NaNoWriMo 2012

[Xiabei]

Of course, I should add that I don't see my characters. At all. It's hard to explain. I see their actions and I hear their thoughts, but they are fairly featureless in my mind. Does that make sense? I know their gender and age and sometimes hair or eye color, but they are otherwise blank to me. I just fill in enough to let the reader form their own picture. But I see actions clearly. I see them making a gesture or stepping on a cigarette. I'm odd that way.

Personally I love that approach. I tend to be the same way. Although sometimes, if doing a parody, I go to the opposite extreme and describe things to the point of ridiculousness.

[Xiabei]

Thanks for the input, guys. Punk rock pixie it is!

I think I know where you are coming from on characterisation, C. W. Use broad brush strokes and let the reader fill in the gaps. My scene had the antagonist looking over a creepy shrine he had amassed of the main character, which sounded fine in the outline, but when I came to writing it for real it felt like the bad guy would see more detail than most. I'll come back to the scene once I have a solid grip of my main character.

Xiabei, I'm happy that you've got 2000 words down because that's the start of something. Write what you can when you can while the story's still buzzing around your head, and see what you have at the end of the month. You might just surprise yourself. For me NaNo should be all about the fun of using your imagination to tell a story. If you don't get to 50,000 words, but have the lion's share of a story on paper, I'd say it's been worthwhile. Dec 1 need not spell "The End". Keep it up!

Thank you. Yeah, this is my first go, and it would probably do me good to think about the words and not the numbers. :-)

[Sock Monkey]

Here is a link to a little free eBook to read online from Douglas Clegg

20 Tips for Writers

Best thing ever! Thanks for the pick-me-up!

[Sock Monkey]

Hello! I decided to join the NaNo party. I signed up in the middle of October and kind of hem-and-hawed about the whole thing. November is a very busy month for me, but I decided to give it a go anyways. I had a poor start, though. No writing on the 1st. I had the time, but I just blanked on what to write; nothing seemed to get my juices flowing. By the 2nd, I was in full panic mode, knowing that if I didn't start, I never would, so I ran with a with a story I had planned as a novella. About 2800 words in and I just letting whatever happens, happen. Good luck, everybody!

[RJK1981]

Here is a link to a little free eBook to read online from Douglas Clegg

20 Tips for Writers

[Lucian Poll]

Thanks for the input, guys. Punk rock pixie it is!

I think I know where you are coming from on characterisation, C. W. Use broad brush strokes and let the reader fill in the gaps. My scene had the antagonist looking over a creepy shrine he had amassed of the main character, which sounded fine in the outline, but when I came to writing it for real it felt like the bad guy would see more detail than most. I'll come back to the scene once I have a solid grip of my main character.

Xiabei, I'm happy that you've got 2000 words down because that's the start of something. Write what you can when you can while the story's still buzzing around your head, and see what you have at the end of the month. You might just surprise yourself. For me NaNo should be all about the fun of using your imagination to tell a story. If you don't get to 50,000 words, but have the lion's share of a story on paper, I'd say it's been worthwhile. Dec 1 need not spell "The End". Keep it up!

[RJK1981]

Well, I've got about 2,000 words; life is up in the air at the moment so I don't have as much time to write as I had hoped.

Don't worry about it, just do your best. If you make it to 50,000 words that is great. If you don't at you tried your best, and you'll have more word than you otherwise would. I didn't get as many words as I wanted yesterday due to being distracted and out of it for some reason, but at least I got some. I'm determined to reach the goal though, and being involved with a community like here, Facebook and the area groups on Nano is a good way to be involved in a community, even if it is only online and not at an area event

[C.W. LaSart]

Of course, I should add that I don't see my characters. At all. It's hard to explain. I see their actions and I hear their thoughts, but they are fairly featureless in my mind. Does that make sense? I know their gender and age and sometimes hair or eye color, but they are otherwise blank to me. I just fill in enough to let the reader form their own picture. But I see actions clearly. I see them making a gesture or stepping on a cigarette. I'm odd that way.

[C.W. LaSart]

Lucian, Hello. I think that would suffice. But, I wouldn't describe any farther. Less is more. The only time that over description is acceptable, is in romance. Let your readers decide. I rarely even give mine more than a hair color Maybe a ponytail. Hope that helps!

[Xiabei]

Well, I've got about 2,000 words; life is up in the air at the moment so I don't have as much time to write as I had hoped.

[TerryE]

My first thought was pixie cut, but I'm no expert.

[Lucian Poll]

Hi Adam. Good luck with your novel. Keep us posted how you get on.

The end of day 2 has seen a total of 3372 words hammered in (around a chapter and a half) so I'm just about on track. I'll have to put all 3372 words through at least two further drafts when NaNo is done, though! Despite writing an outline for 30 chapters it's clear my chapter-a-day plan has gone to hell. I've got a lot of holiday coming my way soon, though, so there's hope yet.

But forgive me, forum, for I have sinned. I spent way too long trying to describe my main character yesterday, which was something I really ought to have nailed by now, particularly after spending so long on the plot. I found a headshot that was a pretty good match for what I had in mind but was at a loss when it came to describing her hairstyle.



Any ideas? My inner Vidal Sassoon went the same way as the guy himself. I've currently got her as sporting a punk-rock pixie cut, but the High Priestesses of Horror here may think otherwise. If C. W. is lurking, then firstly: hello! and secondly: am I way off the mark?

Well, as I'm not too tired yet I think I'll make inroads into tomorrow's word count!

Keep it going everyone!

[TerryE]

Good luck Adam

[adamjames]

Well, I started today. A day late, but I like to write after everyone in the house is asleep. I'm on track to finish on time, well December 1st anyway. Thanks to the folks who told me about this in my short story thread.

And to be honest if this helps me to get to novella length, I'll count this as a small victory.

[RJK1981]

Here a couple of the tips that I was going to post earlier today:

Turn those blinders on and don't look back. Because it will be awful. And you'll want to edit it. And you really shouldn't because it'll only slow you down. If you do realize there's a chapter that doesn't belong at all, don't delete it. Just highlight it or make it a different color or font or something, and decide later if it needs to be removed. But you wrote it in November, and it's part of your word count.
Oh, and have fun! If Steve Jobs shows up and gives everyone iPads, just go with it. Even if your story is set in Middle Earth or something. I can't promise it'll make sense, but it'll be something. And it could be hilarious. Don't fight with your characters. Let them do what they will do and your story will adjust itself as you go.

Some advice on handling the crap:
When I know something I just wrote is terrible -- like, mind-meltingly, modifying my Last Will and Testament to say "Don't Forget To Delete These Files" bad -- I just add a little [this sucks fix later] note in the draft. Or [wrong place check continuity]. Or [SO MANY ADVERBS OH DEAR GOD]. It makes me feel a lot better to at least have an idea of where the edits will need to begin, and it reminds me that, no, I'm not even pretending this is flawless, so no reason to get upset about it. A silly psychological trick, but it works.