# 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:** 11
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/201 "2004-11-10T03:47:13Z")
I just had to point out [this thread](http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=15463&forum=153) over on the NaNo boards which makes me thoroughly sick. šŸ™‚ Anyone over here even close to finishing 50k yet? I thought I was crazy when last year I finished on Nov. 19, and Iā€™m nowhere near that this year. Oh, Iā€™m so close to 20k now, but Iā€™m tired. Feh. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/202 "2004-11-10T15:19:43Z")
I was over 20K, but then realized that the story wasnā€™t supposed to go that way, so Iā€™m back down to 17. _sigh_ ---
**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 10, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/203 "2004-11-10T15:28:46Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I was over 20K, but then realized that the story wasnā€™t supposed to go that way, so Iā€™m back down to 17. _sigh_ You didnā€™t get rid of the smut, did you? **Please** tell me you didnā€™t get rid of the smut. Sometimesā€¦ smutā€¦ is all we have. All you need is smut! Smut lift us up where we belong! Okay, Iā€™ll be good now. ---
**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 10, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/204 "2004-11-10T15:29:54Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I was over 20K, but then realized that the story wasnā€™t supposed to go that way, so Iā€™m back down to 17. _sigh_ All you need is an extended dream sequence! ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/205 "2004-11-10T15:34:06Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > You didnā€™t get rid of the smut, did you? **Please** tell me you didnā€™t get rid of the smut. Sometimesā€¦ smutā€¦ is all we have. All you need is smut! Smut lift us up where we belong! The smutā€™s in a different fileā€“and you _bet_ I kept it. šŸ™‚ A couple weeks ago, I bought a book called _The Best American Erotica_, or something like that. It is most assuredly not the best, and the fact that I wrote something better when not even trying proves it. And you forgot ā€œGive me smut or give me death!ā€ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**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 10, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/206 "2004-11-10T15:37:12Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > The smutā€™s in a different fileā€“and you _bet_ I kept it. šŸ™‚ A couple weeks ago, I bought a book called _The Best American Erotica_, or something like that. It is most assuredly not the best, and the fact that I wrote something better when not even trying proves it. > > And you forgot ā€œGive me smut or give me death!ā€ šŸ˜ƒ Iā€™d just like to, at this juncture, point out that the SDMB email functionality for my account is enabled, should you require any proofreading of the material. Whereā€™s a halo smiley when you need one? ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/207 "2004-11-10T16:01:17Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Iā€™d just like to, at this juncture, point out that the SDMB email functionality for my account is enabled, should you require any proofreading of the material. Hey, Iā€™m still embarrassed to read it _myself_, let alone send it to anyone. šŸ™‚ I wouldnā€™t want to ruin your high opinion of me by showing you the filthy insides of my mind. ---
**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 10, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/208 "2004-11-10T16:39:20Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > I wouldnā€™t want to ruin your high opinion of me by showing you the filthy insides of my mind. Clearly, you do not yet understand the workings of my mind, for thisā€¦ is an impossibility. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/209 "2004-11-10T19:02:42Z")
> [@lel](#): > > I just had to point out [this thread](http://www.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=15463&forum=153) over on the NaNo boards which makes me thoroughly sick. šŸ™‚ Anyone over here even close to finishing 50k yet? I thought I was crazy when last year I finished on Nov. 19, and Iā€™m nowhere near that this year. > > Oh, Iā€™m so close to 20k now, but Iā€™m tired. Feh. Those people worry me ā€¦ I thought I was doing fairly well, but reading that thread is just depressing. ---
**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 10, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/210 "2004-11-10T23:45:50Z")
> [@Steve Wright](#): > > Those people worry me ā€¦ I thought I was doing fairly well, but reading that thread is just depressing. If I knew one of those people Iā€™d simply have to hate them. Oh, and steal a few thousand words. They have so many, how could they miss 5000? 14,302 and counting. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/211 "2004-11-10T23:59:36Z")
19,303. You may hate me. (And my characters are finally about to _do_ something, instead of just _talking_ all the bloody time. Which is nice.) ---
**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 11, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/212 "2004-11-11T00:08:13Z")
> [@Steve Wright](#): > > 19,303. You may hate me. > > (And my characters are finally about to _do_ something, instead of just _talking_ all the bloody time. Which is nice.) Whoa, whoa. You have _dialogue_? Well, look whoā€™s getting all uppity! Next thing you know youā€™ll have things like exposition and subplots! So, uh, can I borrow summaā€™dat dialogue? Please? I canā€™t write a conversation between two amoebas. ---
**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 11, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/213 "2004-11-11T00:40:12Z")
> [@Steve Wright](#): > > 19,303. You may hate me. Oh, rest assured that I do. I do. ---
**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 11, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/214 "2004-11-11T00:42:19Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > So, uh, can I borrow summaā€™dat dialogue? Please? I canā€™t write a conversation between two amoebas. The one thing I can do is write dialogue. Lots and lots of dialogue. The idea of settings and description is completely beyond me, however. ---
**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 11, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/215 "2004-11-11T00:51:26Z")
> [@Draelin](#): > > And you forgot ā€œGive me smut or give me death!ā€ šŸ˜ƒ Not to mention > [@Tom Lehrer](#): > > Smut! > Give me smut and nothing but! > A dirty novel I canā€™t shut > If itā€™s uncut > And unsubt- > Tle. Sometime this weekend, my brain shut down and I wrote a long scene in which my main character smokes a joint, eats a sundae, and watches **Pretty in Pink**. I donā€™t know where it came from, or why it happened, but Iā€™ve been writing much better since then. I think I just needed to get it out of my system. ---
**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:** [November 11, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/216 "2004-11-11T01:03:57Z")
**Nightwatch Trailer** , believe me, you do _not_ want to borrow any of my charactersā€™ dialogue! Iā€™m doing a high fantasy, in the style of Lord Dunsany (except, if he wrote like me, he wouldnā€™t even be Second Assistant Manure Carrier Dunsany), and the whole sorry bunch of them talk in an impossibly high-flown, courtly, elaborate style ā€¦ OK, itā€™s good for the word count, but Iā€™m positively looking forward to the moment where one of them catches an arrow in the throat. (And, even when that happens, instead of just saying "akkkkā€¦ " or something plausible, itā€™ll be "Alas, my friends, it seems to me that I shall be unable to continue upon our quest, for the wound inflicted by this missile shall, assuredly, prove fatal ā€¦ " You see what I mean?) ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/217 "2004-11-11T02:22:09Z")
Finally broke four thousand words, which I think is pretty reasonable for starting anew 36 hours ago, and if I want to stay on par to complete this, I need to get over 4500 tonight. Just gotta talk some more about that zombie chastity beltā€¦ ---
**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 11, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/218 "2004-11-11T03:36:21Z")
Iā€™m beginning to believe that there is a curse laid upon me. I write novels and computers crash. Sometimes permanently. I donā€™t know if Iā€™ll be able to finish, now. Iā€™m willing to accept pity gifts of money, delicacies, and 35-40 thousand 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:** [November 11, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/219 "2004-11-11T22:36:15Z")
Well, damn, **jsgoddess** - all sympathies from over here. I think Iā€™d cry if something like that happened to me. Donā€™t think Iā€™ve got 35,000 words to lend you, but Iā€™ve got some excessively verbose characters you could borrow ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081/220 "2004-11-12T01:04:25Z")
I donā€™t even have those. My characters are dull, their lives are dull. Nothing happens. In a drama class, in school once, I had something incredibly obvious pointed out to me. In a play, all of the characters had lives before the start of the play, and the ones who donā€™t die will have lives after the end of the play. But something happens at a specific time to make a small, brief section of their lives worth watching. My characters seem to be stuck in the before part. I keep trying to give them something to do, but they take it in stride. Life just goes on for them - and they donā€™t talk much, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nanowrimo-support-group-for-novice-novel-writers-with-too-much-time-thread/268081.md?page=12)