Knowing the general level of creativity bubbling up from New Babbage, I wonder if anyone has participated in NaNoWriMo?
For those who aren’t familiar, NoNoWriMo stands for “National Novel Writing Month,” a project started in 1999. The stated goal of the organization is to encourage participants to attempt to write an entire novel during the month of November.
The emphasis of this event is to take a seat-of-your-pants approach and write with reckless abandon, valuing quantity over quality. Since writing for volume can generate a lot of good ideas that might be refined later, writers often experience this as a spark to get creative ideas flowing. Others do it just for the challenge. A number of publishable works have come out of the NaNoWriMo, including Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.
I’m seriously considering giving it a bash this year, and have 28 days to make a decision. Since I’m in the thralls of plotting, I thought I’d ask if anyone else plans to participate, or if I can convince someone to join me. They say that misery loves company, after all.
1 month, 50,000 words. Oh, yeah.
Please take a look at the NaNoWriMo website for more information.
(And incidentally, I agree. “NaNoWriMo” is perhaps the least creative name that could have been coined for something like this. *shakes head sadly*)
Unfortunately I’m already knee-deep in projects and can’t join in this year – but I *can* offer this encouragement.
I’ve sold two NaNoWriMo books – one of which I wrote sitting in the CocoaJava Cafe for the entire month. I highly suggest it as an excellent spot to park yourself and get some major wordage going.
I *think* there are NaNoWriMo support groups around… you might want to search out a few. They offer good support and help get over the hump of the first few days while you wonder WTH am I doing?
Good luck to you!
Because I suffer from the NaNoWriMo Curse I had sworn I would never do it again (long story short three years in a row I tried, three years in a row there were terrible disasters each November, culminating in the theft of my laptop the last time I tried, so I decided NEVER AGAIN). However, with grad school applications looming and a number of RL friends considering giving it a go, I’m tempted to, erm..tempt fate again.
A NaNo New Babbage group would be fun.
Ah, Mss Ginsburg, such a fortuitous communique! For the past couple of years I have been stirring an idea around for a story that starts in a rational world (circa 1891) that includes an event that makes the somewhat irrational aspects of the steamworlds more rational, more consistant, more explained. To that end I will try to serialize a prequel on this New Babbage Reader regarding the exploits of myself and my research assistant, Pilipo Underwood, now shipwrecked far away, and my engineer assistant Philipp Oldrich, that will lead to a more past history future eventuality like the one in which our minds yearn to live.
If it is agreeable, I would like to present my carte de visite, as a Gentleman should, and meet with you on this project. New Babbage abounds with creators: scripters, builders, raconteurs. As I belong mostly to the latter, this seems to be a succinct opportunity!
I wish I had more time, or could rearrange my work schedule, I would really like to do this, but won’t have the time… this year. But if the offer is still there next time around I am in!
/books vacation for the month of November 2012
Ooh! Good comments! I’m going to respond to all here so I don’t spam the front page with individual posts.
Sheryl: Thanks for your words of encouragement, they’re well-received. I love the idea of sitting in-world while working on this, and the CocoaJava seems like a great place. And knowing that you published something written that way is inspiring!
Star: What could possibly go wrong? ;-) And a NB NaNoWriMo group is a fantastic idea. *gears are turning*
Mr. Valeska: I appreciate your interest! Please feel free to drop your calling card, or call on me in Academy sometime, and we can certainly discuss it further.
Emerson: Awwwww. Actually, I’m not sure how this would go for me either, even though I work a standard schedule. My most creative time is late morning, right about the time when I’m in a series of soul-draining meetings. So I certainly understand.
You know, there is no need to wait until next November… or try something as daunting as a novel. I’d be happy to collaborate on a New Babbage short story or two over the holidays. We share the same creative time of day.
With two completed NaNoWriMos under my typist’s belt (and two abject failures), I have the following advice: 1) meet your daily goal, even with drivel. Don’t skip a day and tell yourself you’ll make it up – the makeup wordcount gets *really* daunting after a few skips, and can make you quit way prematurely. By week two it gets easier. 2) Never ever go back and rewrite. There wil be time for that in December. 3) When the third week dry spell happens, just keep doing small scenes to keep up your quota, even if you tell yourself they may never see the light of day. Momentum will return.
I wish on many things that I had time to indulge this year, but alas it is not to be.