Hey NaNo-ers!
Today is Friday, so it's time to CHECK IN!!!! Come let us know how you're doing!
Make sure you give us your:
Name
Title
Genre
Word count
Then tell us what your struggling with, followed by what you're doing well with or really enjoying about NaNo.
AND *raise hand* if you're interested in possibly be selected to guest post here on CLC about a NaNo topic of your choosing.
AND remember we're using #CLCnano on Twitter if you guys want to chat it up there. (I've been terrible at remembering this hashtag! Sorry!)
FYI:
Here's the link to our NaNo Sign up post if you want to check it or the sign up list out.
And if you're needing some inspiration, read the Cupid Connection interviews below this post. There are TWO of them, and one was even a NaNo project last year!
Cupid
ReplyDeleteRUNNING
YA Contemp
WC: 5,000 *hangs head in shame*
I am struggling with a few things. Even though it's contemp. my ms is placed in a setting that is very unfamiliar to me and I'm having a hard time putting it together. And I'm having a hard time getting used to my new characters. I've been working with my old ones for so long I've forgotten how to make new friends or something. lol I just have to remind myself this is just the first draft and all that messiness can be cleaned up later. Hoping once I find my groove, I'll start pumping the words out faster. :)
I'm enjoying watching everyone's word counts climb! And even though I'm struggling, I'm enjoying pushing myself and having a new project!
NOW YOUR TURN.... GO!
Kim
ReplyDeleteThe Mirror Tells No Lies
Adult Fantasy
WC: 6527 :(
I have a few struggles. First, I'm a rebel, so I'm using NaNo as a way to revise my WIP rather than create a new novel. I know it's a no-no but I've been with this draft for a long time and I wanted to use November as a way to rededicate myself to writing and finishing the draft. Externally I've been freaking out about hosting the first Thanksgiving with combining my family and my boyfriend's family, so I've been allowing myself to get distracted.
What I enjoy? Even though it's been hard going, I've really liked all the improvements I've made to this draft. I see glimpses of the finish line on the horizon. It's a long way off, but it's beautiful. Also, I really enjoy NaNo time because I met my boyfriend and hopefully soon to be fiancee at a Write-in, so when we go there every Saturday it just makes me happy about how well this year has gone.
Everyday is a new day that can be rededicated to writing!
Name: Rhen Wilson
ReplyDeleteTitle: The Devil's Deal
Genre: Fantasy
Word count: 13,761
The writing is going smoothly. I'm ahead of schedule right now, as I used last Saturday and Sunday to churn out 8,000 words after missing the first two days of writing. (I was attending a conference where I spoke about social media. It was a lot of fun. Excellent buffet lunch.)
I'm having a lot of fun writing this story. It's arriving very clearly in my head, and I'm loving the characters and the plot. It's a very pleasurable experience, especially as it takes my mind away from the half-dozen query letters that are circling the web, pitching my current MS. My only complaint is that I haven't ever participated in NaNo before now.
I would definitely be interested in contributing to the blog. Thanks.
Sarah
ReplyDeleteTouch of Poison
Fantasy
WC: 11952
Hopefully more today! I'm also rebelling and using NaNo to finish a novel that was already started.
Name: Poppy (my NaNo name is mspoppy)
ReplyDeleteTitle: Season of the Defender
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Word count: 23,496
This Nano has been good to me so far! I haven't really struggled with anything. My story seems to want to get out and on the page. I've had some super great writing days. Days where I just feel like I'm in the word count zone! I've been participating in a lot of twitter sprints. YA authors Sarah J. Maas and Susan Dennard are hosting sprints via the #NaNoWriMoBattle hashtag. Those have been super productive for me.
Forgot to mention that I'd love to do a guest post!
DeleteIlima
ReplyDeleteTHESE EMPTY SPACES
YA sci-fi
WC: 27,494
I'm struggling with sleep. I mean, I'm so freakin' exhausted cause I have to stay up late at night to write, but so many times my MC won't shut up in my head and I have to crawl out of bed to write something she told me before I forget it. This is my usual drafting problem, though, nano or nonano. :)
But at least my word count is getting padded because of it. My new goal is to finish the whole book this month, not just the 50K. Fingers crossed. And I'd love to do a guest post if you want me too.
Kelly Allan
ReplyDeleteKrim
YA steampunk adventure
18,000
I struggled with picking what idea to use. I had intended to write a YA magical realism, but then switched it at the last minute. I think I'm doing well with outlining and getting meeting my daily word count.
MarcyKate
ReplyDeleteTWIN DAGGERS/PRECIOUS
YA Fantasy/MG Fantasy
15,000 words.
Having a much better go of it this year than last year, though writing during the work week is a real struggle. Lots of demands this time of year for a nonprofit!
I'm really enjoying how much further I've gotten in to the WIP I'm finishing (Twin Daggers) and that the end is actually in sight!
Ashleigh (Ashleigh.Nicole on NaNoWriMo)
ReplyDeleteCHERRY BOMB
YA Contepmorary
24,000 words
I've been waiting to write this story for two years because I knew it was a good one and as you can tell by my word count, I've really been getting to work on it. I've barely deviated from my original outline--which is a real feat, considering how I work as a writer.
Some of the less important or boring scenes are a little difficult to write, but I have that problem with every manuscript. I suppose I'm also having trouble keeping one of the plot lines present. Overall, I've having very few problems because I know exactly what I want to do and my main character's voice comes easily to me.
I'd love to do a guest post! Not sure what I'd write about, though. Hm. Must think about that.
jadeharpy on NaNo
ReplyDeleteAfraid of the Dark (but the title will change for sure)
YA dark fairytale/folktale? based on Inuit/Siberian tales
12,629
I'm a pantser, so the eternal struggle is never knowing what the next line/scene will be :)
I love it though, discovering the story while I write, and there are a few later things I do know, that I'm super excited to get to :D
...I don't mind writing a guest post... but again "pantser"... so...??
Suzi
ReplyDeleteNever Again
Contemporary YA
16,000
I feel pretty good about what I've done. Ahead of schedule at least. The hard part for me is I need to research something: how getting arrested and going to jail works. This could affect the timeline of my story and other aspects, but I'm not ready to talk to people yet. I'd rather write the story first so I get all my questions down. So I'll just have to wing that part.
Cameron
ReplyDeleteBack Cove
Contemporary romance
10500
Not caught up but getting there! And I'd love to write about wingmen and how they keep my Nano novels going.
Alex Brown
ReplyDeleteGHOSTING (no idea what real title will be, changed NaNo book at last minute!)
YA Horror
10,000 *also hangs head in shame*
Honestly, my struggle has been my brain! I am currently querying a project, and worked so hard for the past two months revising/getting ready for submission that now my brain refuses to work. I might have burnt it out. Couple that with the fact that I will forever and always be a pantser, and I'm having some trouble getting this thing going. But I'm hoping to change that this weekend, because I'm going to peer pressure my brain into working again!
*laughs maniacally* YOU WILL WORK AGAIN BRAIN!!!
I'm really loving just seeing people talk their projects up on Twitter and getting yelled at by people (again, on Twitter) to actually write. The online writing community is an awesome thing, and I think NaNo works wonders to bring us all together :)
Also, I've noticed that about 85% of what I *have* written so far is dialogue. So, I guess I'm doing really well with my talkie scenes?
Eh? Maybe?
*raises hand because I would LOVE to do a guest post*
Robin Hall
ReplyDeleteGUTTER GIRL
YA Comtemp
WC-21,227
I'm a total number nerd during NaNo, constantly updating on their site (as in after every word sprint). I've been doing the #nanowrimowordbattles with @sjmass and stdennard. I'm a pantser, so I am swimming in possibilities. I have my end and a few scenes I know are going to happy, but the rest is discovery, so the NaNo pound it out fever are great for me. I feel like I need the 1st messy draft to find my "real" story. Since my goal is to write crap since "the first draft of anything is sh** "(thank you Hemingway) if my word count is up I count it as success. But the revisor in me keeps popping up my head-show don't tell there, fix that typo etc., so writing forward is harder than usual.
I would be thrilled to do a guest post-I'd do it In Defense of Pantsing and why NaNo is a pantsers best friend-of course I was up on your blog yesterday, so...just know I'm willing:)
Name: Becky/Lolita
ReplyDeleteTitle: Ataraxia
Genre: Science Fiction
Word count: 14,572
I'm a little annoyed at the fact that I'm falling behind so much @_@ I started out really well and then started slowing down. Well I'm catching up this weekend D< And I'm doing a good job at not looking back and freaking out about the inaccuracies. Hooray for banishing away my inner editor!
Veronica (v.bartles on NaNoWriMo)
ReplyDelete12 Steps
YA Contemporary
11,000+
I don't know my exact word count, since I write my drafts by hand, and I only get a word count when I type up my pages... but the last I typed up, my count was 10,780. I have about 4 pages written that need to be typed, and I've been averaging more than 400 words per page, so it might be close to 12,000 words so far.
I'm kind of trying to Do It ALL this November. NaNoWriMo, PiBoIdMo, Revising 2 manuscripts, querying another, a brand-new and ambitious project on my blog... as well as a busier-than-usual personal life. As you might guess, I'm not making a lot of forward progress on my NaNoWriMo story this time around, as a result of all that.
However, I'm really having fun with it. Even though I know you're not supposed to write "book 2" before you even have an agent for "book 1," one of my beta readers sent me a page-long fan fiction about one of my secondary characters in the novel I'm querying now, and it was so fun that I had to write that story next. (I'm telling myself it's okay, because it's not a sequel. It's a stand-alone book that just happens to contain most of the same cast of characters.)
It looks like you already have lots of volunteers for guest posts here, but if you ever need another one, I'll volunteer :)
Hannah (Hannah17 over on the Nano site).
ReplyDeleteTitle: Something Wicked
Genre: YA horror
Word Count: 545 words *sobs*
I'm checking in a bit late. Life got filled with crazy scavenger hunts and research papers. And...I also may have started over on Nano project *waits for backlash*
I know, I know we're not supposed to start over! BUT I CAN'T WRITE ANYTHING ELSE. So yes, I am now 15,000 words behind. But I shall prevail! I will let nothing get in my way of these 50,000 words!
And in the good news department...er...I finally found the perfect name for my MC's love interest! It only took three months of seraching. And there's the added bonus of now being really excited to work on this project.
Oooh, a guest post would be fun! I'd write about the magic of chocolate and 5,000 word days and about how awesome it is to read your story after the majority of it has been written at three in the morning ;)
Happy writing, everyone!
Name: Cheryl
ReplyDeleteTitle: Miss. Just kidding. :) Novel is untitled.
Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy
Word count: 11,508
I was actually doing well in the first 5 days or so keeping up with my word count. I managed to make a one day buffer. Then I used up that one day of extra room on day 6 and have been behind ever since. The problem was I had four papers and a test last week, so I could not write for both NaNo and school. That has been and will be the biggest challenge for me this November. I'll be balancing both school and NaNo. I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of catching up on weekends.
Other than that, I love NaNo, and I'm addicted to writing.
Good luck to everyone! We can do it! :)
Krista McLaughlin (kristam on NaNo site)
ReplyDeleteDefiance
YA Urban Fantasy
41,414
Well, I think this NaNo is going very well for me. I am spitting out more words a day than I could ever imagine before. This will definitely be the fastest I've ever finished NaNo. I am hoping to finish sometime Sunday/Monday/Tuesday - a day in there. :)
I am struggling with the fact that I keep thinking of how many plot holes are in my novel and it's a bit cheesy at times. I wrote the scene where my MCs kiss for the first time and I laughed because it was so cheesy. I don't kiss much (one, I'm single and the other, I really don't like to be touched) - so it just comes out as ridiculous.
Good thing this is just a rough, rough first draft!
I'd love to do a guest post sometime! :)