Hello folks;
We always end up with a wide variety of experience levels for NaNoWriMo, and it can sometimes be a little intimidating to the neophyte. So this is a place where people who are looking for coaching can ask for it, and those who have worldly experience to connect to them and provide support through November.
Happy bonding. :)
=Bets=
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Participant / Winner: 03, 04, 05, 06, 07... 08
Winnipeg, MB Municipal Liaison: 04, 05, 06*, 07* ...08*
* with help
Forum Co-Mod: Nano Technology
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Reach the Winnipeg co-MLs at
http://www.nanowrimo.org/mlcontact
50,156 / 50,000
oct. 11, 2008 - 21 53
I'm up for providing a bit of mentoring. My primary NaNo strength lies in continuing to write during periods of despair, exhaustion and 'What have I gotten myself into?'
50,018 / 50,000
oct. 12, 2008 - 10 40
I too would love to be mentored. First Nano!
50,342 / 50,000
oct. 18, 2008 - 09 52
I can provide words that would sound like wisdom, were it not for the warning in your hearts.
----------http://hypnerdic.wordpress.com/
50,205 / 50,000
oct. 22, 2008 - 08 34
I guess my strength is that I'm pretty good at helping people through those "I don't know where this story is going" moments. And I have a thing for Timmie's coffee shops so if you need help and like Timmie's, I like meeting new writers.
15,193 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2008 - 16 16
As this is my first NaNoWriMo, and I am slowly realizing that at 16 I am at the younger end of the spectrum for writers, I am very much open to being mentored. Subjects of interest would be writing around an already too-busy schedule and learning how to finish what I've started when I've no idea where this story is going.
----------50,156 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2008 - 19 22
Daryth.lei -- The best advice I can give regarding a busy schedule is:
- Use small blocks of time to outline the next scene
- Use larger blocks of time to actually write
In order to keep going, for me it's a matter of starting a new scene and then wandering along at a not-too-hasty pace. Describe how someone picks up a book, or what the book looks or feels like, rather than just "He picked up a book". Once I get a scene started, it's usually good for a minimum of 500 words.
Dialogue is fun, and I use lots of it, but several pages of straight back-and-forth talking doesn't produce very many words.It's important to interleave the actual conversations with supporting details: Sounds, smells, the lighting in the room, characters shuffling their feet, scratching their chins and clearing their throats.
For the bigger picture, the dreaded plot, one approach is simply to let the characters get mad at one another. The more they argue and clash, the more likely you'll find something that's a Really Big Deal, something trivial you can blow completely out of proportion or something serious that brings out the best and/or worst in them.
15,193 / 50,000
nov. 10, 2008 - 19 28
Thanks so much. I'll be sure to refer back to this often. :D
----------50,037 / 50,000
nov. 10, 2008 - 23 54
Hey, I'm 19, and this is my first time participating in NaNoWriMo. I have a great support system in life, full of wonderful friends and concerned family, all of who have taken somewhat antagonistic stances to my NaNoWrimo participation. They do it out of concern, that I'll burn myself out, that i'm too busy, that I'll just be disappointed... But this is important to me, and I'm doing it, I could use someone to encourage me along the way as I think that's what I'll be lacking most. Advice is also never a bad thing.
55,423 / 50,000
nov. 11, 2008 - 09 21
Ok two suggestions
First warn your friends that if you don't make it you might just be disappointed in them because of all the negative talk they have given you about NANOWrimo. Also that if you don't make it you will have at least tried and that is a massive accomplishment in itself and very likely something that they have not tried.
The other suggest is to try and get out to a Thursday Write In or one of the Over night Write outs I've been organizing with Tamile. That way you will get to meet some like minded people who are very supportive
Randilin
----------Blog - http://betweentheticks.blogspot.com/
53,478 / 50,000
nov. 11, 2008 - 09 44
Most of the responses from my friends and family were pretty much the same when I first launched myself into Nano. Then after I was through the month, I ended up blathering to some of them on how much fun it had been, and how good a thing it was to begin training myself into this creative process. It's become very useful to apply the same methodology that's encouraged during Nano to producing stuff as a graphic design student. Maybe that's just my personal case study there, but I'm sure there'd be many other applications, too, even when it comes to general essay-writing.
Aside from that, as for facing the concerned peoples along the way, I've found showing them enthusiasm about what I'm doing has helped in some cases. I've also explained to a number of people that contrary to providing me more stress, writing tends to be a great way for me to blow off some steam. Taking the things that appeal to you the very most about Nano and using them to your advantage in conversation and so forth might just sway a few minds, anyway.
And then I didn't stop—I did it the next year, and the next, and now it's this year and I'm still doing it because I love to, and those who don't support me are pretty much just resigned to the fact that I'm not stopping. Whee!
----------Le Novel