I generally prefer not to write at a computer, it really kills my imagination. I have a writing book and I like to sit at my desk and write, I also love writing outside if the weather is warm, or going out somewhere and writing, like at a diner or something. For my CampNaNo I wrote about one third of the novel by hand

Wow, this thread is really exciting!

Writing spots: I, like Wrose, find that writing on paper has much more scope for the imagination. Because I write fairly slow, this is a little frustrating for me, because I find it hard to get all my ideas down on the page adequatley and thoroughly, at a good pace while my thought process is flowing, and yet still keep my writing ledgible. The computer is a bit upsetting for me, because the computer makes it extremely easy to just write whatever comes to mind, not even thinking up something coherent and proper, that I usually mispell things/leave out important phrases/parts. The best writing tool, for me, is a typewriter. But because I don't have the patience to type everything out again whether written out or typewritten, I just type at the laptop or computer. (last year I did it on the laptop, but I'll probably load my novel on a flash drive so I can write with it whenever, wherever.)

Ela, I wonder if I can find any way to go to Starbuck's and write on the laptop... probably not going to happen because it's so out of the way, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the idea.

I prefer a computer to paper, especially as I wouldn't feel like retyping the whole things once I'd written it. Plus, I would never actually count the words by hand! SO I plan to use my laptop. I hope to be able to attend at least a couple write-ins, so the laptop will come in very handy. I don't know if I'll use voice dictation or not; depends on how well it works, I suppose.

For editing, though, there is nothing like a hard copy. For all my school papers, after writing the paper, I print it out and read it with a red pen in hand. I can see things that seem invisible on the computer screen. Then I go back and make the marked changes on the computer.

Stardf, I suppose the random-book name method would be best for a more fantasy-style story? Certainly not my 1953 steampunk alternate-history story... I'm already pushing the envelope with a couple of my name, and they are real names!

I am getting excited!

Plus, I would never actually count the words by hand!

That's true, what I usually do is write it all out by hand and then type it up on the computer so that way I am able to count my words, it sounds really long and tiresome but it really isn't, cause while I am typing it up I do a little editing on the side and so it's actually better for me.

My favorite place to write? In the long run I'm most productive at my desktop, since I can type far more quickly and neatly than I can write.

But creativity-wise, I've often come up with some stuff I really like while away from the computer - in a campground, on a long driving trip, talking with friends, and so on. I always try to have pen and notebook on hand for those occasions.

And on the outline question, this year I'm finding that I'm writing lots of notes on potential events and such for my story, and I have a broad overarching plot in mind, but it's not so specific as an outline would be.

I am SO ready for this to start so I can start writing I feel like a horse in the starting gate, ready for the start of the race
I'm not sure how much I need to/want to prepare beforehand

NaNo needs to start soon or I'll explode!

This is going to be my third year doing NaNo. My first try was in 2008, a late start and a failure. Another late start and failure in 2010. I did Script Fenzy this April and won, and I tried to do camp NaNo with a TERRIBLY late start in August, and failed, but I proved that 2,000 words a day was somehting I could totally handle, after trying to do so much more a day. So I know i can finish this NaNo if I stick with it.

My theme this year? Mermaids. I think. XD I should plan more but...I don't know how much I will. And I probably will stick to the mermaids...

So I've found two people at my school to do NaNo with! One I encouraged her into it, and then found out that the other had made an attempt last year, and was going to try and win it this year. Hopefully this will give me extra motivation when I need it.

I am SO ready for it to be November. Well, in terms of planning, I have more to do but I wish it would start already because I'm impatient to write.

Oh, and I saw a question a bit back about favorite writing spots...well, I can't write by hand, or it would be my room, because that's my haven. But my computer is downstairs in the schoolroom, and I don't have a laptop, so that's the only place I write.

Really? That's interesting because I have the opposite problem. I find writing on the computer is harder to get into creatively than writing with pencil and paper. Of course, I have to type for NaNo, but I try to avoid writing on the computer whenever I can help it. I even do a lot of my editing by hand - I print out sheets of story and end up scribbling all over them. The ideas flow so much easier for me that way. But the downside is I have to type it all out when I'm done, which is time-consuming.

My problem is more along the lines of I get writer's cramp very easily, and that makes me break my concentration. I'm also much faster at typing, and that helps me get all my ideas down before I forget them. But I think it's wonderful you can write by hand, and I really wish I could.

I am convinced that NaNo makes normally rational people go insane for at least two months of the year (October and November). I woke up from a crazy dream last night, thought, "That would make a great novel!" and am currently smashing my "I don't have enough time to prepare" thoughts by frantically typing a plot line so I don't have the inevitable writer's block too quickly. I can't wait for November!!!

Thank you to the very talented Ithilwen, who made this beautiful cover for my novel! So excited.... Someone stop me from pre-writing, please!

that is an awesome cover, Ithie you are a genius, really, I am always in awe of the things you make
and I know you feel Dernhelm_of_Rohan, it's all I can do to stop myself from writing, I have the beginning of my novel all planned out in my head and it's all I can do to stop myself from writing it down oh well only 11 more days to wait (not inluding today, which is almost over for me )

So excited.... Someone stop me from pre-writing, please!

Same here! I've been away from a computer for the better part of the last week, but filled pages of a notebook with ideas for getting started.

I also came up with an unexpected idea that may yield a few hundred words at least...I was entertaining my 10-year-old niece with one of those 'chapter a night' improvised stories (Halloween-themed); each night I added more to what had happened previously (and each night's segment ended with a cliffhanger that would be resolved the next night).

Anyway, I decided it would be fun to include this story in my NaNo, so I wrote down notes from it. It'll come early in my story, since it's the right time of year.

And I'll begin with that awful phrase "It was a dark and stormy night." I've decided that the first part of the story will have a slightly lighter-hearted narrative style than is usual for me (think of a 'light' version of the narrator's comments in the TV series Burn Notice). After all, the last few stories have been rather hard on my characters, so this will begin with some good things for them. Alas, the second half is going to be a lot tougher on them...and I'm already eager to get crackin' on it.

Uh oh... I've just learned that we're gonna be moving at the beginning of Nov AND going on a half a week trip in the middle of the month. I swear, this is the first time in my life I've not been ecstatic over going on a trip.

I can't do this at home, so I'll do it here... EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!! THREE weeks instead of FOUR OPTIMISTICALLY!!! *runs away screaming for help*

Uh oh... I've just learned that we're gonna be moving at the beginning of Nov AND going on a half a week trip in the middle of the month. I swear, this is the first time in my life I've not been ecstatic over going on a trip.

I can't do this at home, so I'll do it here... EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!! THREE weeks instead of FOUR OPTIMISTICALLY!!! *runs away screaming for help*

Something similar happened to me. Only I'm afraid I'll have to drop out of NaNo entirely.

~Riella

I finally settled on a novel idea and created my novel on the NaNo site. I didn't add a synopsis but I found a thread in the sci-fi forum that dared the writers to summarize their plots in twenty words or fewer. I did it and came up with something like "Classic fiction is actually history. Villains change history and win. Sidekicks are retrieved by synesthetic main characters and fix history."

This is basically a combination of ideas one and two that I posted a few weeks back. The characters from Hazel's story have been grafted into my Novel Time story.