Okay... so, what's your plan

Good question! I'm taking my cast from 2007 and transplanting them into a different time and place - namely a world of steampunk and magic. I'm also writing them third person instead of first. I discovered to my dismay that, unless you limit yourself to one or two characters with strong voices, first person on a novel-length level doesn't work so well.

So, I've got some world building to do, and some more background on steampunk to look into as well. I might even do a loose outline so I get everything in that I need. Looking forward to the challenge!

I've found I do better with a loose outline. Basically, what I have is my main character, the concept, and a general direction I want the novel to go. It worked for me last year and last year was the first time I ever "won", so I figure it's a plan that works fo rme. ;)

I have some characters, most importantly a main character. She left home after high school; using college as a way to escape from her small town and problems. She gets pulled back home after seven years when she has to watch her sister's kids for a couple months. She realizes she has to face her problems.
I've kind of got a working outline. I'm hoping to pull it together in the next couple days, and really figure out where I want to go. Then again, this is nanowrimo, it could go anywhere.

Caitie Jo

Last year I had a tightly outlined story, but this year I'm keeping things more open. I'm making lists of character names, motivations, notes on setting, etc. Last year everything was told from one point-of-view but I'm aiming for three this year. Also, last year was young adult fantasy while this year will be post-apocalyptic fiction.

I'm not sure yet. I have three character sketches...I want to flesh those out more. If I get those done, I may sketch out a rough outline...I may just outline the first few scenes...I don't know. I have the idea for the central conflict, but I'm not sure how I'm going to resolve it. My initial plans are to keep it that way and just write to it...but I don't know, if I work enough on the prelim. stuff this month it's possible I'll outline up through the climax. So, yeah, there's a lot of stuff I don't know.

Can't you tell I've done this before? :)

Come on now. Surely you know by now that the problem will resolve itself. - With or without you. I've found the more I think I know how it will end, the further it is from it.
Good luck to all.

Caitie Jo

I'm just going to wing it. I have a few ideas that I can base it off of, but I can't stand outlines. To structured. The will probably be fantasy of some sort. I'm not sure yet.

The last two times I did and won nano, I simply started writing a story from an idea I grabbe onto the first day of Nano. One of those has turned into a 350+ page High Fantasy novel (first in what will now be a trilogy... I am completely insane). We'll see what my muse sledgehammers me with. If I can finish the last 3-4 chapters of the afore mentioned novel before november, then I'll probably attack the 2nd novel in the series. (I hit a snag 32 chapters into the novel, and have only now started working past it)

ABG

I'm definitely doing it from an outline. Even though I succeeded last year I ended up scrapping what I had and restarting (I'm not working on that one this year). The year before, my most successful year, I had an outline that helped me out so much. I deviated from the outline some but at the same time it kept me reigned in.

I'm working on my outline right now. I love this story. My main character, Karina Ramirez, is an Olympic long distance runner who has to deal with a lot of problems not the least of which is her parents' possible deportation and her being ladled with the responsibility of caring for her four younger siblings.

Hmmm I don't have much of a plan yet. I might get together some characters, outline the mains, but other than that I might wing it, with a bit of a goal. I'm a role player, as I've mentioned, so I'm used to making characters, getting a bit of a plot, and going with it, though it'll be refreshing to not have to wait for someone else to reply to me. All I know is that I am supremely excited, and can't wait to begin, so I'll probably have my charries developed and all by the time we start ^.^ Who knows lol.

This reminds me...I need to get together a page or two of names. Coming up with decent names on the fly has always been a challenge for me, and is probably the #1 source of procrastination on my part.

Get out the white pages and start mixing and matching. :)

Or you can always go to some baby name sites and mix and match - here is one for you - I like them because they give a meaning of the name and have last names and first names - E :)

http://www.behindthename.com/

(I can't find the other one for some odd reason - but I had one that was divided up rather nicely - boy names a-j and continued into the divisions and then surnames as well - if I find it, i'll post.

Just a PS to everyone - since I'm kind of the cheerleader for the group - all you new folks need to add me to your buddies list - I'll do the encouraging, et cetera - I'll keep tabs on other areas of the state as well as random places throughout the United States just to see where we rank in word counts - so add me if you want - see you all in the postings - E ;)

Thanks Tony and Elizabeth. I've done both of those methods before. (and Behind the Name is a great site) I guess I just wish I was better at creating them on the fly. *shrugs*

I warn that if you have desire to speak to me, my NaNo mail or IM or something is best. I really dislike the way the forums are setup (it's hard to keep track of anything), so I end up not checking, or missing new messages, etc.

I came up with my setting on Saturday night/morning, driving home from work. On the quiet, empty roads (I get off of work at 4:30 AM), an idea came to mind. I wrote it down as soon as I got home and I've since fleshed it out a bit. I have a setting and a plot and I feel somewhat prepared... though I know what folly that can be once November 1st hits.

Amator,

Another idea occurred to me. This is basically a really simple character exercise I've used, but it should work really well for a list of names too.

The idea is to do this timed, like a write-in. Set your clock for 10 minutes, and then just start listing everybody you can from your own life experience. Everybody, don't stop and think about it...keep the hand moving. Try to reach back as far as you can. Now when I'm doing this for characters, I'll often not remember names, so I'll write stuff like, "girl with turret's(sp) syndrome from Sociology 101". Obviously, you want to focus on names you remember for your list. If you do this for about 10 minutes a night for a few nights, you should have a pretty long list of names...and if you want you can do some mixing and matching, but the beauty of this list is that these are actual names, so plausibility is ok...though I must confess to focusing on the more colorful names myself. If you really reach back into your past, these names should also be fairly far removed from your current circle of acquaintences as well, so that you're not using names too obvious or even worse restricting of your character.

When I've done this exercise in the past, I've often used a framework for a character I've listed, and applied another name from the list to that character.

Maybe this would be usable?

Tony

Tony, I like that kind of exercise.

I'm still toying with a few different ideas but who knows what will happen when the calendar changes! Both seem to be about two people who either shouldn't be together or are together for the first time, in a setting that neither call home.

It's all about Romance for me... I am about halfway through my first manuscript, it's an alternate world, but still Romance, the goal is to finish the writing for NaNo and then wrap up editing by the end of the year...