National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

[sojourner]

So, I am thinking about doing the challenge of NaNoWriMo to try and jumpstart my writing and keep me motivated.

Like probably most people on trekbbs I have my own personal sci-fi setting that I have worked on/daydreamed about over the years and plan on developing a story based in it. The setting is similar to H. Beam Piper's Terro-human future history and some Honorverse thrown in.

I was wondering if anyone else had taken part in NaNoWriMo or plans to this year? What are your thoughts on it?


(yea, this post is a bit short and scatterbrained. Not up to full coherency today, hehe)

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

I am seriously considering making an attempt at NaNoWriMo this year. If I do, it will be in a different genre than sci-fi. I'm leaning toward a story about a young man returning home from World War II and the changes he finds in his small home town.

To get even crazier, I'm also considering what is known as a "type-cast" entry. (Yes, written on a manual typewriter rather than a computer). I should probably be committed for my own safety.

 

[sojourner]

Found this on the forums there:

http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php

If you ignore the selling and spam on the rest of the page, the article itself is interesting.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

Interesting article - thanks for the link!

I double-checked the NaNoWriMo rules and discovered my type-casting idea won't work. Guess I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way, on my computer.

Hey fellow fan-fic writers - how 'bout it? Feel up to cranking out 50K words in November? Give it a shot!

 

[tenmei]

I tried the script-writing one but it drove me insane as I hit a writers block period right in the middle of the month.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I'll be in the process of moving to the US in November, so I doubt very much I would have the time or inclination to attempt it. Perhaps next year.

 

[Count Zero]

This thread inspired me to start work on an outline for a story I've had in my head anyway. But I doubt it'll amount to 50,000 words and that it can be done within a month. I'm a really slow writer. But it's a start and we'll see whether I'll get it done in November.

 

[Admiral2]

Signed up. We'll know if I turn out anything readable in Novermber.

 

[Trippy]

Thanks for the link!

 

[CaptainSarine]

Hi all,

Just joined the forum, am working on an ST novel to post here in next few weeks.

Will definitely be doing nano, have done for the past five years, have 'won' once - if anyone is still on the fence, try it, it is so much fun!

Joel

 

[Robert Maxwell]

While I like the general idea behind NaNoWriMo--namely, motivating people to actually write--I have a problem with it in that it focuses on quantity over quality. As part of the "rules" of the project, you are also not supposed to start work on it in any way until the month begins. This might work fine for something that requires very little forethought or planning, but if it's something of any complexity at all you are going to end up with an undirected mess, especially if you're not accustomed to writing on such deadlines.

I think budding writers would benefit more from exercises that teach you how to write well, rather than merely write a lot. Anyone can crank out thousands of words a day, if they put their minds to it. But those words won't necessarily be any good if you don't know what you're doing in the first place, or are focusing only on the quantity of what you're producing.

I think NaNoWriMo is a great project for certain people: those who have become skilled in their craft and enjoy producing quality work under tight deadlines. I think it is a very misguided use of time and effort for beginning writers, though.

 

[CaptainSarine]

Robert,

Good points there, especially that nano isn't for all writers and that it can be very detrimental if you are interested in creating quality right from the first draft.

However, I'm not sure I'd differentiate so directly between 'beginner' and 'experienced' writers - I think it has more to do with what you want to get out of the first draft. Whether I'm doing nano or not, I always see my first draft as very rough, kind of like the script of your novel. At least with nano I can have that first draft done in a month rather than spread out over multiple months. It may be rough, but as Hemingway said, the first draft of anything is ****.

Also, there are no 'rules' in nano. Just suggestions as to the best way to proceed. For myself, I generally have started working on the plot a long time beforehand and may even have a rough draft of my first few chapters done before I start. It is still a fantastic motivator to see the clock strike 00:00:00 on 1st November and know that you have one month to crank out your first draft.

I totally agree, though, this is not for everybody. I do think though that it is for some beginner writers while not for some experienced writers and vice-versa.

What does everyone else think? any other people who have done nano before want to weigh in on this?

Hope I don't offend anyone, I know I'm new here, just wanted to give you my totally biased opinion!

Joel

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Biased opinions are what we're all about here!

 

[sojourner]

While I like the general idea behind NaNoWriMo--namely, motivating people to actually write--I have a problem with it in that it focuses on quantity over quality. As part of the "rules" of the project, you are also not supposed to start work on it in any way until the month begins. This might work fine for something that requires very little forethought or planning, but if it's something of any complexity at all you are going to end up with an undirected mess, especially if you're not accustomed to writing on such deadlines.

I think budding writers would benefit more from exercises that teach you how to write well, rather than merely write a lot. Anyone can crank out thousands of words a day, if they put their minds to it. But those words won't necessarily be any good if you don't know what you're doing in the first place, or are focusing only on the quantity of what you're producing.

I think NaNoWriMo is a great project for certain people: those who have become skilled in their craft and enjoy producing quality work under tight deadlines. I think it is a very misguided use of time and effort for beginning writers, though.

Actually, if you read the FAQ, they do say you can outline and research as much as you want before hand. The actual writing process is the part you wait till Nov. 1st to do.

You're right in some respects. The main motivation IMHO is to get people over the intimidation of writing something as large as a book. Once they have broken that barrier, it will motivate them to then continue and hopefully improve their writing. I don't think anyone expects to publish the first thing they complete.

 

[McCovey Cove]

I will be aiming for my fourth win this year during NaNo. But I won't be writing Trek fanfic.

-- ZC

 

[Count Zero]

What will you be writing? And can we read your earlier novels somewhere?
I hope we're going to get to read the finished novels by posters here.

 

[CaptainSarine]

It will be really interesting to see what everyone is writing. If enough of us are doing nano this year, we could maybe create a thread on the nano forums.

So, what is everyone writing?

 

[Count Zero]

I want to write an ENT story about the Romulan War/the battle at Cheron, how it came to that, what happened afterwards and how that layed the basis for the Federation. The working title is 'Cheron'.

 

[Skywalker]

I tried this about three or four years ago, but only got like two chapters in before I got distracted by other things. I'm seriously considering giving it another try, though.

I want to write an ENT story about the Romulan War/the battle at Cheron, how it came to that, what happened afterwards and how that layed the basis for the Federation. The working title is 'Cheron'.

You're allowed to write fanfic for NaNoWriMo?

 

[Count Zero]

I didn't see anything to the contrary in their FAQ. But I'm probably not officially entering, anyway. I just see it as a little motivation.