City of IF

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5202 Location: UK

Hey all,

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

Long term members will likely recognise this yearly notice/reminder.

For those who don't know, Nanowrimo stands for National Novel Writing Month and happens every year in November.

The idea is to write 50'000 words of a story between midnight 1st November, and 23:59:59 of the 30th November.

It doesn't matter how bad it is, how many typos there are, or how convoluted and muddled your plot is. The emphasis is on quantity, not quality. Get those 50k words down!

The Nano forum is already gearing up for the 2009 event. Head there to learn more.

~

Here at IF we've had several people over the years give this a go, and we always enjoy hearing of your efforts.

So if you're going for it this year, feel free to let us know in here, and let those of us interested, follow your progress.

Happy Writing :)

Kalanna Rai · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 2856 Location: The Frozen North

Ah, it's that time of year again already?

*breaks out the self torture equipment*

Javert · Joined: 11 Oct 2009 Posts: 15 Location: AMERICA

This looks interesting. They have a great forum. I love reading all of the random questions. CAN you make butter out of dolphin milk? What would it take to nail JELLO to the wall? This is great. Thanks Smee.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

Well, i do need an outlet for all my ideas which don't make sense so... I signed up! Lets see what too much time on my hands at odd moments adds up to!

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

..so.. who all else is going to torture themselves with this one?

Emperor · Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 293 Location: San Diego, CA

I had it in my head last year that if I could complete 3 nano's in a row that I will have proved whatever point there was to prove by doing that - thus not having to do it again. Keeping in mind that I had completed two previous ones and that last year would be that magical third one. Alas, I could not complete it. Not only that but I do not want to have to start over again. I don't think I'll be doing nano this year, nor do I think I will be doing it the year after or the year after that. I am officially haning up my nano hat until further notice. And thank goodness!!!!

Buts since we are on the subject, I was thinking of putting up my very first nano up into the Linear Lane. With the hope of getting into some feasible second draft form with the help of the collective minds here at IF. Thoughts?

Javert · Joined: 11 Oct 2009 Posts: 15 Location: AMERICA

Excellent idea, Emperor. That novel must be good for more than a month of used time. The people around here seem eager to help with extensive reviews--both inflammatory and congratulatory. If you explain that you wrote it in a month, and expect to do some serious cutting and fattening-up of your script, than I would guess that you could get publishable material out of it. The talent is all here, all it lacks is the material. You provide that crucial ingredient, and there is no limit to what you can accomplish.

Kang · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 2:36 pm Post subject:

Please let me know how you are doing on Nano Skitty I may be able to do an exclusive on it for the IQ

Kalanna Rai · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 2856 Location: The Frozen North

Myself. I've compeated the past three years but much like Emporer I managed not to win last year due to issues both rl and computer.

Lilith · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:46 pm Post subject:

Oh joy, this time of year again *evil smile* For me, Nano time is a spectator's sport,.. I enjoy watching the toil and the torture.

Emperor · Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 293 Location: San Diego, CA

Kalanna Rai wrote: Myself. I've compeated the past three years but much like Emporer I managed not to win last year due to issues both rl and computer.

I remember adding you to my "nano friends", you were well ahead of me for a long time too. Too bad all my computer chair cheering did no good.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

What's weird is sitting here trying NOT to plan anything ahead of time. I'd like to do the real spirit of the thing, and start from scratch Nov.1st. Now, of course, I have a bazillion ideas flowing! I guess they'll just have to hold.

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5202 Location: UK

As far as I'm aware you can plan as much as you want - so long as you don't start writing.

Emperor · Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Posts: 293 Location: San Diego, CA

Indeed, as Smee says, you can plan all you want as long as you don't actually write anything. Of course it is an honor based system sooooooo........

Reiso · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject:

Yep, like both Smee (cheers mate) and Emperor ('sup my brothaa!) say, you can plan as much as you want to. In what may be a completely unnecessary redundancy, allow me to even further expand on that by adding that I believe you can go as far as writing outlines and storyboarding sequences, as long as nothing you write before November 1st is used--or RE-used, nudge nudge--for the actual novel towards your 50,000 words. Were one so inclined, they could probably write a point by point summary and it would still be okay, as long as those circumstances remain intact. So go nuts, make notes, plan away.

For myself, I am one of the many who somehow miraculously completed Nano the 1st year, but have since been unable to reproduce that success. I am out this year too, since I need to focus on bringing my storygame back from the dead, but next year I plan to make a go of it again. Most of the writing is crap (and I speak universally, not just about others or for myself; that's sorta the point, to write a whole lot of crap. Expect to write crap), but there are some real gems that can only be forged in that crazy frenzied Nano fire (which is also the point), so I plan on going back to it whenever I can. I am sure that without that impetus, my ideas (and my style, and my vocabulary and everything else that matters), would stagnate.

Holy crap, I way overuse parentheses! Sorry for the ramble, it's my pre-chapter nerves. I'm just gonna go back to my writing hole now and stop bothering the nice people.

:D

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

HAAA@@@!!!!

Thanks for the laughs and tips, guys. I may or may not write a guideline.. depends where my brains are closer to the day. I might just stick to the old adage "write what you know" and do some sort of basterdised, semi-fictional family history. What with all the crazy Australians, car rollings, arrests and my dad having had beer with Charles Manson pre-murderer in a strip club (seriously!!)... i have a lot of fodder.

we'll see!

Fats_Masterson · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:39 am Post subject:

I have been looking at writing in a Nanowrimo contest for a couple of years now, I guess that now is as good a time as any to start! I just signed up for the Nanowrimo. Look for me as the Space_Time_Ranger. And Good luck to any Ifian crazy enough to sign up as well!

Mirel · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:37 am Post subject:

Six attempts and a not a single Nano completed for me...this year I plan on doing this differently. This year....I will complete the story no matter how many non-caffinanted beverages I have to drink. ((not allowed to have caffine....*rolls eyes*...causes migraines unluckily for me)) Wishing luck to anyone taking part in this years event, and encouraging anyone who hasn't joined to do so.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

So... I'm assuming this will turn into our ongoing Support Group thread once things get underway?

Kalanna Rai · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 2856 Location: The Frozen North

Probably. And thanks for the armchair support Emporer. Even if I didn't win. *grins*

ChoKiba · Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject:

I'm pretty excited for this nano thing. I signed up and I'm going to give it a try. IT should be interesting.

HalfEmptyHero · Joined: 16 Feb 2009 Posts: 246 Location: Deep in thought.

I've been planning on entering for the last few years now, but never got around to doing it. Last year I was physically unable to, and the years before I either forgot or was too lazy to do it. This year I have significantly less time than previous years, but I am going to do my best to complete it. I'm starting to roll ideas in my head already, should be terrible.

My username is HalfEmpty.

Smee · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 5202 Location: UK

Good luck HEH :P

vgmaster · Joined: 18 Oct 2008 Posts: 68 Location: The City of Angels

As of now, I am doing this.

Thunderbird · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:33 am Post subject:

Maybe we should add a forum page to the city for all nano-works to be displayed once the contest is done?

I'd be interested in at least glancing over a few of y'all's submissions!

Mirel · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:40 am Post subject:

My current storygame is my submission to nano. Sorta cheating I know, but instead of writing a new story this year I've decided to finish off old stories instead...adding enough to each story to make it at least 50,000 words long for as many stories as I can. I have a lot of unfinished or unpolished works that just need a conclusion and a little editing to make the goal.

I am also working on a short story collection. In August, for the August Nanowrimo, I wrote two stories for it. If I finishe polishing and finishing old works, I'll be attempting to write at least 20,000 words or 4 to 5 stories (which tend to be 4,000 to 5,000 words long).

However I'm in College so work on papers for college take presendence. The concidence of that fact: if I combine all min. page limits on all my papers, I would have a 100 page long book, novel length.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

gRR? For some reason, the site doesn't recognize my password and won't let me log in? Not that I have anything to report yet.. but I was looking for some procrastination.

Hmm. I ordered a new password, but it has yet to appear in my inbox.

anyone else having technical difficulties?

Kalanna Rai · Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 2856 Location: The Frozen North

Lol. I'm off to a slow start but then I'm in the middle of changing jobs. For the next two weeks I won't have a day off and will be working 15+ hours. The fact I get any words done will be a miracle.

Upside is I will then have weekends off and can just sit here in my slippers and plug my brain in. Fast typing don't fail me now.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

So hows it going, guys? Any progress? In the spirit of procrastination, I'll be trying to look you up on site over there. If you need me, I'm scissorkitty. Surprise, i know.

Bookwizard · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 639 Location: Gallifrey

Glad to see IF in the spirit of NaNoWriMo, funnily enough I was informed of National Novel Writing Month the day after November last year. Ever since then I have been waiting for November again... and now here I am, having to tie myself to the chair to beat out those chapters and meet the deadlines! *Laughs*

Crunchyfrog · Joined: 12 Dec 2006 Posts: 3875

With only 5 Nano days to go - how are all our Nano people doing? :)

Reiso · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject:

I am so very very happy that I did not do Nano this year. It was nice to relax in November.

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

i suck. that's how I'm doing. GRRRRR!

Guyron · Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Bucharest, Romania

So, how does one enter this contest? Since there are very few days left, would be a perfect exercise for my speed writing abilities. :)

DeadManWalking · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:19 pm Post subject:

O.o You have some impressive speed writing abilities then. Isn't it like 50,000 words by the end of November?

Kang · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject:

Yes its 50000 words but to jump in say at midnight on the 26th would mean you would have to write 12500 words a day which averages to be 520 words an hour .. its possible to do but it would take one hell of an idea already set to pull it off this late in the game

scissorkitty · Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 791 Location: Bottom of a teapot

This whole idea has turned my brain to moosh, and my ability to write in complete sentences to.. uh.. yes. Bad.

Reiso · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

scissorkitty wrote: This whole idea has turned my brain to moosh, and my ability to write in complete sentences to.. uh.. yes. Bad.

Well there's 21 words that could have gone towards your 50 thou... focus kitty, focus!

Guyron · Joined: 24 Nov 2009 Posts: 34 Location: Bucharest, Romania

Well, if I can cook up something by the end of Nov, I'll put it on. :)

Kang · Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 1:03 am Post subject:

Final Day for NANO !!! for those that participated please post your results so that the City can bask in your accomplishment ( or near accomplishments )