So here it is Nano time and it made me remember last year when I put off drawing for an entire month to pump out about 130k words. This October it occurred to me; why not do both and reduce the word count to accommodate a certain number of drawings? Say . . . 50? 50 drawings. 50k words. Both. Yes both. In the same month. That way I don't have to go a full month without sketching. Then it occurred to me to create a group of other artist/writers who are daft enough to try it with me!
I figured this would appeal mainly to Nanoers who have found the 50k relatively easy to reach and push themselves to 100k or even more. You guys have wiggle room. Some of you are artists and hate to cut your drawing/painting hours. I get horribly rusty if I go even a week without putting pencil to paper. Also this year I have commission work I don't want to shove aside until December. What about you? Do you have art on your plate? Don't want it to get cold? I created an LJ community just for anyone who wants to join me--NaNoDrawMo. National Novel Drawing Month. Yeah I know it doesn't make much sense spelled out, unless you draw your actual novel or something. If you take it literally, you can always draw your Nano characters, right? Anyhow, the site/community is being fleshed out so if you have questions, feel free to post and ask. If you don't have LJ it isn't too hard to create an account, even if it's just a dummy account for the purpose of this lil' event. Join and say hi!
NaNoDrawMo!
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What's NaNoDrawMo?
50,713 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2008 - 18 55
I've been thinking about making a drawn-by-hand animation as my Christmas present to my family this year (since I ALWAYS make things). But, if I try to do the entire animation the first 24 days of December (every individual frame, all of the painting to add color to the frames, scanning every frame, computer editing and creating the animation short with all of the frames, creating the music tracks and any voice tracks for the animation... etc) will not happen.
I intended to make a Halloween animation this month, but all of my planning that I have finally finished has made me realize: I set my expectations way too high and I need to allow more time to make an animated short. So I'll leave the Halloween animation for next year (or maybe make one that's just a few seconds long for my friends).
But as for the Christmas present short I'll be making this year... I'll need to start working on it within the next couple of days and work on it all through NaNo. Last year I wrote 50K in 15 days (with two days off in there when I attended a conference), so getting the word count won't be an issue. This November I will also work on my animated short, and I will complete at least one second's worth of frames per day (about 10 frames), or up to two or three seconds, depending on if I've got a still frame that will last a second and therefore I'd only be doing one frame.
And don't you worry all your environmentalists out there... I'm using smaller paper so as not to use up all the trees. ;)
58,862 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 20 01
Animation frames would work great! And you won't have to shunt your work aside for Nano. I think I'm cutting my word count back to 50k to focus more on the drawing and might even spend the entire first weekend of Nano pumping it out. I actually know people who do this every year. One of them has hit the 200k mark too.
So will you count 10 frames as a single drawing or as 10?
----------What's NaNoDrawMo?
50,713 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 20 08
I'll probably count each second's worth of frames as just one. Since, even though I see all the frames, others will see (hopefully) a smooth second's worth of animation. So, if I have one frame for one second (if it's a still transition short or no movement is happening), that will be one drawing. If it's an action scene with 10 frames, still one drawing. :p Hopefully I know what I'm getting myself in to and I don't start expecting too much out of myself. I've got some ideas for how to make the animation process smoother and be easier on me (such as making as many background ahead of time as I can, and then just making the characters to add to them during November). So... we shall see. :)
50,006 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 21 56
Whoa, that would be a challenge. Especially if we are talking finished drawings. I can barely commit to nano alone with my two jobs. Still...I like the idea of a DrawMo. lol. I do have commissions to do as well, and ATCs I have been procrastinating on. Nano this year for me will be based around an idea for an online graphic novel I am doing with some friends ...just to see what comes out of the fervent writing...plot and character development and all.
----------"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies?" Man of La Mancha
www.swaggertoes.deviantart.com
51,076 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2008 - 09 35
I like the idea, though I may dial it back and draw a picture each day (so 30) to illustrate my novel. I already started drawing the characters to try and get a feel for them so it isn't much of a stretch.
----------"I run at trouble. It usually throws it off." - Randy, Character of larelmian, Spies and Sorcery
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/hlltwin/Orbsen%20and%20Friends/banner2.jpg[/IMG]
53,774 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 04 14
As my plan is to write a book for young readers - like people from preteens to people in their early teens, it'd work well for me to actuall draw some pictures of my characters and illustrations from the story. I seem to remember a good number of the books I read at that age having artwork in them - at chapter headings if nothing else. I love drawing my characters anyway and perhaps I'll try to draw some of the locations as well.
I've got a neglected LJ account, that I'll try to remember to post my art and writing to this year. ^_^
----------"You seriously don't want to do that. Alternatively, if you feel the burning need to do that, warn me in advance, so that I have plenty of time to run." - Keenan Meadows
50,713 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 08 41
If you're in the ages of 9-12, it's not uncommon to have illustrations throughout the book. I think it tends to be between 1 and 3 per chapter, depending on what kind of book you have, and the main target is expected to be the younger or older end of that spectrum.
Wow, I managed to make things sound confusing even to myself. XD Short answer: yes, there are illustrations in books for preteens. I think in some books they have a full page illustration before the start of the new chapters, as if not wanting to seem like an illustrated book for little kids anymore, but not wanting to take away the illustrations too early.
12,680 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 08 51
I love love loooooove this idea!! However, this is my first NaNoWriMo that I have seriously vowed to undertake and although I am a pretty fast typist, I am unsure how easily the 50k will come to me. If I'm on a roll then I tend to fly but if I get stuck then I can envisage that seriously affecting my word-count. If I find by mid-November that I am easily on track then I would love to attempt this!
50,065 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 12 54
Huh. Interesting idea. I’m trying to finish a project I have going now before November, and do the next part when December rolls around. But I notice that I, too, get rusty if I don’t practice regularly.
Although I’m not sure I could manage 50,000 words and 50 drawings in a month, I think I’m going to try filling a sketchbook page every day after I finish my quota. So I’m not all rusty when I go back to drawing in December.
58,862 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 14 28
Ali--you might find you're one of those who pumps out the words! If that happens, jump right into the drawmo part of it!
Everyone else who's into this, go right over and introduce yourself to the gang! Like I said, if you don't have an LJ account, you can always create a dummy account you don't actually use for your own sake, but so you can post in drawmo. It's free and pretty easy. If you want to, share your drawings and projects too!
----------What's NaNoDrawMo?
58,114 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 15 40
Hmmm....I'm game to give this a try, though I don't actually "draw" my work. I'm a photographer and graphic artist and I was wondering how to keep them both going for the month of November. Maybe I won't make a full 50 graphics, but it will at least give me something to shot for. And I'll have to schedule a few photo outings in the mix as well. Sounds fun!
Edit: I just read the LJ for this event. This is for drawings only, right? Is there a group for graphic artists/photographers?
58,862 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2008 - 16 12
I don't know of any just for photography unless I'm just not looking hard enough! I don't see why you couldn't include the graphic art in this though. If you do the type of photography you describe--not just quick snaps--that require considerable planning and setup, composure and so on, go for it! Sorry I didn't even think about that aspect of art! I need to be much more specific in my 'rules.'
----------What's NaNoDrawMo?
1,095 / 50,000
Oct 22, 2008 - 07 59
What if it's not related to your novel?
I have 2 novel ideas I'm playing around with at the moment (no doubt it will grow into more!), but one of them is a graphic novel.
I know I can't write on both of them and have the sum be 50k, I have to get 50k on either or, or both.
But could I do 50 drawings for the graphic novel, and my 50k on the other novel?
Also... I don't have a scanner or a tablet, so... umm... once I find my drawing pad and pencils (I recently moved house, everything's in boxes, I dislocated my knee at the weekend, I can't actually move boxes now or leave the house!), could I take photos of the pics with my phone and upload them?
Nicola
31,115 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2008 - 07 35
So...
If a picture is worth 1000 words...
sorry, could not resist.
----------Renekejaune
The Cat of Nine Tales
51,076 / 50,000
Nov 29, 2008 - 16 37
Replying to my own post: Well, I have one more picture left to write and I added to it ten character sketches. That brings my total up to 40. I almost feel like I should find ten more pictures to draw but I can't think of any.
----------"I run at trouble. It usually throws it off." - Randy, Character of larelmian, Spies and Sorcery
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/hlltwin/Orbsen%20and%20Friends/banner2.jpg[/IMG]
110,001 / 50,000
Nov 29, 2008 - 18 53
I wish I'd have found this sooner. It sounds like fun, but I can't exactly draw 50 good pictures tomorrow!
----------Ellisands rarely do have to make final stands, but, when they do, it is for something that will be remembered.
217,155 / 50,000
Dec 7, 2008 - 05 32
Mm, this would have been awesome to find sooner. x] I joined the community anyway, with hopes that it'll be running next year.
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31,451 / 50,000
Dec 10, 2008 - 15 08
NaNoDrawMo! I made December NaNoDrawMo. Fifty pages of sketching in one month. I'm already behind. (I think I'm only up to ten pages so far.) :P Anyone else doing this for December?
----------Hummingbird Hearts: and other stories, 2008.
110,001 / 50,000
Dec 18, 2008 - 13 08
I"m doing it in January, not that I've finally cemented what drawing style I like. But it's going to be a comic, so it'll be fifty panels instead of drawings.
----------Ellisands rarely do have to make final stands, but, when they do, it is for something that will be remembered.
50,055 / 50,000
Jun 17, 2009 - 07 00
This sounds like an AWESOME idea. I've been rather torn between my writing and my art lately. I've been trying to figure out if I could make a viable career out of painting AND writing. Or if I'd have to choose what to do with my life. I'm glad to see there are other artist/writers out there, going for both. I've completed a few paintings which some people have expressed an interest in buying, so I feel like I've been pushed towards painting lately. I think setting a goal like this is a great idea, and a great way to motivate others into doing it as well, especially knowing that there's a group of people doing it. Cheers!