Wednesday, November 02, 2005

nanowrimo

November is "National Novel Writing Month." The idea is that every aspiring, uninspiring, perspiring, or whatever writer will write so many words a day, and then by the end of the month he or she will have written a novel of 10,000 words. Or something to that effect.

Last year, Selene and I committed to the adventure with PJD. I wrote a page, Selene wrote a few chapters, and PJD actually finished his work. This year, I actually have an idea for a novel, so I am planning on tackling this project again. I wouldn't go so far to say that it's a good idea, but, hey, it's an idea.

So are you in or out?

14 comments:

PJD said...

You know I'm in. And it's 50,000 words, doncha know. Just making sure your expectations are set appropriately (that's roughly 1700 words a day, or 2000 a day if you take Thanksgiving and Sundays off).

Glad to see you are trying again! Last year I got to about 56,000 words in November, then finished the first draft of the complete novel in March (approximately 70,000 words).

The liberating idea of NaNoWriMo is that your only goal is the word count. Quality is Job Two in November.

Jane D. said...

I am chicken...I haven't been thinking about my idea much. Plus I think BSP and I had almost the same idea...will I? Won't I?

Okay - I am in - I failed last year, it isn't painful. (Anyone want to place bets on how long I last?)

said...

nah, you'll do fine. if not finished this year, then eventually. I won't touch this - november is never a good month for me - but, january, maybe. the book I want to write is semi-fiction, and requires too much research to do properly right now.

said...

ps. someone should title their book Action Pants

bluesugarpoet said...

Okay, I was shooting low there with the number of words! Have you already written your first four pages, pjd?

I am starting mine tonight. Thank goodness quality is #2.

PJD said...

I've got five pages (2,885 words) so far. I figure my goal is 2,000 words a day, more if I can manage it.

I am fortunate that November is the perfect month for me. Work is in a lull (don't tell my boss), the kids have their school routines set, and the time change makes it seem easier to get them to bed early.

Plus, I am so tired of all the claptrap I've been writing in my journals for the past several months, day in and day out. When I finally kick it, someone will die of boredom trying to find even one interesting page in the thousands upon thousands of densely-packed scrawl I've poured into my Britannica-sized collection of journals.

---

You are a writer?
What crap is this, a journal?
Brain fertilizer.

bluesugarpoet said...

yes, this is my attempt at journaling - and it's not even high quality crap!!!!!! This is what I write when I find two minutes to pound something out on the keyboard!

I wouldn't exactly call myself a writer...I'm a wannabe...

PJD said...

no, no, sorry... my haiku was meant to be someone else discovering MY journal and dissing ME for it. It was not meant as a dig at you and your blog! I love your blog. Amusing. Well written. I laughed, I cried. Better than Cats!

bluesugarpoet said...

No, my friend – you’ve perfectly haikued my sentiment when I reflect on my own writing.

I’ve known that I’ve wanted to write since high school, but the fear of failure and rejection has kept me from becoming a published writer (the junk I’ve written for my online curriculum/textbooks and the one poem I entered into that contest don’t count). After this month I still might not be a published writer, but I will be a writer (and on your blog you’ve perfectly articulated my sentiment about my own writing again).

Glad to know we are in the trenches together, pjd!

And by the way, I love your blog – your writing has many times been an inspiration for my own writing.

said...

Action Pants. I want a book called Action Pants.

bluesugarpoet said...

Yes, Action Pants has many possibilities...maaaany possibilities...

PJD said...

Why would action pant?

Oh, wait, I get it.

And for those of you who haven't gotten over to my blog recently (like in the past four minutes), you gotta check out this site on romance novel writing. No, I'm not writing a romance novel, but it's worth some quality time.

PJD said...

So... have you logged in to the nanowrimo site? Are you tracking your word count? I actually went to a "write-in" at a cafe here in town last night and got 3100 words done in under two hours. Only one other wrimo participant there, but a good time was had by all.

Selene said...

Yeah, my word count is a big fat 0 still...I suck.