Alyosha: Oh pshaw! You're too kind, but thank you. It's been fun working with you on titles.

Here's a tentative cover for my novel, not sure if I like the bottom picture or not, but CC is always nice.

As you all can probably tell, the story is Victorian (for the most part) set, although once again my NaNo novel involves Time Travel. (Let's hope I pick a better theme next year, eh?

*applauds all the new WriMos*

Yay for new WriMos! Welcome aboard, DTR and Queen Susan! My first year was last year, and I really had a blast. Throw yourself into it and you'll have an awesome time, I assure you.

The best of luck in finding a new name, Mar.

Hmmm...Titles? I sometimes have a hard time with those too. Mostly I have trouble with them when I'm really trying to come up with a title. If I let the concept just kind of sit in my head for awhile, though, I find that the title really often just occurs to me! It Happens To All of Us (the title for this year's NaNo novel) could fit into that category of finding a title, I guess. I was mowing my Grandma's lawn and just thinking and I remembered something my dad had mentioned about growing up the night before.

Can you guess what it was?

I've definitely acted out stories. I don't usually write independent stories in my head (unless I'm bored, but they usually don't continue on their own when I stop ), but I write sometimes...in my head...what's happening at the present. It can get a little pathetic. For example, right now I could be thinking:

"She sat at the computer and pondered for a moment before plunking a couple of keys and beginning a new paragraph."

Literally thinking that. And continuing to compose more sentences, paragraphs, *cough*pages*cough*, as time goes on. It used to be a pretty constant habit, until I realized that I did it. Then I got creeped out by myself and trained myself to stop. Does anyone else do that?

300 DPI

Excuse my ignorance, but.. what's DPI mean?

FF: Looks exciting!!! I like it; though in my humble opinion, I'd rather have it all more the same color instead of some sepia and some black and white... But that's just my taste--doesn't mean it's bad of course.

Thanks for the welcome for those who welcomed me--I'm really excited!!

*Working on a tentative cover....* Possibly.

Ooh, Fanny, I love that cover! It's wonderful. The blending is perfect, and the placing of the pictures and all. Everything fits just right.

Dennie and Queen S, yay, I'm glad you both are joining!

For the title & cover for mine- I'm thinking of making the cover have something like vines infront of a door or something, and the title being somewhat related to that. But, I can't hit the nail on the right title to match.

For the covers, if you make them the right size and all can you actually get your book sent to you, or...? That seems something, like, almost too good to be true!

Arva, thanks! Hm, "Just One More"? I really like the sound of that! I think I might do something around that.

Mar, Ooh! It hadn't occurred to me to do that. If I think of something real good, that'll probably what it shall be! ^^

She sat at the computer and pondered for a moment before plunking a couple of keys and beginning a new paragraph."

Literally thinking that. And continuing to compose more sentences, paragraphs, *cough*pages*cough*, as time goes on. It used to be a pretty constant habit, until I realized that I did it. Then I got creeped out by myself and trained myself to stop. Does anyone else do that?

I'm not alone! YAY!
I'll do the same, no matter what it is. Like, "She bent over, and found a paper at the bottom of her desk drawer. Picking it up, she found out it was nothing but a grammer page that had strayed from the notebook." Then I'll realize what I'm doing, feel all embarassed, and stop for a while. I haven't yet trained myself to stop. Heh, I was wondeirng if anyone did the same! *laughs*

Ok, here's my first book cover try. Tell me what looks weird, what should be changed, etc. 😉 I'll welcome any advice...

300 DPI

Excuse my ignorance, but.. what's DPI mean?

I'm not 100% positive on this, but I think it means 300 pixels per square inch. Usually when you open up a new document in whatever photo editing program you have, there will be a space for DPI and you can edit it to fit your needs. Or find "Image Properties" or "Resolution" or something else.

RE: Titles. I'm awful at this. Last year's NaNo title was an epic clunker, and while I like this year's much better (Spirals), I'm still not positive that it's *the* title for the book. But oh well. It's much better than last years...Golden Dreams. Can we say major cheese? >_<

DPI = Dots Per Inch. So, what Gymfan said!

On titles ... in my own experience the ones I'm really happy with have changed over time. The NaNo book I did last year was - years and years ago - originally titled "Mel the Cell" (which did make sense at the time ). Then it became "Mel the Cell the Princess of Nowhere", and then - as that was too clunky and no longer made sense - it became "The Princess of Nowhere", a title I'm pretty proud of! "The Dance", though ... mmm, I don't like it, really. I have a feeling it might change, but I think I need to write the book first.

Alyosha, I think I like the first two covers best, I think because of the fonts of the title and the way they are laid out. I'm not sure which of the pictures I like the best though. I love the title!

ForeverFan, I love the "The End" that peeks out between the buildings. I kind of agree with Queen Susan about the sepia / black and white thing, as it does make the bottom picture stand apart somewhat. But I really love the book and the building.

Queen Susan, I love that font! I also love the high contrast in the photographs - they really reflect the book's title.

Thank you to everyone who's commented on my cover, too!

Plot ... well, I do have a story mapped out, but I haven't written down every scene. I want to have a little flexibility, though I just hope it doesn't go way off course! (That happened a little last year ... ) It is fun to approach with no real idea, but it is good - if you can - to have some idea. Then, if you get stuck, you have something to start from again.

And that brings me on to writing in one's head ... er, yes, I do that, and I love it. It's brilliant! Though maybe it can be embarrassing (especially if you start to do it in the middle of a lecture, or class, which I do frequently) it's a great way to practice writing ... and it's a great way to come up with ideas. I'm always jotting down the writing thoughts I have, even if they're rubbish. Sometimes there's something I can pick up and use. However, it might be more useful to turn the thought-writing about oneself to thought-writing about one's novel. And then write everything down. Just be really careful not to do it if you're talking to anybody ...

Rising_Star, have you decided which book you'll be doing? I can understand the dilemma. I have a notebook full of ideas begging for attention ... eek!

On acting out scenes ... I find I often "act" my characters through my facial expressions when I'm writing. I've had some odd looks. That's one quirk which I do find is a problem.

Woah, long post. Sorry. There's just so much to add my thoughts to!

I'm doing the Nanowrimo's young writers program. 10,000 words.
Is anyone else here doing the YWP?
My story is called Woodlands, Awake! It's the novel based off of a movie my bros and I are making.

EDIT: I'm probably going to need DESPRATE help during the month of November, so if anyone would like to be my friend..............

AJ: Thanks for the comments!!
You mentioned you had a book cover--I don't remember seeing it... though maybe I did... Which page is it on?

Horse_lover: I could be your friend if you want....

Thank you everyone for the C&CC, I greatly appreciate it! Here's a slightly revised version- I made the bottom picture a bit more sepia toned. Does it look better now?

Queen Susan- lovely cover! I love the composition on it, and the feel of it is very nice too. Have you thought any more on the genre of your story line? I'm rather curious about it.

My Mom was able to help me get unstuck in the plot outline process last evening, for which I am quite thankful. So that continues along, and we've also added in some characters that will hopefully move the plot along and not bog it down...we'll have to see where they all end up.

Avra, thanks! Hm, "Just One More"? I really like the sound of that! I think I might do something around that.

You're welcome. Glad I could help!
Titles: I either leave the story unnamed until a good title comes to me, or I raid the chapter titles--which for some reason are easier for me to come up with than book titles. I settled on Clouds Should Stay in the Sky because it is something that one of my MCs says and my family really liked it.
Everyone's covers look amazing! I don't have a cover for mine because whenever I try to make graphics, it's painfully obvious that they were made by a person with little to no talent in that area.
Horse_Lover, I'll be your friend, if you don't mind a NaNo newbie. What's your username over there?
Rising_Star: What I would do in a dilemma like that (and this is just me) would be to write the non-fantasy one. I'd save the fantasy for when I had more time and didn't have to hurry quite so much so that I wouldn't be so tempted to use clichés. However, I'd only do it that way because I know myself and how my imagination operates.
EDIT: Yesterday I finally managed to get my synopsis written:
Zahn is an eccentric gentleman whose greatest delight is traveling the world via an old fashioned boat that bears the grand name of "Noblesse". With him is a group of young people, most of them orphans from bad circumstances. As these young people are growing up, many are leaving the group to start their own lives. Zahn decides to take one last journey together and so they all set off, leaving a wake of chaos and changed opinions behind them.
What I would like it to be is a story about why people ought not judge based on appearance. Other themes are how different people grow up and a peacefully clash of cultures. That's what I would like it to be about. It might just end up as a humorous story about people who are not "well adjusted".
That's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it goes come November. The characters are kind of whacko, so I shouldn't have to much difficulty writing them.

as you can expect from me... I'm writing a historical fiction... About WWII

(Thanks to alittlemoresonic for the blending

I was inspired by that new history channel series coming out called: 'WWII in high defention' in the series. It follows several real life soldiers through the war and I'm going to do that but my characters made up. So anyways yah thats basicly all I have right now.

Horse Lover: I am!!!!! Wanna be buddies?? 10,000 thousand for me too... thats a minimum mind you.

Though maybe it can be embarrassing (especially if you start to do it in the middle of a lecture, or class, which I do frequently) it's a great way to practice writing ... and it's a great way to come up with ideas. I'm always jotting down the writing thoughts I have, even if they're rubbish.

I usually don't actually write down my thoughts, but I did write the prospective name for one of my characters in the turfgrass notes the other day. I had to explain to one of my friends who was copying my notes that she didn't have to know that for the test.

And I don't mind your long post one bit. It's very interesting!

Okay, since my title last year was Lineage of the Dragon I think my working title for this year is Lineage of the Dragon, Eternal Generation. Ick. How vile but that's all I can come up with. Next year I'm doing Lineage of the Dragon, The Full Cycle Project. Can you say clunker?

ForeverFan I like the sepia tone although I'm not sure the mood of the two pictures match, but that's a personal preference of a picky person. I really shouldn't talk because I'm not even designing my own cover because I'm horrible at graphics.

Avra that sounds like it could be a very entertaining plot!

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

I guess I really want people to know the story of the non-fantasy one, since it's intended to pack quite the punch. However I'm afraid I won't have much initiative to begin my fantasy series, since it's only book 3 that I have a lot of ideas for.

Eh. Eh. Eh. I think I'll go ahead with my non-fantasy one. Maybe. Probably. Ugh.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

You can always save your fantasy idea of next year's NaNo. That's what I did...the story I'm doing this year is one I toyed with doing last year very seriously. And I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing next year, and possibly the year after that. I just have stories that have kicked around in my brain for years and years and I can't be bothered to write during the year, so NaNo it is!