I might actually be able to do this :D

[starsthatshine]

So far I have to say that NaNoWriMo is going really well (considering that it turned Nov 1st for me three hours ago and that the word status thing still isn't enabled on their site):

2,504 / 50,000 (5.0%)

Right now I'm going to bed but I hope that once I wake the inspiration will last and I'll be able to write a little bit more. I'm hoping to get as much writing done as I can these first few days, which means I will have time to focus on my school work and applications and other stressful things later. And if this keeps up, I think I might manage NaNoWriMo. Might being the operative word. I don't want to jix it.

Happy birthday theohara, I hope you're having an awesome one :D

Comments

[dreamer-86.livejournal.com]

hehe *insert nervous laughter* Exactly what is "NaNoWriNo"? Apparently it has something to do with writing, which is why I'm officially curious/interested. :)

(Btw, loooving your user icon!) ♥

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

http://www.nanowrimo.org/ answers all your questions ;)

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

Well done! You stayed up after midnight too?

You can update your word count on the page where you edit your novel info... I think it's just the word count gadget on top of the page that doesn't work yet.

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

Yupp. I couldn't sleep anyways so, I thought I'd take advantage. ^^

What is your story about this year? I'm currently 4608 words into my story and I'm feeling mighty proud of myself. ^^

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

I'm doing a superhero story this year... part chick lit and part superhero I guess. I had this character in mind with a very clear narrator voice so I felt like I had to write the book from her perspective. What's yours about?

Feels great to have written so much, doesn't it? :D It's always great to start off writing as much as possible, in case things get in the way of writing later.

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm doing a fantasy-yet-not story. It's about Brian who moves to Scotland from Ireland after his parents' divorce and there he meets Cassandra who more or less introduces him into the world of magic and whatnot (think early Charmed with herbs and stuff) but he doesn't really believe in it and well... it's going to be a lot about finding out who you are, family and whatnot. It's really difficult to summarize it.

Your project sounds really cool. Do you have anything planned out in advance of what's going to happen? What kind of character is it?

It feels great to really feel as though you're writing a lot, but I can't help but feel as though I'm a bit stuck at the moment. And I've decided that after every 5k I will take a walk and the reward for every 10k is still undecided, even though it feel as as though you have to have something big. Do you have a reward system?

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

Hm, yours sounds good. I'm a bit of a sucker for the "discovering yourself" stories. Despite the differences between our stories I'm kind of leaning towards the discovery angle too. My character Alaina is a superhero (but with no special powers aside from martial arts training) who is basically a lazy slob with no social life in her "normal" identity because the superhero duties come first and it's been like that for years. She's going to meet David, a rookie superhero who she sort of gets to mentor. The book will mostly be about their relationship and Alaina learning to take off her superhero mask and that she needs to be a "regular" person as well.

Rewards are great for motivation... because I drink so much tea during NaNoWriMo, at 8000 words I get to buy a new kind (I only have green tea at home right now). At 30000 I get a Marabou chocolate bar, at 50000 I get to buy the Green Arrow/Black Canary album. I plan on having more awards if I go for 100 000 words again but I'll figure out that if I get past 50000 first. For keeping up with my daily word count I tend to have smaller rewards, like getting to watch episodes of TV shows or going to the library and borrow books or something. I wish I had a bathtub, because if I did taking a long bath would be a reward too.

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

To me, it's really difficult to find ways to reward myself. I don't like eating so buying a Ben & Jerry or things like that aren't that good unless I have a major craving. And I don't drink that much tea and even though I like to buy warm chocolate, I can't exactly run across the street to a coffeeshop and buy some since I live in a smaaaall town.

Help with rewards? I really want something, but I can't figure out what.

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

Hm, is there anything that you've wanted to buy but kind of hesitated because it might be a little too expensive or you think that you shouldn't be spending money on it? I use the latter reasoning quite often... but for NaNoWriMo it's good to set up that thing as the ultimate reward if you reach 50 000 words (or if you're aiming higher). Could be a book, movie, shoes, a pair of jeans...

I think my ultimate goal if I reach 100 000 is to print my book once it's editted, either at Lulu.com or Vulkan.se. Just a copy for myself and maybe for a friend, just to have a finished product. Other book related rewards could be, say once you reach 30 000 words, is to make a book cover. It's great fun and kind of goes with the printing the book reward.

Other simple rewards I use is that I don't get to browse the NaNoWriMo forums until I've met my daily word count (or I'm at least not behind). Not sure if you do your writing best at home or somewhere else, but last year one of my rewards was going to a coffeeshop and spending a few hours there writing. As for the hot chocolate, is there a particular brand that you can mix at home that you like? That way you could do one cup per X amount of words or something. I have a favorite brand of chocolate powder but it's twice as expensive as the cheapest one. If I wasn't investing in tea this year I'd probably invest in that for just for November.

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

Maybe I could buy like... a Josh Groban album or a handbag or a perfume (even though I don't really use it that much, it seems like a pretty fun thing to have and Christina Aguliera's perfume Inspire seemed pretty neat - even if I'm not a fan of hers (I can't even spell her name) or something for every 10k I write. That way I can sort of give myself a few bigger things without feeling guilty since it will only be five times. It's kinda nuts how much I love Josh Groban's music (though I don't want to be associated in any way to the crazier side of his fans). It's like candy for the soul and it's that kind of music that makes itself best in a stereo rather than on a computer. Do you listen to him at all?

And I think for every 5k I might take a walk or buy a cup of chocolate or something. Chocolate will be easier when I start school again since it's pretty much in the centre of Umeå and a walk will be easier when I'm home. Yayness.

Also, I'm slowly writing myself out of the ditch I was in a second ago. I might babble but it's so much fun to have someone to discuss all of this NaNo business as it happens, you know? Since we're in the same country and everything.

[lostopenwindows.livejournal.com]

I think those rewards would be good. You're earning them by writing and as you said it will only be five times so it won't cost too much.

Josh Groban has a very special voice... the only way I can describe it is symphonic. I don't listen to him much but I think I will try to get hold of his Christmas album once November is over. I have to download it though because I don't own a stereo. :(

Part of NaNoWriMo is getting stuck but finding ways to get "unstuck". While the ways to get unstuck aren't always the best qualitywise (this apples to me a lot!) it teaches us to keep writing and not quit because we're stuck. :)

[aliasagent.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I'm totally a sucker for discover yourself stories as well. And I love writing characters with an inner strength that's sort of unexpected etc. Your story sounds really fun.

Right now Brian is poking fish and I have no idea where to put him next. I soon want to introduce his BFF, but it doesn't feel like the time yet. *headdesk*