NaNoWriMo 2019 Hangout

[whowrotethisshit]

Nanowrimo.org sent out an email, it's time to announce your novel.

Figured I'd start a little board here so we can all cry together. If we all cry together it becomes a religion or a cult or a hell-mouth I think. Hell yeah.

I have amassed a king's fortune of sugar-free peanut butter cups and I am ready to rock'n'roll except I don't have a plot, an idea, or even a place in mind.

If you don't know what Nanowrimo is? It's National Novel Writing Month in which people take on the task of writing 50,000 words in a month, preferably of a brand new novel. Though, if you choose to work on short story collections and working on old manuscripts, you will not be alone.

You can learn more at nanowrimo.org

And here's Og's guide: https://www.literotica.com/s/complete-nanowrimo

 

[oggbashan]

To succeed:

1. Plan your time allowing for days when you won't be able to write.

2. Plan what you want to write.

3. Persevere.

4. Aim for at least 2,000 words a day to allow for unforeseen interruptions.

5. Don't get distracted by posting on this forum or NaNoWriMo cafes, etc. You succeed by writing, not talking about it.

6. The only person you are aiming to impress is yourself. Only you will know whether you have done it. Cheating is too easy.

 

[Hypoxia]

I have amassed a king's fortune of sugar-free peanut butter cups and I am ready to rock'n'roll except I don't have a plot, an idea, or even a place in mind.

A plot: People experience troubles but persevere.
An idea: Multiracial incestuous cuckoldry.
A place: Buckingham Palace.

Run with it. How fresh are those treats?

 

[BelleCanzuto]

To succeed:

6. The only person you are aiming to impress is yourself. Only you will know whether you have done it. Cheating is too easy.

If I'm 40k words into a story and mange to crank out the last 10k by December 1st, is that cheating or success?
otoh, or by the same token, or something
If I'm 40k words into a story and it takes another 50k words to tell it properly and I do *that* by December 1st, is that cheating or success?

What I'm trying to say is, im 40k words into a story, and i want to finish it, but i'm not sure it wants to be finished...

 

[whowrotethisshit]

Things I use to help me during nanowrimo. I've done it off and on since 2011, mostly winning.

1. Cold Turkey Writer: It's an app I downloaded on my computer and you can set a timer, set the words, or just open it. It allows you to write distraction free (there's no way to get out of it until you do the work or the timer's up. Trust me, it gets glitchy and doesn't work above 10k words. Don't open 10k word files in it, it just cannot handle that. Focus on little pieces and just copy and paste it to whatever writing program you happen to be using.

2. https://www.squibler.io/writing-prompt-generator : I used this before there was a prompt generator but now I just use it without the prompt. You could use the prompt? I don't care for them.

3. I download all my Atmospheric sounds; fires, rain on a tin roof, etc. Onto my computer or on my phone. Youtube is my enemy because of course I need to watch a video on how Quaker women roll their hair or how to make a victorian dress fit my 2019 hips better.. but I shan't. I won't.

4. Pen and paper on a timer, see if you can fill the page up by the time it's done. Usually there's something good there.

I use this stuff because once I'm in my writing zone, I can stay there for long, long, long periods of time but getting to that place can sometimes feel like pulling teeth. There is no trick that will help if you aren't willing to do the work and write like a motherfucker.

I also use this stuff when it isn't November.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

A plot: People experience troubles but persevere.
An idea: Multiracial incestuous cuckoldry.
A place: Buckingham Palace.

Run with it. How fresh are those treats?

I am on it. Well, one finds it hard to know how fresh treats are when biting into sugar free chocolate. It's kind of like gnawing on cement unless you put them in your back pocket and let them warm up.. like some sort of gross goblin.. i don't do that. And you can't prove it.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

If I'm 40k words into a story and mange to crank out the last 10k by December 1st, is that cheating or success?
otoh, or by the same token, or something
If I'm 40k words into a story and it takes another 50k words to tell it properly and I do *that* by December 1st, is that cheating or success?

What I'm trying to say is, im 40k words into a story, and i want to finish it, but i'm not sure it wants to be finished...

For it to be a nanowrimo success, you have to write 50,000 words in the month of Novemeber. 10,000 words would fall short of that. It's "technically" supposed to be a brand new story, word vomited out in the month of Novemeber but A LOT, even famous people who got big fat book deals, have used nanowrimo to force a pile of 50,000 words out of their body like toothpaste that owes you money.

As Og says, you're impressing yourself. You're the only one who knows you truly wrote 50k words and didn't copy and paste a wiki article over and over again.

 

[Hypoxia]

For it to be a nanowrimo success, you have to write 50,000 words in the month of Novemeber.

I'd be constrained there, what with Day of the Dead fests, medical drama, birthdays, a distant T'giving visit, and an impending asteroid strike. I'd be looking at 5k words/day while accommodating my partner's and my injuries.

As Og says, you're impressing yourself. You're the only one who knows you truly wrote 50k words and didn't copy and paste a wiki article over and over again.

Aha! I have just the model to emulate -- a song, NOTHING by the East Village Fugs. Tune: an ancient drone chant.

Monday, nothing
Tuesday, nothing
Wednesday and Thursday, nothing
Friday for a change, a little bit of nothing
Saturday, once more, nothing

[repeat N times, translated into Latin, German, Esperanto, etc]​

Using that model, write 150-word paragraphs (334 of them) instead of song verses, and don't bother with translation; merely let each mutate into the next.

THE SUN ALSO MOONS US

Ch.001: "Oh no," Jan squeaked hurridly, "it's only 10 minutes past sunset in Denver, too early for partying with the Aardvarks, Barnowls, Chinchillas, or Droogs. Well, I can always... [list dozens of activities here] ...and sing."

Ch.002: "Oh no," Dean squawked hazardously, "it's only 15 minutes past sunset in Monaco, too early for partying with the Barnowls, Chinchillas, Droogs, or Everclears. Well, I can always... [delete first item, append another] ...and swallow."

Ch.334: "Oh fuck," Fran frowned fruminously, "it's only 10 minutes till sunrise in Sicily, too late for embalming the Republicrats, Scheissmeisters, Troglodytes, Ungulates, Venusians, Waltons, Xenophiles, Yarbles, and Zenobias. Well, I can always hang my head out the window and scream, scream, scream... [repeat as needed] ...until my head pops."

THE END.​

Critical things happen in chapters 112 and 223 which delineate Books I (Here!), II (Where?), and III (There!). Shit, I could probably knock that out in a couple days, even faster than the pulp author who deforested Canada.

Yeah, it's too easy. I won't impress myself. More medications, please.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

Critical things happen in chapters 112 and 223 which delineate Books I (Here!), II (Where?), and III (There!). Shit, I could probably knock that out in a couple days, even faster than the pulp author who deforested Canada.

The critical things are 14,000 words dedicated to describing an old coat that hangs in the closet, and the writing is beautiful, elegant while the rest of the story is all about telling, no showing. And, most critical of all, a llama named Macaroni.

 

[Hypoxia]

The critical things are 14,000 words dedicated to describing an old coat that hangs in the closet, and the writing is beautiful, elegant while the rest of the story is all about telling, no showing. And, most critical of all, a llama named Macaroni.

Or G. Washington Tesla. "Stuck a llama in his hat and called it G. Marconi."

A one-L lama, he's a priest.
A two-L llama, he's a beast
But I will bet my silk pajama
You won't find any in Alabama​

You could probably plagiarize the coat description from public domain Jack London texts. The rest could come from the 1900 Sears-Roebuck catalog. Rename everything and it's fresh as can be. For fun, the llama is actually a crossdressing alpaca.

 

[SynSlave]

I've done it before - never been happy with most of my products for a variety of reasons. But I'm curious: anyone submit a story here because of Nano? I think a list (even just trackung in the forums - doesn't have to be on the site) would be a hell of an idea... assume someone's brought it up or tried it in the past.

Would be a good promotional tool even unofficially; good traffic, even if its marginal. More importantly to me, I'd be interested , lol. Even if no one else is that interested and even if it's something non-erotic, there's an overlooked category for that. So i might this year, since you mentuoned it. I saw the email and ignored it, but this might have worked.

 

[Javahead]

Or G. Washington Tesla. "Stuck a llama in his hat and called it G. Marconi."

A one-L lama, he's a priest.
A two-L llama, he's a beast
But I will bet my silk pajama
You won't find any in Alabama​

You could probably plagiarize the coat description from public domain Jack London texts. The rest could come from the 1900 Sears-Roebuck catalog. Rename everything and it's fresh as can be. For fun, the llama is actually a crossdressing alpaca.

These days, you’d likely lose your silk pajama on that bet. It’s amazing how - relatively, anyway - common llamas and alpacas have become.

This might, of course, be your intent. Otherwise, you may be left (Ogden) gNash-ing your teeth in embarrassment.

 

[Maeven_quinn]

To succeed:

1. Plan your time allowing for days when you won't be able to write.

2. Plan what you want to write.

3. Persevere.

4. Aim for at least 2,000 words a day to allow for unforeseen interruptions.

5. Don't get distracted by posting on this forum or NaNoWriMo cafes, etc. You succeed by writing, not talking about it.

6. The only person you are aiming to impress is yourself. Only you will know whether you have done it. Cheating is too easy.

2100 on weekdays. 3200 on the weekends. Why? Because I find the quicker I get to about 28k, the more fun and relaxing it is.

I've failed Nano one year out of six. I blame the depression I was in that year. Other than that, writing like maniac the first two weeks never fails!

 

[oggbashan]

2100 on weekdays. 3200 on the weekends. Why? Because I find the quicker I get to about 28k, the more fun and relaxing it is.

I've failed Nano one year out of six. I blame the depression I was in that year. Other than that, writing like maniac the first two weeks never fails!

I have only done it formally once because I find it too easy. For my 12-part Flawed Red Silk series I set myself additional targets - to write, edit, post and have every part appear on Literotica, considering the then delay in posting, before the end of NaNoWriMo. I succeeded but it was a rush because of the delay in posting then. The 12 parts are still the same as they were when written.

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

A plot: People experience troubles but persevere.
An idea: Multiracial incestuous cuckoldry.
A place: Buckingham Palace.

Run with it. How fresh are those treats?

Isn’t that the autobiography of Queen Sophie Charlotte?

Edit: Answering my own question, no; there was no cuck.

These days, you’d likely lose your silk pajama on that bet. It’s amazing how - relatively, anyway - common llamas and alpacas have become.

This might, of course, be your intent. Otherwise, you may be left (Ogden) gNash-ing your teeth in embarrassment.

Perhaps substitute vicuña for alpaca to keep them guessing!

 

[oggbashan]

...


Perhaps substitute vicuña for alpaca to keep them guessing!

Or a Gnu:

https://youtu.be/OPgo6s1lBbw

 

[Vix_Giovanni]

Or a Gnu:

https://youtu.be/OPgo6s1lBbw

This is fantastic!!

 

[UsuallyPresent]

-snip-
What I'm trying to say is, im 40k words into a story, and i want to finish it, but i'm not sure it wants to be finished...

They never want to be finished. They never want. They can't want - they're stories. It is your call to finish, or not to.

Sometimes it's best to not finish, honestly. Other times a major change throughout the text can make it soluable. In still others, it's a minor change. Best of all worlds, however, is when you can take your 40k words and create a piece of work you're happy with. That's the goal, isn't it?

And of course your goals may be different - perhaps you want saleable product, perhaps you want a trenchant political slam for your opponents' preferences. Whatever your goal, that's the trick, finishing, isn't it?

Whichever your path, whatever your goal, you've got people here to curse and commiserate with.


{I just hope I don't sound too Yoda-like here.... "To finish or not, it is your call"... }

 

[UsuallyPresent]

This is fantastic!!

I have to say I have a weakness for pigeons...

 

[oggbashan]

...

{I just hope I don't sound too Yoda-like here.... "To finish or not, it is your call"... }

That's why I am posting a compilation of my unfinished stories because they are an accumulation over 13 years of stories that I put aside to think about later. I haven't got much 'later' and have a large pile left of ones that I am more likely to finish.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

Or a Gnu:

https://youtu.be/OPgo6s1lBbw

Thanks for this gift.

He sounds like a deeper-voiced Cyril Ritchard to me which is terrific.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

I have to say I have a weakness for pigeons...

Just so you know, you've handed me a song that I am going to sing to friends and partners for the rest of my life against their consent. You did this. You had a part in this. You gave it to me. It's mine.

 

[WatchingCloud]

Little slow in nano prep this year, but think I've finally picked a story from the pile of unwritten ideas. Going for my 14th consecutive "win." Little more pressure each year to keep the steak alive, yet I've got all those years of experience to know what works. Guess it balances out.

Good luck to everyone participating!

 

[oggbashan]

Bump. Start very close now.

 

[whowrotethisshit]

Okay, so I made a whole new Nanowrimo profile to announce this novel. They used to have a little button for you to share you stuff but this year, I cannot find it. So here's my thing: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/whowroteit/

My project is called, for the moment, "Rounds" which is short for Breeding Rounds. I'm hoping an official title comes to me before December. I'm about 6,000 words in right now, I'll check that amount when I'm back on my laptop later. I've got a 2,000 word outline that's barely scratching the surface.

My story is basically about a man named John who works for a culty type religious organization on a compound. I bet you can guess the rest. This story was supposed to be short and I wasn't supposed to think too much about it but I did and now I have separate pinterest boards for all of the gals and it's become a whole giant story in my head.

I like how they've updated the site so you can say you're working on short stories and if you've already started, what your starting word count is. Anything that saves me from math is alright by me.

Other than the nanowrimo project I'll also be writing:

Two holiday stories for the winter contest and I'll need to finish and polish my Pastiches de Oggbashan story. Those are my side-story priorities but I'm also trying to finish a series called Hunted (I'm having such a hard time with titles lately, they're usually the first thing to come to me. I have a whole draft folder full of nothing but story titles.) and a few short stories to finish.

My plans are:
Big burst on November 1st. Hey, that rhymed. I'm off work that day so I'll have a pot of coffee in my thermos, a protein bar, and will be chained to my desk as soon as I wake up. I'm too old to do it at midnight now.

1,700 words when I first wake up. If I put them off, I dread them.

Pre-nano advice to myself:

-That I FINISH the story. Don't just make it to some abstract word goal, finish the story.

-You've planned, don't just slog it out. Don't put boring ass scenes in the middle of the ones you planned. Make your scenes interesting, they should have a purpose! Do not slog. Your editing self hates your guts.

-Do not give up exercise. Yes, that wonderful little morning slot is now reserved for writing but right after, get your butt on a trail. You're cranky and depressed when you don't get out and breathe fresh air and get your body moving. You're going to be really sorry on that thru hike if you don't keep up your miles now.

-Talk to people. Your younger self holed up and isolated herself from the world for so long and it took a bunch of jobs and a lot of anxiety attacks to undo that damage. You don't have to do that to yourself. Talk to your siblings. Talk to that insane man who loves you. TALK.

-You don't have to buy into the over indulgent, selfish "self care" uwu bath bomb and cancel plans bullshit. We all know you're a hardened little feral possum who would sooner chew off her own leg than admit she needs a warm shower with nice smelling soap and to deep condition her hair. Take the shower, eat a donut, stop being an idiot.

-Remember that you like writing. Don't burn yourself out. Dive in, explore the world. You don't have to use every single piece of what you write. But hey, you can count it anyways nobody's gonna tell on you. Gillian Flynn used that experimental writing in her Cool Girl monologue and you know what, maybe you can too.