Thank-you so much, Mountie! Your progress (and blog posts ) have really encouraged me--way to go! *throws confetti over Mountie*

Is anyone else trying to do this longhand or am I just completely insane?

I'm expecting to write some of mine longhanded. I totally can relate--writing on pretty paper provides so much "scope for the imagination."

If you don't have any other options you can always email your document to yourself every day...you know the saying, "Anything saved in only one place is already lost, you just don't know it yet"? ...yeah

Delaney (whoa, look at all these old members crawling out of the woodwork!), handwriting? You are brave I did that my first year, and since it turned out to be absolute rubbish with no redeemable value it was ok, but the thought of typing all that up later to edit it is kind of intimidating.

I'm at like 3200ish words? or thereabouts. My characters are boring me, they need some serious help (mostly in the form of emotional and physical pain! woo!).

Currently at 1,798 words. It was like pulling teeth that first day, so it's actually a little encouraging to see all these other people struggling.

Not going much better today, but i'm not giving up yet. *goes after inspiration with a mallet*

Just updated my synopsis and added a novel excerpt on NaNo, if anyone wants to read it. I wrote the synopsis in about five minutes, and the excerpt is NaNo first draft quality, so I don't know if it's worth reading or not, but I like a few parts of it. Anyway, here it is if anyone is interested.

I'm kind of procrastinating in between short writing spurts right now. I don't mind too much, as long as I'm still writing. I'm just a few words short of 3.5k right now.

*comes in mumbling "10 years at sea, one day on land...depends on the day"*

Anyway, on topic I am at maybe 6 K or 6 1/2 K. I lost my document. Lost, I hope, only temporarily. Anyhoo. Yeah.

What ever you do don't empty your recycling bin.

I don't know why, but that is funny. I laughed. Sorry, Lucy, I hope you find it!

Actually I really hope my computer doesn't crash this month because I have no flash drives, and therefore no backup saving spots. If I lost this and Cotton-Tales, I'd be devastated.

The easiest way is to just e-mail it to yourself. I e-mail it to myself every day (last year, on the days when I wrote a lot, I'd e-mail it to myself two or three times throughout the day!).

Anyway, I'm at 3,498 words. I'm starting off slow. I'm doing barely the minimum. My average is 1744 words per day. Last year, I started off really fast. So far, I'm still at a part of the novel that I've known had to be written (it's not a prologue but it kind of is. I have it as chapters right now but that might change) but I didn't plan a lot of. So I'm just writing as I figure out what needs to happen.

I'm happy though that I'm on track so far! I have to make a minimum of 53k to beat last year's word count.

Wow. My main character's mother just ran off in a fever-induced frenzy, and all of my minor characters are suddenly getting names. Gettin' interesting!
3445 words, and I'd love to get to 5K tonight...

Is anyone else trying to do this longhand or am I just completely insane?

Last year, I wrote the majority of mine longhand and just typed it up later. Most of it was on the computer though, especially during the last half of November when I burnt out. I mostly write longhand if a computer isn't available. I'm impressed that you've decided to undertake this task.

*waves to tps* Switching novels is a brave venture. I commend you.

Thank-you so much, Mountie! Your progress (and blog posts ) have really encouraged me--way to go! *throws confetti over Mountie*

Aww, you're sweet. Thanks! *throws even more confetti on top of Bella* You can do it, girl!

I reached 10K!!!

What is everyone's daily goals?

First off, a huge congrats to you!

Secondly - my minimum goal is 2,000 words a day. However, if I can possibly write more a day, I will. The past couple of days I've written anywhere between 4 and 5k a day.

It was like pulling teeth that first day, so it's actually a little encouraging to see all these other people struggling.

I think everyone has those pulling-teeth moments during NaNo. Mine occurred earlier today, and I think I'll be having at least one per day. Good luck!

As for me, I hit 9K earlier tonight and then decided to take a break from writing. I may decide to write another 1,000 words tonight before bed, but who knows.

EDIT: Oh, one resource I've found helpful for backing up my writing is Google Docs. I've used it in the past to write for NaNo, and it's nice because even if your computer crashes, you'll still have your document stored online. You also wouldn't have to email it to yourself, since Google Docs autosaves and functions a lot like Microsoft Word.

I ended up writing another 1k before bed, so I have 10,000. I'm stopping for the night.

I know this is a little sudden, but i'm dropping out of NaNoWriMo this year.

I'm less prepared even this year than i've been in previous years, and it's showing. I've got a part-time job outside of the house that's going to be eating up time, lots of more interesting stories on the side that i want to work on, and just no interest in NaNo this year.

I hate to mark this year down as a non-win and break a successful four-year streak, but i don't think there's anything to be gotten out of continuing this year.

Barring a truly awesome plot idea later this month, i'll be cheering you all on from the sidelines this November. Keep writing!

Aww, I'm sorry to lose you Arwenel.

Well, whaddya know, I was able to reach my daily goal of 6K today after all! My word count is now a bit over 13K.

~Riella

I'm a few words shy of 3.5 k right now. Even if I don't write another word, this is still more than I've ever written on a NaNo novel before. And I also decided to name one of my MCs Taliesin for no reason in particular and turned a villain into Zooey Deschanel. This is going to be a weird novel.

Arwenel, I'm sorry you are dropping out, but I understand why you are.

As for me, I thought I wouldn't reach my goal of 5k for tonight, but I just passed it! And the last 1,000 were typed on my iTouch. I had an idea for a scene rewrite that made the scene about three times longer, but I had my computer turned off, so I typed it on my iPod. I think I'll be able to write when I'm out of town after all. It is actually easier on an iPod, because there are fewer distractions.
Anyway, I'm excited because I've never been ahead in my word count before. Hard to imagine, I know, but it makes me excited for tomorrow!

Day 3, I'm aiming for 5k (total) before today is up. Hopefully I'll have more time than I did yesterday...1 1/2 hours is not enough...

Ah well, I can certainly still win NaNo. I just hate rewriting stuff I already wrote. I guess I'll follow something they said on the Waltons about not trying to write it exactly the way you did or something. Aha, it shall be BETTER this time...right?

*pops in, feeling lost in the swirl of awesome conversationalists*

I've got 5k+ on my Novel so far. A Rose Under Glass is it's working title, thanks to our own Ithilwen. It's been a stop and go experience so far, but I've managed to hit and go past the goal for the first 3 days, and I hope it continues in that way. It's a new feeling, sitting down and pounding out some words with little inspiration, but so far it's alright.

I'm fairly satisfied with the beginning of my Novel. At first it was ghastly, but I re-wrote the whole thing and it's much better, or at least I think. I've cleared out some plot points, but so far the second half still has no plan. Yay for winging it....right!? I've added a few little things during the process which I had no warning of, but that's the beauty of writing, isn't it? Your feelings and characters leading on without so much as giving you a heads up! My Gaston character is tentatively named Gasto Bouchard. Gasto was suggested by Rose and Bouchard was discovered and picked by myself, after learning it meant 'big mouth'. XD

I feel like my word count is rather pitiful compared to all of you who had 5/4k on the first day! XD But I suppose I just need to keep plugging away! Good luck all.

I just hate rewriting stuff I already wrote. I guess I'll follow something they said on the Waltons about not trying to write it exactly the way you did or something. Aha, it shall be BETTER this time...right?

Well, I re-wrote my whole beginning and it turned out much better, so I know the feeling!

I've added a few little things during the process which I had no warning of, but that's the beauty of writing, isn't it?

Oh, definitely! My MMC was very hard to figure out, but when I was writing my prologue, how his story started just sort of flowed, and I realized afterwords that I understand him almost perfectly now! He likes to be mysterious, but at least I understand what motivates him and his reactions to things/people.

Wow, if I said that to just about anyone else I knew, I'd get locked up.

Oh, and one of my friends joined me in NaNo yesterday, so we are going to be able to encourage each other in person! I can't wait to see how she does with her first year.