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isle.sam
Jr. Member Writer
Posts: 22
Registered: 9/8/2009
Location: Houston
Member Is Offline
Mood: Enthused.
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Quote: Originally posted by Sevastian Winters  | | I think for my NanoWrimo challenge, I am going to ask my fanclub to devise a topic... but I am going to wait until Halloween to ask for the help. I am
going to challenge myself to start from a blank slate and still complete it. lol |
you have a fan club?! excellent!
i want to do that whole "blank slate" thing, but i have a feeling bad, bad things would happen. It would be 50,000 words of "what the frell is she
doing?"
"I always keep a lighter in my back pocket. I'm not a smoker, I just really really like certain songs..."
- Demetri Martin
Blame it on the Weatherman |
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boatkicker
Accentuate Writer!
Posts: 847
Registered: 6/27/2009
Location: Dennis, Massachusetts!
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Mood: sick of the hiccups!
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Oh wow, sevastian. I dont think I could handle that. I already have chosen what I'm doing IF I do it. Was writing character profiles today in my world
civilizations class. I never realized how much I already knew this stuff until it's the 3rd week of school and the only thing I learned was which
pyramids in ancient egypt belong to which pharaohs.
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
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Mood: Hopeful
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I do indeed have a fan club: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sevastian-Winters/158010027221?ref=nf
When I get it to 5000 people, I will go publisher shopping.
As to starting from scratch, that's the easy part. I will show you an example... Answer these 7 questions:
1) Is the protagonist Male or Female?
2) What does the Protagonist want/lack?
3) What is keeping the Protagonist from having what he or she wants?
4) What time period is it?
5) Where is the story set?
6) What is the Protagonist's main quirk?
7) Now answer the same questions about the Protagonist's best friend.
I will create a story line as an example, for the first person to post an answer to those 7 questions. Stories are easy to create. It''s keeping your
characters tortured for 40-50 chapters that's hard.
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Skwerly
Literary Master
Posts: 3475
Registered: 5/17/2008
Location: Yucaipa, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Determined.
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1. Transsexual
2. A tranny lover who makes a lot of cash
3. Those are hard to find.
4. Today
5. Hollyweird
6. He/she has mild Tourette’s
Best friend:
1. Female
2. Get off crack
3. Addiction
4. Today
5. Hollyweird
6. She toofless, but likes to sing
Happy Writing! 
I seemed to be looking down from an immense height upon a twilit grotto, knee-deep with filth, where a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about
with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts whose appearance filled me with unutterable loathing.
My AC page:
Derek's Junk
My Horror Writing Forum: http://writersofhorror.myfreeforum.org/index.php
I **love** creepy trees!
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isle.sam
Jr. Member Writer
Posts: 22
Registered: 9/8/2009
Location: Houston
Member Is Offline
Mood: Enthused.
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I actually stumbled upon it after checking out your blog. I had to join :D
"I always keep a lighter in my back pocket. I'm not a smoker, I just really really like certain songs..."
- Demetri Martin
Blame it on the Weatherman |
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hopeful
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| Quote: Originally posted by Skwerly | 1. Transsexual
2. A tranny lover who makes a lot of cash
3. Those are hard to find.
4. Today
5. Hollyweird
6. He/she has mild Tourette’s
Best friend:
1. Female
2. Get off crack
3. Addiction
4. Today
5. Hollyweird
6. She toofless, but likes to sing
Happy Writing!
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Too easy...and a great story....and sadly too common.
It's basically Pretty Woman meets tranny chaser.
Meet Teri. What she really needs is money for her final operation, so she can truly be in society, the woman she's always been inside. To do that she
has to prostitute herself on Hollywierd Blvd. She hates that life though. She wants a Jon who truly treats her like a lady instead of using her for
cheap thrills.
Meet Thad. Thad is a blind man and former fashion model whose face was disfigured in the accident that cost him his sight and his career. On top of
having earned top dollar as a male model, He won a huge settlement from his accident, but has no one to share his life with. "Normal" women won't have
him. Thad is more interested in companionship than in fitting in with a society that has shunned him, and finds great amusement in Terri's Tourrettes
outbursts... which is how they meet in the first place.
Through a series of events both comedic and tragic (the loss of her best friend Jane who dies after a run in with a crack dealer), the two once
unlikely lovers find hope in each other and all that they have searched for.
Too easy
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hopeful
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Welcome. Enjoy Horatio Caine Day!
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hopeful
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*bump
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Michy
Boss(y) Lady / Site Owner / Admin
Posts: 7403
Registered: 1/15/2008
Location: Texas
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Mood: Peaceful
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Why are we bumping my threads?
Love and stuff,
Michy
~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hopeful
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lol... wanted to make sure Skewely got a chance to see what I did with his challenge
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tlschultz
Master Writer
Posts: 1022
Registered: 2/3/2009
Location: California
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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I have 3 novels started, with about 3,000 words each (1 or 2 chapters.) I want to use this as a way to push myself to finish one of them, but I guess
I can't actually register and participate if I have already started writing, and only count the new words, is that right? I'll just have to do it on
my own.
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Michy
Boss(y) Lady / Site Owner / Admin
Posts: 7403
Registered: 1/15/2008
Location: Texas
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Mood: Peaceful
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Just do it... seriously, I mean, it's not like they are going to police you and there's no 'prize' other than a certificate - register!
Here's my take - last year, I set out to do 100,000 words - that was well over the requirement of 50k. I had already written 10k of those words when I
started. I figured that as long as I did AT LEAST 50k during the challenge and finished the novel, I was just as much a winner as it I'd started from
scratch.
I realize that's not exactly the rules, but when you're a writer by profession and not just hobby, sometimes you have to work around rules and
structure.
For me, the point of this is to show you that you can do it, set aside the inner editor and critic, and just write, every day...
I think as long as you're honest about the starting word count and you do AT LEAST 50k during JUST the challenge part, there's no reason you can't
sign up and do it with us!
Love and stuff,
Michy
~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
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tlschultz
Master Writer
Posts: 1022
Registered: 2/3/2009
Location: California
Member Is Offline
Mood: inspired
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Alright, I will!! That's what I was thinking, as long as I write 50,000 new words during the month of November, it doesn't seem like it should matter
what I already had written before. I won't count the previous words. Thanks for the encouragement, Michy!
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Melanie
Founding Member
Posts: 4762
Registered: 1/17/2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: At the cusp of my new writing life.
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I did the same thing last year. I wanted desperately to finish the novel I was working on and NaNo gave me the oomph I needed. I started with almost
14k words and finished NaNo up with over 100k. Something like 83k written during November. I consider that a win!
This year, I'm starting from scratch.
Melanie 
"Go forth boldly in the direction of your dreams." Thoreau
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Going Forth Boldly -- The Chronicle of Becoming a Professional Fiction Writer
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Skwerly
Literary Master
Posts: 3475
Registered: 5/17/2008
Location: Yucaipa, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Determined.
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Haha yea, I saw it!
I seemed to be looking down from an immense height upon a twilit grotto, knee-deep with filth, where a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about
with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts whose appearance filled me with unutterable loathing.
My AC page:
Derek's Junk
My Horror Writing Forum: http://writersofhorror.myfreeforum.org/index.php
I **love** creepy trees!
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twnkltoz
Founding Member/Moderator
Posts: 2032
Registered: 1/17/2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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I just got a fun idea...how would any of you like to do guest blogs on my http://www.jenniferlwalker.blogspot.com blog about NaNoWriMo? It can be about anything...why people should try it, strategies for winning, the
humourous side of nano, etc. Obviously, you could do this on your own blogs, but maybe this would give you some new exposure. If you're interested,
send it to me at jennifer AT authorjennwalker DOT com.
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Amber
Accentuate Writer!
Posts: 576
Registered: 6/17/2009
Location: Southern Iowa
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tired, but content, after the family vacation.
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*Has the feeling that Michy is going to attack her if she forgets about NaNo again....*
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Michy
Boss(y) Lady / Site Owner / Admin
Posts: 7403
Registered: 1/15/2008
Location: Texas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peaceful
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(nodding emphatically) Yup!
Love and stuff,
Michy
~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
-----------------------------------------
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Amber
Accentuate Writer!
Posts: 576
Registered: 6/17/2009
Location: Southern Iowa
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tired, but content, after the family vacation.
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This could hurt. lol.
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Shannon
Superlative Writer
Posts: 302
Registered: 2/12/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Confused
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I'm really waffling on NaNoWriMo. I've never done it before (or written anything past a short story).
I'm certainly intrigued by it. But I think it's a combination of 1) seeing people here do it (I guess I'm the highly-suggestible type; good thing
there's good people here  ), and 2) just being interested in all things
literary.
I don't think the above reasons are probably good enough to join (and keep motivated to write 1,666 words or how many a day you need to do).
But it looks...so...so...fun! But then again, I think I'm more of a "reader" than a "writer," and I need to remind myself of that every now and again.
I don't have that burning passion for writing many people feel here. If the right idea creeps into my head though, then I feel like I'm
having a lot of fun writing (which really only happens occasionally).
Bah. I don't know if I should try or not.
Good luck to everyone who does enter!
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Michy
Boss(y) Lady / Site Owner / Admin
Posts: 7403
Registered: 1/15/2008
Location: Texas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peaceful
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What's wrong with trying it? I mean, if you have fun doing it, who cares if you 'win' or not? I say go for it!
Love and stuff,
Michy
~~Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations~~
Do just once what others say you can't do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again." James R. Cook
-----------------------------------------
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Skwerly
Literary Master
Posts: 3475
Registered: 5/17/2008
Location: Yucaipa, California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Determined.
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Listen, nobody finishes a race they never start. As Michelle said, what is the worst that could possibly happen? If you end up 10k words behind and
give up, no men with machine guns and dark glasses are going to show up on your doorstep. No shadow monsters are going to bother you at night from
the closet. There are zero penalties, other than personal ones, for not finishing the contest.
We all understand that life sometimes happens, gets in the way, even stops us in our tracks. But, if in the 30 days you are writing your “novel”,
things happen to go smoothly or even semi-smoothly, you WIN! How can you beat that?
This advice is coming from someone who completed the 50,000 words last November, and who feels VERY good about it. Sure, the writing sucks. It really
sucks eggs. It’s horrible. But WOW! If you are interested in “getting into” your characters, or learning how to “flow” with your writing, this
November is for YOU.
Almost every published and successful author out there will say that if you don’t actually WRITE, you can’t be a writer. Write, write, write. Nano
forces us to do this, and forces us to do this at quite a healthy pace! What you end up with at the end of November is an unpolished, extremely
rough, hacked up turd.
BUT, it’s there! Your story is THERE! You can shelve it, you can edit it, you can heavily edit it, and you can add to it or take away from it. It’s
completely YOURS - Every single word. It really is something that is hard to explain.
Just try it. Do it for YOU. If you fail, try it again! November’s Nano isn’t the ONLY time you can write a short novel, yanno. If it doesn’t work
out, make January your Nano month, and just push yourself to succeed. Fill us in on your progress here on the board, make a little calendar, and
write. The contest is for YOU, nobody else.
You’ll never have a best seller if you don’t write one.
I seemed to be looking down from an immense height upon a twilit grotto, knee-deep with filth, where a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about
with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts whose appearance filled me with unutterable loathing.
My AC page:
Derek's Junk
My Horror Writing Forum: http://writersofhorror.myfreeforum.org/index.php
I **love** creepy trees!
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itzrissa2u
Literary Master
Posts: 3543
Registered: 2/19/2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: Procrastinatable...wha? it's a word because I say it is
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Derek is lying. They did show up at my house and the beat me! Oh the pain!
hehe
Actually they are right. I am happy i did it last year because it was the begininng of my book I am writing now. I am not doing it this year because I
will focus on that and not write stuff to pay bills. Despite what Michy thinks. 
I know me. I know I will focus on the book and not work on the articles. I am doing it now, with my goal to finish this book in 30 days.
But, I am hoping to do it next year and I may do a late NaNo later in the year. Just not this November.
If you are considering it. I say do it.
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Melanie
Founding Member
Posts: 4762
Registered: 1/17/2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: At the cusp of my new writing life.
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Yay Derek!
Wild applause for you pep talk.
I totally agree.
Melanie
"Go forth boldly in the direction of your dreams." Thoreau
----------------------------
Going Forth Boldly -- The Chronicle of Becoming a Professional Fiction Writer
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Sevastian Winters
Superlative Writer
Posts: 412
Registered: 6/29/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hopeful
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True, but it is possible to win a football game without ever stepping on the field. simple. Vandalize your own school the week before the big game,
with the rival school's team colors. Stuff like "Valhalla Rules" and "Helix Sucks" and stuff like that... paint pics of football players hurt... etc.
Do it over a weekend, and guaranteed by Wednesday afternoon, your rival will forfeit the game on the say-so of the school board, thereby advancing
your team to the championship.
Don't ask me how I know that ;-)
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twnkltoz
Founding Member/Moderator
Posts: 2032
Registered: 1/17/2008
Member Is Offline
Mood: Optimistic
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Rissa's a weanie! Rissa's a weanie!
Come on, girl, get some discipline!
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Shannon
Superlative Writer
Posts: 302
Registered: 2/12/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Confused
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Thanks everyone for your support/input.
| Quote: Originally posted by Skwerly |
Almost every published and successful author out there will say that if you don’t actually WRITE, you can’t be a writer. Write, write, write. Nano
forces us to do this, and forces us to do this at quite a healthy pace! What you end up with at the end of November is an unpolished, extremely
rough, hacked up turd.
BUT, it’s there! Your story is THERE! You can shelve it, you can edit it, you can heavily edit it, and you can add to it or take away from it. It’s
completely YOURS - Every single word. It really is something that is hard to explain.
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Honestly, this is why I'm interested in NaNoWriMo. I love taking a very, very raw story/article and then hacking away at it, refining it here and
there, adding details, etc. Editing to me is the funnest part of the writing process.
The problem is cranking out the raw material. And then the fact that there should be at least something salvageable within the material.
My goal isn't even to have a publishable novel. It's just to have something fun to do, something like a hobby.
In any case, I think I want to do it just for the experience too. Writing short stories has certainly given me a new perspective. I used to
mercilessly razz Dan Brown whenever he came up in conversation. Now when I hear criticisms about his prose, I can't help but blush and think about my
own writing flaws. It's amazing how easy it is to fall into certain writing pitfalls and not be able to get out (even when you're able to identify the
problem!).
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Svenja
Superlative Writer
Posts: 297
Registered: 7/14/2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: Shiny!
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I love editing, too! But last year I learned to love churning out the raw first draft, too. Last year's novel became a web-fiction type deal that I'm
publishing in installments on LiveJournal. I don't want to publish it. I think this year's will be pretty much the same.
I did have a really good time with it last year. It's such a cool atmosphere, just knowing that there are thousands of other people engaging in the
same craziness. 
And yeah... it's true that writing stuff yourself makes you more aware of how easy it is to get it wrong. At the same time, though, it's made me more
critical of other people's mistakes, I think. Partially because I've critiqued a fair few stories by now and I know what to watch out for. Helped me
become a better writer, too, I think. But writing definitely isn't as easy now as it was before I knew about overusing adverbs, showing vs telling,
and passive voice!
"Write who you are."
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![[*]](images/engage/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
Don't make me go all Ninja on yo ass! 
