NaNoWriMo 2003

[Guest]

Alex, you're going to have to control that black humour of yours. We need all the real help we can get. On that note -

Does anyone else want to share their 'working title'? Mine is Joy and Moan, from the song in "Cymbeline" recited after the mistaken death of Fidele/Imogen (one of my fave Sh're femmes).

Perdita

 

[Alex De Kok]

Alex, you're going to have to control that black humour of yours. We need all the real help we can get. On that note -

Does anyone else want to share their 'working title'? Mine is Joy and Moan, from the song in "Cymbeline" recited after the mistaken death of Fidele/Imogen (one of my fave Sh're femmes).

Perdita

Sorree . . . I was just kidding, honest.

On working title, don't have one yet. Still thinking . . .

Alex - who has not lost his enthusiasm for this, despite self-doubt

 

[Guest]

Alex, you're going to have to control that black humour of yours. We need all the real help we can get. On that note -

Does anyone else want to share their 'working title'? Mine is Joy and Moan, from the song in "Cymbeline" recited after the mistaken death of Fidele/Imogen (one of my fave Sh're femmes).

Perdita

Purrditta, that's a great working title, inspired!

Mine is Visions of Substance, I emphasise that this is merely a working title, but it does kind of set the scene for the novel.

Alex, I'm sure we'll all need any support we can get, but we'll be needing penty of laughs along the way, too.

Lou

 

[Alex De Kok]

Just browsing through the forums on NaNoWriMo before I go to collect my good lady from evening class, and came across this link -

http://mockerybird.com/nanowrimo-report-card.xls

For those with Microsoft Excel it looks like it will be either highly motivational or utterly depressing. Being an optimist, I'm going for the former . . .

Alex

 

[ffreak]

OK, toss me off the thread if this does not apply to what the rest are doing but:

I have signed up, under another nom de plume to write a sci fi/fantasy work titled Embryo.

-FF

 

[Alex De Kok]

Good for you, ffreak

Are you going to share the pen name?

Alex

PS: off to collect my good lady - back in 30 minutes or so

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I just can't get into that page! The internet symbol on the top right is spinning and spinning and spinning, showing that it's trying to load the page, but all I see is a blank page.

*considering hosing computer clean*

 

[Icingsugar]

Username: Icingsugar
Working title: Last Call
Theme: Fairy tale road movie
Chance I meet the 50k in time: 0.7%

 

[ffreak]

Flicka, this wouldn't happen if you were using a PC.

-FF (couldn't resist)
to those who need to know, I will reveal my alter ego only through a PM

 

[Guest]

Chance I meet the 50k in time: 0.7%

Sugar, I will pay special attention to your needs in this as I can't imagine you will have much novel writing time after the twins arrive.

Just imagine telling them someday about how you wrote a novel in a month!

your official fairy-godmother now,

Perdita

 

[Just-Legal]

Username: Flutterby_Helen
Working title: Queenie
Theme: Fantasy and mild erotica based in an RP world I created with a friend... *grins*
Chance I meet the 50k in time: 0.45%

I actually neeeeeeded to write something along these lines as backstory for one of my RP characters anyway, and I do love a challenge...

 

[otherdarkmeat]

Hello All,

This is my second introduction post to the Lit boards as I emerge from my lurking status. I'm glad to see that Tate has stirred up quite a bit of interest in NaNoWriMo 2003.

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon NaNo last year about 2 weeks before the start so I had to get my head together quickly to be ready for it.

As a chronic procrastinator, I will say that NaNo 2002 was a wonderful experience for me. The concept of "just write" never seemed as clear as it did during November of last year. I found myself without all of the usual excuses, and only one goal: to write a 50K word novel in 30 days.

Once the clock starts on November 1, you'll see lots of encouraging posts on the NaNo boards, along with some discouraging ones. I hope you all don't mind, but I'd like to share some points that I learned from my first experience with it last year.

1) You are only competing with yourself. This is not a contest, it is a challenge. The challenge is to show yourself that you have the initiative, creativity and discipline it takes to write under a time pressure. Even if you don't finish the 50K by November 30, you'll still have gained something from the attempt.

2) People can and will cheat, don't let them discourage you. Last year we had a guy sign up on November 29 and brag about how he was going to get the winner icon and certificate by copying and pasting a sentence repeatedly until he reached 50K words. He only cheated himself. It did ruffle quite a few feathers but I was able to ignore him because I was too caught up on the thrill of my own personal victory. Don't let idiots like that discourage you.

3) Don't edit as you write. Don't seek perfection. Just write. You'll probably be surprised at some of the things that will pour from your mind during a challenge like this. My NaNo project from last year was a steaming pile of dung by the time I was done, but I enjoyed every second of writing it. And I'm still pulling rough gems out of it to be polished into short stories. And some of the other participants I kept in touch with are finishing up editing their projects from last year (they started the edit/rewrite process post-November) in time to start this year's.

4) You can do as much prep work as you want. You can outline. You can create character profiles/sketches. You can plot your whole novel. Just don't begin writing the actual novel until Nov 1 (see point #2). On the flipside, you don't have to do any prep work at all. When I started I had a working title, and that changed at the last minute.

5) Don't limit yourself. Any and all genres, concepts and plots are welcome because no ever has to read it, unless you want them to read it. My project last year was a graphic erotic horror story, and I'm amazed at some of the perversity that spilled from my mind. Write what you want.

6) Just do it.

I sincerely hope you all find the NaNo experience to be as enjoyable and liberating as I did when I first tried it.

-Mike B.

 

[Guest]

Hi Mike! Great to see you've finally come out of lurkdom.

You've made some very sound and encouraging points there, thank you. It might be a good idea to paste those into the LitWridoNaNoWriMo thread, when I start it up. Any hints, tips and encouragement would be great.

Just incase anyone doesn't realise, Otherdarkmeat (Mike B) is the guy that introduced me to NaNoWriMo. It didn't take much arm twisting on his part to get me to join him, none in fact, as soon as he told me about it I knew it was something I had to do.

My enthusiasm is growing by the day, especially now that a wider group of friends and fellow writers are joining in. There's nothing like a support group. As of this morning nine people in this thread have signed up, which is great. There's still plenty of time for others to join in. Anyone with an ounce of determination can do it, that's the beauty of it.

Again, Mike, thanks and welcome to Lit.

Tate

 

[Alex De Kok]

First, Mike - welcome to the ranks of the unlurked. Only a few of us bite. A personal thank you from me for telling Lou about NaNoWriMo so that she could tell us. We have a growing group of masochists here and getting the word from someone who has been there before can only be good.

Lou - or is it Tate now? I prefer Lou - yes - take the meat of Mike's contribution above and make it the core of your starting post for LitWridoNaNoWriMo - a very positive note for us all to begin our efforts.

Alex

 

[Guest]

Alex, I will work a lot of Mike's points into my starting post for LitWridoNaNoWriMo, I know he won't mind. It is going to be quite a lengthy post, I'm just relieved I'll being doing it before NaNo actually commences.

On a slight aside, I've always been Tate to Mike (unless we're chatting privately, in which case he uses my real name.) I first met Mike on another forum, where they all know me as Tate. But at Lit I'm Lou, which is very cool by me, so in future I'll always sign off with Lou. I just used Tate in that post as a personal thing to Mike. I don't know how Purrditta keeps up with all the variations of her name, I have trouble with two or three.

Lou

 

[Icingsugar]

Sugar, I will pay special attention to your needs in this as I can't imagine you will have much novel writing time after the twins arrive.

Why thank you! I need every muse I can get here... But mind, there won't be no screaming poop-machines around for sevetral months. Abd when there is, I think it really doesn't have to be a negative theng for the productivity. Since I won't be able to sleep anyway, I might just stay up and type.

Writing stuff is after all my bread and butter, so I'd better keep a professional attitude towards that.

This project however is a hobby endeavour. I keep myslf as busy as any office working wage-slave out there, as well as trying to keep other off-hours activities going. How much solid writing time do you suppose one needs to pull this off? If I manage to snap out of my constant mulling and going back edtiting and re-editing what I write and just let the text spew out onto the paper (oh, all right, the screen), I think I could pull off something like 600 to 1000 words/hour, short breaks included. Two hour/day and a bit more on weekends, that should be enough, right?

Oh, and much less Hangout hanging or Lit story writing in November.

 

[oggbashan]

No Porn Here

Og, the type of content you include in your story is entirely up to you. There's nothing to say it can't be erotic, or even an all action war fest, with a smattering of sex. I'm like you, in that I can't write anything without adding a few sexual encounters here and there. My story is going to be a sensual erotic horror, that might sound like a contradiction in terms, but think entity getting up to naughty stuff.

Lou

I have been looking at the site carefully. They allow members from the age of 13 and specifically ban pornography.

"Pornography" I think would have to be interpreted from the general public's point of view, the point of view in the UK defined as "The view of the man on the Clapham omnibus" (Why do lawyers never get up-to-date similies?). From that point of view almost all of us on Literotica write "pornography".

That, to me, is the hardest part of the challenge. Not only do we have to write 50k words but the output has to have a sex (and violence)rating no higher than age 12.

Can I maintain the output and keep it clean?

Og

 

[Guest]

Og, I cannot stress this enough, you can include any content you want, it can be as erotic as you want, because nobody else at the NaNo site will read it. The novels do not go on public display.

I will point out their own FAQ:

Do we write our novels online through your web site?
You write off-line, using whatever word processor you like.

Do you read the novels that get sent in?
For privacy reasons, we do not read or store any of the manuscripts submitted. They are all deleted immediately after being counted by our computer script.

I will also quote one of Mike's points, above:

"5) Don't limit yourself. Any and all genres, concepts and plots are welcome because no ever has to read it, unless you want them to read it. My project last year was a graphic erotic horror story, and I'm amazed at some of the perversity that spilled from my mind. Write what you want."

You are right, they do not allow 'pornography' on their message boards, because children can have access to it. But you can write an erotic novel, provided you don't post ant excerpts on thier forums. The only people who will ever read any of your novel are those that you choose to share it with.

Anything goes, really! If you need further reassurance just send them an email.

Lou

 

[oggbashan]

Thanks

Thank you Tatelou for that prompt and clear explanation.

The fact that the work will not be "seen" on the site rather diminishes the attraction but I will not be deterred from producing (or attempting to produce) a novel.

Perhaps we Literotica contestants could submit the results of our output as individual "Novels and Novellas" here.

Og

 

[Alex De Kok]

Re: Thanks

Thank you Tatelou for that prompt and clear explanation.

The fact that the work will not be "seen" on the site rather diminishes the attraction but I will not be deterred from producing (or attempting to produce) a novel.

Perhaps we Literotica contestants could submit the results of our output as individual "Novels and Novellas" here.

Og

Og, two points -

first, the NaNoWriMo site warns against possible highjacking and advises that for the purposes of submitting for a word count one can simply use the 'find and replace' facilities available in most word proccessors to do a global replace of a single letter. Do that a few times and your story will be gibberish, but gibberish of the same number of words which will then be counted by the NaNoWriMo robots. Don't forget to do this on a copy of the story. . . Doing this on the first part of my story 'Swan' which originally read:

It was Julie Trask's idea. The Green Lake Lodge Spring Ball was coming up and Jake Miller and I had both asked her to be our date. I had thought about asking Sally Jansen but she and Charlie Thomson seemed to have become an item.

becomes:

Pt wjs Jqlpm Trjsk's pdmj. Thm Grmmn Ljkm Lrdgm Sprpng Zjll wjs crmpng qp jnd Jjkm Mpllmr jnd P hjd zrth jskmd hmr tr zm rqr djtm. P hjd thrqght jzrqt jskpng Sjlly Jjnsmn zqt shm jnd Chjrlpm Thrmsrn smmmmd tr hjvm zmcrmm jn ptmm.

after a random letter replace of the vowels and a couple of consonants! That should disguise any erotica. I suspect that the hijacking warning is most relevant to those who post excerpts from 'work in progress'.

Second, on the 'Novels and Novellas' aspect - Good Thinking. After I edit, tidy up, fret over and fail to get a publisher

Alex

 

[ffreak]

Be of good cheer, and let your hope spring eternal. I think it's great that two of last year's winners have gone on to see their work published. I think this is a perfect way to get that motivation going and pump out those words. Someone on the site has noted that to reach your 50,000 words requires only 1,667 per day. That's only a 2-3 hour stint at the keyboard or on paper (@250 words/page so that's 6 1/2 pages/day).

Give it a go, and then watch as publisher names appear near the end of the run.

-FF (hope many end-up in print)

 

[raphy]

I so wish I had enough time to devote to this project =(

Raph, already too busy to even write stories for lit.

 

[otherdarkmeat]

Tate, telling you about NaNo is turning out to be a much better decision than I could have anticipated. I'm a big fan of the challenge, and it is great to see the momentum growing exponentiallly as you spread the word.

Alex, thanks very much for the welcome. As I mentioned, I've been lurking so I knew not to expect a ticker-tape parade upon my arrival. But acknowledgement is appreciated. My apologies in advance if I end up sounding too much like a cheerleader, I have a tendency to be very passionate about my interests and encouraging like-minded individuals.

As for nicknames, I would never think of trying to change Tate's alias(es) here. As she mentioned, on forums she's always Tate to me. In more private discussions I refer to her by name or various terms of endearment.

I do want to add two more bits of advice in regard to NaNo 2003.

First, if you like sharing your work as you go, many people last year used their personal websites, blogs, livejournals, etc. for this purpose. As long as you don't directly link to 'adult' material without warning, you should be fine. A simple disclaimer usually suffices because there are some underage participants.

Second, take a peek at the regional section of the forums. You might be suprised to find that there is a local NaNo group that meets nearby for writing sessions. There also might be meet & greets as well as "kick off" and post-NaNo parties. It's quite an interesting feeling being in a crowd of writers who are experiencing the challenge with you.

-Mike B.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

"Hem, hem!"

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow AH-ers... Polly Juice is happy to announce the working title of her coming novel, "Bimbo".

 

[Guest]

Yay! More info to add to my ever growing list.

Mike, with regard to "various terms of endearment" I'll keep my mouth shut, if you will.

I'll probably post bits and pieces of my novel on my site, as I go. As to whether I'll submit it to Lit, I'll wait and see. If I see it as having potential I will spend a considerable amount of time re-writing sections, and heavily editing, then maybe, just maybe, one day send the manuscript to a publisher.

Lou