem to get the most done. What is your favourite section from your story so far? My favourite scene in my mind felt flat when I wrote it up (too much expectation from the build-up in my head?) but a short addition on the spot worked out well:

(Conversation between a seventeen and eighteen year-old to relieve previous tension build-up)

---
“Ye gods, it's only sixteen hours before we have to endure the torture and horror that is: 'the extended family'!”
“I'm looking forward to seeing Gran.”
“Oh, yeah, I am too. I meant dad's brother. And wife. And daughter. What've you got them, by the way?”
“Well if you don't know now then I'm not going to tell you: you'll have to let her open it and wait and see.”
“That's no fun! That's just letting my curiosity drill into me.”
“Uh, well it's more fun than just telling you. Anyway what've you got her?”
“Well if you're not telling me then I'm not telling you.”
“I'll bet it's something useless... or something really useful and boring, like a jumper.”
“Ey! You think I'm gonna give that to my seven-year-old cousin? You don't know me at all!”
“It's not going to be something really inappropriate, is it? Like 'A Brief History of Time'? I remember how you fell out with your best friend when you were twelve, but their parents and ours still made you go.”
“She'd been spreading nasty rumours about me at school. Just goes to show how much people change to get in with a crowd.”
“You gave her a jar of your bogies.”
“Haha! Oh, the reaction as she and her mum worked out what it was inside!”
“It wasn't a small jar, either. Like one of those pickle jars. And mum never found the courage to speak to that mum again. Where did your other jar go to, by the way? I haven't seen it since you emptied it into my bed five years ago.”
“Oh, it's around somewhere.”
---

I do not see either jar of bogies making an appearance in the story.

[wyeuro]

For those of you experiencing "writer's block" try going for a walk that seems to help me if I get out and get some fresh air.

yep, i spontaneously did that, and it did me a lot of good but i'm still going off in a dream instead of getting on with it. i've been playing bejeweled, too, when that happens until i feel focused again - that helps. i'm behind schedule, but starting to catch up - 11845 is my word count.

[Willowen]

Greetings,
Wyeuro I am so glad my suggestion helped you, and Hairy your dialogue is hilarious!
It was just what I needed to get me out of a slump. I just finished 13,567 so I am good for today, but I hope to get ahead tomorrow a little bit since I don't have to work.
Here is some dialogue from my novel where my main character is remembering an incident with her horse. Critique is appreciated.
Due to his inherent appaloosa nature he has a habit of getting into things he shouldn’t. For instance the time he managed to disconnect the neighbor’s cable TV. The line had been nailed to a power pole and Byron thought it looked like an excellent pull toy. So he proceeded to rip the line off the pole and string it across the pasture. The funniest part of the incident was when the cable television repairman showed up on my doorstep with the oddest look on his face. I laugh out loud at the memory.
“Excuse me Mam, but the folks across the street said that you owned that horse in the pasture over there.”
The man was quite good looking and I made an attempt to smooth back my unruly hair from my face before I replied, “Oh yes, what may I do for you?”
“Well Mam, is he mean?” I couldn’t help giggling at the man. “Well not usually. Why what has he done this time?”
By this time the man’s face was beginning to turn a vibrant shade of red. “He took my damn tool belt and my tools and he won’t give them back!”
I grabbed my jacket and a lead rope off the coat rack and headed out the door. “I am so sorry. He really isn’t mean, he just gets bored and he can’t resist tools.”
When we arrived at the pasture, there stood Lord Byron looking quite smug with the tool belt still in his mouth. Defiantly he shook it, dropped it on the ground and took off running like the hounds of Hell were after him.
“Lord Byron, you get back here right now!” I yelled this at the top of my lungs, knowing full well that I wouldn’t see my horse until dinner time.
“Hey lady! I need my tools. I still have to nail this cable back up.”
“Hmmm, well in my opinion you might want to come up with a different plan for the wire because Byron will just pull it down again.”
The man looked at me with complete frustration in his eyes. I could see there wouldn’t be any dating in our future. “Look Lady, I will handle that part. Just find my tools!”
As I jog home I grin at the memory. Angelique’s home for dysfunctional animals has a nice ring to it. Oh well, it isn’t as if they are not in good company. After all, look at their misfit owner.

[Reyna]

Well, I've written exactly ZERO words for NaNo-GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I have, however, written 3 term papers, re-written one twice, and am currently working on #4. So-I think I have kept up with everyone in terms of words Now if only they could count, LOL!

[Willowen]

Well, I've written exactly ZERO words for NaNo-GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I have, however, written 3 term papers, re-written one twice, and am currently working on #4. So-I think I have kept up with everyone in terms of words Now if only they could count, LOL!

Well Reyna it sounds like you are doing an excellent job keeping up with your school work and I think that is excellent! I am currently at 16,311 words and still trying, but I don't have term papers to write and a little one to keep up with. I think you rock!

[Hairy Woman]

I'm at 18,500 words, but only because I managed to write 3,000 yesterday. If I don't do the same today and tomorrow, then I'm going to fall behind because I don't really do any writing on the weekends. I've stayed up until 3 a.m. too many nights in a row now Can't keep doing this: 'tis not healthy or sustainable. Wish me luck!

Reyna, you've got your priorities straight. Good luck with it all! Julia, I'm glad what I wrote made you smile, and I liked what you wrote. I can give you a critique proper for certain sections after the event, if you'd like.

[Reyna]

Thanks Julie! I am have to say, I'm jealous of you all writing stories, I want to read them all!

[Kima]

Well, I've written exactly ZERO words for NaNo-GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I have, however, written 3 term papers, re-written one twice, and am currently working on #4. So-I think I have kept up with everyone in terms of words Now if only they could count, LOL!

I feel like you Reyna! I wrote something but have completely fallen behind schedule. I've had way too much work teaching this week and what leftover time I have is for my thesis. Like you, it's not that I haven't written in the last days, just that it wasn't for my fiction project.

[Tuar_Ceatha]

Happy Full Moon everyone,

I think it's in Aries. Maybe it will lend me the will to power through 1667 words tonight. I need it!

It's really nice to share this with so many kindred spirits.

Blessings of the crabapple tree, shelter of the lunatic,

Tuar Ceatha