December/January: Write, Rewrite, Edwrite

March is usually National Novel Editing Month. I'd like to propose (and god, I'm trying to get the Jabber figured out as in why-won't-lappy-run-it...) Naperville writers continue into December and January with finishing their novels, rewriting or reworking their novels, starting something brand new, or editing.

Okay, yes, there's the fact I'm in another state. >_> On the other hand, it's not like there aren't a ton of resources to keep things working. Notably: further word count graphs (Tim- do you know if there's a way to track this outside of Nanowrimo's main site? Could we finagle something?); critique circle; posting here or privately with stories, etc.

So I'll toss out a line to see who is interested and go from there.

I'm definitely interested, Heather. And I have ideas for making our own wordcount engine (set up a Path for your Journey: define a wordcount goal and timeframe; let others join if they wish or create their own; wordcount graphs galore).

This is definitely something that would fit in with the Journey.

--Tim

I'm totally in. Once I finish this book, I need to revise the second book and finish the third. So I'm all in! And Tim, it would be SO awesome if you could find a way for us to keep up a running word count like on the site.

Personally, I'm all for starting in December, because I know that I need to keep up momentum. I won't be writing quite as much per day, I'm sure, or I'd burn out, but I know that this book won't be done by midnight tonight, and I still need motivation to finish it.

I plan to continue working in December. One thing I tried real hard to do this NaNo was develop a writing habit I could sustain with everything else going on in life. I have 30 days going with an hour a night habit and plan to keep going starting with tonight (don't they say it takes 30 days to develop a habit).

At any rate, I would love to particpate in whatever motivational graphs, etc. Tim can dream up - he is master at it. I am going to be editing/rewriting my first NaNo Novel from 4 years ago so not sure if word count is going to be that important to me but definily interested in some kind of a Path for your Jouney with goals and timeframes.

I recommend that you join Critiquecircle.com. (It's free) And there's no reason that you can't start now, or next week, or next month. Whenever you like.

You can join without posting, but I recommend that you put up a chapter (about 3,000 words) as soon as you can.

Join by next week, and you can critique my first chapter for full credit. If you do that, I'll be sure to critique yours

http://www.critiquecircle.com/queue.asp?action=lookup&index=72115

(If you join later, don't worry, I post a lot of stuff into that system. I have gotten extensive feedback on several entire novels. And currently have Sticky Note Empire (last year's NaNo) in a private queue.)

It operated on a credit system--you earn credits by critiquing, and it costs you credits to post your work for others to critique. If you buy a membership, you can have private queues, where you control who can see your chapters. So, if we wanted to keep it within 'the group,' you can do that, although I have met some great writers through the public queues so encourage people to at least start with that.

And critiquing other people's writing is a great way to improve your own.

I think it makes sense to use a system that is already in place for critiquing novels rather than trying to re-implement our own. With the credit system, there is payback for reading other people's writing so you can post your own and get their feedback.

Katherine,

Great timing. I was actually looking at inkpop for my daughter and wondering if there was something similar for adult writers, even though you can join inkpop.com if you're writing fiction aimed at the teen market ... which I'm not. I'm such a newbie to the whole novel writing/publishing arena. Now that Nano if officially over, I am already tossing around what I'm going to do with what I wrote in November. Some form of accountability is always helpful. I'm game ... just signed up for CC.

I would LOVE to have a word counter (and maybe a graph) for future novels! It is what really keeps driving me to write when it's Nano season. I love seeing how many words I've written on a daily basis and competing with the "average" word count and struggling to keep my head above water. I still have to keep writing my novel but at the moment, I'm pulled away by a different muse. This November's novel will need a lot of work before the story gets told exactly as I had envisioned but that's why I'll start editing in January.

Let's keep the group going! Thanks, guys, for all of your support and inspiration this month!

-Kourt

Starting tonight, I'm going right back into the final phase of my first revision. Yep, still the same one I've been working on for..umm...two years now. Yikes.
Some accountability to get this done would be great. Maybe someplace where I can post my progress? Not that my snail's pace would inspire anybody, but it would be great to keep tabs on my progress in some measurable way. :)

I'm all in ! I don't exactly feel like a winner yet because I haven't finished the book though. Not quite sure how much I have left it kind of writes itself. I was also in the middle of editing a prior novel so now I'm going to need motivation to get both finished.

I would like to be a part of something that keeps me motivated to continue working on my writing projects. I'm not ready to send anything out to be read YET. I need to finish the novel that I started this November and desperately need to go back and revise the one I wrote in 2008. Every year I have turned the computer off on December first and not gone back until November first. I need accountability and some sort of challenge. I like the word counters too. I'm on the other side of the pond, but my heart is in Illinois, so I'm sticking with you all. Hope to be back in Chicagoland in a few years.

I would love to set up a time once or twice a week that people have time to meet for a write-in or discussion at a Caribou or something about their progress and/or for help. Is anyone interested?

Even though I didn't make 50k, I will continue writing through December because I am determined to finish this novel and not let it fester in the back of my mind (especially since it's wounded from the battle with my copyright bibliography...poor novel). Editing and rewriting are still a little ways off for me, but I've had so much fun being part of the community of Naperwrimos this year that I really don't want to lose touch with any of you. :D