Do you Nanowrimo? Write a book in November - permies group?

I was admiring the idea of spending a month writing a book.  November seems a great choice as it's so dark and there's very little to do but get ready for the Holidays.

I don't know how to write fiction, so I can't particpate in National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo)

What do you think about having some sort of permies write a book in November group?

Yes! I was just thinking about this

That could be fun!  I started to do NaNoWriMo a couple of years ago, but wasn't feeling well (bad back) and didn't finish, although I did get quite a lot done.  My oldest daughter did it a few years ago and published the book that she wrote that year (and several others since then, although she hasn't done NaNoWriMo again).  

Kathleen

I did NanoWrimo once, and that was quite a blast. Though, you could definitely tell in my writing at which points I was more creative and which points I was filling in words to get a word count.

And, eh, you don't need to know anything to write fiction! That's part of what fiction is! The NanoWrimo I did in 2014 was kind of a mix of my teenage angst, world mythologies, deviant behavior (in many of its forms), and a plot to destroy or save the world!

I did Nanowrimo a couple of times, and one year I "finished" with a rough draft of a novella...which i will some day get back to, but until then, it's main characters have taken further life in short stories, one of which was my first story published in print.
Actually it's still my only story in print.

I don't plan on nanowrimo'ing this year, because I am now involved with a community writing group that focuses on flash/short fiction, and I'm also working on a non-fiction project, and a play...

but I encourage anyone curious to try NaNoWriMo out! It's a lot of fun if you can get your head around a couple of hours a day, typing/writing nonsense.

Don't go in to it thinking you have to write a perfect story in a month. All you have to do is write a story, it can be awful. You'll still have written a story. And if you don't get the story done, you'll have written some of a story! And that's a good thing too.

Stellar idea, Raven! If the group starts, I'm in...

What would a permies writers month look like?

Do we want a word count system?  Or just pages?

I'm hoping to type mine out on the typewriter then transcribe it in later on.  

Well, Raven, we already have the template of NaNoWriMo; you could stick close to their methodology. They are using a word count, yes? We'd have a long thread to discuss the vicissitudes of writing our permaculture works, I imagine...You could impart encouragement and inspiration!

November is in just a few days.
So MUCH TO DO!

Check the ribbon in your typewriter, Raven...I'll sharpen the pencils.

I think I might try to do NaNoWriMo again this year.  I have a project in mind -- fiction, sci-fi, permaculture, and -- because I'm a Christian -- Christian.  (Yes, all of that can go together, LOL!)  My autistic daughter is doing a lot better lately so I think I might actually be able to get some writing done.

Kathleen

I plan to NaNoWriMo this year. Have started a few times before, but have a serious reason to finish (and publish) in 2018. (I need to prove that I can make an income from something other than "that Permaculture nonsense".)

What I would love to do, is to write or collaborate on a Permaculture guide for South Africans, as most existing information seems to be either American or Australian and the trees that they consider perfect for planting are either invasive species here, or simply don't do well in our dry, hot climate.

So how is everyone's NaNo going?

I'm behind, due partly to illness, but the story is moving again and that's enough for me.

I've got almost 8,000 words on mine (but I started a few hours early, the evening before).  Will probably not get as much done until Tuesday because one of my daughters is coming for a short visit.  But it's coming along pretty well.

Kathleen

Outlining and outlining...

How are all your books coming along?

Nicole Alderman wrote:How are all your books coming along?

Slowly, but surely. I can see the end in sight, and the story is moving again. Those were the main goals for me, so I'm happy.

I should break 20,000 words today. Would like to have done 25,000 but this month has been really difficult for me, and I wasn't really expecting to get as far as 20K, so I'm good.

The NaNo forums aren't as active this year, which is kind of sad.

Thought I'd blow some dust off this thread and maybe get some more discussion going.

I did NaNo again this year. The new site and forums were interesting. Some people blew fuses (and rightly so for many issues), some quit, some vowed to never return, most of us stayed and got used to it. There was a lot of feedback posted which I see as a good sign. The powers that be can see that there were some major mistakes made, and they'll get them fixed and address the more cosmetic issues later.

The writing went okay. I got a little over 10,000, and I'm continuing to write this month with the hope of getting a bit closer to finally finishing the novel. I set up a new goal tracker and everything to help keep me motivated.

Overall a decent experience. Not top notch, but not hell on earth. I could say it was my worst NaNo, but that implies that it was terrible when it wasn't...just bumpy.

Anybody else writing at the moment, or recovering from NaNo?

Molly Kay wrote:Anybody else writing at the moment, or recovering from NaNo?

I started it this year but decided partway through that I didn't like it.  I've been doing NaNoWriMo for a while -- maybe 9 years?  In that time I've 'won' maybe half the time.  I went on to finish two of the NaNo wins (because 50K isn't really novel length) and am marketing them now to literary agents and publishers.  So NaNo has been good for me.

However, sometimes what's good at one point in a person's life isn't good in another.  I know that I can complete a novel now, I know I don't have to take years doing it.  I don't need those lessons anymore to convince me I can write.  Instead I need to write at a pace that works for me, and I need to love what I'm writing.  I don't need the prod of NaNoWriMo for me to do that -- in fact, this year I found NaNo to be counterproductive for my writing, so maybe 10 days in I said that was it for me.

I probably won't ever do NaNoWriMo again, but I will always suggest it to writers who've never completed a novel, who maybe don't have the discipline or faith in themselves to write 50K words.  

One great thing about NaNoWriMo that I will continue with, however, was learning to tell people NO.  No I can't go anywhere, I'm writing.  No I can't chat on the phone, I'm writing.  No I can't volunteer, I'm writing.  I've taken that lesson from NaNo to heart and I'm now dedicating the month of April for LifWriMo.  I wrote all last April and had no problem telling the world to go away for a month.  I'll do the same this coming April and maybe every April from now on.  

Meanwhile, this month I'm editing the novelette I wrote last April.  When I'm not working on a novel I'm writing short stories and blogging.  And I'm submitting stories for publication, and querying agents and publishers for my novels.  Amazing how time consuming that part of writing can be.

Lif Strand wrote:
One great thing about NaNoWriMo that I will continue with, however, was learning to tell people NO.  No I can't go anywhere, I'm writing.  No I can't chat on the phone, I'm writing.  No I can't volunteer, I'm writing.  I've taken that lesson from NaNo to heart and I'm now dedicating the month of April for LifWriMo.  I wrote all last April and had no problem telling the world to go away for a month.  I'll do the same this coming April and maybe every April from now on.  

Meanwhile, this month I'm editing the novelette I wrote last April.  When I'm not working on a novel I'm writing short stories and blogging.  And I'm submitting stories for publication, and querying agents and publishers for my novels.  Amazing how time consuming that part of writing can be.

That's a huge part of doing NaNo for me. My life doesn't allow me to say "no" as often as I'd like, but during November everyone who knows me knows I'm writing. That and the community, which I find inspiring and supportive in a way life just isn't. I actually wrote my first novel before I'd heard of NaNo, but also before my boys got their diagnoses and started with various therapies and doctors and IEP meetings. None of that goes away during November, but it's easier for me to focus on the writing and try not to schedule as many appointments and meetings for that month.

That's great that you're querying. I hope you find an agent and publisher who are interested in your work. It sounds like you've found the key to productivity for you, and that's awesome. :)

Molly Kay wrote:It sounds like you've found the key to productivity for you, and that's awesome. :)

Another key to productivity for me is once I start writing for the day I don't allow myself to be distracted by social media, forums (sorry, permies!) and the like .  I give myself a few hours to go through email and social media and then that's that till I've put in a few hours of actual writing.  Really, it's like any employment:  A person's got to do the work, no excuses.