Who's doing NaNoWriMo 2021?

[Maggie Maxwell]

I've done Nano two or three times over the years. The basic idea behind it is grand, but mostly I join up because I like the little gizmo that keeps track of my progress. If I could find a similar gizmo to download elsewhere online, I'd not bother with Nano.

Well, the last year or two, NaNo set it up so you can start and track projects any time of the year. It's still based on the site and only a month at a time, but you're not limited to only November.

 

[Catriona Grace]

That's good to know, @Maggie Maxwell. Thank you for telling me that.

 

[Tamlyn]

I had a story idea earlier in the year, jotted down some notes, and thought I would do it for NaNo.

Now I just need to figure out how to get as excited about the idea as when I first thought of it.

 

[Elenitsa]

I will do NaNo, even if I know I have no chance to win this year. I have to be there for the others, because I am the local municipal leader for my city. I will be editing a novel for a second edition revised and completed.

 

[mrsmig]

I will probably do NaNo this year. I've been stalled on my WIP for months; I'm going to see if just sitting and spewing toward a word count goal will get the juices flowing again.

 

[CCMorgan]

I might be too busy, but I want to try anyway. I already work on projects & I already try to keep things casual for rough drafts, so nano would be like... business as usual, but with more to connect with people about? Yeah!

My current project is a novel idea that turned into a trilogy idea, with books 1 and 2 covering the original idea and book 3 rounding things out with more payoff and satisfaction. I've been working on book 1, but book 2 is ready to go anyway. If I write a nanowrimo version of book 2, that could be a great new angle for looking at everything in book 1 when I get back to it.

 

[Morgan Morrow]

I signed up for NaNo for the first time this year. I'm going to be taking a second shot at an old WIP I liked the beginning of, but the middle and end needed to be changed. So I have a new outline for an old project, and I'm pretty excited to see how it turns out this time around.

 

[M.S. Wiggins]

Remember you can't start actually writing/drafting, but you can jot down ideas, outlines, character back stories, etc.

Argh! I'm having trouble with this. It's like: jotting down ideas leads to primitive outline leads to character back stories (-ish) leads to "etc." (for me, 'etc.' leads to dialogue) ... and writing dialogue feels like cheating.

Maybe I'll read a book or binge watch something between now and November 1.

 

[lizmonster]

Argh! I'm having trouble with this. It's like: jotting down ideas leads to primitive outline leads to character back stories (-ish) leads to "etc." (for me, 'etc.' leads to dialogue) ... and writing dialogue feels like cheating.

Maybe I'll read a book or binge watch something between now and November 1.

The rules on this have changed since I first participated <mumble> years ago.

Outlines, character sketches, and other planning steps are encouraged, and you're welcome to continue an old project. Just be sure to only count words written during November toward your goal.

 

[M.S. Wiggins]

The rules on this have changed since I first participated <mumble> years ago.

Thank you for this, and the link. I think I have a much better plan of approach now, one that doesn't feel like cheating.

 

[AW Admin]

Argh! I'm having trouble with this. It's like: jotting down ideas leads to primitive outline leads to character back stories (-ish) leads to "etc." (for me, 'etc.' leads to dialogue) ... and writing dialogue feels like cheating.

Maybe I'll read a book or binge watch something between now and November 1.

It's not cheating if it's snippets!

 

[Maggie Maxwell]

I will shamelessly write a good dialogue line or exchange in advance and slot it in during NaNo. It's only a few sentences typically, so it's not like it's a day's worth of writing done in advance. Better to have it when you need it and count it unfairly than to lose something real good because it wasn't november yet.

 

[Nether]

I want to participate so I can finally "win" one (since I failed the last one, and quit several earlier ones), but I'm not sure I'll be done drafting my current project (which always needs to be the priority) by then so it's a maybe.

It's appealing partly because I expect I should be able to do it this time (or, at the very least, hit the 50k). My last attempt was right when I was coming back to writing so I was still ramping up. (And the less said about the attempts before that the better.)

 

[rileyariel]

I did NaNo last year and actually kept up the word count for the next few months, just because of the momentum (and I'd just graduated college in a pandemic lol) I'm planning on doing it again this year and using it as an opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. That means I may be successful once again, or writing in an unfamiliar genre with a complicated storyline might put me out of the running a few weeks in. We will have to see!

 

[rileyariel]

I've done Nano two or three times over the years. The basic idea behind it is grand, but mostly I join up because I like the little gizmo that keeps track of my progress. If I could find a similar gizmo to download elsewhere online, I'd not bother with Nano.

You can actually use the word counter any time! Nano goals can be set at any time of year. I'm personally a fan of using it every month, whether I hit the goal or not it's fun to see that little marker go up. And to keep track of what days I was most/least productive and why.

 

[rileyariel]

I had a story idea earlier in the year, jotted down some notes, and thought I would do it for NaNo.

Now I just need to figure out how to get as excited about the idea as when I first thought of it.

Okay, this is so relatable. I'm trying to outline my NaNo story after frantically jotting down notes six months ago and it's so difficult to fill in the gaps my past enthusiastic self didn't notice.

 

[Sage]

I got some imagination time at work, and I actually have ideas and even scenes for my NaNo novel. This is a big improvement over the last few years, so I figure it's a positive direction.

 

[PraiseRao]

The rules on this have changed since I first participated <mumble> years ago.

Wait, so like I don't have to sit here for 2 weeks because I just got done with my prep work on Monday and have absolutely nothing to do until Nov. Hmmm. My only issue would be if I wrote too much before Nov and didn't leave enough for the 50k during November. I guess that counts for rewrites too though so I should be ok.

 

[lizmonster]

Wait so like I don't have to sit here for 2 weeks because I just got done with my prep work on Monday and have aboslutely nothing to do until Nov. Hmmm. My only issue would be if I wrote too much before Nov and didn't leave enough for the 50k during november. I guess that counts for rewrites too though so I should be ok.

The only rule, such as it is, is 50K new words in November.

I've never found 50K to be enough for a full novel, but I write long, especially first drafts. YMMV.

 

[Sage]

My first year I got chewed out by someone who thought (incorrectly, but not the point) I was using NaNo to add words to a novel I had started. They were livid that I was doing it wrong.

It wasn’t wrong then (even though the rules suggested you start with a fresh novel at the time), & it’s not wrong now. The only thing I’ll say, for my own experience, is that I’ve found the beginning of NaNo more fun if I’m starting a new novel or one I haven’t worked on in a long time so it feels fresh. Others may feel differently

 

[Stytch]

My first year I got chewed out by someone who thought (incorrectly, but not the point) I was using NaNo to add words to a novel I had started. They were livid that I was doing it wrong.

It wasn’t wrong then (even though the rules suggested you start with a fresh novel at the time), & it’s not wrong now. The only thing I’ll say, for my own experience, is that I’ve found the beginning of NaNo more fun if I’m starting a new novel or one I haven’t worked on in a long time so it feels fresh. Others may feel differently

Anyone who seriously uses the words "you're doing nano wrong," can suck an egg.
Killjoy.
Do what you want. It's National Novel Writing Month. Celebrate and make merry as the spirit moves you.

 

[Sage]

Anyone who seriously uses the words "you're doing nano wrong," can suck an egg.
Killjoy.
Do what you want. It's National Novel Writing Month. Celebrate and make merry as the spirit moves you.

Exactly. Thank goodness it didn’t sour me to ever doing it.

 

[Nether]

tbh, I think all the same I want to start -- and hopefully finish -- a novel within NaNo (or just November?), because otherwise it feels like just any other month at this point.

And I'm starting to get excited about drafting my next novel, but I still need to finish drafting this pesky novel. I should fine, I think; there's still time left.

 

[Stytch]

tbh, I think all the same I want to start -- and hopefully finish -- a novel within NaNo (or just November?), because otherwise it feels like just any other month at this point.

And I'm starting to get excited about drafting my next novel, but I still need to finish drafting this pesky novel. I should fine, I think; there's still time left.

I'm supportive as all get out, but I always feel like reminding folks that, depending on genre, 50k is barely half a novel these days. This is an important detail that a lot of folks don't realize at first. Make sure you do your research on industry standards.

 

[Sage]

Is anyone else having trouble signing in to NaNo? I sign in, it shows me my novel, then immediately kicks me out.