Pep Talk: Nano!!
November 5th 2008 19:17
As I'm at 60K, I think I have the right to say I know a little something about Nanowrimo.
The first year, it's a challenge to hit 50K. You slog through it day after day. Sometimes the words flow perfectly, and other days they simply refuse to come. Some days you get your minimum with ease and go well beyond it. Other days it's a struggle just to get to that 1, 667 words for the day. Believe me, I know; my first year was difficult, but I managed.
What to do when your plot gets dull or caught up in stupid details, or when your characters have gotten so bored that they can't do much other than repeat the same conversations? You simply shake things up a little bit. Nanowrimo isn't about quality or coherence-it's about having a fun time and writing more than you thought you were capable of in one month.
So you go to the forums, find yourself a dares thread, and then go to town on it; you take as many as you like and you just keep going. You write as much as you can with those dares, and perhaps they'll give you an interesting new sideplot or two to explore.
Get ahead now, because a lot of people have more trouble keeping themselves going during week two; they fall behind then and have to struggle to catch up in week three, when the excitement of 'I'm writing a novel' finally returns to them.
Your second year is said to be the hardest-the infamous Sophomore Slump. Mine was, because Daddy was dying then. I only got to 35K, but I have to say that the writing-and the friends that I have thanks to Nanowrimo-kept me going through all of it, and I was disappointed in myself.
No matter if it's your second year, just try and you will succeed. Struggle through it, and if life tries to get in the way, tell it to go crawl into a hole and die-writing a novel is a lot more fun than just about anything that could distract you, anyway.
Or, you can write or die:
Really Long Link
Good luck!
The first year, it's a challenge to hit 50K. You slog through it day after day. Sometimes the words flow perfectly, and other days they simply refuse to come. Some days you get your minimum with ease and go well beyond it. Other days it's a struggle just to get to that 1, 667 words for the day. Believe me, I know; my first year was difficult, but I managed.
What to do when your plot gets dull or caught up in stupid details, or when your characters have gotten so bored that they can't do much other than repeat the same conversations? You simply shake things up a little bit. Nanowrimo isn't about quality or coherence-it's about having a fun time and writing more than you thought you were capable of in one month.
So you go to the forums, find yourself a dares thread, and then go to town on it; you take as many as you like and you just keep going. You write as much as you can with those dares, and perhaps they'll give you an interesting new sideplot or two to explore.
Get ahead now, because a lot of people have more trouble keeping themselves going during week two; they fall behind then and have to struggle to catch up in week three, when the excitement of 'I'm writing a novel' finally returns to them.
Your second year is said to be the hardest-the infamous Sophomore Slump. Mine was, because Daddy was dying then. I only got to 35K, but I have to say that the writing-and the friends that I have thanks to Nanowrimo-kept me going through all of it, and I was disappointed in myself.
No matter if it's your second year, just try and you will succeed. Struggle through it, and if life tries to get in the way, tell it to go crawl into a hole and die-writing a novel is a lot more fun than just about anything that could distract you, anyway.
Or, you can write or die:
Really Long Link
Good luck!
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Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
But reading that, I surely do recognise my own self sabotage...I like the question - Whats the goal? Because mine used to be - 'to create, to tell a story so interesting people are enraptured' and it became - 'to be published and write for a living' how hollow! How Unfulfilling!
It also doesnt help that when I think, gee, why dont I write anymore? My friends say, "You know, when you were fat you wrote all the time. You always had new stories" Huh. That was when I lived in suburbia and had nothing to do. Now I live on acres and have 4 young horses to train. Time is not a friend!
But Im heavily inspired to get my lovely 'Savage' out again....Im actually rewriting the prequal in my head already, always a good sign!
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Go for it! Reach for the stars-or however far you like-with your writing.
My stories have entirely changed themselves and I've acquired a new one. I'm having some motivation struggles with one of them, but otherwise I've been very productive the last few days.
This is because I'm sick at home and have nothing to do.
(I would've been even more productive if I was just home with nothing to do, but the sickness is somewhat counterproductive.)
And I haven't used Kamikaze mode, but I promise you that the sound on Normal really is painful.
~Dianna