Question #3: who all is doing NaNo for the first time this year?

I am! I found out about NaNo on this thread last year right before November, and I was too unprepared (and chicken) to do anything. But this year I actually remembered in time to plan!

And since I'm new at this, too, can someone tell me the purpose of having writing buddies? Is there some benefit on the website like chat or something? Or is it just to, um have them?

Elanor, I'm so glad you got your file back! That would be terrible to lose that much work!

*Goes and backs up today's work on Google Docs.*

Fortunately, I got some good writing in this evening, because what I wrote earlier today is all destined for the trash heap, I think. And when I backed up my work, I just found a typo and a very cheesy sentence.

Oh, well. I just keep telling myself, "It doesn't have to be good; it just has to be written!"

Good grief Elanor... I am SO glad you got your file back!! That would have been awful. *shudders*

Nellie, I'm a first timer NaNo'er too. Though I did do Camp NaNo this year (and failed ).

Aaaannddd... The NaNo site is down for me. Anyone else having this problem?

I'm going to need so much encouragement...

I haven't had the chance to hit 10k yet. I haven't even been able to write since Friday, because I have so much going on, and I'm leaving from the 9th through the 13th. I'm going to be so behind!!!

So, has anyone else seen this writing challenge for Friday?

http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/word ... eads/20767

Basically it's a challenge to write 11,111 words on 11/11/11. I saw it and I was like, ahhhhhh, that is so cool! And I found out that I'm actually off all day Friday, so I could definitely do that. And I'd be around 45k, so if I play my cards right, I'll win the challenge, win NaNo AND pretty much finish my novel all on the same day. That would be pretty cool!

Anyone up for joining me? Doing the 11,111 challenge, that is. You don't have to do anything else besides that.

That challenge looks incredibly fun, but alas, the setting of my novel demands that I go slow and evaluate every word for historical accuracy. But since I aim not to do too much editing after NaNoWriMo, I don't mind the slower pace, especially because I'm getting it done right (which is a must for a historical purist like what I am getting to be....) Still, to all who participate, have fun!

You can do it, winterlife! Hang in there and keep writing, don't give up!

That's quite the challenge, Gymfan! Adding 11,111 would almost double my word count to date.

I think I'll give it a shot; even if I don't make it I will have added something to the story. Just hope writers' block doesn't kick in.

I currently have something around 300, but I guess with Friday being an off from school, I could try get 11,111 by then... Or maybe 1,111 at least.

Wow, 11,111 in a day is a lot! The most I've written in a single day was 7.2k. That was last year on the 18th and I won that day. Friday would be the best day for me though. I have no classes.

I just searched through last year's NaNo thread to find that number. Man, I was so hyped up and on fire last year! This year, it's a lot harder for me to write. I guess because a lot of what I'm writing right now is (in Chris Baty's words) vomit and it seems very very unrealistic. I'm going to be doing a TON of editing.

Theoretically I could do the 11/11/11 Challenge. I think it'd be a lot of fun. But this would require me to have the plot of my book perfectly mapped out, and even then sometimes characters do and say things you don't expect (which sounds awfully weird to someone not familiar with writing, I suppose ) so I tend to try and be very careful when I'm writing and avoid goofball issues. If Wifester is at work that day I might be able to pull it off if I stay up after work all day. It'd be misery by the time I was done though My current record is around 4k in one day (pathetic, right?).

Thanks, Coura and Hogglestock! I'm really glad too.
There is officially no way I could do the 11/11/11 challenge; fun though it sounds. The most I've written in a day this year is 3.1, though hopefully I'll get something more. But I have a play that night, and my family (and body) would not appreciate me trying to be on the computer that long.
19,409 words! Today I may get to put my MC in my other MC's attic; and that will be awesome. xD

I just broke 10k! Woot woot!! I'm embarrassingly slow, but at least I can say that my busy RL isn't suffering... Much.

So yeah, ahem, that said, there's no WAY I could do the 11/11/11 thing. I would LOVE to, but I'm just not fast enough/have enough time.

*points at sig* Widgets! I'm in heaven!

I've written 2k so far today. I plan to write at least another thousand if not more. I'm finally at a part in the story that's easy to write. The first 6k or so was fairly easy and then the next 10k was like pulling teeth. Now, it's easy again.

When I planned my novel, I knew what I wanted to happen from about 2k ago up until the end. And then, I planned what needed to happen in the beginning. But that 10k in the middle, I never really planned. I knew it needed to happen but I didn't figure out how it would work out and everything. Now, hopefully, it'll be easier.

I'm so happy for the word count widgets! I've been waiting for those since day one. That's the most important part of NaNo for me is being able to put those in my sig on forums so people can see how far I've come. I was so dissapointed they didn't have them at the beginning.

Today was yet another fine autumn day - odd for so late in the season - so I went for a walk in a local park. And wouldn't you know it, my muse gave me a few ideas for things to write - and me without any way to write them down.

I also got an idea for a question for our NarniaWeb NaNo writers:

For those of you whose story settings allow it, do you include pop culture references? And if so, which ones have you included so far?

(My story is fanfiction but I don't count that source universe here since the story is immersed in it)

I do try to include the references naturally, not to force them in, but I have a character who likes to quote TV shows and movies.

Have I mentioned that I hate my novel?

I really do. I really really really do. Really. In other words, I am stuck in a rut. The 5 Zone. The Second-Week Slump. Whatever you call it, it has me. Ugh *headdesk...er, headwall*

11-11-11 sounds interesting, but I'm working. Poohtruckles. I guess I could try in my spare hours, but it'd be a long shot, and near impossible since I'm writing very slowly and being very picky this year.

To answer your question, Stargazer, no. I never use pop culture references. As one writer said, it almost screams to the reader, "I'M SO HIP, YO!" Ever since I read that, I can't bear to include them.

So...yeah...off to procrastinate, I mean write.

Have I mentioned I hate my novel?

Writers do appear to be split on using pop culture references; some say they date your work (and whatever inside joke you're making becomes obsolete), or that they scream "hipness," as the one you read did, ChristProclaimer.

But others indicate that using a few well-placed references, especially those that are broad enough not to be yesterday's news in a week, can be a useful tool in the writer's arsenal.

So I'll dial down the references - but it's part of Erik's character to make the occasional one anyway.

This is a bit off-topic, I suppose, better suited for the general writer's thread. But I'm procrastinating too.