From my previous nanos, I remember the obstacle post, in which you post those things that are going to make NaNo hard for you this year, and everyone else tells you to suck it up -- I mean, uh, encourages you! It's a great way to figure out how to get over the roadblocks that are between you and your 50,000 word novel and to commisserate with your fellow novelists.
So, here are my roadblocks:
1. School, bleh. Homework. Lots of papers and other responsibilities.
2. I just bought a greyhound ticket to Calgary to go visit my friend Samantha at the end of November. If I don't have my 50k by then, that could make the last stretch pretty interesting. I'm also supposed to be going to Saskatoon next weekend to table at the Anarchist Bookfair and host a workshop on transgender/activism.
3. In relation to that, I'm about half-done the latest issue of my zine, which has to be done before the bookfair and printed up and ready for sale.
So those are my big three. I'm sorta frazzled, I've been concentrating on my novel, and I'm barely keeping up with the daily wordcount... and I still have so much to do and things that are going to conspire to take time away from my noveling, like, you know, friends. And potentially earning money. And taking fabulous trips to strange, distant lands... okay, Calgary and Saskatoon, but I've never been to either, so...
How about you?
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157,047 / 50,000
nov. 5, 2009 - 23 57
Thanks for putting this up, Alix. I've been thinking about obstacles too.
1) My friend - solved this obstacle by writing first when I come home and she's actually been very supportive.
2) Family - so far I've been able to avoid them, but my birthday comes up next week and I know they're going to want to go out or something when I'd like to write! So hopefully, 50K before Monday!
3) Work - this has been almost killing me. Both Sunday and Thursday I have no been able to write until 7pm. Thursday, today was nine, but I managed to get 5,000 words written, so not too bad. I think those two days are the worst because they are like dayshifts and I'm tired by the time I get home. I was smart today and took a nap first thing when I came from work then wrote after dinner.
4) More Work - last month was a stressful time for me at work and let's just say I'm not exactly over it. If it wasn't for the university write-in on Wednesday, I probably wouldn't have written as much as I did. So yes, write-ins are very helpful!
This year definitely feels like I'm pulling teeth. On the one hand, I wonder if I can do it; and on the other hand, I know I'm crazy enough to know I can do it.
18,452 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 09 02
I have a list...
1 - H1N1 - yep, I've been sick with it as has my entire family. It was hard for me to get started on the first but I've been struggling through and I'm recovering well :) I'm thankfully no longer contagious and aside from a sinus infection, I'm actually feeling pretty good now.
2 - Work is insane. I am supposed to do a TON of overtime in the next couple of weeks to meet some pretty serious deadlines. That may well affect my word count so my goal is to write as much as I possibly can this weekend.
On the positive side, my husband has been incredibly supportive. He bought me a laptop for my birthday so that I could do NaNo more easily and go to write ins and such :) He's awesome!
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~Elle~
~~~If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison ~~~
61,270 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 09 09
I have a few of those too.
1) School. I have several papers and presentations, as well as a a midterm still.
2) Grad school. I am applying to two grad schools with deadlines in December, so I have to write letters of intents, ship off packages of papers and finish applications, one of which needs to be done on the 15th... hmm.
3) Friends. Most understand I do NaNo and ask me daily how my novel/word count is. But one is coming down from Fort Mac today for the weekend and is staying here.
4) Volunteering. I am starting a new volunteer position, which has me going to the north end twice a week.
Fortunately my volunteering got cancelled this weekend, and my friend knows many in the city, so I am free to sit in Steeps all day Sunday for various reasons. And having no school Tuesday and Wednesday definitely helps.
23,045 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 11 54
I just have plain old lack of inspiration. I've had some novel ideas bouncing around my head for a while but none of them have filled me with the sort of excitement about the idea that I need to really write. I banged out about 3200 words on the idea I thought was the best but after I wrote the first scene, which I really liked, I ended up in the mundane body of the story and had no love for it.
I started a new novel last night, cranked out 4000 words in an hour and a half so so far this one is going well. If it's a keeper I'll be caught up by the end of the weekend....if it's not however I think I'm pretty much screwed...we'll see. I have NO idea where this story is going, as with last year I've started it with a single word and just let it flow.
27,273 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 14 25
I only have two major responsibilities this year:
1. School. Like everyone else I am swamped by papers and assignments (4 essays, two assignments, 3 labs and a midterm). Luckily, one essay, one assignment and the midterm have already been completed. My most major paper, due in two weeks, is supposed to be 15-18 pages long. Luckily I have already done about half the research.
2. Domestic duties. Child and general household related stuff that I used to have time to do, before I started school, that I now try to cram into the weekends.
----------Nano History:
2007 - "In the Blood", historical drama
2008 - "Earth", post apocalyptic fantasy
2009 - "For the Love of Brian", romantic comedy and zombies
9,614 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 16 56
One month old and sleep deprivation. The baby wakes up pretty much every time I go to work on the novel.
Also, I am getting sick of the back story and may just start skipping it to get to the meat, and use backstory to pad the wordcount later.
50,016 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 17 23
I'm not going to do numbers because really, it's just one big thing: other writing commitments. I.e., homework.
I have a twenty-page honours history paper to write on the Domesday Book, a seven page French-to-English translation on fashion under Louis XVI and the French revolution (jargon ahoy!), a twelve page paper on the British Government's response to the Great Irish Famine, and another twelve page paper on the medical innovations made during the American Civil War.
At the very least, though, I'm using stuff I've learned while researching the latter paper and applied it to something in my novel, so... yeah. But in this past week I've been focussing on getting as much of my novel done as possible (and it's worked! Huzzah!) because otherwise it will not get done. This week, I'll be buckling down and writing... for scholarly persuits. D: My novel will be my escape...
----------I intend to live forever: so far, so good.
50,150 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 19 23
My obstacle is the usual: WORK.
What makes it worse is that I write for a living. So if I write for 8 hours a day, I still have to put in an extra 2 hours to reach my word count for the day.
39,109 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 22 02
School--the usual
Work--in between school
Family--have already had three arguments about the meaning of neglect.
Just the standard stuff , all of which can be dealt with.
We can do it! We have Chris and each other on our side. Think of the swag!
(Thought we could use a bit of hoorah!)
157,047 / 50,000
nov. 6, 2009 - 23 45
Work--in between school
Family--have already had three arguments about the meaning of neglect.
Just the standard stuff , all of which can be dealt with.
We can do it! We have Chris and each other on our side. Think of the swag!
(Thought we could use a bit of hoorah!)
I can't do it :'(! Okay, maybe I can, yes I can. I mean I've done it before, I can do it again. This ninja is not going to go freak out.
36,688 / 50,000
nov. 7, 2009 - 00 14
My mind hates me. That is why I have not written much.
14,109 / 50,000
nov. 7, 2009 - 01 11
1 - H1N1 - yep, I've been sick with it as has my entire family.
Me too! Haven't been able to look at a computer screen for long, or concentrate on anything including watching TV or reading. On the plus side, I've gotten caught up on sleep. Hopefully will write lots this weekend now that I'm starting to feel better.
50,128 / 50,000
nov. 7, 2009 - 03 06
What's been stopping me this year has been other ideas cramming their way into my mind, shoving my poor characters around and stealing the spotlight. I've been avoiding it as best as I can. Fortunately, I am over the flu, but with half of the family suffering from H1N1, I can only hope that what I got over was that so I don't have anymore delays.
I pray last year's delay (internet disconnection) doesn't stop me this year.
45,167 / 50,000
nov. 7, 2009 - 08 34
I'm fortunate to only have a few and a good majority of them I can thankfully work around.
Chores -- My husband is slowly turning into a germaphobe so it seems that I'm the only one that does any of the real cleaning in the house.
Christmas -- Tied to the above, I'm not allowed to do anything Christmas related until the chores are completed and my house is organized... which at this rate means I won't be decorating for Christmas until December 24th.
Volunteer Work -- Tied to the above (Christmas related I mean) I have a major charity event that is rapidly coming up that I help chair. It's fine for now - but as soon as November 25th hits I'm going to be swamped with trying to get seating plans, registration packages and wrapping presents.
Work -- Due to some staff taking vacation time my work schedule this year is not NaNo friendly (hence I think I'll only make maybe one or two write-ins). However my boss is rather supportive so hopefully she'll turn a blind eye to the fact that the word document I'm working on is not really work related.
Family -- My in-laws return from vacation and if I keep pushing off seeing them my mother in law is going to start thinking I hate her, plus my husband is going through what I can only guess is a mini mid-life crisis so he needs a lot of TLC and that comes before my novel right now.
----------18,162 / 50,000
nov. 8, 2009 - 22 35
Up until Nov 6, this was my list:
Work - takes up about nine hours of my day, nine and a half if you include commute
Rehearsals- I'm in a play, "You Can't Take It With You", and curtain goes up Nov 13. I'm a little stressed about it.
Family- Two year old takes up a crazy amount of time, but wife helps.
Farm/facebook- wife is addicted to it. Though she has her netbook, she prefers the desktop since it runs faster. Bleh.
And as of Nov 6: Broken PDA- I was using my PDA as an alternate novel writing instrument. I loved my fold out keyboard! But the screen has some nasty crackage, and it is bricked. *le sob* From here on in, I either type with desktop or netbook. Write-ins might be a challenge. Thinking of getting an iTouch, but they are hard to type with compared to desktop or netbook.
----------You may be disappointed when you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try.
44,010 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2009 - 06 00
1) Had company from overseas from Oct. 26 - Nov. 8, so some days simply could not do all my planning and then writing. Built a bit of a 'word cushion' Nov. 1 - 4 as they took a side trip, but got way behind when they came back and I couldn't write for Nov 5 - 8.
2) Fear that my plot won't cover 50 000 words.
3) Fear that I am using cliches and have no original way to write them (thus the writing is DULL).
4) Insufficient research on amnesia leaving big gaps I can't write until I can do the research, but the desire not to stop the writing to do the research and then lose myself in it. (Bit of a vicious circle there.)
That's not as much as some people, but I have moments when these seem insurmountable and I am a rookie so the anxiety of the unknown is a factor too. Nonetheless, I am plugging away at it.
----------I get knocked down, but I get up again. You're never gonna keep me down. - Chumbawamba
61,270 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2009 - 06 58
4) Insufficient research on amnesia leaving big gaps I can't write until I can do the research, but the desire not to stop the writing to do the research and then lose myself in it. (Bit of a vicious circle there.)
Tracey, I'm not too experienced in amnesia, but I did take a litle bit of neuropsychology. If you have any must be answered questions, you can send me a nanomail and I can see if I know the answer/can look it up quickly in a textbook.
5,182 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2009 - 07 26
1. Work - they cut my hours so it's only very part-time but it still takes away from it
2. the kids - takes a lot of time to make them dinner, help with homework, spend time doing something with them....I'm usually off the computer after work until about 10 or 11 pm
3 being sick - yes partly whatever bug has got me lately and making me feel bleh
4. being sick - I have a chronic illness that causes pain and fatigue and sometimes I'm just too tired or in too much pain to sit here and type
157,047 / 50,000
nov. 9, 2009 - 08 12
2) Fear that my plot won't cover 50 000 words.
3) Fear that I am using cliches and have no original way to write them (thus the writing is DULL).
4) Insufficient research on amnesia leaving big gaps I can't write until I can do the research, but the desire not to stop the writing to do the research and then lose myself in it. (Bit of a vicious circle there.)
That's not as much as some people, but I have moments when these seem insurmountable and I am a rookie so the anxiety of the unknown is a factor too. Nonetheless, I am plugging away at it.
Don't worry about your plot not covering 50,000 words. My first year my plot made it to 40,000. The bad guy was dead, my main character killed him. Solved that problem by making the dead guy wake up, turns out he was a robot!! Ended up past 50K. Don't worry, just write and if your plot's done before 50K, make something up. Make the characters celebrate at a party for 10K more.
Cliches? Write them in, the more the merrier! Don't leave no stone unturned. A rolling stone gathers no moss!
Insufficient research? Make stuff up. Or yes, talk to Joe, she's smart :)...and she's a she! lol