# National Novel Writing Month 2005--Who's In? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 20, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099 "2005-10-20T16:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/121 "2005-11-01T14:10:08Z")
Wow, that was a productive first session. 3350 freaking words. Man, can I write crap when I have to. I’d better go have a lie down now. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/122 "2005-11-01T14:13:10Z")
> [@Priceguy](#): > > Wow, that was a productive first session. 3350 freaking words. Man, can I write crap when I have to. I’d better go have a lie down now. congrats priceguy. I wrote my first session on the buses to work. 1045 words. That’s, what, about 2% of the target?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/123 "2005-11-01T14:23:47Z")
I failed miserably this morning, but I’m blaming it on the lack of coffee. The computer system we use for all work-related things is down at the moment, so I’m hoping to crank some stuff out now, as long as I’m sitting here. 🙂 **JimSox** , good idea with the writing buddies … I’ll have to add you all so I have even more people to complain to. 😃 ---
**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:** [November 1, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/124 "2005-11-01T15:12:02Z")
What is a writing buddy? What does it do? I’m poking at the buttons but I don’t understand! 450 words. Gah. ---
**Author:** ![merrily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@merrily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrily)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/125 "2005-11-01T15:16:33Z")
I did some before work, around 1300, this is going to be easy… …except that, with all the preparation I did (an outline and a name list) I found out that I still have a lot of names to invent for the more minor characters as I go along. Crap. I’m bad at names. I’ve been using name generators, but you still need to find a name that sort of fits. Oh, well. But I’ve been straining at the bit to start, and it is lovely to finally be able to. Feel free to throw these words back in my face by the end of the month. Hey, by then I’m sure I can any words thrown at me. Tip of the day: French names, like de la whatever. Counts as 3 words. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/126 "2005-11-01T15:49:54Z")
> [@merrily](#): > > …except that, with all the preparation I did (an outline and a name list) I found out that I still have a lot of names to invent for the more minor characters as I go along. Crap. I’m bad at names. I’ve been using name generators, but you still need to find a name that sort of fits… A great tip I picked up off the bbs: use your spam folder! It’s chock full of names, and they have the benefit of being ones you didn’t come up with, so they’re less likely to fall into an annoying pattern. Here are the first 10 in my folder: Mike Cano, David de Lis, Lynn Watson, Leticia Cumings, Mila Yung, Marcos Childress, Brooke Eastman, Frederick Lowry, Lucien Lake, and Adrianna Beatty. Great names, eh? Feel free to help yourself to any you like. I’ve got hundreds more, dozens arriving each day… ---
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/127 "2005-11-01T17:20:18Z")
[Monty Python]Good idea, oh Lord! OF COURSE IT’S A GOOD IDEA![/MP] ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/128 "2005-11-01T20:38:15Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Oh hell, I forgot to register. Damn. Can’t you still register? I don’t think registration closed at midnight Hallowe’en. Or did it? > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Here are the first 10 in my folder: Mike Cano, David de Lis, Lynn Watson, Leticia Cumings, Mila Yung, Marcos Childress, Brooke Eastman, Frederick Lowry, Lucien Lake, and Adrianna Beatty. You can also mix’n’match, swapping last names and first names around, if you feel creative. Playing with names should kill a few hours. I have no idea where I’ll start. I think I’ll start by describing a tree. Gah! ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/129 "2005-11-01T23:15:46Z")
I wrote a thousand words last night after midnight, a thousand this morning, and two thousand more today from spending every minute between classes in the computer lab and writing during my music technology class because I got the work done quickly. And I thought I’d be too busy! ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/130 "2005-11-01T23:29:41Z")
I have just discovered that Microsoft Word will automatically add the _r_ to _harbinger_, if you happen to forget it. Unfortunately, I wasn’t _forgetting_ the _r_, but why I was trying to use _harbinge_ as a verb, I absolutely couldn’t tell you. I can’t decide if I need more or less caffeine. Man, I love November. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/131 "2005-11-01T23:33:59Z")
I’m about 150 words behind schedule, but my brain refuses to come up with a coherant version of this scene. \>\_\< ---
**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:** [November 2, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/132 "2005-11-02T00:12:30Z")
I’m embarrassingly pleased about cracking 1000. My standards are low, but that’s what makes me so fun to hang out with. Right? _crickets_ _sob_ ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/133 "2005-11-02T00:45:34Z")
Just over 2,300 words at this point, IIRC. More importantly, I think I found my voice, so to speak, as I was unsure whose perspective it’d be in. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/134 "2005-11-02T01:07:35Z")
Took a break to eat dinner, and am hovering around 1,200 words. I think my difficulty lies in the fact that I’m trying to make sure the humor level stays constant throughout all points of view, and I’ve never tried to write anything funny from a male perspective. My female characters are a hoot, but I guess I just don’t have a firm enough grasp of how funny guys think. Ah, I don’t give a damn if it’s awful right now. Just keep writing. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/135 "2005-11-02T01:34:02Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > A great tip I picked up off the bbs: use your spam folder! It’s chock full of names, and they have the benefit of being ones you didn’t come up with, so they’re less likely to fall into an annoying pattern. Great suggestion! At first glance I see Fanny Harding, which would be an awesome name for the aunt. My Aunt Fanny. ROFL 😃 **Feydeau** , I’m stealing your sig line. Sorry, I ran out of Original. All in all, it took me _four steenkin’ hours_ to write the minimum daily pages to meet the target on time. I read it takes most people about two hours. I’m wrung out. **I learned some things today:** \*- song lyrics add to wordcount - 3 diet pepsis is too much caffeine for me, requiring midday wine to conteract (which is not a healthy trend to begin) - I need to be reading something fantastical, sexy, humorous, and edgy to keep my writing from becoming insipid - my fornit is malfunctioning - my new favorite word is insipid: inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid - writing makes me hungry (another bad thing I must avoid) - my internal editor lacks an off-switch\* ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/136 "2005-11-02T01:59:30Z")
> [@brightpenny](#): > > **I learned some things today:** > \*- song lyrics add to wordcount > > - 3 diet pepsis is too much caffeine for me, requiring midday wine to conteract (which is not a healthy trend to begin) > - I need to be reading something fantastical, sexy, humorous, and edgy to keep my writing from becoming insipid > - my fornit is malfunctioning > - my new favorite word is insipid: inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid inspipid > - writing makes me hungry (another bad thing I must avoid) > - my internal editor lacks an off-switch\* This whole process is wonderful for teaching one things about oneself. For instance, I’ve discovered that I have an extraordinary talent for not maintaining a verb tense. I’m good at it. Real good. I can switch mid-sentence without breaking stride. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/137 "2005-11-02T02:12:45Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > For instance, I’ve discovered that I have an extraordinary talent for not maintaining a verb tense. I’m good at it. Real good. I can switch mid-sentence without breaking stride. I can write a whole paragraph in one sentence if you give me enough commas. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/138 "2005-11-02T02:59:24Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I can write a whole paragraph in one sentence if you give me enough commas. _sigh_ **Draelin** ’s new novella, tentatively titled “Run On You Crazy Sentence” Make it a whole chapter and we’ll be impressed 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/139 "2005-11-02T03:29:49Z")
3,451 and I’m almost asleep at the keyboard. Here’s hoping I stay on schedule tomorrow. Goodnight, everybody! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jaade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@Jaade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaade)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099/140 "2005-11-02T04:07:54Z")
I’m a little late, but I’m in, thanks to this thread. I’d been meaning to write this down on the calendar all month but I’d forgotten until I saw this thread today. Thanks!! I started around 10:30 PM EST. (How odd, I said EST and it really is. I usually use that abbreviation all year 'round) Anywho, I simply must get to bed tonight but I wrote 154 words in about 15 minutes after getting signed up. There’s been a character just waiting around in my head for ten years waiting for me to figure out why she’s sitting on the edge of a cliff. I guess I get to find out now!! ~J [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-novel-writing-month-2005-whos-in/327099.md?page=8)