So, those of you doing NaNoWriMo — how’s it going? Still in? Not in any longer? What’s the scoop? Is there anything anyone here can help you with to get you past this last week’s worth of feverish squirrel-bitten wordsmithy? Also, feel free to take a favorite sentence or even a paragraph from your work and drop it into the comments below.
Swing into the comments space and talk it out.
Ask questions.
Yell at the clouds.
Drop some mad rhymes.
I mean, if you have mad rhymes to drop.
With one week to go, how flows the NaNoWriMo?
SEE? MAD RHYMES.
Let this be a community sounding wall.
fran730 says:
Such mad, inspiring word wanderings. I salute you, Nanowarriors! I’m plodding along with no chance of winning, but I’ve done this before and I have used everything I’ve ever written in a Nano word blurt in previous years. I’ve recycled them in completely different ways (4 short stories emerged from one disjointed novel draft one year) or re-written saving only an idea here, an image there, a setting, a single line of dialogue, or whatever, but the point is it’s all been put to work somehow. Even though it looks like dung now, there are diamonds hiding in there. You’ll find them later.
In a crisis, I find a tiny bit of research keeps the fingers running over the keys. I googled weather conditions in Peru this morning, and that kept me writing for an hour.
November 24, 2014 — 5:42 PM
Mary Ann Peden-Coviello says:
Unfortunately, I’ve been sick since the last week in October. I have managed to cough up (verb oh-so-very carefully chosen) about 20K words despite massive bronchitis, near-pneumonia, and some entertaining side effects from medication. I’m still flabbering around and working on the manuscript because I like it, doggone it. But I’ll not be winning this year. *sigh* *whine* *cough* *wheeeeeze*
November 24, 2014 — 7:40 PM
lynnacfrost says:
Hope you feel better soon. I hate bronchitis so much I’m letting an evil mage use the symptoms to torture my NaNo main character. *sends you comforting warm beverage of your choice*
November 25, 2014 — 12:31 AM
serendipitousmc says:
I’m way behind, but I knew I would be. I’m a Rebel – still working on the same book I started last year – and I’ve been doing research as well as writing. If I crack 25,000 words, I’ll be damn lucky. No tee shirts for making the halfway mark, but that’s okay. I love writing with NaNoWriMo and I’ll probably do it again next year just for the fellowship.
I’m writing a YA sci-fi, which is absolutely not my default but I got all these ideas for scenes and they wouldn’t let me alone. Now I’m tearing my hair out trying to fill plot holes and figuring out the science behind the basis of the book.
This novel will need a metric f*ck-ton of editing, and I don’t care about that, either. I will not let it get the best of me.
Good luck, everyone, and congratulations, whether you wrote 100 words or 100,000!
A snippet from “Here not here:”
He held the watch in his palm, moving his hand enough so that the face crystal reflected the sunlight. It bounced off the beige walls in his room in long thin fragments, like something spectral. Maybe his grandfather was in this watch and was trying to get out. Anything was possible. Craig was learning that the hard way. Reality used to be the crack of a bat as it hit a baseball and sent it over fence in the outfield. Reality was getting in the car and knowing you’d make it from point A to point B without any unwanted extra-terrestrial detours along the way. It was books, classes, homework, sports, and girls, not always in that order.
The new reality meant he couldn’t even look at his grandfather’s beloved small possessions any more without being afraid he’d suddenly Move. He used to take them out all the time; sometimes to make sure the watch was running properly, sometimes to leave the hat on his nightstand while he slept. His grandfather would read him stories before bedtime. He’d often bring books he loved and read them to Pa. It might have been the last time he read for fun.
He couldn’t even think any more without interrupting his pleasant memories with worries. Last week, he’d Moved to a cemetery drizzled with fog, where he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. When he attempted to walk, he stumbled over headstones with names that vanished the second he tried to read them. For a while, he hoped his grandfather would appear but it never happened, so he curled up on top of a grave, wet and miserable, until he finally fell asleep.
Holding things in your hand could bring you someplace you didn’t want to go.
Holding things in your heart could break it because they led you to danger, uncertainty, darkness, fear, or lies.
November 24, 2014 — 8:17 PM
lynnacfrost says:
That sounds totally awesome! I’d love to read that.
November 25, 2014 — 12:15 AM
serendipitousmc says:
Thank you! You really made my day. Best of luck to you for the rest of NaNo!
November 25, 2014 — 4:03 PM
Chris Dangerfield says:
You are so continually right about the emotions of this process that is can’t help but make me smile. Not that it gets easier, just nice that someone else knows that it’s a stinky obstreperous cantankerous process. That means more than you know. Thanks for that.
November 24, 2014 — 8:26 PM
1WithCoffee says:
I’m 46,800 words in. This is my third draft of my first novel, and thanks to NaNoWriMo, this baby will be ready for publishers sometime next year. I love the pacing of the NaNo challenge and I’d like to keep it as a writing habit.
November 24, 2014 — 9:25 PM
Dan says:
I hit 50k yesterday. Too bad I’ve got another 25k until the end.
November 24, 2014 — 9:30 PM
lynnacfrost says:
Hey I just passed 30K, it’s my 1st NaNo and I’m happy! Don’t know if I’ll “Win” but I’m winning ’cause the words are getting written!
If you know about the TSoD I’m excited that I managed to work that in –
http://lynnacfrost.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/nanowrimo-and-the-traveling-shovel-of-death/
The latest section I like is this one — (please forgive rough edit)
—————————————————————
Jocarro’s eyes glinted. Resting his head against the wall, he licked his own lips, openly savoring the taste of the lord’s son on his own flesh. He still held his body up against Devon’s with the hand on Devon’s back. “Want … more…”
Were the words an invitation? a declaration? Devon couldn’t tell. Then Jocarro did something with his hips which made Devon’s eyes roll back in his head.
“Shit…” He clenched the fist of the arm that held his and Jocarro’s combined weight off of the wall. Had to get control of himself.
At last – cold metal in the other hand. He finally had the dagger. If this were an ambush he’d be dead, a distant part of him noted. He brought the weapon up and held the edge to Jocarro’s throat. Breathing hard, he watched the other boy. Waited for him to realize.
It took only a second or two.Jocarro stilled. His eyes opened wide. “So … it’s like that.” His voice was flat, inflectionless. “You really don’t want me.” The skin of his throat moved against the blade in Devon’s hand, and a drop of blood appeared.
“Sorry.” Devon’s voice was ragged. He didn’t know why he was the one apologizing. “I can’t… I don’t …”
Jocarro turned his head aside, looked away. The blood left a trail, looked like a long cut. “Now you know why I lied….” His voice rose, became a plea. “I would do whatever you wanted, Devon. Please – it doesn’t have to be like this.”
Devon frowned. The servant didn’t need to speak so loudly. If they made too much noise, the guards would hear, and come –
“What in the name of the gods are you doing!”
Devon jumped. Looked to his right with guilty eyes. Saw his sister, wearing her boy clothes again. He was about to comment, when he saw that her horrified gaze was fastened on the dagger in his hand.
In a flash of clarity, he saw through her eyes. Saw the sharp edge drawing blood from Jocarro’s throat. Devon’s body straddling the servant. The defenseless boy draped under him in limp surrender.
Jocarro – begging.
Oh. Shit.
“No – Emma -”
“You little bastard!” Emma drew her own dagger and pointed it at her brother.
————————————————————————
OK I’m gonna run and hide now.
November 25, 2014 — 12:27 AM
Kaidan says:
I’M SO CLOSE. Just under 10,000 words to go. Congratulations to everyone who took a crack at it, whether you wrote one word or a hundred thousand. It’s been a wild journey.
November 25, 2014 — 1:11 AM
totiltwithwindmills says:
Still writing though fully aware that I won’t be winning this year due to some stuff going on in my life at the moment. I’m content with that though. Why? Cause I have written more words this year than in any previous attempt and will be continuing to work on this story once November ends. It’s something I really enjoy writing.
November 25, 2014 — 1:19 AM
Giana says:
NaNo won’t be won by me this time :c BUT I managed to get a good grip on my story, so it was worth it :B
Can’t share anything now because I don’t have much written, and what I do have is spoilerful. Maybe next time xD
November 25, 2014 — 1:42 AM
angelacavanaugh says:
I’m making a sprint for the end. I wound up having a lot of other things going on this month. Three of which were writing related. It sorta set me back. Like, if I do this, it won’t be so much a novel written in a month as it will be a novel written in just over a week. It’ll be tough to crank it out, but I’m not giving up just yet.
Here’s a sentence I just wrote in my story:
His stomach ached, and he struggled to hold back the cheese blasted breakfast.
November 25, 2014 — 5:40 AM
Mark says:
Sorry, can’t reply to this (19k words to go)…I’m too busy KICKING NANOWRIMO’S ASS!
November 25, 2014 — 7:41 AM
Joy says:
Thrilled to report that I finished my first draft and just this minute had my word count validated by NANO.
I
Here I sit, punch drunk with victory and feeling like a WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And also scared to death, because I know a couple of things, even though I’m a rank amateur. First, “first draft” means, of course, that when I look at this again (hopefully, sober) I will realize how much of it is an embarrassment. And so will begin the tedious and humbling work of editing, rewriting, doing BETTER. But I know I can do that. But let’s say I make it, well, not perfect, maybe, but pretty darned good and readable (yeah, let’s say that) – THEN WHAT? I know absolutely sweet f***all about getting it published.
But, you know what? I think I’ll worry about that later. For today, just for today, I’m going to feel proud.
And there’s no reason for you to care what I think at all, but I’m proud of all of you too. As our mentor here tells us every day in every way, this writing thing, it’s hard. So good for you! Happy validating!!
November 25, 2014 — 1:40 PM
ffflip2014 says:
I feel like you! congratulations!
November 25, 2014 — 10:08 PM
Joy says:
Thanks for your reply! Sometimes it can feel as if we’re talking to ourselves, so I appreciate it. Happy NANO!
November 25, 2014 — 10:55 PM
Anthony says:
I crossed 50k today so yay. I could have done it 5 days ago but got lazy/distracted so boo. Still only about 60% of the way to the end of the first draft so lots more words to go…then it goes in a box…then it gets edited.
November 25, 2014 — 1:44 PM
paulformulaic says:
I’ve been writing on my 30 minute lunch break to break it up into manageable chunks and I somehow managed 900 words in today’s 30 minute slot, which is insane for me. Only 8k to go!
November 25, 2014 — 2:49 PM
Terri Herrington says:
43,620 words so far – this is my first NaNo and first novel as well – although I can see that the story won’t be finished at the 50k mark, I love the fact that I’ve been writing every day which is what I intend to continue doing now that I’ve proven to myself I can do it – Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25, 2014 — 10:20 PM
Honey Apostos says:
31,573 so far. This is my first year. I think pantsing a mystery might have been too ambitious. It’s slow going at the moment. I’m proud to still be in.
November 26, 2014 — 6:28 AM
tedra says:
Anyone out there writing with an infant at home? Usually he’s in daycare but its the holidays and I find it really hard to concentrate with him here. Right now he’s playing with my legs while we both lay on the carpet, so he’s content but I just can’t get into my story with him talking….lol. I’ve written before at night when I knows he sleeping as is down for the night but during the day is killing me. Yesterday I didn’t write at all and what I did today, I should be embarrassed. I’m at 32k+ on my story. I’ve written a little more than that but how am I to finish NaNo with an infant…ugh.
November 28, 2014 — 4:48 PM
Jessie Lee says:
I have a one year old. I like to call it extreme Nano’ing. I try to type (and think) while she babbles at me and rubs her slobbery fingers all over my computer screen. At one time I thought I had to have the perfect setup to write, but now I’ve settled for the living room floor, a pillow as my desk. We also play this game where she tries to steal my coffee, so I grab it and place it on the other side of me, then she crawls to get it, and I grab it and put it on the other side, then she crawls to get it from that side. We do this for about 10 or 15 minutes every morning. I am an unwilling participant in this game. Sometimes she bangs away at the keyboard. I can totally use it in my word count, right?
Luckily my husband is pretty kickass. Since he’s had extra time off for the holidays, he’s been making sure I get my writing time in.
November 28, 2014 — 5:25 PM
tedra says:
And his dad is on his way!! Yay. He just called. Though its been nice playing with Benji, I know I never finish a novel in working on and the is the 2nd one I’ve ever been close to finishing. I think I really will finish this. To actually finish NaNo would just boost my confidence. Benji is so distracting. Right now he smells like lavender. I think it smells like love. He’s my first. I can’t help it, even his poop is love. Okay, im going to stop now because this is turning into a baby blog and not a writing one. Thanks for listening anyway.
November 28, 2014 — 6:22 PM
tedra says:
And now he wants to sit in my face and look around. I’m writing this with tiny fingers on one eye and pooping bum under my nose….i think I may be done for NaNo this year….
November 28, 2014 — 5:01 PM