I know that there are other forums out there for this, but I want to get to know my homies a little better. I want you to tell me about your process. What do you use to write - laptop? Desktop? Pen and ink? A stick and an acre of dirt?
What kind of thing are you writing? I'm normally a literary kind of chick, but I'm taking a detour and doing some satire this year. I like sitting down with some good music and letting myself go, and that's been working for me. What works for you? If you've done Nano before, what got you to the finish line? We have a lot of newbies this year, and they'll be looking to those of us who have Boldly Gone Before to show them the way.
So - discuss!
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23,456 / 50,000
oct. 28, 2008 - 19 22
I
----------~*~Jenn~*~
42,827 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 17 11
I've always been a typist; my first two NaNos were on my desktop computer, and then I got my super awesome laptop last year. Now I can write whenever, where ever! I'd better win this time...
I always work with fantasy, or at the very least stuff that isn't normal in "real life." Sometimes it's mostly reality with the occasional strange occurrence, sometimes it's aliens and spaceships, and sometimes it's magic and monsters and the whole kit and kaboodle. This year it's general fantasy, with maybe a small bit of horror.
A lot of my writing has comedy in it as well. I think it keeps the story from being too pretentious if the characters act like real people, goofy crap included. :)
I always need music for everything I do, and my writing is heavily influenced by whatever I'm listening to at the time, so I make up little "playlists" for every genre, and different ones depending on the story itself as it progresses (and as I add new music to my collection).
----------The NaNo blog: http://mystikmadness.blogspot.com/
51,983 / 50,000
oct. 8, 2008 - 22 42
I usually start with fountain pen on paper, then transcribe to the computer, using InDesign. (What can I say? I'm an old FrameMaker fan.)
For NaNo, doesn't seem like I'll have enough time to follow that process. I anticipate composing direction on my portable.
I like to write romance (and that's what I'll write for this NaNo), but also am always getting ideas that would probably fit creative non-fiction.
Sorry to be a bit short. Big day tomorrow and I'm already a couple of hours short on sleep.
0 / 50,000
oct. 9, 2008 - 00 24
I have a tendency to do write things only once, so I prefer to do it on a computer for editing purposes and all that. I've been using my laptop the last few years, mostly because of its portability.
2,029 / 50,000
oct. 9, 2008 - 13 45
I'm a definite typist. I've never been good at writing longhand for extended periods of time, mostly because I always feel like I have to work extra hard to make my handwriting perfect and readable. I'm the same way with fonts actually, I spend at least five minutes choosing which font I want to write in when I open a word document. Rofl.
I'll be writing solely from my laptop this year, as it is currently the only computer I have access to. Here's to hoping the poor thing makes it through the month. It's hinges and mouse are all busted up, but the keyboard continues to work perfectly. Fingers are definitely crossed. That said, I'll probably have a notebook with me for my outlines, notes, and various other bits and bats I don't want cluttering up my desktop. I'm a bit of a neat freak.
----------5,412 / 50,000
oct. 10, 2008 - 17 49
I used to write longhand mostly, but since I got to be passable at typing a few years ago, it's been direct to the computer. I have to say that NaNo and school papers both had a hand in this. I would like to try the stick-and-dirt method, though. ;-)
Lessee. I tend to write a lot of fantasy, that being my #1 reading genre. I also do sci-fi. This year it's Doctor Who fanfiction (unless I change my mind... again) so sci-fi. I've tried my hand at mystery, with bad results. Still kind of figuring about what works for me.
I don't usually have music, because most of the time I either listen to the music, or write and completely tune out the music, so there's not much point. Sometimes I can listen to it, but it doesn't seem to help much.
I have to go in short bursts - 10-30 minutes, with the sweet spot around 15, with short breaks in between, or I may go long periods without writing anything relevant.
Rewards are great - both small rewards for meeting a day's quota and bigger ones for major milestones or for finishing.
Don't eat powdery, sticky, or melty things while NaNo-ing. It doesn't help.
I also need new challenges every year. First year it was NaNo itself. Second year, nothing, and I lost interest early on. Third year was my first year ML-ing, and that was a great motivator. Last year, I almost gave up, but then my computer died on me. Luckily I had been backing up, so I only lost about 300 words or something like that, and I said "I won't let this stop me!" and used school computers.
----------Participant 04-07, Winner 04, 06, 07
NaNo 08:
Bananas to the Party: It's All Gone Pants - Doctor Who/Star Trek Voyager fic featuring Seven of Nine, with cameos by Captain Jack and K9 and lots of crazy nonsense
50,052 / 50,000
oct. 11, 2008 - 16 18
I'm a straight to the computer girl. I can't compose in long hand anymore. I don't know why, but I tried last year and I just couldn't do it.
I work on my laptop, late at night in bed, when it's quiet. I don't know why this works either, since I'm not a late-night person, but the writing just seems to flow then for me. I totally screw up my sleep schedule every November. So interestingly that's what I would suggest for newbies. Make a time you never utilized before as your nano time. It makes that time special and nano-focused.
I've written fantasy my past nanos and I don't expect this to be different.
----------The great god Thor, he went to war, riding on a filly,
"I'm THOR!" he cried, the Horse replied, "So get a thaddle, thilly!"
0 / 50,000
oct. 13, 2008 - 10 36
Hi,
I'm a NANO virgin. So am both excited, thrilled and scared to death. I have been writing for about 2 years now. Don't have much word count to show for it. I figure this will get me going. One of my critique partners is doing Nano so I figured what the hell!
I'm writing a paranormal romance. My tagline is "The Gods are real and they're done hiding."
I write longhand because I"ve found since I sit in front of a computer for 8 to 10 hours a day. Last thing I want to do at night is sit in front of a computer.
Hope to have my new Mac before Nov 1. for transcribing to. The PC has gone really flaky.
Can't wait to see my word count go up.
Look forward to meeting you all.
51,983 / 50,000
oct. 23, 2008 - 19 28
Excellent! Another romance writer.
I prefer to write my first draft long hand, but for NaNo I worry about the time to transcribe. It'll be an experiment.
51,983 / 50,000
nov. 1, 2008 - 08 29
Process lesson learned today: duplicate the file at the Finder level, rather than opening it and using Save As.
Jeez. I can't believe the first thing I did was overwrite my first scene with my second. It's not as if I don't know this lesson. What a dummy.
Well, onward.
87,024 / 50,000
nov. 1, 2008 - 22 24
I'm so sorry - but that brings up another good point. Backup, backup, backup! You should be backing up not just your novel, but your entire computer fairly often. Think of all the stuff you have on your computer that you'd be pretty miffed about losing! It seems that a bunch of us went through a rash of computer malfunctions last year, and quite a few people lost their entire novels. Bleak!
14,091 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2008 - 02 35
I'm usually a brain to computer type of girl, but damn classes keep getting in the way of my writing, so I've spent every class writing a few pages of material, and then coming home and typing it up, adding and editing as I enter it in.
I'm doing a satire this year. Last year I failed so hard. But this year my plot yelled at me back in August, so I've been very excited to do it.
Backing up laptop now, chief! :P
87,024 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2008 - 10 05
I'm doing a satire this year. Last year I failed so hard. But this year my plot yelled at me back in August, so I've been very excited to do it.
Backing up laptop now, chief! :P
Good on ya! And I'm telling you, writing while attending classes/meetings should count DOUBLE (since you had to do it twice)!
14,091 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2008 - 17 00
I'm doing a satire this year. Last year I failed so hard. But this year my plot yelled at me back in August, so I've been very excited to do it.
Backing up laptop now, chief! :P
Good on ya! And I'm telling you, writing while attending classes/meetings should count DOUBLE (since you had to do it twice)!
Oh man, I wish it would count for double. I'd be nearly done..
25,583 / 50,000
nov. 12, 2008 - 09 44
I can't think without a computer screen in front of me. I relate to a signature line I once saw: "I haven't lost my mind. It's backed up on my hard drive."
95% of the time I write on my MacBook in Starbuck's, using Scrivener. It's my daily treat. I LOVE the way Scrivener opens right up to where I left off and saves automatically every couple of seconds. I also love the Research section of the binder where I stash my maps, a calendar showing Elakanden days and moon phases along with our dates, lists of character names. I can do a split screen and see both current text and world-building. I also have a time line under Research to make sure my heroes aren't smelling daisies that haven't sprouted yet. And, of course, the Inspector with a Notes section to paste text I've deleted but want to use further on. [Ooops! That's a NoNo in NaNo.]
If I work at night (usually brain-dead by then) it's on my iMac desktop. Totally different experience on the big screen. I back up to and from desktop and laptop at least every other day.
----------Camarec - Fantasy is the only truth.
87,024 / 50,000
nov. 12, 2008 - 10 34
That's totally NOT a Nanonono! In fact, it's keenly encouraged! If you write something that you can't use until later, don't throw it out! Put it in your writing tupperware to keep it fresh until you've found the perfect spot for it. And even if you never find the perfect spot, draw a line of frissons (yes, I know they're tildes, but whatever) above it and just let it hang at the end of your manuscript like a naughty apendage. After all, you wrote those words too, so they should count!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ <- a row of frissons