It has been quiet this weekend. That must mean everyone is ignoring the beautiful weather and typing their hearts out!
I thought it would be nice to share your tips and secrets for increasing word count.
Mine is simple, but I only just realized it yesterday. Avoid contractions! I do in my normal writing, but used them at every opportunity in my Nano novel because it allowed me to type faster. I started feel bad about being behind in my word count, so I did a quick grammar check and removed the contractions. Instant 100 words more.
-Jen
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36,656 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 06 48
Hey Jen! I think you're right - postings are limited because everyone is trying to use every word towards their novel.
I love your word count tip! I'm kicking myself for making my MC a hillbilly, using phrases like "Twarnt nothin'" when an Oxfordite would say "It was not any thing to speak of. Please, say no more."
Sigh.
My word count trick is more of a topic fallback. Three of my characters have pets. If I can't think what the character does next, the pet does something. I have a good three hundred words just from the dog having to be let outside to take a whiz, and let back in afterwards.
Write on!
Shannon
9,144 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 07 44
My last NaNo, I got rid of contractions and since it was... rather smutty in places, I used long euphemisms to describe... specific parts a'la superbad romance novel.
You know, I'm not so much worried about getting the word count (I WANT TO THO) but to at least get more meat onto this story I'm working on.
36,656 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 07 59
Film Girl, you blaspheme! Meat is completely superfluous in November. You can add meat the rest of the year, but in November it's OK to be vegan. :-)
Shannon
38,649 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 12 43
Eliminating contractions is awesome - make every word count!
Last year, I had my characters make lists, lots of them. I wasn't kidding when I said I sent them off the grocery store. :-)
This year, because I'm writing something with multiple viewpoints, there's lots of "interviewing". I'm interviewing my characters so I can get to know them better. Hey, character sketches, scene sketches and conversations count!!
I have a friend who lives outside of Akron doing NaNo and last year, during a desperate week, he had his character recite parts of Don Quixote to another character. That's one way to stretch word count!
Hope everyone has had a great and productive week!
----------A. Purcell
www.amypurcell.com/blog
8,419 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 13 41
One of my characters sang along to "Pokerface" in the car yesterday. Undoubtedly one of the lamest excuses for 150 words ever, but it works!
----------ohmisskaroline.wordpress.com
36,656 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 13 58
I love it!
I had to memorize that poem Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in high school. I wonder . . . could I finally make that knowledge pay off by having one of my character's recite it? That's 350 words. Looks like a house-party talent contest is in the making for my MC.
Write on!
Shannon
57,438 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 07 52
Another way to increase word count is to remember that when you use an em dash (automatically replaced by most word processors when you type two hyphens), the word BEFORE and the word AFTER the em dash will all be counted as ONE WORD. To increase your count, use your find and replace function to search for all Em Dashes (in windows this will be found under "special characters" at the bottom of the search and replace box) and replace them with "Em Dash plus a space."
Your word count will increase dramatically!
Christin
----------CK or as they say in Spain, "Yes, What?"
http://www.christinkeck.webs.com
57,438 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 07 54
I love your word count tip! I'm kicking myself for making my MC a hillbilly, using phrases like "Twarnt nothin'" when an Oxfordite would say "It was not any thing to speak of. Please, say no more."
Sigh.
My word count trick is more of a topic fallback. Three of my characters have pets. If I can't think what the character does next, the pet does something. I have a good three hundred words just from the dog having to be let outside to take a whiz, and let back in afterwards.
Write on!
Shannon
I laughed OUT LOUD at this post.
I have also found that my characters foreign accents are a rich form of dialogue because everything they say has to be repeated and explained. Works great!
Keep typing!!
----------christin
CK or as they say in Spain, "Yes, What?"
http://www.christinkeck.webs.com
CK or as they say in Spain, "Yes, What?"
http://www.christinkeck.webs.com
36,656 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 11 36
Brilliant, Christin! You've inspired me to create a character who mumbles. ;-)
Shannon