This is always a fun one. In Microsoft Word, go to Tools -> Auto-Summarize, then select one of the lower options (I normally do 100 words or less). It will mush your Nano into the appropriate word number, normally something quite nonsensical that favors one character's name over all others.
With 21,188 words, mine is:
Elli spluttered. Elli inquired. Elli snapped. “Elli.”
“Okay,” Elli whispered. “Hi, Elli. “Genie?”
Elli inquired. Elli asked. “Elli.
Great, Elli thought. Elli murmured. Elli asked.
Elli asked. “Hi Delilah,” Elli said. Elli inquired. Elli asked.
Elli asked. Elli nodded. Elli asked. Elli stammered.
Elli guessed. Elli followed. Elli waited.
“Elli?” Elli shrugged. Elli nodded. Elli asked.
Elli whispered, shivering.Elli and Delilah followed.
Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli said.
Elli asked. “Elli does,” Delilah chimed. Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli asked.
Your turn, Elli.” Elli glowered. Elli reminded.
Nathan. Elli asked. Elli snapped.
Elli inquired. Elli asked. [./quote]
“Okay,” Elli whispered. “Hi, Elli. “Genie?”
Elli inquired. Elli asked. “Elli.
Great, Elli thought. Elli murmured. Elli asked.
Elli asked. “Hi Delilah,” Elli said. Elli inquired. Elli asked.
Elli asked. Elli nodded. Elli asked. Elli stammered.
Elli guessed. Elli followed. Elli waited.
“Elli?” Elli shrugged. Elli nodded. Elli asked.
Elli whispered, shivering.Elli and Delilah followed.
Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli said.
Elli asked. “Elli does,” Delilah chimed. Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli asked.
Your turn, Elli.” Elli glowered. Elli reminded.
Nathan. Elli asked. Elli snapped.
Elli inquired. Elli asked. [./quote]
... dang, it likes Elli! Yet Genie and Nathan only warrant one mention, and Delilah... two? Three? Granted, Elli does have a few more mentions than any of those people-- but not that many more.
So, what's your auto-summary?
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~Carrie
Nano '04 - Carson (Won)
Nano '05 - The Left on Aubrey Street (Won)
Nano '06 - 2000 Miles From St. Louis (Won)
Nano '07 - Corporation (Won!)
50,115 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2007 - 17 03
... I knew I would somehow mess up the formatting. Darnit!
45,076 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2007 - 22 18
"Stop! I slowly walked past the large bed. I felt my wrist clutched by a firm hand. Feeling his large cold hand on my throat I slowly shook my head. My hand ran across another hand. It was as if I subconsciously put myself if danger. I ran my hand across my belly. Warm bed. I felt Evan's hand, and a thrill of happiness made me smile. "Wait!" Right? This room faced west. There were two fire places in this room; one in the living room and one in the bed room. "You never thought I'd what?"
---
This is too funny! It seems to bring out all the "gah" moments.
51,266 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2007 - 23 45
Hee. And here I thought I wasn't writing as mch dialogue as last time.
Maggie Forrester’s face was rigid. A President dead. “No,” Maggie lied. Maggie shot him a glare. Aaron nodded. “Has Dennis-“ Maggie waved her hands dismissively. Maggie goggled. Maggie had expected decent numbers. “Okay,” said Maggie. Maggie glanced at Aaron. Maggie was hurt. “Understandable,” agreed Thora. Thora asked. “Excellent,” smiled Dennis. “Kids,” said Thora. “I love Maggie. “Maggie mentioned that.” “Mother! “Yeah,” Maggie exhaled. Dennis smiled at her. “Maggie!” admonished Thora. Maggie hesitated for a moment. Thora asked. Thora nodded. Maggie closed the door behind her. Maggie puzzled at this. Maggie was speechless. I love you, Maggie.” Maggie nodded.
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2007 - 20 07
At almost the half-way point, in 100 words or less:
---------
Right.
Marc fell into step alongside her. Ari said nothing this time, waiting to take her explanatpry cues from Marc.
Marc nodded thoughtfully again. Marc froze. "Marc!" "Marc, what the hell--"
"No, Marc. Marc!" "We're safe, Marc. Ari nodded. Marc, bless his heart, followed right behind her. Marc looked confused. Right. Suddenly Marc's twitchiness made a little more sense. "Yes, 'alone', Marc. "I'm sorry, Marc. The next time, Marc was more confident.
Longer? Ari shook her head. "Marc? "Yes," Ari smiled back. "Marc, are you all right?"
Ari's face fell. Ari cut off that thought. Ari insisted.
Right?
---------
I love the bracketing start and end there: "Right....Right?"
Also, contrary to appearances, Marc is not actually a dog.
D
50,979 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2007 - 21 32
“Harris! “Kiell,” called Adrianna, “are you okay?” Adrianna froze.
Adrianna shook her head. Adrianna smiled at him. Zak’s body froze. “Zak!”
“Adrianna!” Harris exclaimed. Adrianna paused. Harris confided his information to Adrianna. “Hey Zak,” greeted Ayrrie. Zak felt his anger rising. “Ayrrie, please,” Zak said softly. “No thanks Ayrrie. “Hello Kiell,” said Longbowe. “No problem Kiell. “Thom, please come home. Thom sighed. ONLY HUMANS! Zak shook his head negatively.
Kyle sighed. Adrianna’s heart sank. “Thank you Adrianna. “Hey Kyle,” said Zak. Zak smiled. Kyle almost laughed at Zak’s question.
----
Wow, Kyle got a lot of face time in here, when he's technically not one of the 6 MCs I write a lot about. Longbowe was also only in 1 chapter, but he got mentioned anyway. Ah well, that's the entertainment.
18,412 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2007 - 22 46
5. Time, time and time again, when the inland wind
2. Kenneth Slessor, “Out of Time”
Other times there’s a meeting of the Harry Partch Appreciation Society. It’s time I went for a walk. There’s no definitive version! “Word inflation?”
100,000 poems about the sky. Now it’s time for bed. Every single time
Yellowing with time
7.
Empyrean dream
Seasons shift in time
Chain mail. It was nearly gathering time. I am missing Onefellow, that funny little guy. So multitalented, this Onefellow. There’s a rumbling sound outside. Today there was another post card from Onefellow. (Onefellow now)
[Hmm. Not much dialog, is there?]
18,412 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2007 - 22 47
...it seems to me that the most prevalent word in my squashed excerpt is "time"...
80,300 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2007 - 22 51
This is always so distressing. I know there were at least ten other interesting words I wrote this month:
“Yeah, mommy.”
Right, Billy?”
Billy nodded.
Thanks, mommy. “Sophie! Sophie insisted.
“Yeah. “Yeah. “Right. Right. “Yeah, yeah. “Santino. “Santino? Yeah, right. “Yeah, right. “Billy?”
“Yeah?”
Yeah, right. “Yeah. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Mommy said, “Sophie! “Sophie! “Mommy. Right, Aaron.”
“Yeah. It’s Sophie. “Yeah, great. “Sophie! “Sophie! “Yeah, right. “Hi, Sophie.”
“Sophie! “Yeah, thanks. “Sophie! “Yeah, right. Sophie repeated, “Call mommy.”
Call mommy.”
“Call mommy!”
“Yeah. “Sophie! “Yeah.”
Sophie chuckled. “Sophie! “Right! “Okay, Billy.”
“Sophie! “Hello, Sophie. “Sophie! “Mommy!”
“Thanks, mommy. “Billy’s right. “Yeah. Right, Aaron?”
“Billy’s right, Aaron, he’s crazy. “Santino? “Yeah. “Yeah. “Yeah. “Thanks, Sophie. “Thanks, Sophie. “Yeah, mommy.
UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
50,141 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2007 - 23 03
Final "100 words or less" auto-summary?:
Marc nodded thoughtfully again. Marc froze. "Marc!" "Marc, what the hell--"
"No, Marc. Marc!" "We're safe, Marc. Ari nodded. Marc looked confused. Right. "Yes, 'alone', Marc. "I'm sorry, Marc. Ari shook her head. "Marc? "Marc, are you all right?"
Ari's face fell. Ari insisted.
Right?
Ari interrupted. Marc insisted. Marc nodded. Marc nearly shouted. Marc persisted. Marc sighed. In Marc's voice. Marc. "Ari!"
Marc had--
Marc!
"Ari!" Would Marc freak out? Right. "Ari!"
Marc gaped at her. Marc asked.
Ari thought for a moment. "No," Marc agreed thoughtfully. Marc nodded. Ari frowned. Marc just shrugged. Ari just smiled.
I'm almost a little disturbed at how the last few lines seem to make sense... the wrong sense, mind you, but their own little tableaux...
50,919 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2007 - 00 13
I should have copied and pasted this a hundred times. . . I wonder if this is how they make Cliffs Notes?
"All the time. If not more. London
"Abby!!" London
* * *
Abby gasped.
"What?! Abby shrieked. Abby nearly fell over.
"Hi Abby howareyou?" Hi Nicolas,
Tim clucked and shook his head. said Tim. "Right, kebabs! Rob and Tim exchanged impressed looks.
Tim looked at Rob meaningfully. "Good night last night?" "Hi Tim," she said, sounding a bit surprised.
"Hey Holly. "Rugby? Abby was quiet. Tim laughed, but poor Rob looked a bit uncomfortable.
"Hiya Holly," Rob said nervously. Fortunately, Tim caught her hand. Nicolas
Tim was incredibly well built. Totally," Tim mocked.
"Deb. "About Tim you daft girl. "Aww Rob? Abby.
50,236 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2007 - 09 39
This is soooo surreal.
“Mario! Mario asked.
“Please, just Mario. “Ok, Mario. Mario grinned. “Frieda…?”
“Ana Leticia! “Don’t worry,” Frieda added. “Mario, old man. Mario! “Lala? Analeti nodded. Analeti. Frieda conceded that it was Analeti. Frieda took a deep breath. The woman’s name was also Frieda.
“Frieda Godoy”.
“Mario…?”
Frieda!” Mario stared at the man. Frieda simply nodded.
Mario asked.
Mario exclaimed. “Mario… Frieda thought how much her baby’s eyes looked like Mario’s. Frieda was German. Time stopped. Time? Analeti’s observant eyes took the room in slowly. Analeti smiled. Carla looked at Frieda.
“Henry Moore!? Henry Moore"
“Henry Moore!!!” “Mother.”
In one click of a button my efforts went from "literary fiction" to "comedy of errors". Or maybe a Marx Brothers skit....
50,115 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2007 - 20 28
My final auto-summary is just as pathetic as the last one (100 words or less):
“Elli.” “Hi, Elli. “Genie?”
Elli inquired. Elli asked.
“Elli. Elli murmured. Elli asked.
Elli asked. Elli inquired.
Elli asked. Elli asked.
Elli nodded. Elli asked. Elli stammered.
Elli guessed. Elli followed.
Elli waited.
“Elli?” Elli shrugged. Elli nodded. Elli asked.
Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli said.
Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli asked. Elli asked.
Elli glowered. Elli reminded. Nathan.
Elli asked. Elli snapped.
Elli inquired. Elli asked. Elli asked.
Elli asked.
Elli sighed. “Elli.” “Elli!” Elli quizzed. Elli asked.
“Elli...” Elli asked. Nathan. Nathan. Elli asked. “Elli?” Elli stammered.
“Elli?” “Elli?” Elli said.