Hi, everyone! T-minus (about) 37 hours and counting before NaNoWriMo 2007!!
Many thanks to those who were able to make the Kickoff last night. Many thanks to Dave/Zaapiel for keeping the captain caffeinated. :-) (Actually, I had no problem falling asleep it was just a little later than usual, but it gave me some extra QT with the youngest pirate in my house.)
I wish I'd been a little more prepared with a good pep talk last night. There are lots ot tips and tricks for ratcheting up your word count -- like, use contractions as infrequently as possible, don't be afraid of superfluous adverbs (at least not right now), if you need to change POV in the middle of a chapter to get yourself (or your characters) "un-stuck" then do it -- make it pretty LATER! Even if you play fast and loose with most of the conventional novel writing techniques and rules, you will probably STILL have a viable first draft (or something close to it) at the end of 30 days.
But here are two of the most important things to remember:
1) Send your Internal Editor on an extended vacation; give her the pink slip; tell him "don't let the door to my conscience hit you in the arse on the way out!"
To borrow from the movie Bull Durham....."Don't think. Just throw." Or in this case, "Just write." Make it "pretty" LATER!!
2) and secondly.....I'm probably preaching to the choir on this one but WRITE WHAT IS IN YOU TO WRITE! If your mystery morphs into a romance, okay. If you are suddenly producing a work of staggering genius in literary fiction when you meant to write humor....roll with it!
Part of this is about the word count and hitting that magic 50K benchmark. But more importantly, this is about freeing your creativity....don't worry about being grammatically correct, politically correct, formulaic or proper.
Just ask yourself...."What if?" And then answer the question on paper. Even if you don't give yourself a thorough answer, you may revisit that answer on page 35, paragraph 4 sometime in March.....and the answer will be there, in its entirety. And you will edit. And it will be brilliant. :-)
Now......for your planning purposes.......
Here is a tentative schedule of NaNo meetings that evolved last night at the kickoff. If you can't make the "official" ones, feel free to tawk amongst yourselves and get together any time on your own and plot a mutiny. I won't take it personally. ;-)
Tuesday, November 6, 7pm or later
Friday, November 16, 7pm or later
Tuesday, November 20, 7pm or later (this is Thanksgiving week, and I personally didn't want to be anywhere NEAR a mall after about Wednesday!)
Wednesday, November 28, 7pm or later
We can keep the meetings at the B&N on Monroe Street.....or we can choose a new venue for variety. But as of right now, next week's meeting will be Tuesday at 7pm at B&N on Monroe St.
FINAL NOTE: there were originally plans for a NaNo podcast about the NWO NaNo Team. My schedule has changed/deterioriated to the point where I haven't the time to put it together. I will notify Fearless Leader Chris Baty, but if anyone else wants to take a stab at it, be my guest!
HOIST THE COLORS and prepare to sail!!
Capt. Liz
(email me at NWOWFcr@yahoo.com if you have any questions)
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Liz
NaNo 2005: Broken Branches (51K and then some)
NaNo 2006: The Fool (yes...I was....3,500 or thereabouts)
NaNo 2007: Loved Anyway
"I've been to the ends of the earth, and I know what standing still is worth." -- Darden Smith, "Perfect Moment
1,694 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2007 - 17 30
I can make next Tuesday!! :)
53,644 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 03 03
are you gonna knit it or crochet it?
55,383 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 03 21
I'm in with my plus one
53,197 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 05 19
I'll be there, but I don't think I'll have my 50k by then. But I'll try!
27,955 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 05 39
Avast Cap'n!
I probably should check in and say I'm here, yes?
I shall be here to help hoist the colors - erm, word count.
B
Good luck to everyone.
50,043 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 06 53
I plan to be there at B&N after 7. Excited meet other NWO mad novelists and get charged for 50k words !
6,025 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 06 56
Delurking to say I'll try to be there (and may be dragging a friend along), barring disaster, hostile takeover, alien invasion, really horrible Arabic homework... Hi, everyone. :D
If someone else will make next Tuesday, I'll put beads on it. ... No, that's not a threat. Or IS it.
16,014 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 11 05
I did not make it to the last meeting....... Babysitting messes things up, so can someone give me the low down on what went on via mail?
I will try to make it next week. :-)
0 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 13 06
I just signed up today. Where is the meet up Tuesday? Cher9912, Napoleon, OH 43545
23,591 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 13 34
Hey, Cher! (Wow, that is SO Cajun, I love it!)
As of right now, we are planning on the Barnes and Noble on Monroe Street next Tuesday....we may discuss an alternate venue for the following week.
Welcome aboard the Black Quill!
T-minus seven and a half hours and counting!
Liz, aka: CaptSwann
23,591 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 13 37
I will try to make it next week. :-)
Consider it done....NaNoMail forthcoming.....
but in a nutshell, we talked a lot about sci fi and fantasy movies, some animation, and a little bit about our Nano Projects. 'bout it! :-)
Welcome aboard, if I haven't said so already!
Liz
23,591 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 13 42
Adrishiana and Neerob.....
Looking forward to seeing you both next week if you can make it.
Adrishiana -- "I'll put beads on it"....I can't say I've ever heard that expression but I like it! I can think of a few NaNo writers who bead on the side (when they're not writing of course) and they can't resist something sparkly!!
Best of luck with your NaNo Projects to both of you!
Liz
0 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 16 08
Thank you for responding. I don't thinki I can get to the Barnes & Noble, I can not drive that far by myself and I doubt that hubby will volunteer. I'm not going to let the Black Quill down though. I've had this book in my head for a long time, it's time
to get it out of there and make room for the second one.
Sail on, Capt. Swann
13,002 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 19 36
Will try to make Tuesday (Nov. 6th is Election Day, folks, don't forget to vote before you head to the meet-up!) but my work schedule kind of sucks on Tuesdays, so it'll depend on whether I have the energy. And remember to set the VCR to tape NCIS. *g*
5,983 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 21 31
I'll try to come to the meeting, but it pretty much depends on how prepared I am for my Japanese oral quiz on Wednesday
9,209 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 21 54
Sorry i missed the first meeting! Had to catch up on sleep after a Cedar Point trip. Can i just mention that Maverick ROCKS?
I'll try to make the tuesday meeting...but i see there's a friday one scheduled? Do you have ANY idea how awesome that is? :)
Just let me know if it's gonna be somewhere that isn't B&N on monroe...:)
23,591 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 05 44
Rowena....I am trying to accommodate everyone's schedules as much as possible. I do hope to see you at one of the meetings!
To All.....I hope day one of NaNo is off to a rousing start! And I'm really happy to see so many new IDs! Welcome!
Just an FYI....I am making the transition from dialup to DSL in the next couple of days....it's a "self-install" so hopefully I won't mess it up too badly. But if I am scarce, I'm with you in spirit! And if any of the newbies have a question, feel free to post it here and I'm sure one of the veteran pirates will have an answer.
Cheers!
Liz
4,279 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 20 44
provided i can mapquest my way around, i should be able to make the meetup!
looking forward to it.
7,019 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 00 26
Hi, all, Tuesdays are a popular night (knitting group meets that time as well) but I'll do my best to be there as I'm really interested in meeting other writers. May I suggest another possible venue? The B&N at Fallen Timbers or Grounds for Thought in BG might work for an alternate.
Good luck, everyone!
Jeanne
1,246 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 04 10
I will be in class next Tuesday until 8. How long do the meetings last?
7,305 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 17 51
Barring unforeseen complications, I should be there this Tuesday. Looking forward to meeting everyone else!
23,591 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2007 - 09 21
looking forward to it.
The Barnes and Noble on Monroe Street is directly across the street from the JC Penney section of Westfield Franklin Park....it shares the parking lot with Circuit City....can't miss it! Hope to see you there! :-)
Liz
NaNo 2005: Broken Branches (51K and then some)
NaNo 2006: The Fool (yes...I was....3,500 or thereabouts)
NaNo 2007: Loved Anyway
"I've been to the ends of the earth, and I know what standing still is worth." -- Darden Smith, "Perfect Moment