...It's that time of year again! I'm so excited that NaNo is back online and we have another year of trap-laying, killer-concealing, and mystery-solving to look forward to.
And dares. Gotta have the dares.
(To any NaNo neophytes who don't know what dares are: You will. Trust me.)
I have NO idea what I'm going to write about. God, I can't wait.
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2,885 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 01 15
I haven't even done it before - and I'm INSANELY excited.
Let's dance.
Cathy
1,236 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 03 55
Ah! This is the first time I actually write in NaNo - the previous years I’ve done a lot of handholding and supportive friend nonsense.
I’m still not sure what genre to write - a small (alright, a rather large) part of me wants to write a 19th Century esque detective novel, but the lure of the gothic fiction is also very strong. Maybe I should wait for the dares to surface and see if they perhaps peek my inspiration & creativity to leave the dark side and join the shadows of nerve tickling mystery.
----------_____
"Unable to have children a feuding polka band releases Keith Richards into the water supply."
Drunk on writing (my NaNo blog)
50,344 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 04 01
This is something I've been waiting to repeat for one full year. You can bet I'm excited about it, though I'm still trying to get the rest of my plot in order before NaNo starts.
----------NaNo '06: Flowers Of Blood (police procedural): Winner
3,831 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 05 42
I've had the idea for my story in the back of my head since early summer. This is my first NaNo and I'm looking forward to it. I'm trying to get some more folks from Club English (the English Club at my school) to do this with me so we can all help each other along.
----------"That which yields is not always weak, choose your victories wisely." --Hyacinthe, Kushiel's Dart, Jacqueline Carrey
0 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 06 27
I, too, have no idea what I am going to write. I didn't write a single word last year. I can't even decide if i want to do an outline, or just wing it.
And, why does it say the messages were posted on 12/31/1969? If that's the case, I'm going home from work because I ain't been born yet!
1,985 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 07 37
This is going to not only be my first NaNoWriMo, but my first detective story as well. I'm fairly excited, and both curious and apprehensive towards these "dares." What have I gotten myself into?
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Nano 2007: Title as yet to be determined.
AIM for NaNoWriMo: ECunardNaNoWriMo
Rarely Updated Blog
8,296 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 08 31
Well, this is my first year, and I'm PUMPED.
I've already got a strong protagonist in mind, and I've got a main plot idea in mind. I'm ready to write my mystery already!!!
Ok, I've got to calm down. I'm going to have to wait a month.
Tyler
50,979 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 09 18
I registered myself as a fantasy writer (my first, true love!), but this year I'm working on a fantasy-setting murder mystery.
It involves a gnomish thief who may/may not have given up her wicked ways. Her former travelling companion who is now the Queen of the city/state/country (I dunno yet) manipulates her into taking over an orphanage in order to find out who killed the previous orphanage director. Of course, it's a human orphanage, so most of the kids are taller than she is . . .
That's all I've got so far. I don't know who did kill the former director, or why. I don't know who else might have done it or what their alibis are. I don't even know how s/he died.
I'm planning on hanging out here in Mysteries as well as in Fantasy (and in my home region, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada).
Someone mentioned dares. Do we have our own dares thread here? I'm thinking that dares would give my novel the kind of tongue-in-cheek whimsey that I'm hoping for.
----------Gale . . . www.ThornesQuest.com . . . or . . . www.StringingWords.net
50,054 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 10 37
It's going to be lovely with NaNo again, even if the "oh noes, I don't have a clue what to write about" panic is lurking in the shadows.
At least I already know what genre it will be. And that I'll probably base most thing on dares. <3 Dares!
Anyway, I'm not new to NaNo (won two times) but I'm a complete newbie to writing mysterious crime. Please let us have our own, special dares thread in here so I can get some more inspiration.
----------Plot is overrated
50,979 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 14 57
Deliastere said:
Please let us have our own, special dares thread in here so I can get some more inspiration.
Yes, yes, let us!
----------Gale . . . www.ThornesQuest.com . . . or . . . www.StringingWords.net
0 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 17 09
Less than a month to go--I can't wait! I'm very excited, although I admit I think I'm still tired from last November. :) Is everyone faithfully stockpiling chocolate and their favorite caffeinated beverages?
This is my second NaNo and my first mystery, btw.
~Blink
----------2007: Sugar Rush
2006: Slip the Skin (WINNER!)
51,760 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 19 21
Thought I would jump in and introduce myself. My daughter is doing Nano this year and she talked me into doing it with her. This is the first time I have ever posted on a forum so my daughter is taking me kicking and screaming into the computer age. I am writing a cosy about a small town in Alaska ( where I lived for 33 years). I'm excited about November getting here. Lots of planning has already been done. Looking forward to meeting all of you.
----------Remember the mighty oak tree was once just a nut that stood its ground.
50,830 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 19 42
I usually write police procedural romantic suspense or mystery. I am probably writing the third book in a series, since that is what my character wants. He’s a police detective in a small town and I have no clue what my crime will be for this novel. So I need a crime and a title by November 1st.
This is my fourth NaNoWriMo…and no question about it…I am addicted!
Welcome aboard all you NaNo newbees. Its crazy, exhausting and fun. Just beware of the addicted.
----------Pat
NaNo 2007 His Halloween Witches
NaNo 2006 Witch in Flames Winner
NaNo 2005 What Witch? Not My Witch! Winner
NaNo 2004 The Odd Cops: Love Undercover Winner
7,449 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 21 41
This is going to be my first time going at it, myself! I'm quite looking forward to the vaguely-Victorian, vaguely-fantasy, vaguely-cosy murder romp I've got in mind. All I need to do before November is outline a plot and perhaps a few more characters than the two leads.
No worries. I've got pleeeeeeenty of time.
42,252 / 50,000
Okt 2, 2007 - 22 07
Hi everyone! This is my fifth year doing NaNo but my first year at trying my hand with a suspense novel. I can't really call it a detective novel b/c the police chars in it haven't shown themselves yet and it makes me wonder if they're just going to be background chars or if I'm going to end up with a really strong char from it. My two main MCs are already talking to me interview style (something I've never done before) so it already seems like I'm off to a good start.
Briefly, my novel is about a woman who is contacted by an old lover she hasn't seen in ten years. She goes to meet him and sees him get shot. She ends up on the run with his brother and gets pulled into a mafia/mobster world that she never knew her old flame was involved in. Of course we have to find out who killed the guy and why plus figure out who's is after her.
I know nothing about the mob or mafia or anything involved in that world. Does anyone have any good recommended reads? It seems that I want to read to prepare myself for writing in this genre (again, a first for me... maybe all these firsts are going to make something great out of themselves).
----------"Don't let your words get in the way." - John Tesh on late night radio show
51,949 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 05 44
I put my story down as fantasy as well, but I already know that it could just as easily be a mystery. I really wish we could choose multiple genres. Mine's not a murder mystery, though. Only one character dies and everyone knows who killed him when it happens - he'll have it coming by that point in the novel.
My story follows a student at a school for magic. He starts writing stories in an old journal that he found at a bookstore - each story he writes is something of a mystery in itself. After he finishes his first story (about a werewolf that killed a boy's parents and is ultimately apprehended by the authorities), he sees the librarian whispering to one of his classmates and he wonders what that's all about. After his next story (about a student who was trapped in the dream realm and another student who is experimented on by his master - also the trapped student's master) he sees older students talking about how one of their master's was arrested for experimenting on him. He realizes at that point that everything he's writing is coming true. He spends the rest of the novel trying to figure out if he's making these things happen or if the journal is making anything written in it come true.
Dares are always fun and good for adding to the word count. I'm going to need one for when one of my MCs friends writes something insane, just to see if it will happen. ^_^
----------___
NaNo 2006: Steel Bars - 59,233 words
Screnzy 2007: The Enchanted Forest - won
NaNo 2007: Turning Beetles into Buttons - 51,949 words
Screnzy 2008: Simple Gifts - 43 pages total & Butterfly - 9 episodes
702 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 07 19
Oh good someone else that has characters who make demands. Last year I crashed and burned before the month of November even hit. This year I've been plotting and planning in advance. And listening to the character that is demanding that I use her.
and yes I have a crime and a title!
----------Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
Soren Kierkegaard
50,922 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 08 48
Hi all. As with many of you this is my first NaNoWriMo attempt. My story is more of a suspense then a mystery. I'm going to reveal pretty early on what's going on, but the main character has to spend the rest of the book figuring out how to stop it. Additional it has an element of the supernatural to it, think Stephen King/Peter Straub style.
I've got my outline written and a pretty good idea of who my characters are (still need to write out a character profile for everyone though...). I'm really excited to try it, I just hope I can do it. It's going to be hard to work full time, be a dad to 2 kids under 5, and still get 50k+ words written (though I'm aiming for a full size novel around 95,000 words). I foresee a lot of late nights on the laptop in November :D
Woo!
59,126 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 09 01
I'll be tackling the forth book in a mystery series. So far the idea is for it to center around a man establishing a haunted house attraction in a small town where the residents object. The good part is I'm working with existing characters. The bad part is - I can't figure out a good title yet.
Marie
----------50,147 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 09 17
New innocent here - why do I just wanna puke? Any helpful tips, hints, and airplane bags welcome!
50,213 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 14 51
Oh Anyea! I'm sorry I am laughing about "wanting to puke"! That makes ME feel better. This is my first Nanowrimo. I am plotting mystery set in 16th century France and trying not to use "and then some other stuff happened" as a bullet point in an outline.
karen
57,930 / 50,000
Okt 3, 2007 - 15 39
wow i see a lot of newbies! this will be my 7th nanowrimo and my second mystery/suspense novel! i'm superstoked and going for another win!
----------2007: Why Don't You Just Drop Dead?
-funny quote here (hopefully)-
and on the front cover, in large friendly yellow letters, were printed the words DON'T PANIC.
22,099 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2007 - 15 58
My first year! It's my third mystery, and the first one to be original fiction. But I can't think of a name for my character...
----------If you use the phrase "Way Past Cool" near me, I will be forced to kill you. :)
2,372 / 50,000
Okt 13, 2007 - 01 53
This is my first year here too!!
----------I've written a few stories. Some really dumb (I once wrote about kids who said some stupid little curse and all the maggots a cemetery grew and tried to eat the town!) and some I'm really proud of (ohh i can't tell you about that one.. it's not done yet!) .
But I'm excited!
I was just sitting here thinking and thinking of a plot. See for me, titles inspire me to write more. And I just came up with a good title I like. NO idea how to write it yet!!! haha But it's catchy and dark.. ..I'm excited
We could tear the world apart
7,324 / 50,000
Okt 15, 2007 - 11 56
Musebfree,
"And then some other stuff happened" is a great, wonderful, beautiful bullet point. I use it all the time and find that it gives me a freedom to just sit there and let stuff happen. I had a character open a door last year, followed by "blank"; she ended up having a sword fight out of nowhere. She wasn't even a fencer before that scene. I don't know how to fence, all I know I got from 'Glory Road'. Not knowing what's going to happen isn't scary, it's an invitation to go for a ride with your characters and see what the heck develops. 16th Century France is great, I don't have the nerve to do historical; I'm stuck in the present day, albeit a slightly different one than I happen to live in at the moment.
---------------
Simple good.
DEEP VOICE (V.O.)
Except when the complicated becomes necessary
7,128 / 50,000
Okt 15, 2007 - 12 33
What IS that "Dare" thing? Please explain...
(maybe I'm just hopelessly literal-minded?)
Christine
http://ditnotdit.blogspot.com