None of my friends support my nanoing... ;__;

(Bumping my post because it was added when nano was down yesterday, thus no one got to see it

And I really need some motivation from people on the site >___>)

I get what you mean! Most of my friends don't even know I'm doing Nano because most of the time when I tell someone they just don't understand why I bother because I don't 'win' anything. I'm pretty lucky in that my family's fairly supporative but my parents basically just think writing is something I do, like watching TV or whatever - they don't really get how important it is to me.

But I guess the important thing is that writing is important to me and thats what keeps me motivated. I mean, right now I'm at 16k and I have only a very basic plot that is getting made up as I go along because I suck at planning things. >.< But even though its crappy and my MC is running around like an idiot I'm still enjoying myself because I just love it. I love my characters, I love creating a world and living in it while I'm writing my story. And if people don't understand that, oh well. Sucks to be them because they'll never know how amazing it'll feel to reach the end of nano and go 'wow, I did it.'

I can't wait for that feeling. XD

I understand how you feel... and that's one of the wonderful things about this site. Here there are people you can talk to about writing, and their eyes don't glaze over! I have some really good friends, but none of them 'get' my need to write. I have been unable until now, to find any like minded writers, okay, Any writers at all! Now I have you all, and some very good writing 'buddies'.... (and if their eyes glaze over, at least I can't see it!)

So you are not alone... and keep writing. I'm behind in my word count, but I am not despairing, cause I know this is more words than I wrote last month.... and I feel a major writing spurt coming on... any time now. Just keep writing, just keep writing, just keep writing......

One of my friends doesn't care; one only remembers I'm doing it when I update him on my wordcount; and one gets super excited whenever I bring it up and is really happy for me.

Ahh, my trinity of bffs. I love them.

I hate to say it, but the one who said it's going to suck sounds like a major bitch. Sure she's your friend?

At any rate...I care! Good job! :D

Having been called in here very many times over the past few months to answer for this or that misdemeanor, Oliver was well acquainted with the room's nuances and eccentricities – most of them fungal.

I feel sorry for all you NaNo types not receiving the support you deserve. If you can't drum up cries of congratulations when you pass a word count mark you should definitely come and announce it here. Support is the only thing keeping me going as I'm not sure whether or not I'm still in love with the novel idea or where it's going. My friends are being tough on me and telling me I can't come out unless I've passed X amount of words and stuff and people are finding it really exciting so I can't imagine how much tougher it is for those who aren't getting any help. I must say I really respect anyone who can pass the 12k mark without support from others - it's the mark of a true writer.

'Life can't be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and listen to them for ten years'
~William F. Buckley, Jr.

Well done for reaching 12K

Writing is inherently a selfish trade we spend hours bent over keyboards muttering about prose and character arcs. You start to have a more intensive relationship with you characters than you do with your loved ones. Its harder for people outside to understand that and the best you can hope for is a 'Have you finished yet?'

Congratulate yourself, then take a breath and get the next 12K words out of your head.

All about changing your reality

I'm not quite in the same situation, but close I guess. My wife is supportive, and always says good job when she sees my word count updated on twitter/facebook, but aside from that, there isn't much love. I have two friends who are doing nano again this year, but both are falling way behind and honestly probably won't finish. It's kind of sad when I check my buddies page and the next closest person to me has 6k and hasn't written in four days.

I update my word count on twitter everyday and none of my friends there ever say one word about it.

I feel like I'm whining now, though. "Pay attention to me!"

"You're pretty good with words, but words won't save your life."

NaNo '09: Sleep State
NaNo '08: Parallel Misfortune (won)
NaNo '07: Finding Allison Wu (won)
NaNo '06: Taijitu (won)

Congrats on getting so far! Especially (according to your author data), on your very first NaNoWriMo. You're doing great!

Personally, I feel bad for the people who don't get NaNo.

I'm not the droid I'm looking for.

NaNo 2007: Heart of a Hero. (Finished!)
NaNo 2008: No Place In The Story (Finished!)
NaNo 2009: Cold Hands (Tentative)

http://groups.google.com/group/ne-arkansas-nano

I'm highly inclined to agree with this. Ultimately, shouldn't you be writing this for YOURSELF? To set a goal and achieve it? To see what you can really do if you set your mind to it?

Maybe it's because I'm not in school anymore (well, other than as a teacher), but I don't feel this need to have everyone around me stand up and cheer. The ones who know either think I'm nuts (a co-worker or two) but in a nice way or they're encouraging me (well, one it's more the playwriting she's encouraging...little does she know I've already cast her as the lead in my play. HAHA!) when they see me or just by saying "You're really good at that kind of thing". But ultimately I'm not writing my play or my novel for THEM. I'm writing it for ME. Because I need to write, because I have something to say.

At the end of it all, I'll have a semi-autobiographical novel that I can use as a framework for a novel based around a similar thing but set in a different artistic "world" and with different names and some details that I think will be publishable. But even if it's not, I've told the story I need to tell. (Ditto for the play.) THAT is what matters in the long run.

BE PROUD OF YOURSELF AND HAPPY ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND DON'T LOOK SO HARD FOR EXTERNAL VALIDATION.

Just mho. :)

I remember my mum not being keen on the idea when I did my first NaNo (back in '06). She couldn't understand why I was 'wasting' my time with it. My dad was more supportive about it, and encouraged me to keep going, but since he doesn't live with me I didn't really have him there to cheer me on when I was actually writing. My friends were fairly apathetic, they didn't discourage me from doing it, but at the same time they didn't understand why I wanted to try it, either.

In the end I got through on my own motivation, and I was proud of myself for doing so. c: By next year, my mum was more open to the idea, and the past two years both my parents have been quite supportive, regularly asking me how my novel's coming (or not, as the case may be) along and congratulating me on hitting my word count. I've also managed to rope a friend (who I didn't know when I first start NaNoing) into doing NaNo with me, so we chat to each other about it and try to encourage each other to keep on writing.

So, yes. I understand how you feel about it seeming like no one's supporting you, and the only advice I can really give is to keep on going! It's definitely worth it. Chat to people on the forums if you start doubting yourself and wondering what possessed you to try and write 50,000 words in a month.

NaNo '06 - Crossed Wires - 70,143
NaNo '07 - Numen - 50,994
NaNo '08 - To Die Dreamless - 50,334
NaNo '09 - Welcome to Salvation - ???

I have a few friends that are doing NaNo with me, but ironically THEY'RE the non-supportive ones--none of them are actually writing and they seem to think I'm working too hard at it.

I think jealousy is an ugly thing. Most people spend their lives in front of the TV and can't imagine why we would do such crazy things. I think a part of them wishes they could be so committed to something other than their DVR. Keep up the good work and know you have tons of support here at NaNoWriMo!

The Trace-Meister Cometh

I second the jealousy suggestion above. Maybe they wish they could write a whole novel and the fact that you're actually doing it makes them uncomfortable.

As for motivation, you can use mine. I started late and don't know if I'll make it to 50,000, but... the funny thing is, I don't care. I'm working on a story I never imagined writing before, and the very fact that it EXISTS is kind of awesome to me. Keep writing to see what happens next, not for other people.

I didn't start until November 6th! Can I do it? Stay tuned....

I have one friend who did NaNo last year when I started rabbiting on about it in October. She's attempting this year, too, despite a hectic life. Another is very supportive and wants to read my novels when they're done.

I don't tell my family, because I'm sure they'd remind me there are more productive ways I could be spending my time. I feel bad for saying that, it makes them sound awful. They're not, but they don't see writing as a big deal. Fair enough, everyone's different.

I don't tell most of my friends now, either. I can't face the sarcastic replies.
"Well, it must be nice to have so much time but some of us have real jobs and real lives."
Just makes me angry.
I have a job, thanks. Not my fault that it's only part time - I'd love to have a 40 hour working week and a partner to go home to, but I just don't have that. Even if I did, I'd still be attempting NaNo.

I don't feel like I need huge amount of external support. A couple of friends who occasionally say 'yay, another 1000 words' and some online friends to share NaNo frustrations and triumphs with is enough for me.
But yeah, maybe it would be nice if as well as the sense of accomplishment I'll feel when I hit 50k, I could also hear someone say they were proud of what I'd done.

2009: [untitled]
2008: [untitled]

I completely agree with this. My husband has always been an A** about my literary interests. He groans when I'm reading instead of watching tv with him and when I'm writing instead of sleeping... I think that he sees it as a sign of inferiority that he can't understand the same level of books that I read and especially the level that I write. i understand that when it comes to this... I'm not going to get any support from him because he's intimidated by it. i try to make him understand that we all have our niche... he's good at math and i'm not.

Some people aren't interested in literature or the wrtten word. They aren't going to care even if you write a bestseller. It's like trying to get an gnat interested in a colored pencil... not going to happen. This is why Nano is great for people like us. It's a like-minded community where people who have enough of an interest in this art to pursue it, come together to support one another in an exceptionally difficult goal. It takes a special type of person to write a novel. And an even more special one to attempt to do it in one month. Novelist Kate Braverman said it best, " A novel is like a marriage... " It offers more certainty, a stronger sense- for better or for worse. You are just in the 'worse' stage of your writing. Your marriage with your novel won't go away and it will stand by you while you bring it to life. Take satisfaction in that fact and stop worrying about whether your friends are supporting you, because you're married now. ;-)

I completely agree with this. My husband has always been an A** about my literary interests. He groans when I'm reading instead of watching tv with him and when I'm writing instead of sleeping... I think that he sees it as a sign of inferiority that he can't understand the same level of books that I read and especially the level that I write. i understand that when it comes to this... I'm not going to get any support from him because he's intimidated by it. i try to make him understand that we all have our niche... he's good at math and i'm not.

Some people aren't interested in literature or the wrtten word. They aren't going to care even if you write a bestseller. It's like trying to get an gnat interested in a colored pencil... not going to happen. This is why Nano is great for people like us. It's a like-minded community where people who have enough of an interest in this art to pursue it, come together to support one another in an exceptionally difficult goal. It takes a special type of person to write a novel. And an even more special one to attempt to do it in one month. Novelist Kate Braverman said it best, " A novel is like a marriage... " It offers more certainty, a stronger sense- for better or for worse. You are just in the 'worse' stage of your writing. Your marriage with your novel won't go away and it will stand by you while you bring it to life. Take satisfaction in that fact and stop worrying about whether your friends are supporting you, because you're married now. ;-)

You might want to reevaluate your friendships with these people. If they can't support you doing something that is really important to you, what makes you think they'll support you in other areas of your life?

If you must still be friends with these people, don't talk about NaNo with them anymore because it's only going to make you feel bad. Share with your Mom, and stick to the forums where complete strangers (funny how people you know won't encourage you, but strangers will) are happy to keep you motivated with positive encouragement and support.

Keep it up, you're doing great!

I'm having the same problem. That's why I go to the local Write In meetings. Have you gone to any of your local meetings yet? Meeting other WriMoers is a big help, because you get to talk with folks who actually know what you are doing and why you are doing it, because they are doing it too. Your region says, Miami, FL, so I just searched and the list of your local Write-In meetings is here: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/281 and your region has 2 MLs (Write In Leaders) http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/109896 and http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/505152 I would NaNoMail them to find out the times-dates-places of the meetings being held in your area, and than go to them and chat with your local NaNoers.

I know where you are coming from with the negativity. I get it from my mom. She says the whole thing is a stupid waste of time and that my writing will never amount to anything. She says I should focus my energy on getting a *real job* rather than wasting my time on a writing career. Some months I'm lucky if I bring in $200 and she really enjoys rubbing that fact in my face. I try to tell her, that the more I write the better my writing gets, but she just blows it off.

My boyfriend calls me every day to ask: "So what's your word count". I tell him my new count, and goes: "That's great, I'm really happy for you." and than changes the subject. I try to tell him about my book and he's like "Yeah, whatever, good for you." He's not being mean, but you can tell he doesn't understand how important my writing career is not me, and he's pretty bored with it. At least he's trying to be supportive, even if his heart isn't really in it. But, that's the best I get from any one.

Last year's NaNo was the worst though. Last yea I was a NaNoRebel and wrote my autobiography. Than in December I posted all 238k words of in as a blog post. I spent most of 2009 editing it, and it was published in October 2009. All that was great, except for one thing: I'm being excommunicated because of it!!!!!!! I had posted the first draft of it online on my blog last December, and my bishop got a hold of it (because my mom copied the blog post and emailed it too him) and did a total flip out . The church leaders have been on my back about it all summer about it. :( :( :(

Here's a copy of my blog post from October 19th:

I'm prone to panic attacks, and I've been having them on a nearly weekly basis through out 2009, as a result of the stead stream of church leaders at my house, in my mail box, in my email, writing on my FaceBook wall - the constant threats, at one point some one taped a picture of a gun on my front door, 3 times I was attacked by a drive by paint balling, several times I've had rocks thrown threw the window. My book: http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/for-fear-of-little-men/595497... put them into a complete uproar, all of the 375+ members of my church building (It's the LDS/Mormon church which is divided into regions) went into complete hysterics.

I don't know who did it, but someone copied my original blog post and emailed copies of it to every member of my church and to members of some of the other regional church groups as well - the whole thing was one big mess with people sending me threats almost daily - all of the threats basically saying the same thing - "You better not publish that book or else . . . ." The or else varied depending on who was writing the threat, some said they would kill me, others said they would take me to court (and I've got about 6 or 7 people who have gone to court over this, so every few days I get a new summons from both the local and the state court houses) . The local church leaders contacted the high up church leaders in Salt Lake City, Utah, so I'm getting stuff from them too - threats to have me excommunicated if I go through with the publication of this book.

Well, anyways, this whole this has put me into a near agoraphobic state. I don't dare go outside any more - I mean, when you open the front door to get your newspaper and you get hit by paint balls, it's pretty bad. Paint balls hurt! I'm scared of these people, and I don't know how I'm supposed to deal with this. And to make things worse - I STILL don't know why me publishing my NaNoWriMo 2008 book, has got them acting like this?????? These people are so vindictive and I don't even know why? I can't figure out what it says in my book that got them going so crazed like this.

Here is the more recent repost of it. This is what I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2008 http://eknano.blogspot.com/2009/07/repost-for-fear-of-little-men-first.h... it's 238k words long, but if you want to give it a go, you can go ahead and read it and see if you can figure out why they have gone bonkers over trying to stop me from publishing it.

Well, the panic attacks have been getting worse with each new thing they do or say and on October 20th I had a stroke, which has had a disastrous effect on my life. I'm only 34 years and I had a stroke. One friend asked me - "Well, shouldn't you blame NaNoWriMo? You had a stroke because you did NaNoWriMo last year, so why are you doing it again this year?"

My answer to that is - "No, I didn't have a stroke because of NaNoWriMo, I had a stroke because of people's reaction to what I wrote. I would have written it any ways, NaNoWriMo or no NaNoWriMo. These people are nothing but cry-baby vindictive A-holes. It's not NaNoWriMo's fault that these people did what they did. Yes, I'm doing NaNoWriMo again. I've been doing it for years and years and years and I'll keep right on doing it for years - as long as they have the contest, and if they ever stop having the contest, well, heck, I'll keep right on doing it any ways! You can be negative about my writing all you want - I am not going to let some mean, jealous, vindictive, winy people stop me from writing. I love writing. Writing is my life. If they don't like it, well it's their problem, not mine!"

Incubus: Fear the Night

http://twitter.com/EelKat
http://www.facebook.com/EelKat
http://eknano.blogspot

Thank you so much everyone! *virtual hug* I feel better now, knowing that alot of people don't understand nanowrimo, not only my friends.
The main reason i was shocked is that through out my life, I have always had a network of support. Im an artist as well, so, for instance, when I show people drawings that took me a few hours to do they are more encouraging than when I tell them about my word count, which took me a long time to achieve. Im used to alot of support through out my whole life, so this is the first major thing i've done with little support and even, negativity.
But I will persevere, because I love to write, even if I do encounter some plot holes along the way. ^__^ Thanks everyone on the positivity, im going to a write in today as well so that will help me too.

My sister knows I'm doing it, but I don't really talk about it to her. My parents don't even know, because they'd think I'd put it before my schoolwork. My friends are fairly supportive. One of them said she admired the fact I could do that: just sit down and write and try not to get distracted. Another one helps me with a line so I can start when I can't come up with anything.
I found out about NaNoWriMo on a Dutch forum for fantasy fans and there are about 20 members there participating. There's a separate topic and there's lots of motivation there too. But most people who don't do it just don't get why you would do something as batshit crazy as this when you can't even win something material. They don't get why you bother to do it when the organisers don't even judge stories on their contents. And try explaining how impossible that'd be.

Bah to that!
You want someone to slap you on the back and tell you that you're Great! You're Wonderful! You're the next BIG LITERARY STAR!
They should option your novel! You'll win an Oscar! And they'll adapt it for a Broadway show! Tony here I come!

okay.
maybe that's me...
BUT!

I totally get the: Where is the love?! Where is MY support?! Where are my "great job!" kudos?

While the ppl I live with don't quite get why I am doing this, they are supportive. I have wrangled some other ppl on other message boards I hang out on, to join me in this crazy adventure. I always try to cheer them on; they return the favor.
Cheer on your writing buddies.
Glower at their word count bars and be determined to beat at least one of them to the finish.

*Super huggles*
Congrats on your word count! Keep it up. I know you can do it!
You whip those characters into shape, and show that plot who is boss!

You have a friend in me ^.^

Second time trying this....
Please be kind -- Do not Touch
Will Bite.

God help us... I am so sick of "moviecals" (movies turned into musicals. Shrek, anything Disney, Legally Blonde, Cry Baby, Spiderman, etc. - I'm looking at you.) . :P

I don't even want to THINK about a booviecal!! (book > movie > musical)

Ah, if you're obsessed you can't expect everyone else to enjoy your obsession. See also (later in life), your boyfriend, your job, your house, your kids (I don't care about your boring rugrats, friends!) About all I can expect from my friends is a polite, "How's it going?" "Good, I hit 20k yesterday," "Oh, good for you." and then next topic. But you know, they're not into this, so you can't expect them to gush about it. Come onto the boards and hang out with us, where we will all gush about it. :)

NOBODY I know supports my NaNoing ... except one. My parents don't even want me doing it.

People who don't do NaNoWriMo just don't understand it. They don't understand the rush of the plot twists that completely blindside you, but give you another 10k words. They don't understand the minor character you liked so much that you made him a major character. They don't understand the loss you feel when you have to kill off a character for the betterment of the story. And they definitely don't understand the exhiliration of passing that 50k finish line with a piece of lengthy fiction to show for it. I don't think they get it because they can't physically see the wordcount like they can see your drawings. They know you're a good artist because you've shown people your work. It would be different if you said "I took three hours to draw a picture" but didn't show it to anyone.

You should be doing this FOR YOU, and if you need support look to your other WriMos for now. I think most of us have been in your shoes at one point or another and can completely understand what you're going through. Congratulations for getting as far as you are now, and here's hoping you pass that 50k word count! ^_^

What are these strange, coherent thoughts flitting around in my head? Is that a plot I sense?! Nah, can't be...