# NaNoWriMo 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267 "2008-10-16T20:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/41 "2008-10-27T22:34:22Z")
I think I’ll do it again. I “won” in 2005 and 2006, but got the flu last November so I could barely stay awake most of the month, nevermind write. I don’t know what I’ll write about yet, though ☹ I want horror this time around, but non-derivative ideas aren’t coming to me. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/42 "2008-10-28T03:10:46Z")
I think I already posted in the other thread…oh well. Yes, I’m in again. I was a winner last year. My sister is going to try it this year, too. I’m not sure how I’m going to top the Elvis wedding scene I wrote last year, though. Most of my novel was crap, but some of it makes me laugh. ETA: I’m Tamex on the NaNoWriMo site as well. ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/43 "2008-10-28T03:48:56Z")
I did it five years in a row, never won. The best I ever got was about 25,000 words. I don’t know if I will try this year but I think my 14-year-old will. Maybe I’ll just be a NaNoCheerleader. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/44 "2008-10-28T04:14:46Z")
Hmmm. Maybe I’ll give it a shot. I’ve had several different ideas floating around that I never took a hack at, and this would definitely be a hack I never put down 50,000 words IN A ROW on a subject. Some of my e-mail buddies might say I have, but I think they’re overestimating a bit. 🙂 And yes, I swear I use paragraphs. Is there really a point to registering with the website, or is it about the same thing if I just do it and not tell them about it? ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/45 "2008-10-28T12:22:00Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Is there really a point to registering with the website, or is it about the same thing if I just do it and not tell them about it? By registering with the website you are publicly committing to writing your 50,000 words. If you just say you are going to do it and not register then you can get 10,000 words in and say, “meh, forget this” and no one is the wiser. If you are registered, your word count is out there for the whole world to see and if you give up everyone will know. (Theoretically anyway; I doubt someone is monitoring all 100,000+ registered writers to see what each of them are doing.) Since the whole purpose of the exercise is to encourage you to write and to finish what you start by providing a deadline and public feedback on what you are doing registration is pretty much part of the whole deal. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/46 "2008-10-28T12:26:05Z")
I got NO ideas. Time Travel? I have done that already? 1632 Universe? Too complex to keep to cannon. Space Opera? I suppose it would be easy enough. Erotica? I still have that inability to write using nasty words, which is limiting. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/47 "2008-10-28T12:42:16Z")
I’m in again… I’ve participated the last 5 years…won in 2006, got almost 40k last year, even if I didn’t win. Last year, I did the sequel to my 2006 winner, there’s still more story in those characters, but I’m not going to do them for NaNo again…I didn’t have a 50k story this time around, so I started hating some of them, due to the word pressure, so I had to back off. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/48 "2008-10-28T12:54:26Z")
Some ideas to inspire the momentarily lost: [ul] [li]Vampire Pirates.[/li][li]Ninja Monkeys.[/li][li]Ghost Werewolves.[/li][li]Radioactive Cockroaches.[/li][li]Ancient Roman Espionage.[/li][li]A blind man and deaf woman romance.[/li][li]A toad learns to talk.[/li][li]What if Hitler had been a woman?[/li][li]A bee and a wasp go on a cross country adventure and become best friends.[/li][li]Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy swap jobs.[/li][li]Bono from U2 falls on hard times and robs a bank.[/li][li]Billy the Kid wakes up in the year 2120. Or alternatively, a criminal from the future travels back in time to the 18th Century.[/li][li]As is ordained by their religion, a young man is kidnapped and secreted away to live a life as the country’s official virgin deflowerer.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/49 "2008-10-28T14:45:29Z")
Okay, after years of hearing about this I’m in. Just Some Guy over there as well. Since the goal is quantity not quality I’m going with a breezy, pulpish adventure story. It’s about a time traveling conspiracy among all of the one-term, ninteenth century US presidents battling Teddy Roosevelt and his sidekick Grover Cleveland (the only president to serve his second term first!). ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/50 "2008-10-28T16:48:19Z")
I’m in. Do you guys go to your regional meetings? That’s half the fun for me. This year I’ll be writing about a ghost haunting a library. If anyone has any library stories or ideas about who would be there after hours, legally or not, feel free to pass them on. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/51 "2008-10-28T17:09:37Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > 1632 Universe? Too complex to keep to cannon. So start in 1532 in another universe. Or 1432 and you can include Henry the Navigator. Or screw the 1532 aspects and go with a straight speculation of what would’ve happened if Portugal discovered the New World first. But any of those would require research and thought. NaNoWriMo is looking for throughput, not quality. Imagine yourself a pulp fiction writer from the 30s and just crank out the crap at an imagined penny a word. Genre fiction is easy to write, says the guys who has a barrier at 1500 words. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/52 "2008-10-28T17:16:17Z")
I’m in. I tried to do this without a computer (!!! --not recommended) about five years ago and I got about 5,000 words in before throwing in the towel. (I had to hand-count those words, too.) This time I’ve got a brand-new laptop and a clear monthly schedule, so I should be golden. > [@dropzone](#): > > But any of those would require research and thought. NaNoWriMo is looking for throughput, not quality. Imagine yourself a pulp fiction writer from the 30s and just crank out the crap at an imagined penny a word. Genre fiction is easy to write, says the guys who has a barrier at 1500 words. Yeah, this is key for me and anyone else who is plagued by self-doubt. From the NaNoWriMo website: > [@](#): > > Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly. Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that’s a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down. I’ll be repeating these words to myself often. Just write. No one need see your novel but you, so write whatever the hell you want, but write. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/53 "2008-10-28T17:38:06Z")
I’m gonna try for it… rather than have a plot, though, I’m going to write a series of familiar essays about a fictional topic. Sound cute? ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/54 "2008-10-28T18:22:15Z")
After years of waffling, I’m going for it this year. I now own a laptop, lack of which used to be my default rationalization for not doing it. I guess that excuse is gone. > [@dropzone](#): > > So start in 1532 in another universe. Or 1432 and you can include Henry the Navigator. Or screw the 1532 aspects and go with a straight speculation of what would’ve happened if Portugal discovered the New World first. Actually, I think going later might be easier and more interesting. Try writing something 150 years after the arrival of Grantville. That event will have changed things so much that there’s no history to research. There’d probably be a few things remaining that appear archaic from our view, but many things would actually be futuristic. Imagine the interplay of our tech and education with the population level of 1800. ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/55 "2008-10-28T21:49:30Z")
I’m in! First time and looking forward to it! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/56 "2008-10-28T22:00:23Z")
I’ve already done my writing exercise for the year, having written a feature film screenplay. Though that had only 20,000 words. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/57 "2008-10-28T22:46:33Z")
I’m doing it. For the sixth year running. My personal best, in 2006, was a bit over 160k - dunno if I can beat that this year (last year I only managed 125k), but I shall persevere … ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/58 "2008-10-29T00:17:43Z")
I’m going to cheer you guys from the sidelines this year. My writing module has been temporarily overrun by my politics and running module. Bleep! ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/59 "2008-10-29T15:12:43Z")
I’m in! This is my first year. I’m really doing this because I need a serious kick in the pants to get my creative juices flowing. I’m past due to be working on the projects I’ve been kicking around for years now. My husband is my cheerleader. I will be giving him word count updates. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267/60 "2008-10-29T15:38:47Z")
If I weren’t working full-time and teaching part-time and taking care of two kids and electioneering and doing fundraising consulting and trying to catch up with old friends and family members…then yeah this would be the year. Maybe I can do this in February instead. Oddly, I have scads of ideas. Just not enough time to put them down. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nanowrimo-2008/468267.md?page=4)