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Author Topic: NaNoWriMo Cheerleading  (Read 7434 times)

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penny

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2006, 01:18:01 PM »

This thread is so inspiring to read!

Applause!

Penny
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Kathy Wendorff

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2006, 02:23:12 PM »

Way to go, NaNo-ers!
And Angie, if you can reassure your internal editor she can come back on December 1st and say "I told you so," she might buy it. It worked for me.

Kathy W.
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Joyce S

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2006, 07:29:20 PM »

Well, I made it to 10,490 words as of this evening; that was another 2,108 words for a Saturday. Not quite as productive as I'd hoped on a weekend, but I had unexpected company.  Still I'm 3,822 ahead of target for the 4th day of NaNoWriMo; basically two and a third days ahead of schedule.

Pompous now has a tentative name: Crenshaw Pettigrew. I'm not sure whether it will stick. I'll have to try it for a few days.

While it's still fairly early (only 7:30pm), I think I'm done for the day. I'm just a scene or two till the FMC meets the MMC; although he's seen her in passing at a restaurant. I know that sparks flew when he saw her; here's crossing my fingers that the same will happen in reverse.

Hope my fellow NaNos from MWF are having as much success!

Joyce S
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Daniel Hatadi

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #18 on: November 05, 2006, 07:14:46 PM »

The weekend was a hard slog for me what with two dinners at Italian restaurants, one each day, and one being my mother's 60th birthday, so I couldn't very well say no. :)

I still came in 200 words over target last night, thanks to a Zen-like trance of two hours. I wrote the most graphic and violent scene I've ever written and it kept me awake for an extra hour.

But don't worry, it's not gratuitous. There is a good reason for it. My MC does not yet know he is about to undergo an unwanted and drastic change in personality. This will be the introduction of the supernatural element and the bloody scene I wrote is a precursor to the first major event of the novel. I can't wait to get past this section, because then I get to delve back into an earlier version of Australia. I'll finally be able to use some of the material I've come up with during my research of Sydney police photos from 1911-1938.

I think my writing muscles are getting stronger. Hopefully the output won't be total crapola.

Go NaNos, go!

P.S.: I'm on your tail now, Joyce. Watch out!
« Last Edit: November 06, 2006, 05:20:55 PM by Daniel Hatadi »
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Joyce S

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2006, 11:18:37 AM »

I'm in a hotel lounge killing time till the shuttle leaves for the airport (isn't wifi wonderful).

Even though I've been at a business conference since Sunday, I've managed to keep my goal of at least 1,667 words or more a day. As of last night, I was up to 17,291 words. (That's 5,622 more than targeted for day 7, of which I am pleased. I'm particularly pleased that I haven't yet had to dip into the reserve that I've built up.) And on that note, I really should be writing, not checking MWF, if I hope to get to 18,958 by the end of the day today.

Congrats, Daniel, on your word count--and you are absolutely correct, you are not allowed to miss your mother's birthday.

I'm discovering totally unexpected scenes and people. Likely many will have to go in a revision; but, hey, this is the first draft and I believe some will actually stay.

Best to all.

Joyce S
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Joyce S

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2006, 08:28:15 AM »

I broke the 20K mark last night; 21,495 to be exact, but who's counting -- well, actually, I am counting!

I have an astonishing number of characters: 36 at present, including the dogs (4). I'm sure many of the people will not survive a meeting with my Inner Editor (who is reportedly safe and content at the Inner Editor Kennel). So for now, I'm just going with the flow and logging them and their characteristics (like eye color, relationship to the MCs, etc.) in a separate document to keep track of them. I'm pretty sure I don't have good names when I have to go back to the log to remember. On the other hand, if I hadn't wandered off in the fictional Park with Charleigh and Cricket on one day of writing, I never would have met the Biscuitman, a Park caretaker who always has a baggie of biscuits to share with canine friends. I know a meeting with him will be a welcomed relief to Charleigh (and to my readers) after a confrontation she'll have there in the Park.

Charleigh and Rhyl arrived in his home town last night, finally. This is where (as planned so far, but who knows) most of the action will take place. Charleigh's been introduced to his 3rd grade teacher & husband (to whom Cricket immediately took a liking) and to Rhyl's grandfather on his mother's side. Since I wrote right up to bedtime, that last scene was still fresh in my mind. When I laid down to sleep, the scene continued in my head and I startled my cats by bursting out loud laughing and continuing to chortle for several minutes at some antics of the grandfather upon meeting the dog, Cricket. One of the things I've always liked in books is at least one LOL event and this one came to me so unexpectedly. I just hope I can get the event down on paper and still have it as funny as it was last night in my head.

Daniel, I can see your stats in NaNoWriMo. Looks like you are coming along nicely.

Angie, I just added you as a 'buddy' -- Have you been able to board your Inner Editor at the Kennel? I'm sure it would have fun getting to know the Inner Editors that Daniel and I left there.

Well, I guess that's it for an update for now. I'm off to a community pruning clinic for the rest of the morning. Hmmmm, pruning shears, what if Grandpa was pruning the bushes and his old nemesis May Rhetta came by to correct his technique....

Joyce S
« Last Edit: November 11, 2006, 11:54:18 AM by Joyce S »
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Caro

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2006, 10:02:33 PM »

Wow. You guys are impressive! You go Joyce and Daniel!  And anyone else who's hanging in with the Na-no-ers. I couldn't do that, at least not with the book I'm working on now.  Strange how every book is so different, yet I suppose one would get very bored if this were not the case.

Caro.
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Daniel Hatadi

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2006, 06:27:24 PM »

Joyce has passed the 25K mark. You're half way there! Congrats.

I've had a slacker of a weekend. After deciding to take Friday off, Saturday proved just as easy to dodge. Sunday night saw me catching up on Friday's work, so that leaves me two days behind. Hopefully I'll be able to make up for it during the week, or possibly even next weekend.

My reason for taking some time off was because now that I've hit the mid-section of the novel, everything is vague and murky. The more I write, the more I realise that coming up with 'what happens next' is the hardest part. Still, I got hold of a book called the Encyclopedia of Australian Crime. It's proving to be a good springboard for plot ideas, both in the past and the present. Only problem is how it's organised: by date within the year. And it has no contents or index. So to find a crime that occurred between, say 1910-1930, I have to trawl through the whole book!

But as Joyce has mentioned, characters are now starting to appear out of thin air. Necessity is their mother, and they are born as adults in the shape of cardboard cutouts. Revision will be the time to fill them with glue or whatever cardboard cutouts eat.

Susan August

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2006, 06:51:24 PM »

You guys are awesome.  Keep going...it is not easy to be creative 'on demand' with timelines!  If we can help you get over 'blocks' here, please let us know.  I assume that support systems are allowed.

Go, go, go...we are cheering you on!


Susan
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Joyce S

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2006, 07:25:46 PM »

I did my first write-in today at a Borders and added another 4K+ words; nearly to the 30K mark. My fellow write-in companions are sticking virtual "kick me" signs on my back--all in friendly rivalry, of course. One is working on an epic poem (not my cup of tea) and she'll consider 10K as a successful NaNoWriMo. Another is working on 5 short stories; moving from one to another as her muse comes to her.

I've really tried hard to make at least the minimum 1,667 words a day; missing on only one day so far (but did manage 245 words even on that day; so at least forward motion). And it was really very hard to get back into the saddle, so to speak, the next day.

I consider myself lucky because I still like my characters and am finding that there are more in the story that I like as well. My antagonist is being a bit of a problem right now though. When confronted, he just grunts and moves away. Hopefully, when the inquiries the two MCs will make in their search for information starts to threaten to reveal a long-buried secret that he'd just as soon keep well-buried, he'll be coerced into action. After all, I'm planning his reactions to be the reason for some major plot points. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he won't disappoint me in the end.

And Brev and his boys have appeared. I think he's Rhyl's (the MMC) brother, but I'm not sure how he managed the fact that he (Brev) is his father's favorite and Rhyl most definitely is not. Their father is the primary antagonist in the plot line. I don't know whether Brev'll consider himself better and always side with his father against Rhyl or by sympathetic to Rhyl's situation. Ah, the pleasures of "What if?"

Joyce S
« Last Edit: November 12, 2006, 08:02:39 PM by Joyce S »
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Kathy Wendorff

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #25 on: November 13, 2006, 06:49:15 AM »

You go, guys! Very impressive!

Kathy W., glad you can actually applaud on this board
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CathyJ

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #26 on: November 13, 2006, 05:43:49 PM »

You guys rock!

Cathy
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Zara

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Re: NaNoWriMo (Sticky)
« Reply #27 on: November 13, 2006, 11:09:11 PM »

Where are the jumping smileys... and the pom poms
 You Go Guys
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Zara

Joyce S

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Re: NaNoWriMo Cheerleading
« Reply #28 on: November 15, 2006, 10:38:44 PM »

Well, NaNoWriMo is half over. I'm at 34,436, nicely over half way to 50,000.

I'm having trouble getting the characters to confront each other and I'm hoping that this coming week I will be able to get things moving. I've got to get my main characters off their duffs and start them to ask some pointed questions to get things rumbling. Got to get their investigation to start to threaten the antagonist's secret and make him act to protect it.

Joyce S
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Ingrid

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Re: NaNoWriMo Cheerleading
« Reply #29 on: November 18, 2006, 05:18:08 PM »

Amazing!  I couldn't do it.  I'm working on a short story collection, but that's cheating because I'm only selecting, revising, and organizing. This will be a fast book for me.

Ingrid
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