National Novel Writing Month

[Deleted]

And I'm IN!

benni said:

Maybe I'll just write about the Greecies.

Yeah! FanFic! Always a good idea or at least a good start.

I'm at a dinner party and it's like I'm channeling a family Thanksgiving dinner! Only this time somebody is going to die! There just won't be a turkey carcass littering the dining room table.

No censoring, no editing, just let it rip.

[GirlyGhoul]

I'm about a day behind in the word count so far. (I had a massive migrane last night and only managed about 500 words before I had to give up and call it a night ) I'm doing much better today, but I don't know if I will be caught up to where I should be. Hopefully I'll catch up more on the weekend.

I don't know if Princess Sparklepoo will manage to wing her way into the novel, but I DID manage to work the word "Coloratura" in there. No hippos yet either, but the month is young!

I'm already learning somethings about my writing habits. I'm more productive when I write by hand first. It takes longer of course, but I seem less likely to get stopped by Internal Editor. Also, I thought my kitchen table would be the ideal writing spot, but the lighting is terrible there. I think that's what made my mild headache go straight into migraine territory- so I'm just going to write in the living room or bedroom (or break room when I'm at work) like I always have. I just got the idea that a change of scenery would make things flow smoother- but live and learn I reckon.

[zacandmax]

Ok, so after a day of trying I finally got on the website to sign on. That site must be on overload with everyone trying to do a word count and what not. Anyway, I'm already behind the eightball. Also, I'm finding it very difficult to not edit myself and spellcheck. How do you all deal with that?

The good news is, I have almost 3 pages already, and I just started this evening. Hopefully I will be able to catch up this weekend, as long as I can stay out of this board!

[girlnamedcarl]

Man, I have got to get some kind of outline going. Right now, I'm just trying to write it start-to-finish, and I've got a vague idea of where I want it to go, but I think I really need to plan it out better. It's a mystery, so everything has to make sense.

Still. I'm at 3763 words so far, which means I'm just a weevil's hair ahead of the average pace. Yippee!

[dwanollah]

I'm outlining like mad. But not madly enough. *grumble* I think, with the cutting-and-pasting, that my word count has actually DECREASED since last night. *sigh*

[GirlyGhoul]

I downloaded a novel writing software and I am so happy I did because I have been jumping from chapter to chapter and I have been finding it so much easier.

What software did you get, Benni, if you don't mind my asking. (P.S. LOVE the Princess Kitty avatar!).

As I'm going along, I sometimes think of a scene that would take place in a later chapter, but have just been jotting notes down to save that for when I get to that chapter. Being able to jump immediately to that chapter and just do the scene would be quite handy (and would up the word count!)

Unless by jumping from chapter to chapter you mean you're zipping through them at record speed (which of course would also be most beneficial)

I'm still behind by at about a day's worth of words. I got about 1700 done yesterday, but that doesn't make up for only getting 500 the day before. I'm not too panicked about it, though. (Not yet anyway). But I am amazed at how strong a hold my Internal Censor has on my brain. The words aren't flowing as freely as I was hoping, and I catch myself re-reading after a few paragraphs and making edits.

Plus, I'm very easily driven to distractions. Last night, my cat tried to jump up in my lap and instead of just pushing him aside, I went to elaborate lengths to set up a comfy chair for him to sit beside me. I mean, I'm sure he appreciated my efforts on some level, but that was a good 15 minutes wasted. Then my friend winkie called and true she caught me at a very good stopping point, but I was all too eager for the interuption. I wanted to talk to her, but if I'd been in a more writerly mode I would have set a time limit on our conversation. Instead, I didn't even bother checking the time until she realized SHE had to get back to work. My brain was still going "work, DUH, what work?"

So moral of the rambling- discipline is not my strong suit. . But I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Just [Bob Dylan] Keep on Keepin' on[/BD]

[girlnamedcarl]

I've got to get past this internal editor stuff. I found myself pausing last night searching for the exact right word a couple of places. I imagine that at some point, I'll get over that need and just throw a verb in there. Maybe I'll highlight the words or phrases I'm not in love with as a note to myself to polish them later. Like, December later.

[Benni]

This is the novel writing software I am using. A girl I have been corresponding with in my region said that pretty well everyone uses this in our region.

spacejock[/color]

I love it because I can't seem to finish a chapter at a time. The way I write is outline the 10 chapters and then go back and fill in the bits and pieces as a time when I think of them. When you are setting it up you can make it so you can do a chapter at a time if you prefer to write that way. There is lots of things on it like a dictionary and thesaurus if you right click on a word. Well you just have to download it yourself and see. The first time I closed it without saving and I thought I had lost everything after typing for 2 hours but I didn't. Whew!

[Deleted]

From now on, I'm going to ask you, to time our call so as not to interupt your work, Girly! Its all about the novel!!!! And our Wahini Woo project.

[Deleted]

In my quest for the 50,000 word novel, I, for one (Hmmm, if I use the first person I could use all that stream of consciousness crap and that would really fill up the word count, if the character thinks... but would it work for astral projection?), am ignoring this sort of advice.

Fie, Fie on you Dwanollah! (Hmmm, double curses, wait, triple curses!)

There will be no Immodium of Spell Checks and the exactly correct word to stop my creative flow!

Oh and does anyone know a good site for the basics of Field Hockey? Evidently one of my characters plays the game.