I started yesterday; cracking my knuckles and easing into the chair, fingers primed.
Nothing.
For a longer time than I would have liked it stayed that way. Either an empty page mocking me, or somethig soulless staring back.
Ew.
It took a while to figure it out but I cannot write in my own home. I tried both yesterday and today and it failed.
Yesterday I sat in a pub, lacking any kind of local cafe at 22:00 it was my only choice. The words came out then. Writing with pen and paper is slower than typing, I'm not used to it, and the footie was on, so my progress was pained.
Today, as I said, same deal. So I go out. Merry Hill to try out the new food court and see if I could write. And I did. And very satisfied with the food court I was.
I cannot write in my own home it seems. I have to be out, the more public the better. I sit in my little writers bubble half ignoring the world passing by me, half jotting it down. And it works gloriously.
It's now officially day 3. If any of you are struggling I suggest doing the same thing.
Tomorrow is Wolverhampton for me, as one of my scenes is set there and I'd like to be there as I write it. If you see a lad with his head in a paper notebook, notes all around, struggling, don't pity me, I'll get there eventually.
Hope you're all doing well!
----------
42,470 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 03 28
I used to feel exactly like that, completely unable to write at home, too many distractions etc. This month I have moved a small desk into the spare bedroom of my flat, its the most indescribably small writing space ever crammed between the window and the bed. And strangely, I can write like that. In a room with the door shut, no TV or internet, no distractions, definately no mobile phone I can write.
But yeah normally I'm out in a starbucks or something similar. Strange things are afoot in November, obviously. If getting out of the house is working for you then keep at it. Who cares how we hit the 50k yeah? We just want to hit that target somehow.
How do you manage writing by hand? I can type about three times faster than I can handwrite, and would be too frustrated by the slow progress of working that way.
38,061 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 04 14
I should probably head out to Wolverhampton for some more research seeing as my entire novel is set there :)
----------2005: "The Acheivers" (FAILED)
2009: "Death Lacks a Daisy Call" (We shall see...)
=========
Cups of tea drank: 607
Alcoholic drinks inhaled: 153^56
Hyperboles used in the above statements: 2
57,147 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 04 16
Stephen King used to write in a very cramped space with the eaves of the roof constraining him further. When he made a fortune, he bought himself the huge desk he always wanted, but he couldn't write there and ended up recreating his garrick space.
----------Cheers,
David.
50,290 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 04 59
Right now, I'm sitting at my desk at work trying to up my word count. I have decided that for this month only, I will be taking lunch at my desk in a bid to get to the 50,000 words. I'm not finding things too distracting except people keep coming to my desk asking me for data or to investigate something or another, despite me having a fork in one hand, a mouthful of salad and my computer screen showing the Nanowrimo page. I'm thinking of creating a 'NaNoWriMo-er at work - do not disturb' sign, lol.
At home, I sit on the sofa with my laptop, ears plugged with music relevant to my story so I don't get distracted by the telly, the cat, the boyfriend or the phone. I am Miss Anti-social this month but my boyf's being really supportive (probably because this means he gets complete control of the telly and his own laptop back, lol). Right, back to writing.....
Ginger.
----------13,974 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 05 14
How do you manage writing by hand? I can type about three times faster than I can handwrite, and would be too frustrated by the slow progress of working that way.
I can type much, much faster than writing too. I find that when I'm typing I know i can easily delete or move words. Also because I type faster my mind moves faster and I dont pick the words I mean to. Sometimes this means I sit there editing and thinking more than typing.
Writing I can think more in the space of time it takes to write a sentance. I chose my words more carefully, and I end up with better drafts.
Also I know I can fit between 200 - 350 handwritten words on a page of A4. average of 250 words, thats 8 sides a day for 2000 words a day. I have a rough target to hit without having to count words. works for me.
42,470 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 07 37
Digitalruin
When I get the chance, I will put this paper and pen method to the test, and see how I fare with it. Alas, this month I simply do not have the time to write by hand and then type it up.
I do understand the unfortunate power of the delete key, however, just because I can type fast doesn't mean I can't pause and establish what I will type first. I try to drink in the scene before I write, imaganing the atmosphere, the location, the energy of the characters. And then I just write any old tosh to make my days quota. :p
Chris
38,000 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 09 27
Just my thoughts here:
- I've written best in the library but also quieter coffee shops; I write at home too when it's quiet
- the more "pressure" there is, the harder I find it is to write; if I kid myself that I can write any old rubbish and it'll be fine, the floodgates open and I generally write more (and surprisingly most of it is not rubbish)
- the scruffier the notepad the easier it is to write (I had a very posh hardback notepad which was gorgeous but I couldn't write in it, because none of my words were good enough to mar its pages)
- sometimes I find a "good pen" that I can write with, that is better than other, "ordinary" pens, don't know why or how, I just go with the flow and write with it
- I do however prefer to write on the laptop/my handheld pc, and I edit a bit as I go (in a kind of rearranging the bricks as I lay them kind of way) but without letting the Dreaded Internal Editor out
- I do require peace and quiet around me, but not too quiet; complete silence is offputting, the telly muted in a far off room is fine (luckily for my wife)
- "psyching myself up" is good, and I do it a lot; I try to get into a routine of going to a place where I write like the library or coffee shop regularly, as a routine, and my brain gets into the habit and gets "psyched up" to write as I walk there
- the more I write, the easier it is to get into the routine of writing, and the right mental state
- I usually write chapters in the right order, but not always (last year, I wrote my "final chapter" about half way through, and then wrote the rest to make it happen - as it was such a good closing chapter!
Best wishes
----------Jon
--oOo--song writer --oOo-- harmonica player --oOo-- doodle artist --oOo--
www.myspace.com/harmonicajon2
www.facebook.com/harmonicajon2
Coventry, UK
--oOo--song writer --oOo-- harmonica player --oOo-- doodle artist --oOo--
31,582 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 10 25
So far I've done almost all of mine at work! I work at a 6th form college and I get odd free periods so I've been doing it then. I had two lessons cancelled today, so my wordcount has rocketed from 752 to 3796 :-) Generally speaking i can write anywhere, but I do find the write-ins I get more done than anywhere else.
----------Alison/snuffy
13,974 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 10 40
I managed 882 words today in Costas, half of what I need today and on target. I know I will be trying to sleep tonight when a scene will light up in my head, so I will finish my 800-1000 words tonight.
As normal it shall also wait until I've turned out the lights and closed my eyes before it intrudes, but I don't mind either way.
51,526 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 10 44
I'm sat in my spare room at home. I actually made a "NaNoWriMo In Progress - Do NOT Disturb My Creativity!" sign and stuck it on the door so that I don't have to put up with my father coming in to see what I'm doing. I appreciate that he wants to know how my novel is going, but I get very self-conscious and can't write when other people are around. Thankfully he's at work for most of the day so I have the house to myself and can get on with my novelling in peace and quiet.
124,323 / 50,000
nov. 3, 2009 - 14 17
for me i write at home, but it isnt the best place to write since i am always being desturbed by family wanting me to go shop or make tea every five minutes (and for the tea that is true, dad wants his cup refiled seconds after he finishes it) I live in walsall and there are not that many places where i can sit with my laptop and just write for a few hours. Plus i dont like going anywhere alone these days.
sue
----------Love is Love, who are we to judge if it is right or wrong.
The Burning Quills
2007 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Starts
2008 - WIN - Death's Messenger: The Journey Continues
2009 - WSS - Kaspia War Trilogy
42,470 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 02 35
Third day down, and I have still only written in my absurdly small writing space.
The problem I have now is I am always on fire late at night, thoroughly lost in the furtherance of my story, enjoying the writing process while the clock ticks on. But because of this I have been late for work two days running!
:(
50,820 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 03 51
I mostly sit at my trusty computer but I have also written stuff in a cafe, in a burger king and on a bus. (My handwriting on the last bit was DIRE!)
Any time I have free I try to get some writing done, especially if there's nothing else I can do.
----------2008: A Turtle, And Other Things That Destroyed The World - Rewriting on hold for November
2009: The Floating City - Going a little too well!
31,409 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 04 50
Damnit, now you're making me go to Merry Hill for a burrito!
Wonder if I should take the netbook...
TBH I seem to be able to write anywhere - apologies to anyone who can't - as the first 4k came sat at my usual distracting computer desk and the last 1k have come lying in bed (my back is playing up and lying down is the most comfortable position i can find) listening to ArrwRock on DAB which is perfect 'cos it's DJ-free so it's effectively just an iPod loaded with decent music on shuffle. I *could* get the same effect from putting my iPod on shuffle but why bother when someone's already broadcasting it?
I will grant that I've never actually tried writing whilst hanging upside-down off a cliff so maybe I can't write *anywhere* but I can write in both of the places I have needed to so far! I'll let you know if digitalruin's tip of Merry Hill's new food court works for me in a few hours!
31,409 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 09 19
Well I can honestly say that Merry Hill's new Eat Central food court is indeed a decent place to tap away at a netbook for an hour or so. I reckon if it had waiting staff bringing drinks round then I'd probably move there permanently! Can imagine it would be hell on a weekend lunchtime but a weekday early-afternoon it was great :)
13,974 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 10 18
I was there today, not in the food court, but rather just outside of it at the tables half surrounding the glass wall looking to the floor below. I've found that a better place to people watch for character ideas when the story-juices stop dead. Wish I had a netbook. Was worried my notebook might get soggy on the way home today :(
I can agree, waiting staff would improve it tenfold ^^
4,467 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 10 49
I've been off work all week but thinking I will have to go to a cafe/bar in the Jewellery Quarter to get anything written in my lunch times. Can't write at work, there's not always a place to go and I'd be too self conscious about other people wondering why I've brought my laptop in and what I'm doing and don't want to answer questions.
About the bar though - it's only £2 a drink but five lunch times a week for four weeks then that's £40!! I've already bought a new bag/laptop cover. This NaNoWriMo thing is really hitting my bank balance!
4,467 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 10 50
EDIT: Double post, sorry!
9,524 / 50,000
nov. 4, 2009 - 15 42
I write best when I feel that writing is inevitable, that there's nothing else to do. I've got a timer from Muji that I set to 45 minutes and I write the first half of a chapter, then after a break I set it to 45 minutes again and write the second half of the chapter. So far it's working really well.
----------Theaker's Quarterly 30 * Dark Horizons 55