NaNoWriMo Dreamwidth Writers

Day 30 - hours remaining



Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely,
"and go on till you come to the end: then stop.

— Lewis Carroll

It’s time to call it, Nano Writers. At midnight, Camp NaNoWriMo puts the last of the camp fires out and packs things away until July.

If you’re close to the end, Get It Done! If you’re done but haven’t validated your word count, Do It Now!

If you’ve finished and have your shiny new winner badge, break out the chocolate and marshmallows, grab a couple of graham crackers and enjoy the sweet taste of a job well done and challenge well met. You Did Good!

Drop in tomorrow and tell us how you did, what went right and what could have been better… until then Keep Writing!

Day 20 - 10 days remaining



It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.

— Gerald Brenan

It’s the third of our four weekends, Nano Writers! How is everyone’s project coming along? Hopefully everyone is doing well or will be able to catch up over the weekend. Remember too to take the time to Back Up Your Work! Keep writing!

Day 6 - 24 days remaining



Never give up. And most importantly, be true to yourself.
Write from your heart, in your own voice, and about what you believe in.

— Louise Brown

It’s the first weekend of the month, Campers! How is everyone doing? We should be a fifth of our way into our Camp NNWM challenges or about 20 percent of your word count!

Today would also be a good day to BACK UP YOUR WORK - if you haven’t already done it! Be safe! Swim with a partner and back up your novel, script, short stories, rewrite, fan fic…
And as always… keep writing!

And the participant badges are up! Very cute!

60 days until NaNoWriMo 2011 begins



All endings are also beginnings.
We just don’t know it at the time.

― Mitch Albom

The clock has struck midnight for me in my part of the world and so I pack up my camping gear and dirty laundry and say goodbye to my cabin mates *waves to dark_kana, merzibelle, and medicalmouse* as Camp NaNoWriMo comes to a close.

First, may I say to everyone who participated this July or August or July and August (oh my), whether you are still writing these last hours, fingers and hands cramping as you struggle to beat the clock or have already crossed the finish line, you have done well! You accepted the challenge and stepped up to the starting gate, ready to write, despite any and all distractions and naysayers.

And whether you wrote a little or a lot, you are all to be congratulated for having the courage and conviction to "...sit down at a typewriter and open a vein" as Walter "Red" Smith so colorfully describes it: the act of creative writing.

Camp was a blast! But looking ahead now, there are only two months left before the start of NaNoWriMo! This October, we'll run our annual "Fast Start" series for our members who want to begin with a little bit of preparation and planning before November 1.

Until then Nano Writers, keep writing!

Day 30 - 1 day remaining



Writing is the hardest work in the world.
I have been a bricklayer and a truck driver,
and I tell you – as if you haven't been told
a million times already – that writing is harder.
Lonelier. And nobler and more enriching.


- Harlan Ellison

It's coming down to the wire, noble Nano Writers! Today's word count is 48,387. Can you do it? Yes, you can! Keep writing!

Day 28 - 3 days remaining



Writing is the best way to talk without being interrupted. 


- Jules Renard

The word count today is 45,161 Nano Writers! The End is near! Or perhaps not. If your word count is on track but your story is more near its midpoint, don't sweat it! Keep writing. Cross the 50K finish line, validate your word count, collect your winner's goodies - then finish writing the rest of your story! Or outline the last chapters (so you have something to come back to) and take a well-deserved break.

It happens that many stories need 75 to 100 thousand words to be properly told but you can take pride in the fact that you wrote 50,000 words of that story this month! So write on!

Questions or comments? Word count shout outs? It's all good! Keep writing Nano Writer!

Day 26 - 5 days remaining



If you’re going to be a writer, the first essential is just to write.
Do not wait for an idea. Start writing something and the ideas will come.
You have to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow.

- Louis L’Amour

It happens sometimes. You just get stuck. The muse says she's just going out for a short walk to get some fresh air and she's been gone... a while. What can you do in the meantime?

Try writing. Anything.

Often just putting pen to paper or fingers on your keyboard and free writing will jiggle something loose and the wall that stands between you and your story will crumble away. Here are some ideas to help prime the pump:

• Write about your MC's favorite food - bonus points for the recipe and if you write about why.
  
  
• Describe a game that your MC likes to play, including all the rules.
  
  
• Make a list of words: nouns that begin with the first letter of your MC's given name and verbs that begin with the first letter of the MC's family name (or whatever works for your MC's name). Now write as many complete sentences as you can using one different word from each list in each sentence.
  

The idea here is to make writing fun again! Before you know it, the muse is back, knocking on your door. And she's brought doughnuts.

The word count today is 41,935. The end is in sight, Nano Writer! Questions? Comments? Words that begin with the letter F? Umm... I was thinking more of words like "fifty" and "finish" - but it's all good! So keep writing!

Day 24 - 7 days remaining



You can take for granted that people know more or less
what a street, a shop, a beach, a sky, an oak tree look like.
Tell them what makes this one different.

- Neil Gaiman

One week left until the deadline, Nano Writers! The word count today is 38,709. And if you're having a little trouble hitting the mark, why not put a spin on Mr. Gaiman's advice by rethinking the ordinary in your story and write about what makes it different for your characters. Not only does this add to your word count but does double duty as a way to provide additional characterization, allowing the reader to experience your story world through the eyes (or other sense organ) of your characters.

Ordinary grilled cheese sandwich for lunch? What does it say about a character who insists on having gruyere and goat cheese topped with a tapenade? Or instead, the character who fondly remembers the kind of school bus yellow cheese that has to be unwrapped by the slice?

Questions? Comments? Stinky cheese recommendations? It's all good, Nano Writers! Keep writing!

Day 22 - 9 days remaining



Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder.
Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you;
figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing
you have to offer.

- 
Barbara Kingsolver

Coming out of the weekend, we start the last full week before the final days of Camp NaNoWriMo, August edition. The word count for today is 35,483 but no matter what your word count is Nano Writer, it is still possible to cross that 50K finish line 9 days from now!

Which means if you're reading this from the starting line, you'll need to write about 6,000 words of your story everyday - but don't panic! 6,000 words can be broken down to a manageable 2,000 words over three daily sessions that for me, hunting and pecking, takes about an hour's time which should be a very easy stat to beat!

So find or make the time that you need and start writing! Shut out all those voices that say "no" and "you can't" because you can. There's a story inside you that's ready to be told and you are the only one to do it!

Questions? First lines? Last words? It's all good! Keep writing, Nano Writer!