NaNoWriMo kicks off on Wednesday at midnight in your local area.
It’s not too late to sign up! Go to NaNoWriMo.org to create an account and announce your project.
For those participating, we will post a number of discussion threads just like this during the month of November to help people through the challenge.
As we get started, comment here if you’re participating. You’re welcome to share your username from the NaNoWriMo website so people can find you and be your “buddy”. And feel free to tell us a little about your project!!
You can also post here if you have any last-minute questions or concerns.
We’ll do this again each Monday, so you can use each week’s threads for accountability (we’d love to hear your word counts!), how your story is progressing, advice if you’re stuck, brainstorming, finding other writers in your area, or anything else that might help you out.
Oh, this is brilliant! I'm in - you can find me as Natwriter - and my novel this year is a historical fantasy with a little romance. I'd love to buddy up with anyone in the same niche.
Mine is a historical fantasy too. It's a sequel to my first book which I am now pitching but I want to get ahead of the game as I think my characters have a lot of potential for sequels (did I actually say that. I haven't even published the first one yet!) Mine has romance too. The time period is Post-Roman Britain. When is yours set? and where?
I've been to that site in Crete. Wonderful place - a bit "over-manicured " for modern archeologists but I loved it. They do a sort of modern version of this in Spain now, quite distinct from traditional bull fighting. Quite a jump to modern Oxford!
She gets cursed in Ancient Minoa and she's trying to remove it by stealing back her temple's artefacts from a museum exhibition in Oxford. Unfortunately, a gorgeous police man is getting in the way...
The plan (I hope) is a mix of a historical travel diary describing some of her experiences across millienia along with a modern-day fugitive chase and a lot of flirting.
Hey Will, that sounds like a great project. Are they interconnected because the story flows between them or are they set in the same world, or something different? I love writing stories set in my fictional worlds, and even having characters pop up unexpectedly between worlds!
Congratulations on being a NaNoWriMo first-timer! I think my first Nano was my favorite - I had no idea what to expect and the fear and anticipation drove me forward in a way I've never experienced quite the same way since. Just remember to try to log new words every day and if you want to try to "win" do your best to keep above par (the line they show you on the Nano site under your stats). Good luck and if you need any assistance or encouragement be sure to comment in each week's thread!
Oct 30, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Chevanne Scordinsky
This is a great initiative! First time trying NaNoWriMo. I'm plain old Aisling Maguire on NaNoWriMo. I want to start a quasi-historical novel that has been pestering me for a couple of years. It's based on a real figure but I'm thinking of moving him from C18 France to the modern day.
Hooray for another NaNo newbie! I tried to find you on the NaNo site but your user name didn't come up for me. If you want another buddy, feel free to find me, jadana, over there! And good luck with the project - are you going to do time travel?
I am m. louisa locke on NaNoWriMo and my goal is to make significant progress on the fifth and final book in my science fiction series. I am already 22,000 words into this novel, so I hope if I do well this month, I might actually finish the first draft done Jan 1.
Another series continuation! I am working on book 3 of one of my own series. I have words written towards it but I am starting from scratch with the writing and just using some of what I've written along the way. Most of the potentially useful content is near the end, anyway. Here's to a successful month and I hope you get your draft done!
Oct 30, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Chevanne Scordinsky
I'm planning to do a portal fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo, it's an idea I've tweaked in various forms for a long time. Don't use the official website anymore, but happy to chat with people here.
I love portal fantasies! That's what I am working on as well. I understand your reluctance to use the official website - it's not nearly as good as it was before their "redesign", but it can be nice to find local writing events and track your progress. Either way, though, I'm glad you're doing the challenge and I can't wait to hear more!
I don't care for the tracker so at this point I'm only using it to find events in my region. Used to hang out on the forums but after a bad experience and just a shift in demeanor I'm not as interested in it. Would rather talk with people at events or in groups like this.
I am trying this as well. Although my project is not 50k words, it’s a chance to get some major progress! More of a novella length, but we’ll see. Mine is a horror with spiritual mythology- a preta (hungry ghost from eastern theologies) is addicted to death so he can ride the wheel of life over and over for reincarnation. He eventually gets caught and sent to hell permanently, “branded” for eternity.
That sounds really intriguing! If you don't think you'll hit 50K that's fine - it's a useful goal for many people, myself included, as writing roughly 1700 words a day forces people to write beyond their comfort zone. But if your goal is a novella, that's totally cool! Good luck and let us know if you get stuck!
Oct 30, 2023·edited Oct 30, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana
I'm looking forward to NaNoWriMo. I'll be participating for my 11th time as an author working on my eco-fiction novel that my readers selected for me -- Eco-Guardians. This year I'll also be taking part as a Write On Purpose Coach, helping to keep my fellow authors inspired and in action (and in that way, me as well). I've released a few short videos on how to win at NaNoWriMo beyond the 50K word count.
Thanks for joining in on the fun and sharing your videos. As a fellow NaNo veteran (this is my 11th NaNo too!) please feel free to jump in on each week's thread, if you wish, to offer advice or encouragement. I found it a lot easier to get through my first few Nanos when I knew there were people around who understood what I was going through and could nudge me along.
Oct 30, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Chevanne Scordinsky
I just decided to do NaNoWriMo last night! I'll be writing book 2 of my YA sci-fi trilogy. I'm predicting 50k will only get me to the story's midpoint, but I need this deadline and community motivation to get me to start writing it. My NaNo profile is sgyawriter if anyone wants to connect!
Congrats on the late entry! 😊 I agree that NaNo can really help move a project forward. I don't expect to finish my novel either but like you said, 50K is a huge step forward. And never forget that you can write even more than 50K if you get on a roll! Good luck!
I still can’t decide if I’m going to participate! Literally no one on The Isle of Man has signed up 😩 it’s a lot too... I just don’t know if I could keep up with a full teaching load right now! Advice please people?!
My advice is don't worry about "winning." If you write 5k or 50k words, it's all good! Also, don't worry about writing a NOVEL! I'm going to try my hand at a novella this year. I don't plan to hit the 50K mark at all, so the bar is already lower for me. 💜🥂Set it wherever you like and move it around when you feel like it. I wrote my first novel DURING NaNoWriMo 2021, but I never actually signed up because I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Ya never know what could happen. Good luck with your decision. I swore I wasn't going to do it this year, and I just announced my project today. 😂 Go with your gut!
Meg's advice is on point! Any writing is more than no writing. And if you're going to be busy, look at this as more of a fun project than work. What kind of project and goal would get you excited?
For NaNoWriMo this year I will be writing Book 3 of my Chronicles of Sarducia series (the first, By Moonrise, is available on Amazon if you're curious). It's a portal fantasy romance with not one but two romances (but it isn't a romance!) and a number of LGBTQ+ characters. I've got roughly 50K of words towards the novel, but I have broken it up and restructured it, so it's in many ways a new project. I put the existing words into a new Scrivener document so I have them to use/refer to, but I fully intend to write at least 50K new words.
I'm jadana on NaNoWriMo.
Also, this is my 11th consecutive NaNoWriMo and I've "won" every year. I was also a Municipal Liaison in Austin TX for several years (I'm in St. Louis now) so if anyone has questions about how NaNoWriMo works, how to engage with local folks, or needs tips/encouragement, I'll be around all month and you can post your questions in these weekly threads.
Im planning (eeep!) on starting novella #2 - The Incredible Machines of Thinkery: The Liked. I’m LinnheHarrison on NaNoWriMo, would be lovely to have some buddies as I’m new on there! ✌️
That is a great title. I am already intrigued to learn about the "incredible machines of thinkery" and what that means. Good luck with your project, and I look forward to hearing more!
Thank you Jackie! The first novella is being published weekly on Substack - please do take a look if you have time as always very grateful for comments and feedback (thank you again!). It's very easy to get too close to your writing! https://machinesofthinkery.substack.com
I’ll be doing a full-manuscript edit on a completed historical fiction thriller I’ve been working on in spurts for the past few years. I’d like to get it spiffed up and ready to query in the near future! My username is bridgetriley on the NaNoWriMo website. I’m trying to get my husband to make a NaNo page for his dissertation, even though it’s nonfiction. I’m sure he could use some writing encourage and camaraderie!
Both your project and your husband's are great for NaNo. You'll both be true rebels, but the beauty of NaNo is that the community by and large doesn't care what you're writing, just that you are writing! Good luck on your project and let your husband know he's welcome to pop into these threads as well if it will help him!
Oct 30, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Chevanne Scordinsky
Hi folks. Well, I swore I wasn't going to do NaNoWriMo this year, but I just announced my project, so I guess I'm in! MegOWriter is my profile name - feel free to buddy me. I'll be attempting to bang out 2 separate novellas in lieu of a novel this year. But I'll be happy if I get through 1 of them. The first is a genre evading satirical-romantic-thriller called "Home Raker" - the origins of which can be found here: https://stockfiction.substack.com/p/to-days-two-win-the-stoopid . The second is to be steamy AF romance with a deliciously condensed timeline called "The Layover." Wish me luck! And best to the rest of you NaNoWriMonites!
You've got this, Meg! Are you going to focus on one story at a time, or write on both? Like I've said to others, the best plan is to try to write something every day, and focus less on your word count and more on just moving forward. If you keep going you might gain some momentum on at least one of the projects. And who knows where you'll be by the end of the month?!
My username on Nanowrimo.org is “The Neon Church.” (Just changed it as a matter of fact, and I’m surprised they let you put spaces in your username...)
This year’s project is a horror/fantasy about the final war between Heaven and Hell, and one guy who’s desperately trying to dodge the draft.
I’ve had the idea and a few one-sentence character sketches around for a few years, but this is the first real attempt at getting it on paper.
It begins in the present, but since it’s the eschaton I intend to play with a lot of weird psychedelic geographies and time periods. We will see where the project takes me, though!
Yaaay! Thank you guys so much for doing this, and for such a great Zoom this eve! (I was the green-haired Fae in the leaves, flowers and butterflies--technically the Cthaeh, if we have any Kingkiller aficionados here. This Halloween Zoom was the perfect excuse for early costume trials for a dance.) Y'all were the first community I joined when I came to Substack earlier this year, and you're still my fave! I'm so behind. I've barely had my 'Stacky nose above water for months after getting swamped by health, government agency and neuro dookie, but tomorrow *should* mark the end of the onslaught, so it's only fitting that it's y'all luring me back to life.
After a couple years off, I'm doing NaNo this year and would love to have buddies!! Here's mine on the NaNo site:
My novel this year is about coming of age in the 80s (but it is NOT necessarily YA). This project is something that, until this past spring, I had avidly sworn since 1992 that I would never do: resurrect my blackmail fodder--I mean, the first novel I ever wrote *IN* the 80s.
I actually just posted about my decision to do NaNo:
Love this. Looking forward to being in community with fellow writers. My username is SilverCrono.
I'm being brave this year and writing something that is still amorphous in my head. It'll be a sort of continuation of some of my nonfiction posts from my Substack as well as expansion into philosophy, dialogue with God, dialogue with a lover, autofiction, everything I can think of. Think Lispector's "A Breath of Life" plus Nin's "House of Incest".
That sounds amazing! II've never tried nonfiction and all the rest for NaNo, but it sounds like a fascinating project. Just try to write every day, and don't be freaked out if it starts going in a direction you hadn't seen coming!
I am taking part in Nanowrimo this year as part of my Last 100 Days of 2023 challenge. I'm not sure if I'll be working only on a novel, but I love the word count goal of writing 1,667 words a day. I am spreading myself thin, but I do like it like that. :-)
1. Finish Inktober prompted story "Inklings" (22 short chapters to go)
2. Continue posting daily on Substack and IG for the Last 100 Days of 2023
3. Use Nancy Stohlman's Flashnano prompts to work on (a) a novel in flash (b) standalone stories (c) a novel
I was absurdly happy to go to your NaNoWriMo profile to send a buddy request and see your "All's Well In Wonderland" story as your project! I am not joking or exaggerating when I say I can't wait to see where this goes! Don't limit yourself to a "short" story if you think you can take it further - I think this story has legs, as they say, and with some effort and love could turn in to an amazing novella or, dare I say it, novel! (No pressure! 😂 )
Thanks for the support and the love and the oodles of enthusiasm for the crazy idea. I am aiming for novel, but we will see what the story wants to morph into... heheh... transmogrification in process...
Nov 1, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana, Chevanne Scordinsky
I started writing today. I'm misclaude https://nanowrimo.org/participants/misclaude/projects if anyone wants to connect. I decided to work on my cli-fi series There Is Hope and an AI novella. I will also work on one non-fiction article. This is a huge challenge for me, I hope that I will make it! Writing every single day for a whole month will be a first.
I had never seen "cli-fi" before but I am here for it! And as far as "making it" the best advice I have for you is to just keep writing every day. Focus on your word count only if you want to - but if you write something each day, no matter how short, by the end of the month you will have achieved a big accomplishment (and will have more words than you would have otherwise!)
Nov 1, 2023·edited Nov 1, 2023Liked by Jackie Dana
Thanks for connecting over at NaNoWriMo. You're my first buddy. 🥰
I guess I'm ashamed of announcing my participation and potentially giving up along the way. But I guess I can do at least some writing every day. This should be possible.
I was impressed to read that participating in your first NaNoWriMo lead to a drastic changed of career. Amazing!
Aww, no shame here! Just use NaNoWriMo as inspiration and motivation, and write what you can. Like I said, just write every day. That will be a huge accomplishment in and of itself. And yes, the habits that I built out of NaNo changed how I approached ALL writing, and that's how i shifted my career to focus on writing itself. So it really can be lifechanging!
Good luck this month and please don't be shy about sharing your progress, and both your wins and your struggles, if any. We're all in this together!
I'm really happy that you started this weekly thread during this month. It's great motivation!
Today I tried to write without thinking too much, just pushing the story. It's a new approach. I usually agonise over every scene and word. Let's see where this will lead. Perhaps my approach to writing will also change.
Thank you for this space and good luck to you as well rewriting your novel.
What you described here is exactly what I did when I started writing today. I know my story and my character (it's book 3 and I have pieces already written) but I had no clue where to start. So I just started with a new POV character and what he's thinking about where things are in the story - and I got 1200 words that were really useful to framing the story. It isn't going to be where novel will start but that's fine. It got ME started and for a rough draft that's all I needed.
So just write. Let the words flow. If you have to stop and ask questions or challenge your characters in ways that may not stay in the final draft, go for it. I sometimes ask "what if?" questions to keep the story going (and I count all those words!).
thanks for this - its giving me that old nano fever. I haven't registered yet but hey, why not give it a try - at least a start haha. I'll be setting up later today, too busy to do it but I'm going to make time after all. thanks for the push
I'm a little late to the party! I'm working on just getting back to writing consistently. My user name is Allie Bock. I'm working on a western romance. Good luck to everyone!
Hey today is just November 1st so you're right on time. Try to write something every day even if it's just a couple hundred words on your phone. After 30 days of writing it might become a habit! Good luck!
Great to see so many participating! This will be my first NaNoWriMo writing a sci-fi thriller about a burnt out executive who sublets her life, then has trouble getting it back from a clever stand-in. You can find me at theone_chiv.
Hi everyone! I'm new to the Fictionistas community (started posting my YA serial novel project on my substack this week!) and I'm also working on a middle grade contemporary story for Nanowrimo. :)
Thanks Jackie! I looked for you on the NaNo site but your user name didn't come up either! I realise now however that I don't actually have a user name I simply inserted my email address. I don't plan to do time travel in my project. It's more a case of reincarnating my historical figure in modern form and context which I think will mean creating an alternative modern world ie a nameless state which is undergoing upheaval and assault . . .
That sounds really interesting! I’m sorry we weren’t able to connect on the nano site, but that’s not that big a deal. Connecting here is much more impactful, to be honest. Good luck with your story!
It's going pretty well so far! I'm at 8980 words right now (which is amazing, but I LOVE this project!), with over 3400 words today, and I'm about to dive back in for another round today. I'm working on book 3 of one of my series, for which I have some work done but mostly it's all new stuff.
That's amazing progress Jackie! Very well done 👏 I'm hoping to get a couple of days this week when I can push beyond the daily word count. Life has a funny way of intervening, quite pleasurably for the most part but time consuming nevertheless! I figure talking to people is all part of the research . . . Everyone has a story to tell.
Thanks! And yes, if word count is important to you, finding days when you have more time is helpful, as well as writing a bunch whenever you feel inspired. Banking words comes in so handy for those days when you just can't hit the count you want/need.
And of course talking to people counts. They are the best source of ideas! 😎
Oh, this is brilliant! I'm in - you can find me as Natwriter - and my novel this year is a historical fantasy with a little romance. I'd love to buddy up with anyone in the same niche.
Mine is a historical fantasy too. It's a sequel to my first book which I am now pitching but I want to get ahead of the game as I think my characters have a lot of potential for sequels (did I actually say that. I haven't even published the first one yet!) Mine has romance too. The time period is Post-Roman Britain. When is yours set? and where?
Post-Roman! That's a nice period to play with. Mine starts with bull-leaping in ancient Minoa and ends with a museum heist in modern-day Oxford.
I've been to that site in Crete. Wonderful place - a bit "over-manicured " for modern archeologists but I loved it. They do a sort of modern version of this in Spain now, quite distinct from traditional bull fighting. Quite a jump to modern Oxford!
She gets cursed in Ancient Minoa and she's trying to remove it by stealing back her temple's artefacts from a museum exhibition in Oxford. Unfortunately, a gorgeous police man is getting in the way...
Oh, that's very current too given the push over the last decade or so to return ancient artifacts to their home countries. I'm a museum guide....
I might have to ask you a few questions about museum routines!
The plan (I hope) is a mix of a historical travel diary describing some of her experiences across millienia along with a modern-day fugitive chase and a lot of flirting.
My project is nominally historical fantasy as well. I say that because I do a lot of historical research but it’s set in a fictional place.
Thanks! I’m writing a series of interconnected spec-fic short stories. I’m WillBrown on NaNoWriMo.
Good luck to all!
Hey Will, that sounds like a great project. Are they interconnected because the story flows between them or are they set in the same world, or something different? I love writing stories set in my fictional worlds, and even having characters pop up unexpectedly between worlds!
This will be my first time! My novel is called The Unlived Lives of Tanner Fields. It's a speculative fiction novel. My user name is emmamcbean.
Congratulations on being a NaNoWriMo first-timer! I think my first Nano was my favorite - I had no idea what to expect and the fear and anticipation drove me forward in a way I've never experienced quite the same way since. Just remember to try to log new words every day and if you want to try to "win" do your best to keep above par (the line they show you on the Nano site under your stats). Good luck and if you need any assistance or encouragement be sure to comment in each week's thread!
Thank you! Yes I just jumped in and the ideas have followed. Thank you for the advice on tracking!
This is a great initiative! First time trying NaNoWriMo. I'm plain old Aisling Maguire on NaNoWriMo. I want to start a quasi-historical novel that has been pestering me for a couple of years. It's based on a real figure but I'm thinking of moving him from C18 France to the modern day.
I love "catchup" historical novels
Hooray for another NaNo newbie! I tried to find you on the NaNo site but your user name didn't come up for me. If you want another buddy, feel free to find me, jadana, over there! And good luck with the project - are you going to do time travel?
I am m. louisa locke on NaNoWriMo and my goal is to make significant progress on the fifth and final book in my science fiction series. I am already 22,000 words into this novel, so I hope if I do well this month, I might actually finish the first draft done Jan 1.
Yay!
Another series continuation! I am working on book 3 of one of my own series. I have words written towards it but I am starting from scratch with the writing and just using some of what I've written along the way. Most of the potentially useful content is near the end, anyway. Here's to a successful month and I hope you get your draft done!
I'm planning to do a portal fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo, it's an idea I've tweaked in various forms for a long time. Don't use the official website anymore, but happy to chat with people here.
I love portal fantasies! That's what I am working on as well. I understand your reluctance to use the official website - it's not nearly as good as it was before their "redesign", but it can be nice to find local writing events and track your progress. Either way, though, I'm glad you're doing the challenge and I can't wait to hear more!
I don't care for the tracker so at this point I'm only using it to find events in my region. Used to hang out on the forums but after a bad experience and just a shift in demeanor I'm not as interested in it. Would rather talk with people at events or in groups like this.
I am trying this as well. Although my project is not 50k words, it’s a chance to get some major progress! More of a novella length, but we’ll see. Mine is a horror with spiritual mythology- a preta (hungry ghost from eastern theologies) is addicted to death so he can ride the wheel of life over and over for reincarnation. He eventually gets caught and sent to hell permanently, “branded” for eternity.
That sounds really intriguing! If you don't think you'll hit 50K that's fine - it's a useful goal for many people, myself included, as writing roughly 1700 words a day forces people to write beyond their comfort zone. But if your goal is a novella, that's totally cool! Good luck and let us know if you get stuck!
Thank you!!!! I am hoping it comes together!! The story has been bouncing around in my head for a few months, it’s ready to be written.
I'm looking forward to NaNoWriMo. I'll be participating for my 11th time as an author working on my eco-fiction novel that my readers selected for me -- Eco-Guardians. This year I'll also be taking part as a Write On Purpose Coach, helping to keep my fellow authors inspired and in action (and in that way, me as well). I've released a few short videos on how to win at NaNoWriMo beyond the 50K word count.
Two of them are at: https://youtu.be/paT-RFt2Q8g?si=kDM9xf5yosMnuOzX and https://youtu.be/hAjoCOl8xio?si=yqKNeNArzyoaIzWC. (Several others I'll be sharing through my Substack at https://wbradfordswift.substack.com/ under the Write On Purpose Coaching Tips section.
Thanks for joining in on the fun and sharing your videos. As a fellow NaNo veteran (this is my 11th NaNo too!) please feel free to jump in on each week's thread, if you wish, to offer advice or encouragement. I found it a lot easier to get through my first few Nanos when I knew there were people around who understood what I was going through and could nudge me along.
I just decided to do NaNoWriMo last night! I'll be writing book 2 of my YA sci-fi trilogy. I'm predicting 50k will only get me to the story's midpoint, but I need this deadline and community motivation to get me to start writing it. My NaNo profile is sgyawriter if anyone wants to connect!
Congrats on the late entry! 😊 I agree that NaNo can really help move a project forward. I don't expect to finish my novel either but like you said, 50K is a huge step forward. And never forget that you can write even more than 50K if you get on a roll! Good luck!
I still can’t decide if I’m going to participate! Literally no one on The Isle of Man has signed up 😩 it’s a lot too... I just don’t know if I could keep up with a full teaching load right now! Advice please people?!
I bet you I’m the only Cumbrian too! We aren’t alone though ✌️
My advice is don't worry about "winning." If you write 5k or 50k words, it's all good! Also, don't worry about writing a NOVEL! I'm going to try my hand at a novella this year. I don't plan to hit the 50K mark at all, so the bar is already lower for me. 💜🥂Set it wherever you like and move it around when you feel like it. I wrote my first novel DURING NaNoWriMo 2021, but I never actually signed up because I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Ya never know what could happen. Good luck with your decision. I swore I wasn't going to do it this year, and I just announced my project today. 😂 Go with your gut!
Meg's advice is on point! Any writing is more than no writing. And if you're going to be busy, look at this as more of a fun project than work. What kind of project and goal would get you excited?
Howdy everyone! Good to see everyone here!
For NaNoWriMo this year I will be writing Book 3 of my Chronicles of Sarducia series (the first, By Moonrise, is available on Amazon if you're curious). It's a portal fantasy romance with not one but two romances (but it isn't a romance!) and a number of LGBTQ+ characters. I've got roughly 50K of words towards the novel, but I have broken it up and restructured it, so it's in many ways a new project. I put the existing words into a new Scrivener document so I have them to use/refer to, but I fully intend to write at least 50K new words.
I'm jadana on NaNoWriMo.
Also, this is my 11th consecutive NaNoWriMo and I've "won" every year. I was also a Municipal Liaison in Austin TX for several years (I'm in St. Louis now) so if anyone has questions about how NaNoWriMo works, how to engage with local folks, or needs tips/encouragement, I'll be around all month and you can post your questions in these weekly threads.
Im planning (eeep!) on starting novella #2 - The Incredible Machines of Thinkery: The Liked. I’m LinnheHarrison on NaNoWriMo, would be lovely to have some buddies as I’m new on there! ✌️
That is a great title. I am already intrigued to learn about the "incredible machines of thinkery" and what that means. Good luck with your project, and I look forward to hearing more!
Thank you Jackie! The first novella is being published weekly on Substack - please do take a look if you have time as always very grateful for comments and feedback (thank you again!). It's very easy to get too close to your writing! https://machinesofthinkery.substack.com
I’ll be doing a full-manuscript edit on a completed historical fiction thriller I’ve been working on in spurts for the past few years. I’d like to get it spiffed up and ready to query in the near future! My username is bridgetriley on the NaNoWriMo website. I’m trying to get my husband to make a NaNo page for his dissertation, even though it’s nonfiction. I’m sure he could use some writing encourage and camaraderie!
Both your project and your husband's are great for NaNo. You'll both be true rebels, but the beauty of NaNo is that the community by and large doesn't care what you're writing, just that you are writing! Good luck on your project and let your husband know he's welcome to pop into these threads as well if it will help him!
Hi folks. Well, I swore I wasn't going to do NaNoWriMo this year, but I just announced my project, so I guess I'm in! MegOWriter is my profile name - feel free to buddy me. I'll be attempting to bang out 2 separate novellas in lieu of a novel this year. But I'll be happy if I get through 1 of them. The first is a genre evading satirical-romantic-thriller called "Home Raker" - the origins of which can be found here: https://stockfiction.substack.com/p/to-days-two-win-the-stoopid . The second is to be steamy AF romance with a deliciously condensed timeline called "The Layover." Wish me luck! And best to the rest of you NaNoWriMonites!
You've got this, Meg! Are you going to focus on one story at a time, or write on both? Like I've said to others, the best plan is to try to write something every day, and focus less on your word count and more on just moving forward. If you keep going you might gain some momentum on at least one of the projects. And who knows where you'll be by the end of the month?!
One story at a time. 😎
My username on Nanowrimo.org is “The Neon Church.” (Just changed it as a matter of fact, and I’m surprised they let you put spaces in your username...)
This year’s project is a horror/fantasy about the final war between Heaven and Hell, and one guy who’s desperately trying to dodge the draft.
That sounds like a really interesting story idea. Is it a new project? Is it historical in nature or set in a dystopian future?
I can't wait to hear progress reports!
I’ve had the idea and a few one-sentence character sketches around for a few years, but this is the first real attempt at getting it on paper.
It begins in the present, but since it’s the eschaton I intend to play with a lot of weird psychedelic geographies and time periods. We will see where the project takes me, though!
That sounds so cool!
Maybe by the end of NaNoWriMo autocorrect will stop changing “eschaton” to “Sharon”
Yaaay! Thank you guys so much for doing this, and for such a great Zoom this eve! (I was the green-haired Fae in the leaves, flowers and butterflies--technically the Cthaeh, if we have any Kingkiller aficionados here. This Halloween Zoom was the perfect excuse for early costume trials for a dance.) Y'all were the first community I joined when I came to Substack earlier this year, and you're still my fave! I'm so behind. I've barely had my 'Stacky nose above water for months after getting swamped by health, government agency and neuro dookie, but tomorrow *should* mark the end of the onslaught, so it's only fitting that it's y'all luring me back to life.
After a couple years off, I'm doing NaNo this year and would love to have buddies!! Here's mine on the NaNo site:
https://nanowrimo.org/participants/bellanbeastie
My novel this year is about coming of age in the 80s (but it is NOT necessarily YA). This project is something that, until this past spring, I had avidly sworn since 1992 that I would never do: resurrect my blackmail fodder--I mean, the first novel I ever wrote *IN* the 80s.
I actually just posted about my decision to do NaNo:
https://bellanthebeastie.substack.com/p/guess-im-doing-nanowrimo
And about the perfect angsty storm that transformed a grouchy teenager into a novelist:
https://bellanthebeastie.substack.com/p/the-perfect-angsty-storm
Can't wait to play with y'all again! It's been way too long and was way too brief when I first got on here.
i’m so glad you joined us tonight! Good luck with Nano!
It was so great to hang with fun humans!!! Something I haven’t gotten to do for months. Good luck to you as well! I look forward to pompom exchanges!
I have a whole closet filled with NaNoWriMo pompoms! I LOOOOOVE November! 🎉
Woot! Me too! For HalloweenSeason I changed my bitmoji to a cheerleading uniform. Convenient, that. 🤩
Love this. Looking forward to being in community with fellow writers. My username is SilverCrono.
I'm being brave this year and writing something that is still amorphous in my head. It'll be a sort of continuation of some of my nonfiction posts from my Substack as well as expansion into philosophy, dialogue with God, dialogue with a lover, autofiction, everything I can think of. Think Lispector's "A Breath of Life" plus Nin's "House of Incest".
That sounds amazing! II've never tried nonfiction and all the rest for NaNo, but it sounds like a fascinating project. Just try to write every day, and don't be freaked out if it starts going in a direction you hadn't seen coming!
I am taking part in Nanowrimo this year as part of my Last 100 Days of 2023 challenge. I'm not sure if I'll be working only on a novel, but I love the word count goal of writing 1,667 words a day. I am spreading myself thin, but I do like it like that. :-)
1. Finish Inktober prompted story "Inklings" (22 short chapters to go)
2. Continue posting daily on Substack and IG for the Last 100 Days of 2023
3. Use Nancy Stohlman's Flashnano prompts to work on (a) a novel in flash (b) standalone stories (c) a novel
4. Novel(s) in progress...
My Nanowrimo Username is Quenntis Ashby
I was absurdly happy to go to your NaNoWriMo profile to send a buddy request and see your "All's Well In Wonderland" story as your project! I am not joking or exaggerating when I say I can't wait to see where this goes! Don't limit yourself to a "short" story if you think you can take it further - I think this story has legs, as they say, and with some effort and love could turn in to an amazing novella or, dare I say it, novel! (No pressure! 😂 )
Thanks for the support and the love and the oodles of enthusiasm for the crazy idea. I am aiming for novel, but we will see what the story wants to morph into... heheh... transmogrification in process...
if you actually finish this project, I would like to be a beta reader, please. 🤩
Now that's some serious motivation to finish! Thank you so much. 🙏
I started writing today. I'm misclaude https://nanowrimo.org/participants/misclaude/projects if anyone wants to connect. I decided to work on my cli-fi series There Is Hope and an AI novella. I will also work on one non-fiction article. This is a huge challenge for me, I hope that I will make it! Writing every single day for a whole month will be a first.
I had never seen "cli-fi" before but I am here for it! And as far as "making it" the best advice I have for you is to just keep writing every day. Focus on your word count only if you want to - but if you write something each day, no matter how short, by the end of the month you will have achieved a big accomplishment (and will have more words than you would have otherwise!)
Thanks for connecting over at NaNoWriMo. You're my first buddy. 🥰
I guess I'm ashamed of announcing my participation and potentially giving up along the way. But I guess I can do at least some writing every day. This should be possible.
I was impressed to read that participating in your first NaNoWriMo lead to a drastic changed of career. Amazing!
Aww, no shame here! Just use NaNoWriMo as inspiration and motivation, and write what you can. Like I said, just write every day. That will be a huge accomplishment in and of itself. And yes, the habits that I built out of NaNo changed how I approached ALL writing, and that's how i shifted my career to focus on writing itself. So it really can be lifechanging!
Good luck this month and please don't be shy about sharing your progress, and both your wins and your struggles, if any. We're all in this together!
I'm really happy that you started this weekly thread during this month. It's great motivation!
Today I tried to write without thinking too much, just pushing the story. It's a new approach. I usually agonise over every scene and word. Let's see where this will lead. Perhaps my approach to writing will also change.
Thank you for this space and good luck to you as well rewriting your novel.
What you described here is exactly what I did when I started writing today. I know my story and my character (it's book 3 and I have pieces already written) but I had no clue where to start. So I just started with a new POV character and what he's thinking about where things are in the story - and I got 1200 words that were really useful to framing the story. It isn't going to be where novel will start but that's fine. It got ME started and for a rough draft that's all I needed.
So just write. Let the words flow. If you have to stop and ask questions or challenge your characters in ways that may not stay in the final draft, go for it. I sometimes ask "what if?" questions to keep the story going (and I count all those words!).
It's finally the start of November, and I am happy to join. I'm Vu Phan on NaNoWriMo. I'm finishing my novel, Vietnamese Gods, a mythological travel novel that takes you through an alternate version of my home country, along with its Gods. The first two episodes are out: https://open.substack.com/pub/vuphan/p/vietnamese-gods?r=2r7yk8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web.
Good luck! That sounds like such a cool project!
thanks for this - its giving me that old nano fever. I haven't registered yet but hey, why not give it a try - at least a start haha. I'll be setting up later today, too busy to do it but I'm going to make time after all. thanks for the push
Do it! Do it! 😎
I did! carolsill now entering the vortex.....
I'm a little late to the party! I'm working on just getting back to writing consistently. My user name is Allie Bock. I'm working on a western romance. Good luck to everyone!
Hey today is just November 1st so you're right on time. Try to write something every day even if it's just a couple hundred words on your phone. After 30 days of writing it might become a habit! Good luck!
Great to see so many participating! This will be my first NaNoWriMo writing a sci-fi thriller about a burnt out executive who sublets her life, then has trouble getting it back from a clever stand-in. You can find me at theone_chiv.
Wow, your first NaNoWriMo! Congrats on taking this big step. It sounds like a crazy story! I can't wait to hear how it turns out.
Hmmm... now I’m thinking I should make it crazier. 🤔😈
Go. For. It! :D
Hi everyone! I'm new to the Fictionistas community (started posting my YA serial novel project on my substack this week!) and I'm also working on a middle grade contemporary story for Nanowrimo. :)
https://nanowrimo.org/participants/nicoleviola
Awesome, welcome aboard! NaNoWriMo is a great place to start. Good luck with your project!
Thanks Jackie! I looked for you on the NaNo site but your user name didn't come up either! I realise now however that I don't actually have a user name I simply inserted my email address. I don't plan to do time travel in my project. It's more a case of reincarnating my historical figure in modern form and context which I think will mean creating an alternative modern world ie a nameless state which is undergoing upheaval and assault . . .
That sounds really interesting! I’m sorry we weren’t able to connect on the nano site, but that’s not that big a deal. Connecting here is much more impactful, to be honest. Good luck with your story!
Thank you Jackie. It's running off in all sorts of directions! I'll just run with it and see what it amounts to at the end of the month.
What are you working on and how is it going?
It's going pretty well so far! I'm at 8980 words right now (which is amazing, but I LOVE this project!), with over 3400 words today, and I'm about to dive back in for another round today. I'm working on book 3 of one of my series, for which I have some work done but mostly it's all new stuff.
That's amazing progress Jackie! Very well done 👏 I'm hoping to get a couple of days this week when I can push beyond the daily word count. Life has a funny way of intervening, quite pleasurably for the most part but time consuming nevertheless! I figure talking to people is all part of the research . . . Everyone has a story to tell.
Thanks! And yes, if word count is important to you, finding days when you have more time is helpful, as well as writing a bunch whenever you feel inspired. Banking words comes in so handy for those days when you just can't hit the count you want/need.
And of course talking to people counts. They are the best source of ideas! 😎
I can't wait to hear how it goes for you.