Comments | paragraphs: Nano and What I've Learned this Month So Far

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Nano and What I've Learned this Month So Far

Nov 20, 2010 20:51

So, I am still plugging away at the Nano. Today was the best day I'd had yet--just about 5k words (give or take, as some tweaking was kinda hard to judge).

These are my stats so far:

( Read more... )

writing, nano, cupcakes

Comments 10

tree00faery November 21 2010, 04:03:01 UTC

Woo, writing! I'm super impressed with your awesome skills.

*has never done nano; shall never attempt it because she can't actually write anything creative*

heleninwales November 21 2010, 14:11:19 UTC

I've totally failed at NaNo this year because I've written about 3 sentences of the new project and then run out of time and mental energy. Basically, it was one project too many and I have to face the fact that normally November is just not a good month for me to take on anything extra.

But I learned a lot last year. I learned that I can wing it and write flat out (not quite NaNo speed, but much faster than my usual rate) and that the writing that results may be rough, but it has plenty of potential and a revision pass or two will smooth it out.

I also relearned that writing can be fun. It reminded me of the way I'd enjoyed wroting when I was a teenager, not caring about whether something was publishable, just writing to get the story down and seeing where the characters took me.

heleninwales November 21 2010, 14:15:41 UTC

By the way, I think you could be right about the fancy writing software. I did intend playing with Writer's Cafe for the NaNo project, but I abandoned it about 1 sentence in because Welsh uses accents over some letters and it couldn't do them as easily as in Word, where I know the keyboard shortcuts.

It might be helpful at the revision stage though, for example if you needed to swap scenes around. But then, there's always cut and paste in Word...

blue_fjords November 21 2010, 14:38:26 UTC

I will gladly take blame/credit for the Dean. I'm planning to write some Dean today, too. Oh, and C, I got this brilliant idea for another AU for when this one is done! We'll see if I write it. I really, really want to finish my four NaNo projects first.

Dude, you used your cupcakes tag, but there are no cupcakes here. I thought you made cupcakes, or was that in an email?

paragraphs November 21 2010, 16:01:43 UTC

HA HA you are right, I totally forgot to say anything about cupcakes!

YES MORE of your AU!!! I want it. LOL.

pir8fancier November 21 2010, 17:28:01 UTC

You know, whatever brings insight into this process, I say go. November is hell month for me at work (just finished gigantic conference that I'm solely responsible for), so I never participate. But I don't get why people rant about Nano. Doesn't work for you. Doesn't float your boat? FINE! Don't participate and just walk away. People have become so entitled to venting their opinions that it's reached a level beyond obnoxious.

So what is Dropbox?

paragraphs November 21 2010, 17:43:59 UTC

People have become so entitled to venting their opinions that it's reached a level beyond obnoxious.Haven't they? Its slowly but surely made me turn away from things, forced me to narrow my field of whose lj's I read, whose twitters I response to (when I am on twitter, which I've cut way back on), etc. I am so tired of reading every single person's opinion of why this is like this and why that is like that and how they think ANY sane reasonable person should react like they say...my default view has gotten really quite small lately. Just leave me to decide things on my own, peeps...I'm busy trying to write. Argh! People! *shakes fist ( ... )

pir8fancier November 21 2010, 22:42:09 UTC

I'd be *more* than happy to be daughter's back-up should she be assigned here. I have an internet friend who does the same thing for my daughter up in Toronto and it's been a godsend. Pay it forward!

Yes, she's still there and it's a really long way. Especially when she's sick or we're trying to fly her back and forth for the holidays.

paragraphs November 21 2010, 17:45:51 UTC

Oh and dropbox is www.dropbox.com, basically like having an online usb thang. It is free, and if you get people to sign up through your name, you get more space. I love it. My writing group uses it (you can share folders), and I love having my current ms in there all the time so I can get to it whether at work or at home. So far it has been brilliant, and I don't have to worry about forgetting my usb, or it breaking like my last one did.