NaNoWriMo 2014: It's Finished!

[wild rose]

NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. A month of literary abandonment, filled with sleepless nights, crazy typing, aching fingers and wrists and endless cups coffee (unless you are like me and you can't drink coffee, then you just have to plow forward without it, hard, but completely doable)

For those who may not know, NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in the space of one month. (you can write more if you want to of course)

Everyone has a story to tell and this is a fun way to get it out.

Narniaweb is famous for its members participating and this is the thread where you can get together and talk about your novel, your challenges, find and give support and encourage each other.

Here are some questions to get the thread going.

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?
If you have, how many times?
How many times did you win?
What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
What are you planning to write this year?
Are you a planner or a pantser

So come, dear NarniaWebbers/Nanoers, NaNo is just a week and a half away!

[aileth]

Never before (and never again, mutters my family. And it hasn't even started yet!) Everything must get done in the next few days, jam-making, walnut-husking, freezer-cleaning, etc., for after that I shan't have any extra time.

So far, it has taken me three years to write a book. It's time to speed up the process, and trying NaNo is one crazy way to do so. We'll just have to see how it goes.

As to planning, I guess I do some of that, but not down to every last detail. Having a fairly good idea of the overall plot is good; every once in a while a new character pops up, and I wonder where they came from, but (hopefully) I've worked out all the snags.

Also, I've reviewed the sheet of details that grew up in the course of writing the first book, as this book is set near the first country. Points of geography, and such things.

[shastastwin]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?
If you have, how many times?
How many times did you win?
What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
What are you planning to write this year?
Are you a planner or a pantser?

I have participated 4 times, 2 of which I won: my first time (in high school) and last year.

I love that NaNo gets me writing, particularly when I've hit a dry spell. I love that it makes me think and write quickly.

I'm not 100 percent certain I am writing for NaNo this year. My goal at the moment is to finish the draft of a book I've had in the works for a while, and that last year's NaNo interrupted. If I am able to finish it by next Friday (approximately 1/4-1/3 of the book, most of which is rewriting or reframing old material from the last draft), then I will be writing the earliest book chronologically in my universe of novels. It's one that I've sketched out before but never really worked on, and it's been growing in my mind over the last couple of years.

I'm a bit of both. I plan things out and then fly by the seat of my pants anyway.

[Shadowlander]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?

Yes, back in 2011.

If you have, how many times?

Just the once

How many times did you win?

Just the once

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?

It force me off my lazy behind...well, actually you generally have to be seated to type so let's say it forces my brain off its lazy behind . At any given time I have multiple book/story plots roaming about through my head and I oftentimes think about them as I work or when I'm doing tasks at home (mowing the lawn is a great time for this sort of contemplation) and the one I'm planning on writing has been gelling in my head for about a year now, more or less. This is my excuse, if you will, to finally put it down on (digital) paper.

What are you planning to write this year?

It has a working title of Vigil and is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi story. The story will be set in a Fantasy world but it won't be till' well into the story that readers (provided there are any) would discover that it's actually our own world, just a thousand years into the future, and stuff has really changed! I have the next story's framework already plotted out in my head and like it even better, so that's one more reason to blast through this one as fast as I can.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I like to have a basic plot framework in place before I start. And sometimes a few character details that I have fleshed out in my mind. But when it comes to the actual writing portion many times when the characters find themselves in certain situations they tend to wing it a bit, so I guess you could say I'm 70% Planner/30% Pantser.

[daughter of the King]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?
Yep

If you have, how many times?
Two? I think? I tend to get sick in November, so sometimes that month is a bit hazy for me.

How many times did you win?
Zero. Closest I ever got was 25,000 words. Probably because of that sick thing.

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
None of my stories get graded.

What are you planning to write this year?
I have a vague idea about this girl getting caught up in something, and then stuff happens.

Are you a planner or a pantser?
Depends on what year it is. Even if I have a very good idea of the main characters and the plot when I start out, it tends to go wherever once I write more than 1,000 words.

[Meltintalle]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?
Yes!

If you have, how many times?
Um, if I figure correctly, 6

How many times did you win?
All of them, though it usually comes down to the last day and involves under-writing the ending... (I'd like to change that this year)

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
The fact that I'm not writing alone and that there's a deadline because otherwise I generally just poke at what I'm writing and end up with nice set-ups but no endings.

What are you planning to write this year?
Some sort of fantasy about a brother and sister who find themselves on a quest for justice with the usual sort of rag-tag companions: a mercenary, a thief, a clown, a cute kid and a dog. It may also include making friends with an antagonist and a lawyer.

Are you a planner or a pantser?
The past few years, I have been a pantser pretty much all the way. I'd start with some sort of core idea and let things spiral out of control from there... which made for "and nothing else happened on the way home" wrap-ups. So this year I have a plan with a cast of characters, a map, and an outline for the first 1/2 or so and I intend to start from about the end of the outline and write the ending in the first part of the month.

[stargazer]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?

Yes! In 2009 I decided to try my hand at writing a 'future tales' sort of story for my Ditto Story characters, set so far in their future that it wouldn't interfere with current Ditto Story events.

If you have, how many times?

I've tried each year since then, so that makes 6 times. I've won twice, including 2010 when the words came so fast I was over 50k by the middle of the month. Other years real life interferes too much and I don't finish the story until after November ends.

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
Knowing others are writing too - including NarniaWebbers. I also like the time of year - so often there's a Christmas element in my stories because it's that time of year (the timing can be a problem too, since there are so many other things demanding my attention).

What are you planning to write this year?
I'm thinking of picking up last year's story, which I was enthusiastic about but ended up abandoning fairly early on due to other things going on in real life. Like the other stories, it continues my Ditto Story characters' lives, so it's a sort of fantasy set in a near-future world very much like our own.

Are you a planner or a pantser?
Mostly a planner; I like to have a beginning and end in mind, and some idea of how to get from one to the other. And as the stories have progressed, I've found it necessary to keep a list of things like character names and descriptions. (It wouldn't do to have an 'Angela' from the first story suddenly become a 'Sarah' later on. )

But I like to think I'm a bit of a pantser in terms of how I get from one point to the next.

[Arwenel]

I was hoping to participate this year, but with my current obligations, i don't think i'm going to be able to do it, at least not officially.

My project from last year still interests me, and though both attempts at working on it during Camp NaNoWriMo failed to make any progress, i'm going to see if i can't make some headway on it this November.

[narnian_at_heart]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?

Yes.

If you have, how many times?

Technically, four times.
In 2010, I wrote a few thousand. I don't remember exactly how many words. I also joined over half way through the month, so didn't really stand a chance.
In 2011, I won with just over 50,000 words.
In 2012, I wrote about 7,000 words and just petered out.
In 2013, I technically signed up, but didn't even log on once or even try to write after mid-October. I was busy.

How many times did you win?

Once

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?

The camaraderie and getting something done.

What are you planning to write this year?

I don't have anything detailed. I'm basing it largely on my experience as a journalism student and the time shortly after college as a working journalist. It will probably be slightly mystery.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

I plan a little bit. I have a general story idea and a general way I want it to end but not much more than that.

[Queen Susan]

If you have, how many times?
4.

How many times did you win?
3.
2009, 2010, 2011

Apparently 2012 I didn't try at all? Strange.

2013 I wrote 15.5 K and just wasn't feeling connected to the characters. And I didn't have a solid reason for the main plotline so... bleh.

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
Like most others have said; it gets me writing. Also, drinking lots of tea and coffee. Feeling like a writer. Getting excited about characters and stories.

What are you planning to write this year?
So far about a little boy who lives across the road from a zoo. He also has an eccentric neighbor. That's about as far as I've gotten with the plan.

Are you a planner or a pantser?
Some of both? I usually have the bones of the plot planned. But as anyone knows who has done NaNo, that's usually subject to change. The last time I finished a novel, 25K in I was finished with everything I had planned. Enter lots of making-stuff-up-as-we-go.

This year is my first writing more from a child's perspective. Should be fun.

[Ithilwen]

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before? If you have, how many times? How many times did you win?

My NaNo History:

2011 NaNo: Wrote 17K in the first two days. Considered quitting due to over-exhaustion. Was forced to quit on Day 3 due to computer virus.

2012 Camp: Wrote about 5K on the first day. Quit after that due to stress, and not having the book well-planned out enough to know what to write next.

2012 NaNo: Could not participate due to being out-of-state all month.

2013 Camp: Wrote 5K in the first two days. Quit after the second day due to stress.

2013 NaNo: Originally planned on writing a novel but quit writing that after about 5K. Instead decided to write a collection of short stories and won a week early.

2014 Camp: Almost decided to participate, but backed out at the last minute.

2014 NaNo: Upcoming.

As you can see, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with NaNo. I always seem to attempt it, but rarely get past the first couple days. Although, I have won once. Hopefully I can win again this year. And hopefully this year it will be with a better book than my short stories turned out to be.

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?

The fact that everyone is writing at the same time. It encourages me more that way, for some reason, as opposed to when I'm writing alone.

What are you planning to write this year?

I’m attempting to write another fantasy novel.

Are you a planner or a pantser?

Planner all the way. I've been planning this one for a couple months now.


~Izzy

[Fire Fairy]

Wow, it's been a long time since I visited the forums!

Have you ever participated in NaNoWriMo before?
Nope. I've heard of it, though. For several years my excuse for not participating was that I wanted to focus on quality, not quantity. But now that I'm done with school I don't have any deadlines, which, for a person like me with ADHD, means no motivation. So I figured it would be good to do NaNo to get me into the writing game again.

What to you love most about NaNoWriMo?
I'm really liking the community. It makes it a lot easier to be excited about writing when there are thousands of others doing the same thing at the same time.

What are you planning to write this year?
It's called Mademoiselle Butterfly, and this is the synopsis I wrote for it on the NaNoWriMo website:

Nika wakes up the morning after a steamy blind date--only to find she's been captured and entered into the intergalactic slave trade! Not only that, but the slave traders are performing illegal genetic enhancements on their slaves before selling them off, and Nika ends up with butterfly wings. Nika, changed forever, can no longer return to Earth, and must find a way to free herself and find a place she can call home, despite being modified beyond normalcy--even for aliens.

Are you a planner or a pantser
A little of both, but more pantser than planner. My planning happens mostly up in my head, because when I try to write out outlines and stuff it really stifles my creativity. I prefer to keep a few plot points in mind and then see where the writing will take me. That way, I can reign things in if I find the writing going too far off the plot.

[SummerSnow]

This is my sixth time participating in NaNoWriMo. I've won all five times I've done NaNo. However, the first three years I didn't do the 50K word count, because I was in the YWP program.

I love NaNo because it motivates me to write and not to worry about editing. Usually outside of NaNo, whenever I try to start a story I start thinking 'This is awful' and 'No one will ever want to read this', so it's really hard to get past the first page with out constantly editing. When I do NaNo, I push away all of that and just focus on writing.
Also, I love the community of other writers. You can do word wars, encourage each other, and complain about your novels. Last, but not least, it's fun (in an exhausting and tiring--but awesome--way).

Um...I haven't decided what I'm going to write. I do have a few ideas, but I don't know which I want to write. They're all lacking in the plot area, so that's going to be interesting. Two of my story ideas are realistic fiction. They have similarities in their plot; however, the characters are really different. My last one is also set in the real world, but it's in a fictional country and has some fantasy elements.

What I just said, basically answers this question. xD Despite my intentions and efforts to plan everything out, I am a panster all the way. I can't plot or plan until I've gotten to know my characters, which I can only do once I start writing. I've tried short pieces from the character, but since I find I want them to be in the story (at least the first draft), it doesn't work out so well.

So, anyone up for a word war sometime this month? I'm going to try to get a ton of writing tomorrow before I start up school again, so if anyone's up for a word war than, that would be awesome.

[shastastwin]

I am down to the last chapter of my draft that I said had to be finished before NaNo! (Well, chapter, interlude, and epilogue, but that's close enough.) I think I will be able to finish this last section tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest, so I should be set to actually do NaNo. I haven't done anything on the NaNo site yet because I wasn't sure I'd make it.

I'm definitely up for a word war or two tomorrow, SummerSnow. I want to get as big a boost as I can in the first week or so, since last year this time I was fighting off a sinus infection.

[stargazer]

Word wars sound like fun! My ability to participate may be limited by other real-life obligations, but I'd like to join if the timing works.

A few days ago I decided to scratch my original idea (picking up last year's poor orphaned story) and trying something new: a lighter-hearted swords-and-sorcery tale. Sure it's clichéd, but I'm not looking to publish, just to have some fun trying my hand at something new. Once I decided to change plots, I quickly had all sorts of notecards filled with character and plot ideas, so I guess that's good.

[Shadowlander]

It starts tonight at midnight and while I have a decent plot in line I always get fouled up on the opening paragraph, and the opening sentence in particular. You have to put something in there that will draw the reader in, and unfortunately for the past 3 weeks all I've been doing is drawing a blank. :/