National Blog Posting Month

So...how are you doing?

With the writing, of course. I thought I'd start a thread here to track our progress, successes, frustrations, etc., since the NaNo board has been pretty overloaded.

I got a pretty good start with just over 2000 words. None of the stuff I wrote while still half-asleep this morning makes any sense, but in the spirit of NaNo, I kept going.

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Permalink Reply by Marilyn Rowland on November 1, 2007 at 9:26pm: I started at about 12:15 am and wrote about 2,000 words by 3 am. From time to time today, I added a few words and totaled 4,081 words by a few minutes before midnight on Nov. 1. This was far more words than I expected to write, and I don't think I will continue at this pace. I think a lot of of what I wrote is really background on the characters for my own benefit and doesn't really need to be in the novel. I read somewhere that this is common--to cut out the first few pages of a novel so that the story starts where the action is. If I weren't writing this for NaNo, I might start over, but for now, I am leaving those pages in.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by kperfetto on November 2, 2007 at 3:31am: That's a relief. I've got a lot of superfluous background stuff that should be cut, and I'm resisting the urge to edit. Last year I just wanted to finish and didn't care what I wrote. My character is actually writing the novel I'm writing (if that makes any sense. It's all horribly meta). So my "mistakes" are hers.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Erin Steen on November 1, 2007 at 9:35pm: I'm kicking some major butt here! I'm up to nearly 4,000 words and getting very irritated by the slowness of the NaNo website!

I think I'm going to give myself a much needed break and go make some brownies!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by JulieAnn Carter-Winward on November 2, 2007 at 5:23am

Hi, I'm new around here but this group describes me. I have written 3 full-length novels, and two nonfics. One is published (Always Listen to the Ravings of a Mad Woman: A Story of Sex, Porn ...and the rest are in the works. I blog EVERY day. I also write as much as I can, and I am now on chapter 17 of my newest novel, a YA vampire novel. I have just been an animal with it. Started writing in it about two months ago. well, started the actual novel 2 years ago, but it needed to sit while I did other writing. So yeah, that's why I get up at 4:45 am every day--to write. :)

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Permalink Reply by Nik on November 2, 2007 at 11:10am: Glad to hear that everyone's doing so well. I was kinda surprised to get 2000 words out of dictation on my drive home from work. I dictated for another hour on the way in, and if I do it again this afternoon, I could have 6000 words by tonight, which doesn't sound as good as some of you, but I got to bed at 11pm, and woke up at 8am, so by my count, I'm actually doing better than some of you. :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jill Althouse-Wood on November 2, 2007 at 11:37am: Day two and I have 5,533 words. I had a novel published this summer. SUMMERS AT BLUE LAKE. It is adult literary fiction. Now I am trying my hand at middle grade juvenille fiction. The writing is coming fast, but the problem is that my narrator is an old woman telling a story about a 10 year-old-girl. While I think the story is interesting and funny, I am a degree removed from my protagonist (and my readers). Any ideas of how I can make the girl come alive while having a narrator (think Glinda the Witch meets Willy Wonka) telling the story?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Rowland on November 2, 2007 at 2:31pm: Perhaps the ten year old can speak directly though letters or diaries that the narrator finds.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jill Althouse-Wood on November 2, 2007 at 2:56pm: That's a possibility. I think I have too much description and not enough action, so I am reveiwing that as well. It's hard trying to write for a deadline when you have issues from the beginning.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Marilyn Rowland on November 2, 2007 at 5:37pm: I have too much "tell" and not enough "show." I index books for a living and frequently index books for teachers who teach elementary school writing. I think I'm doing it all wrong. :-) But, I press onward, experimenting with different styles of writing and I am enjoying it.

I am reading "No Plot, No Problem," which suggests that we reach 10,000 words on the first weekend to give yourself a cushion against week two slowdowns.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jill Althouse-Wood on November 3, 2007 at 3:30am: I'm up early to work on it, but I have an all-day bridal shower tomorrow. I'll let you know how I make out by the end of the day.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lynn on November 4, 2007 at 4:43pm: Holy cow! If I wasn't feeling pitiful before, I certainly am now! I've only managed 650 words so far, and I'm not sure my pace will pick up anytime soon!
Good job, guys!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Courtney on November 4, 2007 at 7:49pm: Where are we, the end of day 4, I've got 6984 words...this whole writing thing isn't as easy as i thought...; ▶ Reply to This