Write1Sub1 Novel?

Izz

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I've been giving this a bit of thought since it was mentioned in the bar.

Would current W1S1 peeps be keen to do this? If so, what are your thoughts as to what shape it should take?

Zanzjan (iirc) mentioned that shaping the challenge around the calender year might be a bit difficult, because it could mean playing catch-up during the holiday period. So, if we were to do this, how would a start date of August 1st sound (or any other time you might want to suggest)?

I'm thinking i might ask Mac if we could poll the community to see how many peeps would be keen to participate. If there's enough interest, perhaps petitioning her for a specific W1S1 Novel subforum might be a good idea. If there's not too much interest, we could just have a separate progress thread in here.

What think you all? What suggestions do you have towards how such a challenge should work?

ETA: of course, i'd have to ask Milo, Stephen and Simon if we could borrow the 'Write1Sub1' name from them for this.
 
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MattJ

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I definitely would. I think Suzanne has a great point, but I think August might be too soon --- you wouldn't want the new challenge to derail the old one.

Perhaps 1 Nov? Then crazy idiots like me who want to finish W1S1 and do the novels would be able to.
 
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Smish

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Hmmm. I'd participate. But I'm not sure where the subforum, or if no subforum, a stickied thread for participants, would be? Surely, Short Fiction wouldn't be the appropriate room. Though a lot of us would participate, a Write1Sub1 Novel challenge would appeal to lots of folks who never venture into our lovely forum.
 

Smish

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I definitely would. I think Suzanne has a great point, but I think August might be too soon --- you wouldn't want the new challenge to derail the old one.

Perhaps 1 Nov? Then crazy idiots who want to finish W1S1 and do the novels would be able to.

Isn't November NaNoWriMo month? I could be totally wrong, since I've never actually participated in that one. :rolleyes:
 

Aggy B.

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November is NaNoWriMo, but I'm not sure that would be a bad thing, pairing it up with a Novel W1S1. That way people wanting to start from scratch could ride the big push of novel writing to get a rough draft done, then use the remaining eleven months to polish, write the query, etc.

I would totally love to do this, by the way. I think I've already said that, but I'm saying it again. Just so you know.

:)
 

MattJ

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Samuel,

I wonder if you should start a thread about it in the Novel section.

I agree with Aggy. NaNoWriMo would let people get a big push, and let us slower folk take our time.

PS: Never mind. I forget you're on the opposite time zone. I'll start a thread.

PSS: Okay, I guess I shouldn't have started that thread! Sorry! Live and learn.
 
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Izz

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PSS: Okay, I guess I shouldn't have started that thread! Sorry! Live and learn.
Enthusiasm's good, Matt :)

However, i had been hoping to wait a few days before throwing it to the community at large so we could formulate a better idea of how the challenge would actually work. Plus, because it's something that would be hosted here, i'd need to ask MacAllister, the board owner, for permission.

And i kinda figured there'd be some peeps who wouldn't like the idea at face value ;) (and who probably still won't like it after all the nuances have been explained, which is cool, because everybody's allowed an opinion).

Later on today i'll ask Mac, and perhaps clarify things in that thread. Now, though, i better get ready for work :)
 

Izz

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Mac is enthusiastic about the idea too, which is great :)

(perhaps it's a measure of how cynical short story rejection has made me, because when she liked the idea straightaway i was momentarily suspicious :D)

I've also asked the W1S1 short fiction trio, and all three of them like the idea, and might be keen to participate themselves.

So, we need to flesh this out a bit more. I'm still waiting to hear back from the novel and other short fiction mods as to any ideas they might have, as well as any difficulties they can foresee.

One of the ideas put forward by Stephen Ramey (and extrapolated on by myself) is to have various different challenge options. Perhaps things like CaWNaY (Chapter a Week, Novel a Year), and WEWE (Write-Edit-Write-Edit)--both Stephen's ideas. Anything else you can think of?

Some writers might find a novel a year too slow, so they could choose to do an increased version of the challenge, if they wanted. Some might take longer than a year to write and polish a novel, so there could be an option to write one novel while polishing another. Or perhaps a percentage goal might work for some (i aim to complete 75% of my first draft this year, etc).

Also, i don't see any reason why the novel challenge and the short fiction challenge couldn't run concurrently. Some peeps might want to do both, some might prefer one over the other. I'd certainly like to see the short fiction challenge become an ongoing thing, week by week, month by month.

Matt, i hope i didn't give the impression in my last post that you shouldn't have started that thread in Novels. Enthusiasm is good, and initiative good, too. I'm personally going to hold off posting in that thread until i hear back from at least one of the Novel forum mods, but when i'm about to post i'll flick you a PM, Matt, because i think it might be a good idea to include a poll so we can get some idea of numbers, which'll need you to edit your OP.

Hopefully that all makes sense. It's been one of those days where i've been mixing words and thoughts up, so if the post doesn't make sense give me a good slap and tell me what's off.

Cheers
Izz
 
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AnnieColleen

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There's also a Two-Year Novel course out there, but that one (usually) costs, & is a much more specific program than I think we're talking about.

I definitely like the idea of a time-limited finish-the-novel challenge (with adjustments for individual pace)...I have multiple first drafts sitting around, but I'm still muddling through how to put together a coherent second draft.

I'm thinking also there should be an individual adjustment possible if at the end of the year the writer doesn't feel they have a submittable manuscript (assuming that by "sub1" here we mean the whole query/send it out the door process). In that situation, I'd say the challenge would become...what am I going to do to bring it up to submittable quality? Critique group, revision plan, further reading/study, etc. A concrete means to move forward towards subbing. I don't think anyone here would necessarily rush to query just because the challenge said they should! But some kind of acknowledgment of individual learning curves would be nice to have explicitly included.

Watching to see how this goes, regardless. :)
 
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GreenRoom

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So, we need to flesh this out a bit more.

One of the ideas put forward by Stephen Ramey (and extrapolated on by myself) is to have various different challenge options. Perhaps things like CaWNaY (Chapter a Week, Novel a Year), and WEWE (Write-Edit-Write-Edit)--both Stephen's ideas. Anything else you can think of?
WEWE makes me thing of a toddler in need of a toilet.
Some writers might find a novel a year too slow, so they could choose to do an increased version of the challenge, if they wanted. Some might take longer than a year to write and polish a novel, so there could be an option to write one novel while polishing another. Or perhaps a percentage goal might work for some (i aim to complete 75% of my first draft this year, etc).

I do like the idea of variable goals to fit the person. I tend to think either percent (based on an estimated/goal word count) or chapter (based on an estimated/goal number of chapters) makes the most sense as a baseline to track.

Also, i don't see any reason why the novel challenge and the short fiction challenge couldn't run concurrently. Some peeps might want to do both, some might prefer one over the other. I'd certainly like to see the short fiction challenge become an ongoing thing, week by week, month by month.
I, too, would like to see the short fiction challenge continue.

Personally, I'd like the novel challenge to begin either in November or January.
 

Izz

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Keep the suggestions coming, peeps.

On the start date: are y'all liking November 1st, or would something else work better for you? Perhaps even October 1st?
 

zanzjan

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I'm liking Nov. 1st, because I can catch the NaNo energy-wave a bit but not stress about not hitting 50k at the end of the month. But starting at another time isn't any kind of deal-breaker for me unless y'all decide to start next week.

-Suzanne
 

alexshvartsman

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My personal goal has been to dedicate this year to writing short fiction and generally improving my writing, then tackling a novel in 2012. I'll still hang out with you guys on the forum/subforum/park bench/wherever this novel W1S1 thing would take place and cheer the lot of you along :)
 

Smish

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November 1 sounds good to me, too. However, I'd have no objection to starting earlier.
 

soapdish

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Ah, so here is the conversation that started the other thread. :rolleyes:

I thought we were referencing a few posts in the check-in lounge.

This makes much more sense now.

Like Alex, I was looking at 2012 to start my novel challenge. But I could start in November, catching the Nano energy could be a good thing. I can always do a couple quick flash pieces in Nov/Dec to finish out my W1S1 short fiction goals. I'll try to conform to whatever the majority decides.
 

Nathaniel Katz

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This is a very cool idea, and I agree that November's the way to do it, so that the 50k from NaNo (for those who take advantage) would be a huge help. I'm not totally sure that I'll have sated my short story lust, but I'll definitely consider switching tracks.
 

Izz

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November 1st sounds like the plan, then.

Personally, i'm hoping to do both challenges concurrently. Drop back to the monthly short fiction challenge so i can fir the yearly in.

Here's a logo that Simon Kewin's done up, in line with the other W1S1 logos:
Write1Sub1Yearly.jpg


Thoughts?
 

Nathaniel Katz

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It seems like it could be mistaken for an insanely laid back version of the story challenge. Perhaps the addition of the word novel would help? Just my thoughts.
 

Izz

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It seems like it could be mistaken for an insanely laid back version of the story challenge. Perhaps the addition of the word novel would help? Just my thoughts.
Good idea. Perhaps the 2011 could be substituted with the word 'novel'?
 

zanzjan

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Personally, i'm hoping to do both challenges concurrently. Drop back to the monthly short fiction challenge so i can fir the yearly in.

That's probably what I will do as well, although since I'm already having trouble with the one-short-a-month thing, it might become every other.

-Suzanne
 

Izz

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I had a big post drafted up for the thread in novels, but i've just received an email from one of the guys behind W1S1, Short Fiction, and i need to think on that some more before putting the call out there across AW.
 

Izz

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I've let the W1S1 guys know we'll be doing our own thing, but will likely advertise their blog and challenge when it comes closer to Jan.

Also, here's a rather long advertisement in Matt's thread in Novels.