I didn't blog Friday night as you've no doubt noticed. I spent it working on my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for those who came in late) preparations. I had thought I was ready a couple of days ago, but then I read some other blogs where NaNoWriMo participants are making elaborate outlines, intensive character sketches and detailed full-color maps and genealogy charts.
Well, I got that feeling I get when I dream of being back in college and having to take a test that I haven't studied for and for some reason I'm naked. You'd think I'd be more concerned about being naked, but no, I'm worried about my grade since the desk mostly hides me anyway and I'm going to wait until after everyone else leaves before I stand up. Of course, there's that walk across campus, but I'm wondering if anyone has a coat I can borrow or maybe I can run from tree to tree, and then the bell sounds and class is over and everyone else is handing in their tests and I've NOT EVEN STARTED THE TEST! I always wake up shivering. I guess I wouldn't dream about it so vividly if it hadn't happened to me before. Just kidding; I've always been prepared for tests...
Anyway, I worked on my NaNoWriMo novel. That was my exciting Friday night.
5 comments:
Don't compare your prep with someone else's, Tech. Everyone has different requirements for what they need before they start a novel. I need to know my characters and have a solid premise and know the ending. The rest comes in the writing. Zette sometimes uses a very detailed outline that would make me bonkers. Do what you need to do and then, on Nov. 1, just go. Write the words and don't look back. :)
Linda
I signed up for that thing Friday night myself, Tech. I didn't understand the creation of the bio, though, so that part is still blank. Also I am a little foggy on how we do this thing. Do we turn in what we have so far as we go? ir do we wait till we're all done writing before we turn it in? I hope my sign up counts, but I'm not sure about it.
Tech, only prep what you want to prep.
Mark,
Once you've signed up, it's pretty low key. All you have to do at the end is upload a text file of your novel to validate the 50k words and earn your winner pip. Until then, you don't have to do anything else except write the words. If you WANT to, you can update counters and all kinds of other stuff to get caught up in the fun. But that's entirely optional.
What Jean said, Mark. Spend some time at the NaNoWriMo site, and people are very willing to help with just about everything.
Preparations? What are preparations? I can't outline to save my life. I thought about doing a tentative synopsis, but ended up not having time. My "preparations" were coming up with the title.
~Jen
(aka jyndral on NaNoWriMo)
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