How much prep for NaNo?

[logophile]

Just out of curiousity, how much prep do most of you NaNo-ers do before November? I want to work on my outline, etc, but it kinda feels like cheating. Do you do it all in November? Just free-flow words on to the page (screen, same thing), or follow thoughts and plans that have been laid for a while?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Sassy Grrl]

NaNo?
Do I need a secret agent decoder ring to play along?

 

[carsonshepherd]

Just out of curiousity, how much prep do most of you NaNo-ers do before November? I want to work on my outline, etc, but it kinda feels like cheating. Do you do it all in November? Just free-flow words on to the page (screen, same thing), or follow thoughts and plans that have been laid for a while?

Thanks everyone!

If you feel a novel coming on, why not just write it now?

 

[TheEarl]

NaNo?
Do I need a secret agent decoder ring to play along?

NaNoWriMo : It means National Novel Writing Month and the idea is to knock out a 50,000 word novel within a month.

I couldn't do it to save my life, but it's become something of an AH tradition.

The Earl

 

[yui]

Just out of curiousity, how much prep do most of you NaNo-ers do before November? I want to work on my outline, etc, but it kinda feels like cheating. Do you do it all in November? Just free-flow words on to the page (screen, same thing), or follow thoughts and plans that have been laid for a while?

Thanks everyone!

Hey logo,

You can do as much prep/research/outlining as you want to do; you're just not supposed to start actually writing until November 1st.

The Nano site is still up and the forums are still active. During November they're very active. It's still fun just to go to the Character and Plot Realism Q&A forum (and the others) and just look around. The thing to remember is that some of the individuals are really young (the minimum age is 13, I think), so some of the posts seem very juvenile (or the answers to questions very obvious).

Search for some of the "What's your Nano about?" threads and read the plots. There are some really, really crazy, clever, wonderful writers/would-be-writers out there.

I didn't finish my Nano but I enjoyed the experience.

Luck to you,

Yui

 

[logophile]

If you feel a novel coming on, why not just write it now?

Cause I'm not as good as you!
Just kidding. I'm kinda gearing up for it. I have two different ideas and I'm working of flushing them out. I think writing a novel when hundreds of thousands of others are writing one as well would keep me inspired.

Or maybe I'm just a joiner.

No, in all seriousness, I'm a deadline kinda girl. I'll work better if there's a finite end point.

Blah blah blah!

es for Carson.
And for Yui!

 

[carsonshepherd]

Cause I'm not as good as you!

Stop ! You are! You're a passionate and amazing person with a gift for expressing yourself honestly, even if it's not idealized. You see clearly. I admire that about you.

back

 

[logophile]

Stop ! You are! You're a passionate and amazing person with a gift for expressing yourself honestly, even if it's not idealized. You see clearly. I admire that about you.

back

God I love you! I know you'll never swing my way but maybe you could be like, my brother, or something. Hey, I never gave my kids godparents... Maybe you should be Uncle Carson?

 

[carsonshepherd]

Beware uncles who take kids to R-rated movies and give them their first hit of a joint

 

[logophile]

Beware uncles who take kids to R-rated movies and give them their first hit of a joint

Aww, that's not scary. I already have an older sister itchin' to be "that" Auntie.

I'm jackin' my own thread.
So who else preps for NaNo ahead of time?

 

[impressive]

I think writing a novel when hundreds of thousands of others are writing one as well would keep me inspired.

Like one big circle jerk?

 

[yui]

Like one big circle jerk?

Stop! You're making me hot!

 

[impressive]

Stop! You're making me hot!

Geez! Then "stop" is the WRONG word.

 

[Liar]

Prep?

 

[carsonshepherd]

I did write a novel-length work in 6 weeks. I didn't plan it, it just happened. I had no idea that it was even novel-length until NaNo came and I wondered, "Hmmmm, how long is that story anyway?" I counted it and it came out to 59,300 something words - just short of a novel.

In my opinion, if the right idea comes, it will take control of you and make you write it. If it doesn't, maybe it was never meant to be a novel. But that might just be how my inspiration works, and other people do it differently.

 

[Alex De Kok]

NaNo 2003 - Main characters established, 2 or 3 sentence description of what I wanted to accomplish in each chapter. Result? 50k words at a canter. Still not finished for various reasons, but I like what I have, and when I can find some time I plan to get on with the 20-30k words it needs to be finished.

NaNo 2004 - Nothing prepared. Launched myself into it with only half an idea, which didn't work, so restarted. I have 50k words, but most of them need a lot of rearranging and sorting to get anywhere near a coherent novel. THere are some good bits, I think, so if the novel doesn't work there could be some short stories. Time, as ever, is the biggest hurdle.

NaNo 2005? Maybe . . .

Alex

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

I never really did any prep. The first year, I even switched gears and started completely over with an entirely different storyline about a week and a half into it. I didn't fair well last year. Less than halfway in, I just gave up because I knew it was hopeless.

 

[Guest]

Just out of curiousity, how much prep do most of you NaNo-ers do before November? I want to work on my outline, etc, but it kinda feels like cheating. Do you do it all in November? Just free-flow words on to the page (screen, same thing), or follow thoughts and plans that have been laid for a while?

Thanks everyone!

Hi Logo!

For me, this not only applies to NaNo, but for any other novel I've written, too: I don't plan!

I never have done and I probably never will do. I wrote both NaNo's (2003 & 2004) on the fly, as I did with two other novels. All my prep is done in my head; I have a vague idea of the main characters, the plot (inlcuding a beginning, middle and end) and the tone of the entire piece. Although, the plot is liable to change at any given moment.

Writing that way, I find, is incredible fun, and I wouldn't want to do it any other way. It really is like reading a novel while writing one.

You seriously could write a novel (or even two) before November, and do another one for NaNo. I'll definitely be doing it again, and I'll be whipping everyone up here to join in again, for the third year running.

Lou

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Preparing for NaNo?

Are you SURE you want me to open my mouth here..?

 

[Belegon]

Like Logo, I seem to work better under deadline...I always hit better in the late innings too...I think I just have this twisted part of me that actually likes the pressure.

I am considering going for it this year and I will definitely have something already in mind when I start...

 

[Sabledrake]

I only did NaNo for the first time last year, and I made very few preparations. Round about October, I had a title, an idea, and a few index cards with character descriptions and places scribbled on them. I have never been so under-prepared to write a book. Yet, incredibly, I finished. This year, I'm going to do a little more planning in advance, but not much. I kind of liked the headlong without-a-net plunge of it all.

-- Sabledrake

 

[logophile]

I usually write without a net. I just kinda have an idea and go with it. But I'll need to do a bunch of research before I launch into this one. Or scrap and write the sticky-sweet love story that's also been plaguing me.

I appreciate everyone posting their prep preferences. I'm kinda excited about actually trying to write my first novel. And a little scared. After I finish it, I have no idea what to do next... Oh well, I probably won't even finish so it'll be a moot point.

Thanks everyone!