2009 Questions, Tip, Tactics and Advice Thread

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2009 Questions, Tip, Tactics and Advice Thread

Denna diskussion är för närvarande "vilande"—det sista inlägget är mer än 90 dagar gammalt. Du kan återstarta det genom att svara på inlägget.

1gilroy
okt 16, 2009, 9:35 pm

To try to narrow down the search for answers among our group, I figured I'd make a stab at a thread for people to ask basic questions about the event and have those experienced in the fun be able to offer their answers.

I'm going to offer three tips right off the bat:

1) Apostrophies are bad when trying to get a word count challenge complete. "Let's" becomes "Let us." "Don't" becomes "Do not." Oh, look! Double the word count too!

2) Don't feel that you have to write in sequence. If the scene you are writing seems to run out of steam, jump to the next scene that offers any hope of movement. Don't stare at the blank screen or paper, trying to figure out what to write.

3) November 1, get the rope, the locks, the submergable trunk, whatever it takes to get that editor put away so that you can write without having to stop and fix whatever you wrote. Put the wrong word in? just put in the correct word and keep moving! December is for editing. Keep putting the words forward, do not remove anything. (I ended up using strike through to note what I wanted to get rid of).

Okay, I've babbled enough. :>

2ejj1955
okt 22, 2009, 8:06 pm

I'm a NaNoWriMo virgin, and I appreciate the tips!

3zette
okt 23, 2009, 1:12 am

I've never written in a way that wasn't natural, even for NaNo. I would find it far harder to stop and think to write do not rather than don't.

All my advice is in my NaNo For the New and the Insane book. It's free. You can find out about it here:

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3266866

4richardderus
okt 24, 2009, 5:55 pm

zette, that's brilliant!

I physically disconnect my laptop from the Internet before I start my quest for the 1,667 each day. I need to research some point? I mark it, and move on to the next scene.

I say, do your online research once a day. Bold or color the items to be researched in your MS and then, at some time when you've completed your target word-count for the day, reconnect your computer to the Internet and look whatever it is up.

YMMV, of course.

5gilroy
okt 24, 2009, 9:15 pm

I believe the apostophe tip could be saved for the last day if you are short on words. I believe my writing had apostrophes last year and I made 60K easily.

I think I have that download. :> Just don't have a printer handy to put it in my internet free writing room...

6ejj1955
Redigerat: okt 27, 2009, 7:04 pm

>3 zette: Way to reel me in, Zette--a blurb from my favorite living writer (C. J. Cherryh) on the top of your website. Now must look at your NaNo book--I notice there are very few days before the madness begins . . .

*edited to fix a pronoun with an unclear antecedent (sigh)

7lorin77
okt 28, 2009, 1:37 am

5 days to go, folks. Hope everyone has an idea of what they're going to write. Its not required, but it sure helps.

8zette
okt 28, 2009, 11:36 am

ejj -- Nice to find another Cherryh fan! I adore her work and having that quote (it was for a now out of print small collection of works) really has been one of the best moments of publishing for me.

lorin -- I am trying to finish an outline, but the real world is fighting me on it. More things arrive for me to do every day. Don't these people know that the real important stuff is for NaNo?

9ejj1955
okt 28, 2009, 2:10 pm

>8 zette: I can only imagine how it must have felt to get that quote--I really am in awe of her and her work. She is a genius of plotting.

I'm about half-way through your book on NaNo and am finding it helpful already in terms of working out my outline. Tick, tick, tick . . . eeekkkkk!

10paulacs
okt 28, 2009, 3:43 pm

Thanks for the disconnect advice, richardderus. Too easy to get lost there and piddle away a great deal of time....

11zette
okt 28, 2009, 4:14 pm

ejj -- I still makes me smile every time I look at it. And reminds me that I can write well if I really put my attention to it. Too often, writing as become the 'last thing' on the list of stuff I need to get done. I hate working that way.

I am trying to finish an outline as well. I hope I can get it finished!

12Storeetllr
okt 28, 2009, 10:03 pm

No outline for me this year. Nope, going to write by the seat of my pants ~ again. Yup, I sure do love that stressed-out-of-my-mind feeling.

But I've got the bare bones of a story, and a mfc, and the shortest thread of a plot, and have done the tiniest bit of research. I'm all set and ready to go!

8^O

13richardderus
okt 30, 2009, 10:32 am

>12 Storeetllr: If it doesn't scare you *ahem*less, it's not worth doing. --my father, when I told him I was scared of having a kid (youngest is 29 now)

14Storeetllr
okt 30, 2009, 2:21 pm

>13 richardderus: Oh, good. Then I really am all set. Cuz I'm terrified! lol

15richardderus
okt 30, 2009, 5:13 pm

>14 Storeetllr: Do you mind offering up your NaNo nickname so I can follow you? Mine is "Mudge the Expendable."

16Storeetllr
okt 31, 2009, 10:50 pm

>15 richardderus: LOLOL Great nickname. I'd love for us to be NaNo buddies, Mudge. Mine's Storeetllr, so easy-peasy.

17Marensr
nov 2, 2009, 6:36 pm

I'm Marensr if anyone feels like adding me.

I am so glad you are a seat of the pants writer Storeetllr. I find it encouraging since I didn't do an outline and just had a few thoughts in my head.

18Storeetllr
nov 3, 2009, 3:02 pm

Hey, Marensr ~ I'll be thrilled to have you as a NaNo writing buddy. After all, we seat-of-the-pantsers have to stick together. lol

19Marensr
nov 5, 2009, 1:45 pm

Thanks Storeetllr!

Has anyone else not named a character? I have a central character who is not named and it is now starting to bug me. I don't know if I should just name her and move on or go back and fix (I have a feeling going back at any point is a bad idea). Problem is I still don't actually have a name.

20richardderus
nov 5, 2009, 4:14 pm

Renaminig characters is always trouble for me. I can't remember a time when I've caught every single reference to a character by name and/or nickname, most especially when relying on search-and-replace.

What's presenting the naming problem in this particular character's case?

21VictoriaPL
nov 5, 2009, 4:36 pm

I've been driving myself crazy with my main character, Jack. He's an undercover agent and his alias is Tom. But I figure if Dostoyevsky could keep all his names and nicknames straight (without a computer) then I can certainly do it, right? Right?

22ejj1955
nov 5, 2009, 5:29 pm

Maren, take heart: Scarlett O'Hara was named Pansy for the first draft of that book! I say, go ahead and name the character and change it if you want to. This is supposed to be a first draft; the assumption is that we'll go back and edit, rewrite, and otherwise rework the story before it can be considered done.

When I need character names, I look at genealogy sites--but then, I'm writing historical fiction, so having a list of names that includes "Jabez" or "Elihu" is a good thing!

23dk_phoenix
nov 6, 2009, 11:08 am

I have a few characters without 'final' name choices. I usually just place the first few instances of their temporary name in brackets to remind me when I go back and edit that I need to change them. These are characters for whom I need a more meaningful name, something that reflects their character, but don't have time to do the research for during NaNoWriMo. :)

24dk_phoenix
nov 6, 2009, 11:09 am

Det här meddelandet har tagits bort av dess författare.

25Marensr
nov 9, 2009, 3:28 pm

That's it! Pansy! No. ;)

Thanks for the encouragement about the names.

In writing a completely different portion from the perspective of another character I realized that that character calls her Ms. N. By the nature of his work so I have that much. I'll have to see if a first name appears or if this is it.

In all other areas I had written I just used her and she so I won't have the find and replace issue yet.

I think the difficulty is so many names have unintentional resonances that I don't want but I also haven't wanted anything generic or anything that puts her in a certain country or time period so no Jabez for me -though great name by the way- I think I am content to keep plowing along. It isn't bothering me as much now not to know.

26Euryale
nov 12, 2009, 12:44 pm

I think it helps to have one side character who always needs to have events or reasons explained in great detail. It ups the word count, it helps me keep straight what is happening when I don't write scenes in order, and it can always be pared down or removed if you ever decide to edit/rewrite.

Also, I am having some success this year using the Write or Die web app at http://lab.drwicked.com

27Storeetllr
nov 12, 2009, 5:08 pm

Good idea, Euryale! I like that a lot. I don't write my scenes in order either, and sometimes things can get a little sticky when I forget what came before or after. :)