Short stories for Nano?

NicoleMD · Sep 4, 2008

Anyone planning on writing a collection of short stories for National Novel Writing Month? I'm seriously thinking about it. If anyone else is, perhaps we need our own Nano support thread here? It has its own unique challenges, I'm sure.

Nicole

ChimeraCreative · Sep 5, 2008

I did short stories for two Nano years and I adored it. I wasn't freaked out cuz I couldn't stretch my 'novel' for 50 000 words. I wasn't rushing through a WIP that needed more attention than a rush job. I looked ahead for contests I wanted to have stories for and completed several. If one story was going no where I could drop it for something else without suffering from major loss of word count.

So yeah, I'm in for short stories again. Stone Table might as well, I'll have to ask him. Good idea to look for more shorty writers for Nano, Nicole. ^_^

-An

qwerty · Sep 5, 2008

Where can I find info on this?

L M Ashton · Sep 5, 2008

Info on what, qwerty?

I'm thinking about it.

KTC · Sep 5, 2008

Here's the NANOWRIMO website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

National Novel Writing Month

The biggest thing is to get BIC (Bum in Chair) and write...I did short stories one year. Who knows...whatever I do at the time will be what I do.

KTC · Sep 5, 2008

oh, and hey...it's the 10th anniversary! Check out the cool T-shirts

caseyquinn · Sep 5, 2008

Man, i have never even considered writing a collection of shorts for nano... always went right for novel.... that is a great idea! Now im reconsidering my novel

Adam Israel · Sep 5, 2008

I think writing short stories in place of a novel for Nano is a great idea. I'm seriously considering doing it as well.

NicoleMD · Sep 5, 2008

I've done novels the last three years, so I thought it would be a good time for a change. Cool! I'm excited so many people are considering it too. I think I'm going to try to do a theme each week, though who knows how well I'll stick to them.

Nicole

Grrarrgh · Sep 5, 2008

This will be my first time actually doing NANOWRIMO, not just signing up for it. I think short stories are a great idea. Much less intimidating, to me anyway.

Adam Israel · Sep 5, 2008

The more I think about this, the more the idea grows on me.

qwerty · Sep 5, 2008

I'm obviously being totally dense here because I checked out the web site before posting and couldn't find anything about how to enter the wrimo comp. I signed up and received an instant email, but it seems to relate to novel writing. So where is the info about shorts?

KTC · Sep 5, 2008

You can do what you want to do...the thing is...you commit to writing 50,000 words for the month of November. There is no prize. You can write shorts or novel or play or whatever. The whole idea of the concept is to WRITE.

TheIT · Sep 5, 2008

My friend who convinced me to try NaNo is actually a poet. Last year instead of writing a novel, she wanted to do her own unofficial NaNo in poetry. She figured if a picture is worth a thousand words and a poem is like a picture, that meant she needed to write 50 haikus to match the NaNo goals. I believe she made it.

Harper K · Sep 5, 2008

I did a story cycle for NaNo '05, and may do the same thing again this year. In '05 I was swamped with work, and I knew I wouldn't be able to hit the 50K (but I tried so valiantly!). I managed 30K, but that was a total of 5 complete stories. Wow! I felt much more accomplished with those 5 shorts than I have in some years when I did a 50K novel first draft for NaNo (I'm a 7-year NaNo veteran).

I say go for it, especially if you have a lot of those "one-day-I-really-wanna-write-a-story-about..." ideas floating around in your head. It's a great way to start getting them down on paper.

jennifer75 · Sep 5, 2008

I'm sorry, but doesn't writing short stories kind of defeat the "Write one 50,000-word novel from scratch in a month's time" rule?

If it's for personal gain, I say do it. Maybe I will, but as far as "finishing" under their guidelines, I'd say you're BREAKING THE LAW BREAKING THE LAW.... I mean....the rules.

BenPanced · Sep 5, 2008

There's been several dozen...dozen arguments about this on the NaNo forums every year I've partcipated and I've come to the conclusion I like banana cream pie.

ChimeraCreative · Sep 5, 2008

Under the Nano guidelines, a writer is supposed to write a novel of 50 000 words in one month. Technically, it's supposed to be a brand spanking new idea from scratch. I think a lot of writers go into it with a plan or outline, which is technically against the rules. However, the unofficial spirit of Nano is just as good as the official one in my book.

-An

NicoleMD · Sep 5, 2008

ChimeraCreative said:
Under the Nano guidelines, a writer is supposed to write a novel of 50 000 words in one month. Technically, it's supposed to be a brand spanking new idea from scratch. I think a lot of writers go into it with a plan or outline, which is technically against the rules. However, the unofficial spirit of Nano is just as good as the official one in my book.

-An

Actually, outlining/pre-planning is encouraged. And as far as short stories go, the website says:

How do you define "novel?" Does fan fiction count? What if I want to write interconnected short stories rather than a novel? What if my story is largely autobiographical, or is based on a real person? Can I still write it in November?
We define a novel as "a lengthy work of fiction." Beyond that, we let you decide whether what you're writing falls under the heading of "novel." In short: If you believe you're writing a novel, we believe you're writing a novel too.

Good enough for me.

Nicole

ChimeraCreative · Sep 5, 2008

I was using outdated rules, eh? I'm glad to be corrected, I think what Nicole is saying an awful lot.

Hell, it's even possible to write a series of short stories following the same characters and make a novel out of it later. I'm toying with that idea at the mo'. ^_^

-An

Phot's Moll · Sep 7, 2008

I think there is an official poetry version of Nano that runs in April?

Maybe if lots of queries are recieved on the subject, they'll run an official short fiction one too?

L M Ashton · Sep 7, 2008

Scriptfrenzy is in April, which is an official event sponsored by the NaNoWriMo crowd. There's no poetry event. Yet. But hey, you've got some great ideas, so present them with it and see what they do. I think it'd be cool to have an official short stories one or a poetry one. Not that I would participate in poetry, most likely, but hey, so what?

Phot's Moll · Sep 7, 2008

You may not have heard of it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

http://readwritepoem.org/2008/03/25/napowrimo-were-here-to-help/

L M Ashton · Sep 7, 2008

I'm talking strictly of official events sponsored by the NaNoWriMo people. Of course there are a lot of spinoffs, but they're not by the NaNoWriMo people.

Phot's Moll · Sep 7, 2008

Ah! The poetry is official, but they're different officials ... So could we have an 'official' Cooler short story event?

Short stories for Nano?

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