Comments on: Post NaNo musings http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/ About the craft and business of genre fiction Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:13:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: ChiaLynn http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-44272 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:16:50 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-44272 I, uh... Didn't make it. Not even close. And most of what I did write is, yes, garbage. BUT -- I learned a lot about several of my characters, and their relationships to characters in other stories, and I'm feeling good about re-starting this story when I wind another project down. So, I wouldn't say my first NaNo was a failure -- just a learning experience. (One of the things I learned is that you can fill up a remarkable number of pages with description and background of characters you've just met yourself, but it doesn't do much for moving the story forward.) Now, having just wrapped up NaNoWriMO and NaBloPoMo (which I did complete, though I admit to having backdated a couple of posts), do I want to sign myself up for NaNoFiMo? Um... I'll have to think about that one. I, uh… Didn’t make it. Not even close. And most of what I did write is, yes, garbage. BUT — I learned a lot about several of my characters, and their relationships to characters in other stories, and I’m feeling good about re-starting this story when I wind another project down. So, I wouldn’t say my first NaNo was a failure — just a learning experience. (One of the things I learned is that you can fill up a remarkable number of pages with description and background of characters you’ve just met yourself, but it doesn’t do much for moving the story forward.)

Now, having just wrapped up NaNoWriMO and NaBloPoMo (which I did complete, though I admit to having backdated a couple of posts), do I want to sign myself up for NaNoFiMo? Um… I’ll have to think about that one.

]]> by: Elena Greene http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43898 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:52:08 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43898 <i>I’m always mad either way. Either I’m ticked because I didn’t power through more scenes, or I’m nauseated at how much I have to re-write. So I’ll never be 100% pleased.</i> LOL, Kathleen. I'm sure if there were a magic formula for writing quick and beautiful first draft you folks at WU would have informed us of it already! :) I’m always mad either way. Either I’m ticked because I didn’t power through more scenes, or I’m nauseated at how much I have to re-write. So I’ll never be 100% pleased.

LOL, Kathleen. I’m sure if there were a magic formula for writing quick and beautiful first draft you folks at WU would have informed us of it already! :)

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43853 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 04:11:05 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43853 Congrats, Kath and Elena and Jennifer and everyone else who participated in NaNo, for getting through it regardless of passing the 50k mark. It's a hard task! Good point about the TV, astrothsknot. :) Congrats, Kath and Elena and Jennifer and everyone else who participated in NaNo, for getting through it regardless of passing the 50k mark. It’s a hard task!

Good point about the TV, astrothsknot. :)

]]> by: astrothsknot http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43805 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:39:17 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43805 I didn't bother with nano this moth, instead doing mini-nano at LJ. Thanks for the link for the site above. I got two I'd like to make something of. It's not like there's any riveting TV going. I didn’t bother with nano this moth, instead doing mini-nano at LJ.

Thanks for the link for the site above. I got two I’d like to make something of.

It’s not like there’s any riveting TV going.

]]> by: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43795 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:26:19 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43795 I'm always mad either way. Either I'm ticked because I didn't power through more scenes, or I'm nauseated at how much I have to re-write. So I'll never be 100% pleased. ;-) I’m always mad either way. Either I’m ticked because I didn’t power through more scenes, or I’m nauseated at how much I have to re-write. So I’ll never be 100% pleased. ;-)

]]> by: Maddy http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43787 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:05:02 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43787 Not really my area of expertise, but I would think that quality rather than quantity has to be the way ahead. Cheers Not really my area of expertise, but I would think that quality rather than quantity has to be the way ahead.
Cheers

]]> by: Jennifer http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43785 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:00:59 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43785 I made it to 50k, and the story's almost done. I didn't have a lot of plotting done beforehand, but I sort of knew how it would end, and I think I've gotten there. Someday I'd love to turn it into an actual book, but I'd either have to cut a lot down or find 20,000 extra words... I always have a good time with NaNo, and I even got a free dinner out of it, because my fellow regional writers treated myself and my co-ML at the TGIO party. Good times. Now to think up what I'll write next year... I made it to 50k, and the story’s almost done. I didn’t have a lot of plotting done beforehand, but I sort of knew how it would end, and I think I’ve gotten there. Someday I’d love to turn it into an actual book, but I’d either have to cut a lot down or find 20,000 extra words…

I always have a good time with NaNo, and I even got a free dinner out of it, because my fellow regional writers treated myself and my co-ML at the TGIO party. Good times.

Now to think up what I’ll write next year…

]]> by: Elena Greene http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43784 Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:47:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/12/03/post-nano-musings/#comment-43784 <i>There’s a canyon between cranking out words to meet a quota and writing usable prose that will become the foundations of a novel. I wanted the latter, and though I didn’t get anywhere near 50,000 words, I’m pretty happy with what I do have.</i> Congrats on your achievement! Different writing processes going on here. I made it to 50K but wouldn't say I crank out words to meet a quota. Instead, the quota forces me to keep tackling scene after scene, focusing on plot and characterization and ignoring grammar and word choices. I didn't generate much usable prose but I did get a lot of new ideas. So I'm happy too! I'm going to blog some more on this at the Riskies on Wednesday. As to NaNoFiMo, obviously I have signed up. Some good forums, though I miss the nifty NaNoWriMo features such as the progress bar graph. I've just figured out how to make Excel do something similar. There’s a canyon between cranking out words to meet a quota and writing usable prose that will become the foundations of a novel. I wanted the latter, and though I didn’t get anywhere near 50,000 words, I’m pretty happy with what I do have.

Congrats on your achievement!

Different writing processes going on here. I made it to 50K but wouldn’t say I crank out words to meet a quota. Instead, the quota forces me to keep tackling scene after scene, focusing on plot and characterization and ignoring grammar and word choices. I didn’t generate much usable prose but I did get a lot of new ideas. So I’m happy too! I’m going to blog some more on this at the Riskies on Wednesday.

As to NaNoFiMo, obviously I have signed up. Some good forums, though I miss the nifty NaNoWriMo features such as the progress bar graph. I’ve just figured out how to make Excel do something similar.

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