I've joined too, with the aim of switching off the inner editor and a spell of short stories. I was amazed at how many local writers have committed, including a vicar who offers his church crypt for meet ups!

I'm taking a six-day holiday from the 16th, so could be tricky, but I don't have a job so I'll try to built up a word surplus in advance.

I've been undecided whether to go with a novel for which I've written a synopsis and a first chapter (I was saving it for January, and it needs more research) or start another, which is only an opening chapter in my head.

Think I'll go with the latter after reading these comments

Sheila

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First Draft seems a good way, though.

Great - guys! Really good to have a little NaNo community in Fast First Draft for November!

I agree - much more manageable than the NaNo forums, which are so vast. You ask a question and get a million replies - useful sometimes, but very overwhelming.

All we need is a few people to share and bounce off, really...

Deb x

I did this last year, think i'll probably have another go! I managed to do 50,000 words in about twenty days, but only because the site makes you work harder. Think i'll be a lot more focused second time around. I'm on there as the baztec, if anyone wants to add me.

Bazz, I'll look for you. I've decided I'll go with the work I've done a synopsis for after all as I realise that's the one that's been in my head and the one I feel committed to. I'm going to do some character sketches and a list of scenes as a standby in case I get stuck. I've no idea how many words I can type in an hour without much pause for thought.


Sheila

Bazz, I already have you as a buddy from last year. If you don't still have me, I am scoobywriting if you wanna buddy.

Sheila, I remember typing 500 words in 15 mins when I had something I wanted to get down and had to leave for pilates shortly. Not sure I could keep that up for a whole hour or more, but it's def easier without the internal editor.

That is the wonderful joy of NaNo!!!!!!!!!!!

Deb

Wow, that sounds good.

I have to set a timer to go off after half an hour anyway, to remind myself to move. I have a mildly arthritic leg that plays up otherwise and keeps me awake. I hope to keep it quiet by fitting in some mid-day swimming about three times a week.

What do you do with a buddy?

Sheila

Buddies are just people you have listed on your own buddy page, and you can see their progress on your own page (as well as on theirs).

So it's inspiring if your buddies are forging ahead. Makes you wanna keep up. Well, it makes me feel that, anyway.

Oddly, you can buddy anyone without their permission, but you each have to buddy each other if you want it to be mutual.

Deb

Oh, OK. Thanks. That sounds easy enough. I'm not sure I really expect to get 50,000 words done because for one thing I'm taking a six day break from the 16th, but I feel I'm setting aside the rest of November to have a go at producing a reasonable first draft/outline. It doesn't matter to me if I go into December.

Sheila

Quite, Sheila. It's not really a competition, of course, it's all about the journey and making it work for each of us.

I am having a minor op on 25th Nov so not sure if that will be one day out of the window or several.

You do whatever makes it work for you!

Last year, I had no particular intrusions in November and yet I ended up taking 4 days off NaNo in the middle of the month cos I was so drained. I still made the 50k (on a new novel, following the rules exactly).

If I end up with 25 or 30k I am pleased with, that'll have worked for me this year. Last year was about proving I could write 50k in 30 days; this year is about using the momentum from the group project and getting my WIP finished!!!

Deb

It occurred to me this afternoon(I'm a slow thinker) that since I booked five travelodge nights from the 16th Nov before I'd heard of NaNo, and I can't cancel, I could start the programme six days early. I could start on the 26th October, as next week has nothing scheduled, apart from a couple of London Film Festival films. Then, when the programme starts, I could post the word count for the 26th on the 1st November and so on until the month catches up with me. Is that cheating? They can't get me for it, can they? It would still be an authentic daily word count, just not on the right days.

Sheila

Last year I set up a spreadsheet with the daily word target, the actual, and the variance, so I always knew where I was.

By the 16th you should be able to stack up three days worth of actual ahead of target, and make up the other three days when you get back.

Alternatively you could just cheat

No, I don't want to cheat Somebody mentioned a handbook. Maybe I'd better look at the site again, because I'm a bit hazy about the rules. Maybe I'll just see this as a practice to see how I get on but I would like to complete the word count if at all possible.

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Are you going to do it yourself this year Dee? How did dyou get on with your novel set in my native county? Didn't it involve the Pendle witches, or am I thinking of someone else?

Sheila

Sheila, I think that would be considered cheating, technically, but so is what I'm doing - finishing a work in progress.

However, I think you would enjoy it more if you started on 1st Nov, took 6 days off, tried to build up beforehand and then catch up afterwards. Then you would really feel you had done the 50k in 30 days (cos it is different if you do 50k in 36 days with a 6-day break... less draining).

Then if you make the 50k you can legitimately claim a win.

As I say, I managed it last year when I took 4 days off in the middle.

Deb

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However, if you did as you were thinking, no-one would know and I think NaNo is only a tool for us to enjoy, really.

Thanks, Deb, for these very reassuring words. I had a 'sign from above'* this morning to say I should continue a work that's been in process for years. Yes, I'll start on Novemebr 1st. In the meantime I'm poring over a book called 'First Draft in 30 Days' that I found on my how-to-write-books' shelf a week back and I think I can do some of the steps in preparation for a big re-write.

Sheila

* not a religious revelation, but a strong hint in a short story I'm reviewing. The reference is so obscure I'm sure it must mean something -like finding the 30 day book

Bazz, I can't find you on NaNo

Sheila