# The NaNoWriMo Support Group for Novice Novel Writers with Too Much Time Thread! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081 "2004-10-07T19:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/181 "2004-11-05T20:27:05Z")
Due to election craziness and other things, I did comparatively little (about 1300 words combined) on Wednesday and Thursday. So my average dipped and for a little bit, I was actually not on pace to finish this month. But I’m feeling more in the groove today, I’ve already done about 1600 words. I’m fixating on the numbers a little too much, but I’m close to 10K overall and moving along. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/182 "2004-11-06T02:00:24Z")
I stopped after 10 percent and gave myself two days off. Tomorrow is our slowest day at work, so I expect to get back on pace with no trouble by the end of tomorrow. ---
**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 7, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/183 "2004-11-07T02:04:41Z")
Oh dear. I’ve hit a new low. I just wrote 400 words on the ways to alleviate gas pressure at a well head. Someone stop me before I bore again! ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/184 "2004-11-07T02:50:05Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Oh dear. I’ve hit a new low. I just wrote 400 words on the ways to alleviate gas pressure at a well head. Someone stop me before I bore again! I wish I had your problem. 400 words is like an entire chapter for me - I feel like I’ll finish my storyline well before I hit fifty grand. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/185 "2004-11-07T02:52:03Z")
I hit 1200 words and promptly stopped, due to the election and the fact that _South Park_ stole my novel idea (last Wednesday’s episode, the one about Walmart). I don’t think I can catch up now. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/186 "2004-11-07T04:41:16Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > I hit 1200 words and promptly stopped, due to the election and the fact that _South Park_ stole my novel idea (last Wednesday’s episode, the one about Walmart). I don’t think I can catch up now. I wouldn’t sweat it. You have 50,000 words in which to explore and develop your theme. **South Park** has half an hour, crappy animation, and the occasional bad celebrity impression. (Not that I’m knocking **South Park** - I love the show. But your story will be different. I swear.) Besides, people have been further behind and come back to win it. But you can’t win if you stop now. So don’t do it. Keep plugging. ---
**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 7, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/187 "2004-11-07T21:33:14Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I just wrote 400 words on the ways to alleviate gas pressure at a well head. I use Metamucil. I’m not convinced it works; but it does ease the mind. I think I hit 8,400 or 8,600 today. I still have no concept of how many words translates into how much prose. Fun story: I was dictionary browsing and stopped at the “Book Warehouse,” discount bookstore. There I found for next to nothing was The Word Museum. It’s great. Since my story is stuck in the fantasy genre, I’ve been going through and Book-Darting words to use in the story. I think it will end up helping me fill out the story because I’m finding such great fantasy-world words that I need to come up with ways to use them. You can be damn sure that there’ll be an incident with an upknocker in there somewhere. Also there was Choose the Right Word which is another gem. I would like to see a much expanded version of that book. I would save up for that. ---
**Author:** ![BrattiAtti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@BrattiAtti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrattiAtti)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/188 "2004-11-08T01:24:03Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > 400 words is like an entire chapter for me - I feel like I’ll finish my storyline well before I hit fifty grand. Me, too. I hit the 8,000 mark yesterday, but barely. I had been in a funk over the word count, but I had a breakthrough and realized it was just the loser half of my brain looking for an excuse to quit before I fail. I figured out that replacing the mantra of “get the word count up” with “just worry about this chapter, not the story line, and THERE IS NO WORD COUNT, DAMN IT!” I did much better. 😃 ---
**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 8, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/189 "2004-11-08T03:31:17Z")
I just banged out 1,300 words while doing something else. I made it my new excerpt. I’m just amazed that I can produce that much that quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/190 "2004-11-08T13:58:14Z")
I discovered that the story I’m writing is just the latest version of something I’ve been writing on and off for the last ten years. As a result, I have nearly 20,000 words because I already knew exactly where the story was going. And I took yesterday off. _sigh_ I feel like I’m cheating, but I figure the stuff I already had in my head can’t be more than about 15K words, and the way I’m going, I’m going to end up with at least 65,000, so I feel justified. And the hand-me-down laptop from Dad should arrive today–there’ll be no stopping me, then. ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/191 "2004-11-09T19:24:27Z")
Okay, I’ve thrown out all of my work and started over with a new voice and style. 1564 words in 30 minutes, though! ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/192 "2004-11-09T19:40:18Z")
Well, I’m done with NaNo for this year. No, I didn’t finish, it’s just a bad time of year for me, stress wise. I might do it in like, April, when there isn’t so much pressure with family and work stuff. ---
**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 9, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/193 "2004-11-09T20:04:03Z")
I hit 12,925 last night. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/194 "2004-11-09T20:34:37Z")
I didn’t even get started until today, which is really pathetic. I don’t like starting any story unless I’m completely ready and unfortunately I wasn’t ready on the first. Or second. Or third and, well, you get the picture. But now that I have everything ready in my mind, I’m off and writing. I probably won’t get 50,000 done. ---
**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 9, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/195 "2004-11-09T21:05:15Z")
**Draelin** , you’re smokin’! I’m at 11,438, so half of my brain says “Woo hoo!” while the other half says “You lazy bum, write! Write!” Is anyone else doing a mystery? I’ve read the whole thread, but I can’t remember a darn thing. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/196 "2004-11-09T21:06:24Z")
I’m at 10,259 at the moment. Yes, I’m still behind, but I feel like I’ve jumped some walls in the last couple days. The words are flowing more easily and I’ve somewhat gotten into the habit of just sitting down and typing without worrying too much about the logistics. Yes, I’d never make it as a commercial writer. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/197 "2004-11-09T21:17:12Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > **Draelin** , you’re smokin’! Well, I’ve always thought of myself as merely attractive, but … 😃 I’m actually scared to death that I’m going to hit a big, giant wall pretty soon. I had a brief case of writers’ block on Sunday, but solved it by writing three pages of porn. I _swear_ I only meant to do some stream-of-consciousness crap, but what came out can only be termed “smut.” I guess we all know where my mind was at the time. Not that it ever actually leaves there … I should shut up now. My mother was kind enough to send me her old laptop–which, as it turns out, has Windows 95, no floppy drive, and a bum battery. And, of course, the damned thing’s so old I can’t even _find_ a battery for it–but this, my friends, is what E-Bay is for. 🙂 I’ve also come to the conclusion that I’m almost halfway done with my word-count, but not even a third of the way done with the story. I may have bitten off more than I can chew … but I don’t know, I can chew a _lot_ sometimes. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/198 "2004-11-09T21:31:55Z")
'cos I’m on a roll and the words just keep coming, here’s a sample to satiate the screaming fans: > [@](#): > > The Indians began dying, which was mostly cool with the Europeans, > since, hey, now the land’s all theirs, > No need for muskets, for bayonets, for the armies with the pain and the hurting, > The armies of Europe, with cannon, and sergeants, and sieges, > And the really cool plumed hats on the halberdiers, > You know, the guys with the big axes who stand around the Pope? > Those guys. They’re snappy dressers. > But the Europeans were happy, and praised God for striking down the pagan, > And Zeus, snickering Zeus, he was waiting for the punchline, > His punchline, which was about to alleviate millenia of boredom, > This punchline: those Indians weren’t staying dead. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/199 "2004-11-09T22:34:19Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I’m actually scared to death that I’m going to hit a big, giant wall pretty soon. I had a brief case of writers’ block on Sunday, but solved it by writing three pages of porn. I _swear_ I only meant to do some stream-of-consciousness crap, but what came out can only be termed “smut.” I guess we all know where my mind was at the time. Not that it ever actually leaves there … I should shut up now. _takes notes_ Now where’s this smu… er, story, stored? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/200 "2004-11-09T22:57:30Z")
I’m up to 6000 words. Still not sure I’m going to finish, but it’s looking better. Something that really helped was writing really short chapters–my chapters are usually somewhere around 3500 words long but these ones are around a thousand. That means I can write a chapter in one sitting. So if I’m writing something and getting really sick of it, I can force myself to get to the end of the chapter and squeeze out another couple of hundred words. Also, there’s a scene change/minor character change every other chapter. That helps keep things interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081.md?page=11)