The Volcano Lair discussion

Anyone doing NaNoWriMo next month? If so what are you working on?

I plan to write a second book in my series. It won't continue where the last one left off, but instead follow a different MC with a completely different story.

I'm reworking the first book in my King series to make my main character be pulled back to the ancient Pueblo civilization. That's my goal for October - to get through draft 1 of book 1.

Every Month is Nanowrimo on my end. This year I'm planning on working on "The Clockwork Key", which will be the third story in a series.

I'm trying to wrap my head around the sci-fi novel I wrote a couple years ago and getting it edited and ready for publication this month. It's like being sucked into a time warp since my writing style has evolved so much since then.

I avoid it. I can't work against word count per day or any other criteria. It either happens or it doesn't. For me it's about quality. And finishing my Writing MFA, and my full-time job, and family, and life....

Good luck to everyone doing Nanowrimo. I hope something great comes out of it for you.

Understandable, but I don't think the daily word count is too terrible for those that are writing a novel. It took me a few years to be able to write that much in a month (quality stuff, mind you), but I'm there now.

Should be interesting this year, because I have a P!nk concert on the 8th of November. Nothing is getting done that day, and maybe not the day after, either haha

I have been hearing about Nanowrimo for a while? what is it? I will be googling but will also appreciate some feedback here. have been in a writing slum lately and need to get out of the rut!

J. wrote: "I find the word count challenge liberating because, left to my own devices, I will agonize over every sentence and page for far too long. I have written maybe one long-form thing that didn't start ..."

I've not burdened myself with that daily word count. I found that simply setting aside a block of time every day to write and sticking to it produces a good amount of work. During the edit/formatting phase, that has saved my butt, as my editor generally gives me only ten day deadlines.

Oh my. I researched. I've signed up! It seems exciting and challenging!

Stacy wrote: "Oh my. I researched. I've signed up! It seems exciting and challenging!"

It is fun and challenging lol.

Yeah me too...though I haven't completed my profile or really looked into it yet lol. Scary challenge...!

I'm going to attempt to write a novel next month. Or at least the majority of it. I did it last year as well and completed my goal. Here's to no sleep November!

I'm embarking on a project which will include a series of books. So NaNoWriMo is going to give me the push I need to get that started. Hopefully I will complete book one.

I'm very tempted but I've got a lot on my plate at the moment. I'm also in the middle of my current work in progress so I'd need to put that aside. If I'd timed things better it would have been perfect for NaNoWriMo.

I'm going to give it a go. I find I work best with deadlines, which is why I do short stories with submission deadlines to meet.

With NaNoWriMo I feel like the challenge of meeting the word quota might push me along to something novel size.

Looking forward to it.

Please don't take offense at this--none intended, but I've never seen an advantage to attempting to crank out a novel in a month. Can someone explain why that's a good idea? Is it simply a forcing function to trick oneself into producing an editable stream-of-consciousness lump of text? I believe I would produce utter crap if I extruded a 'novel' in a month.

Steven wrote: "Please don't take offense at this--none intended, but I've never seen an advantage to attempting to crank out a novel in a month. Can someone explain why that's a good idea? Is it simply a forcing ..."

I'm told not to fear producing crap. The idea is to flow without editing. Get your 50,000 minimum and then edit and polish later.

The point isn't to produce a completed novel. The point of it is to write. At the end you will have 50000 words that with rewrites and editing will become a novel. There are countless success stories with this project. It motivates and drives many that may otherwise procrastinate. "Water for Elephants" came from NaNoWriMo. I'm using it to help drive me to begin my series. With the want to win, encouragement from others and a looming deadline it will push me to complete more than I would have left to my own devices. :)

J. wrote: "Steven wrote: "Please don't take offense at this--none intended, but I've never seen an advantage to attempting to crank out a novel in a month. Can someone explain why that's a good idea? Is it si..."

I sat on mine from 2012 until just a few months ago. REALLY helped to come at it fresh. I got to rework sentences and read the story like it wasn't mine (I had actually forgot part of the ending, so that was a fun surprise when I realized it all came together).

I didn't do prep last year, but am this round. Glad I did because I have a hell of a background on every side character in the novel. SO happy I took the time, because it will make November that much easier to reference historical timelines so the entire series fits together when it's done.

Steven wrote: "Please don't take offense at this--none intended, but I've never seen an advantage to attempting to crank out a novel in a month. Can someone explain why that's a good idea? Is it simply a forcing ..."

I can't work that way, either. It generally takes me a good 4 months to complete a manuscript, then the revisions dance with my editor adds another month.

Maybe next year, I'm in the middle of a couple other projects right now. Even if I wasn't - 50,000 words is about a third of one of my books now (I aim for pages per day when I'm actively writing not words). Right now I'm getting ready to proof book six and book seven is awaiting editing. Book 7.5 (prequel that fits into the storyline after seven and meant to be(for me) a short story) would be perfect for the project but I've already started it so I'll keep plodding along at my own pace for now. The idea of the project has gotten me thinking about ideas outside my series, though, so maybe I'll open a nanowrimo file and start taking down notes.

Not sure if we can swing NANOWRIMO, but we are doing the november blogfest. Excited to blog every day this next month on our blog http://www.rheaandroryjames.com/ Not sure if we can swing both!

Linda wrote: "The point isn't to produce a completed novel. The point of it is to write. At the end you will have 50000 words that with rewrites and editing will become a novel. There are countless success stori..."

interesting! I had no idea water for elephants was written that way. of course, I read she visited a circus museum first, so I wonder how much of a detailed outline she had before cranking it out. Still excellent accomplishment though!

Many people do detailed outlines and get super prepared for November. Many do detail history outlines of their characters etc... Some just wing it and go with the flow. It's all about what works for you. :)

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year and I'm kicking the challenge's ass. I'm almost to 30k words.

Emmaline wrote: "I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year and I'm kicking the challenge's ass. I'm almost to 30k words."

I have some serious catching up to do.

I'm behind too. Hanging in there though. I've crossed the 20,000 line and if I still do 2,000 words everyday I'll make the 50,000 my the 30th. It's tough going when you aren't sure where your story is going.

I hit 50k words back on the 23rd. Book's nowhere near completed though.

I didn't do NaNoWriMo this year but I did polish Book Six of my series, proofed it, and then published it (ending word count 144,924).

I did NaNoWriMo this year, and it was my second year :)
Managed to win both so very happy!!

First chapter is here on GoodReads. Would anyone be kind enough to give it a once over, and let me know if it intrigues them?

Would be much appreciated.

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...