NaWriMo?

[joanjunkmail]

i know i heard about this event through QT, but can't find the original thread.  I looked at the NaWriMo site today...the thrill of doing a 50K is starting to latch on (mainly, the fun of saying, 'I'm in a 50K in November' is catching on)... i dunno.  it might help me with the plot problem i have - i have no plots, that's the problem.  plus, it's only 1700 words per day - that's a piece of cake.  i am considering getting my writers' group at the library involved, plus my critmate maybe...has anyone done it?  is it as social as it seems?  anyone here gonna do it?

i dunno, i dunnoooo....

[audal]

Hey Joan - Here's the original thread:

http://querytracker.net/forum/index.php?topic=222.0

50K November > 

As for your plot problem... I call upon a passage from a fave writer, Lorrie Moore: "Plots are for dead people."

[Emeraldsky]

regarding plot... I found this somewhere on the net and had to keep it!

What to do when nothing comes to mind…


1. Send in a man with a gun. A classic, yes, but a classic because it works. What we mean by this is, shake something up, cause a change in direction, make the characters (and your brain!) react. Getting characters laid works too, but be sparing.

2. Kill somebody. The more vital you think they are to your story, the better. Look at it this way: at least it will be a surprise.

2a. Kill somebody fictional, I mean. Although murdering one's spouse might sometimes relieve frustration, and there is plenty of time to write in jail, it's still hard on the kids.

3. Go for a walk.

4. If that doesn't work, either wash dishes or take a shower. It's now known that inspiration is dissolved in common hot tap water.

5. Research.

6. Crib from a classic source. It was good enough for Shakespeare.

7. Explain the problem to a friend. This is especially effective if you can trap them in a moving car on a cross-country trip. Half the time, in the process of explaining it, you'll figure something out. Another third of the time, they will give you an answer in self-defense after the first three hours. If you attempt this technique in restaurants, be ready for extremely attentive service as the waiter tries to overhear where you hid the body.*

8. Find something to make worse, and make it worse. Do this over and over and over again. The technical term for this technique is "escalation."

9. Get out the manuscript that you have written and go through it. Outline it. For each scene, write down who is in the scene, what happens, and what changes occur over its course. What is resolved? What is worsened? What is established? What's the pivot of the scene? When you come to the end of the outline, you will have a handy list of everything the book is doing, so you can keep doing it.

10. Play repetitive mindless computer games for hours. Realize you've wasted the entire writing session and go make dinner. Watch TV with (unmurdered) spouse. Wake up at 2 am from vivid dream with a head full of plot.

11. Go through the manuscript (or your reverse outline) again, and this time figure out all the things that need to get done before the book can end. Write them down on notecards. Tell yourself that you will write a scene in which one (1) notecard's worth of problem will be dealt with. Then write it.

12. Give the characters something else to do and let them explain the plot to you while they eat dinner or play poker or whatever. You can always cut this later. Go ahead and write it now.

13. Write differently. Switch to pen and paper, or write on tiny scraps of notepaper (not intimidating) or switch to the computer if you were writing longhand, or type it in an email to somebody who will only make fun of you a little.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


*In the current climate of fear, we recommend not using this technique on aircraft or trains.

[Lotheus]

NoNaNoWriMoFoMe!   ;)

[elknutswife]

I was thinking about doing it, but I just don't think I've got the discipline     

And Emsky, whenever you drop back in...love that list!!

[Chelc]

2a. Kill somebody fictional, I mean. Although murdering one's spouse might sometimes relieve frustration, and there is plenty of time to write in jail, it's still hard on the kids.

 

[Chelc]

only 41 minutes till ugly betty! WOOT!
and I still have one more sentence to write...

[Cole Gibsen]

I'll be doing nano this year - at least I'm going to try. I've already discussed the babysitting schedule with my husband and he's agreed.
I did it last year and crossed the 50K mark. And actually my nano novel - after a TON of editing - is now my querying novel. It was so much fun...seriously...don't give me that look! I'm one of those people who work well under pressure.

[joanjunkmail]

I'll be doing nano this year - at least I'm going to try. I've already discussed the babysitting schedule with my husband and he's agreed.
I did it last year and crossed the 50K mark. And actually my nano novel - after a TON of editing - is now my querying novel. It was so much fun...seriously...don't give me that look! I'm one of those people who work well under pressure.

I'm really considering it, too!  did you go to the social events they say they have? what were those like?  did you write every day, or on some other schedule?  TALK TO ME!

[Miss Java]

A friend of mine and I are going to do it for fun.  I have a chick lit novel that is already outlined that I'm going to do. 


I guess that means that I should get busy on my fantasy novel revisions.   

[joanjunkmail]

wanna set up a nawrimo thread here for us to commiserate in?

[Miss Java]

Just a note to those of you interested.  You have to sign up in October to be able to participate.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

[Cole Gibsen]

Oh yea! More people to join in the insanity!!!
I had so much fun doing last year. I met with a group of people from the nano website twice a week at borders. We had writing challenges and contests among us to keep it fun and interesting.
In the book "No Plot No Problem" there is a chart detailing where you should be word count wise on each day. I think it's like 1500 words a day. It's really not that bad, and in fact most of us in our group crossed the 50K mark before the month was over.

[joanjunkmail]

oooohhh, i'm so interested in doing this.  haven't yet made the final decision (there's a lot going on in my life right now, and i dunno if i want to lose focus)(actually, i'm DYING to lose focus, because what's going on is lousy, but i think i should probably pay attention)(i don't know why i'm so parenthetical)(help me)

[audal]

SIDEBAR:  Is is strange that we have two spearate threads for this topic?  We have the accurate "Nanowrimo" thread elsewhere on the boards, and Joan's nice try with this here NaWriMo thread!

I like it!  Confuse other writers and we have a better shot at getting published!

In the spirit of such subterfuge, I'll soon be starting up the NoNoWriteNothin thread - so be on the lookout!