Is it “okay” by the rules to put 50K words into something you’ve already started? I was going gangbusters on a novel until for some reason I haven’t been working on it lately.
I want to do this, but I realize I have no story ideas in my head right now.
I have tried before, but I usually only make it about 50 words in then remember how shitty of a writer I am, and switch to NaNoDriMo.
Yes, a great many people have written sequels. As long as you don’t work on an existing story, it’s fine that it’d be a sequel to something else. Fanfiction also is allowed, and people don’t even create the characters themselves in that case.
Zsofia, on the other hand, would be violating the idea of writing a new story. They’re not going to fine you or anything, but working on an existing story isn’t considered sporting.
I’d love to do this, but it’s always seemed impossible for me. I’m the worst procrastinator in the world, and while I’m pretty good with sudden fiction and short stories, I’ve never written a single novel-length work.
This, however, might help. It is PAINFUL for me to keep writing sometimes, as I never know what to write next, and I’m always going back and editing. (Hell, I’m doing that right now.) I’ve been known to take hours to write a three-paragraph livejournal post. I think this tool would be very valuable.
I need an idea, though, and I haven’t done any serious writing in…a year, maybe? I won’t have a problem with the “no prior writing” rule, since all my other stuff was lost when my old computer died. I just need to get back in the groove. I suppose there are also some logistical things to work out, since I don’t have my own computer right now. Time to dig out my flash drive, I guess.
I dunno, I might make this year a practice year, and then do it for real next year. I could also do some practice writing over these next few weeks, just so I can get my chops back.
My story was crap, complete crap. I couldn’t even go back and reread it if I wanted to it was so bad. But I finished it. I don’t plan on doing it again, but it was a good way to get that story out of my head.
Nuts. I guess when they send me that bazillion dollar advance I’ll just cry myself to sleep on a pile of money. 
I’d love to try this sort of thing but I just don’t have the talent. Or, for that matter, the ideas. And probably not the time, either. I wouldn’t have a prayer.
All you smart creative people make me feel like a dork.
It’s kinda like karaoke. The point is not to be talented, the point is to have fun.
I have ideas ( Vampires or Post ww3-time travel, maybe combining the two in a burst of caffeinated frenzy.)but I have to sort them out properly and don’t have the time to hand write them out like I use to.
Any ideas.
I’m entertaining writing a horror story, or maybe suspense - whatever. All I know is that it involves rebuilding a Las Vegas casino, with a love triangle and a murdered person (persons) that are trying to make their history/will/whatever known. My last two Nanos are historical fiction, 1850’s type stuff. I think this one will be more personal and should be fun since my main character, like myself, has grown up here. Of course, she’s thinner and smarter than I am ;)!
Okay, assuming I manage to make time this year, help me pick a theme from the ones currently on the back burner:
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Fantasy-noir detective is drawn into intrigue via a grisly murder that does not involve a vampire, and is alternately aided and needled by a sarcastic medical examiner. (Dark heroic.)
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Miss Victoria and the Secret of the Steam Symphony–An agent of an all-female steampunk secret society must save London from the fiendish orchestrations of a mad conductor. (Silly.)
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A time-traveling psychologist wrestles with his conscience as he attempts to ensure that history follows the “proper” course. (Frankly depressing, and I’m leaning toward making it a short story instead.)
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A new campaign in the cola wars in a post-apocalyptic transhuman future leads to an outbreak of an alien nanite virus. A psychic nanotech hacker must trace the outbreak to its source and put an end to it. (Just plain weird.)
Anyone have a preference?
Thanks for the clarification, StarvingButStrong and Elfkin477. My current story-in-progress is pretty much my characters bouncing from one situation to another like big balls of pure instinct. My sequel was always intended to go deeper into their psyches and backgrounds as well as the consequences of their actions in the first book. It just wouldn’t feel “right” to start adding flashbacks and more serious expository thoughts to the current story - it’ll jar the narrative feel, which is kind of simplistic. Now I need to do a little digging on 1970s Belfast slang.
I like Bosstone’s post too. Even though my sequel is meant to be more OMG SEERIUS DRAMAZ I’m still going to keep that attitude of fun. After all, none of this stuff is ever going to get within a country mile of an editor’s desk.
I don’t have time for a novel this year - I’ve got two plays to write, and I’m finding that’s more than enough work for now.
This seemed like a good place to throw a shout out over our own SDMB Short Fiction contests. I’m hoping to run another one in October, if anyone is interested in a warm-up. To pique your interest, the stories from this month’s contest are still available for your consideration and commentary, and we could always use some more voters.
I have a great idea for a story, the problem is that I’m stuck on how I should approach the first several chapters: without giving away many details the idea is for the bulk of the story to occur when the protagonist is about halfway through her program at a standard-issue fantastic (pseudo) British boarding school + university, making her around 16-20 for most of the tale. The issue is that for her situation to make any sense whatsoever I either need to begin with her recruitment and then skip ahead, or rapid-summarize. The story’s premise works better if the reader buys into it gradually, which makes a fast summary sound silly, but on the flip side I have no idea how to write lines that sound natural coming from children/adolescents, and I’m concerned that it would sound weird to have a bunch of 12 year olds standing around swearing and soliloquizing like adults.
I’m definitely interested - wanted to participate but just got my new laptop so didn’t have anything to write with until two days ago.
I like this one best, but considering the series I’m working on is esentially an Urban Fantasy Murder Mystery (a woman who has the power to bring certain kinds of dead people back to life helps the local police track a killer who is purposely murdering people in a way that keeps them from being able to come back), I might be a bit biased towards mixing of genres 
Take a while and give it some thought. I know a lot of people in real life and in cyberspace both who won with nano stories they didn’t even begin thinking about until late October of the same year. And everyone should remember that outlining, unlike writing scenes, ahead of time is fine by the rules.
Will people hate me if I suggest one with winter/holiday stimuli for the first weekend of December, too? I love holiday stories, and December 3-5th might not yet be too crazy for people preparing for Christmas/Hanukah/Solstice…
Urban fantasy is hot right now. The story I’m planning on writing is one too…sort of. In my defense, I’ve been thinking about writing it for something like 6 years now. 
I’m hoping what I turn out after refinement is something a bit better than a fanfic and something worth shopping around, but I’m trying not to pin hopes on that. At the very least, if you won last year you could get a free copy of your manuscript in paperback format, and I hope I can get that this year.
Thanks, elfkin.
As to this:
I wonder…several years ago, eleanorigby asked if I would follow up my 13-day Halloween story with a Christmas story. I considered doing a Twelve Days of Christmas story, but couldn’t come up with anything; maybe I’ll revisit the notion. The format wouldn’t suit the Ministre’s contest, though, I fear.
A couple of crazy questions on the rules:
Is it OK to prepare a plot outline prior to November 1? No real writing, just an outline and a couple of character names and domiciles. I’ve written (and published) exactly one short story, and I’ll never re-use those characters, so it’s not like I’m clinging to anything old. I just like to see where I’m going.
Aaaaaand my other questions (pertaining to pre-11/1 research) were answered above. I’m planning on writing something like a cross between *Carrie *and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I’d like to skim both first and also re-read Bright Lights, Big City.