National Novel Writing Month - Gifted Issues Discussion Forum

I've never done this, but I'm trying it this year to get me moving on my second book. I love the concept!

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NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. The whole idea is to write frantically during the month of November, so quickly and uncritically that you can't obsess with perfectionism or get writer's block. The goal for adults is 50,000 words (a "novel") from November 1 - November30. Kids on the YWP boards can set their own goal, from a few hundred words for a little one to the adult goal or more for older kids. The writing doesn't even have to be in English -- work on your second language skills by setting a lower word goal and making yourself write. If this sounds like fun, the time to sign up is NOW. The contest doesn't begin until November 1, but the "Great White Wipe" of the boards has occurred and the new website is up. There's a change in the YWP (Young Writers Program) rules this year.It used to be that people 13+ were required to go to the adult boards unless they were registered with a school class. Now, the move to the adult boards is just an option. If you're 17 & under, you're welcome to hang with the YWP group.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/
http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/

This is great. Thanks for sharing it.

My pleasure!

It sounds like fun for kids, too, though I'd love to have some adults from the forum join me...

I will forward this to DH (he should be writing, but there's just the little matter of pay!!

the ywp looks cool, too.
Thanks!

Very Cool. Little C wanted to sign up. I signed her up and we tried to edit the info for her page, clicked submit, but it didn't save anything. Any thoughts? Did we do something wrong?

No clue. I'm a newbie, too. It did work for me, but I registered as an adult. I haven't talked to DS7 about whether he wants to try it yet, so I haven't even tried to sign him up yet.

Did you check out the FAQs? That's all I've got for you, I'm afraid. Besides trying again, of course.

I signed up DD9 as a child and I received an e-mail confirmation right away. After I put her info there, I got an "access denied" type of page, but I was able to log her in after that.

Thanks for the info and the website. DD is very excited about this challenge and is already reading the "dare machine".

Jen

I must add that after looking through the website more, I am impressed by the educational materials offered. The Young Writer's Workbooks are free to download and help getting started in the writing process. DD has written short stories before and even finished some of them, LOL. She is filling out the workbook as we speak and I'm trying to convince her to go to bed....

Jen

cool! maybe i'll give it a go. (it does say the novels can be awful!)

Oh, do! We can commiserate about our awful writing!

I'm tempted,,,I just don't think I could possibly write 50,000 words in a month. Unless rantings about the frustrations with dealing with the schools would count.....

Hey, put quotation marks around your rants and call the whole thing "dramatic conflict."

Can I put everything in past tense and call it historical fiction?

LOL! That's what I'm doing!

Just reposting here so that everyone won't think I'm lying in a ditch somewhere when I go rather inactive all of a sudden...

I plan to be busy writing book #2 for NaNoWriMo, so I don't expect to post much on the forum in November. I'm shooting for writing 2000 words per day so that if I miss my goal some days, I can still make 50,000 words by the month's end.

If anyone really wants to get my attention, PM me. I'll still check my PMs daily! You can't stop a true obsessive!

See you in December!

Anyone else have kids doing it? My dd7 is signed up. I'd do it but I'm afraid nobody will piss me off enough everyday for the month of November for me to write a whole book...Aahh! That's just crazy! Of course they will!!

LOL!

My DS7 is signed up, but I'm not sure how motivated he is to actually do the work.

Nov. 1 is here as of 10 minutes ago! I'll see you all in Dec.!

Good luck Kriston!

I printed out the elementary workbook. DS said he wants to work on it and give it a try.

My DD11 signed up enthusiastically and set her goal at 20,000 words!

We went to a kick off event here last weekend. The regional coordinators (or whatever they are called) Jon and Kelly were great. They welcomed her and her sister to the event and were really enthusiastic about kids participating. They even made them a special goodie bag.

Here's the message that was in the survival pack, for a little inspiration.

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Hark, intrepid Nano explorer! You shal embark upon a journey of delight and discovery. Use the contents of this bag wisely, and you may come out a noveling superhero.

Plot Ninja: Steals his way into your novel when needed. Planted firmly on your shoulder with his menacing glare, he will motivate your wordcount. (little plastic ninja figure)
Marbles: Because you have clearly lost yours. (glass marbles)
Writer's Block: Friend or Foe? With your writer's block in tangible form you may choose to: burn it, bury it, drown it, mock it, threaten compteting novelists or ignore it as it sits in the corner and crys. (small wooden block)
Candy: Essential dietary supplement. Nano-approved. Caffeine not included. (Tootsie Roll)

Unfortunately, the NaNoWriMo website has had some problems. Their server crashed a couple of weeks ago and their web hosting company took a hit a couple of days ago. So if you have trouble getting on their website (www.nanowrimo.org) try, try again...later.

By the way, I have 650 words today, so far...

Whew! DS13 set his goal at 30,000 words. He has consistently written his 1000 words each day and has done make-up writing when needed to catch up after having the flu or traveling. He is entirely self-motivated and has really done this on his own.

We are so proud!!!!

Thanks Kriston for getting DS going on this. We would never have known about it without you!

How are others doing?

Yay, acs's DS!

I'm so pleased!

I've decided to save the program's e-mailed pep talks--unread!--and use them this summer when I actually have the time and support necessary to write. I'll have my own NaNoWriMo in June or July...or both! Maybe I can finish book #2 in 60 days. Wouldn't that be nice!

Wow - that's fabulous acs. Congratulate your DS from me. I was gung-ho the first weekend, and then life called. And that was that. But I did get some positives out of the experience. I'm very impressed with your DS.

Good luck Kriston on book 2 - good idea about saving the encouragement emails.

Any plans to keep chipping away at it, SPG, even though November is over? I thought you had some good ideas, and it would be nice to see you keep going, even if the going is slow. You don't have to write a whole book in one month, you know. You could just write a book...

Just a thought. No pressure!

Thanks SPG and Kriston!

DS has always been a bit distractible and tends to start a lot of projects, but finish only a few. He's a dabbler. I really thought this would just be added to the list of unfinished projects around the house. But this was totally different. It was a side of him I have never seen before.

We all gathered around the computer yesterday when he submitted it and when the "You Won!" screen came up, we all cheered. It was fabulous.

I think that December is Novel Finishing Month for those pesky novels you have started but not finished. But who the heck has time to finish a novel in December?!?

LOL! Oh, I couldn't agree more! December is "Get nothing accomplished" month around here.

Novel? What novel?

Thanks for the compliment, Kriston. I think I will keep plugging away at it. But definitely after the holidays. Why on earth would they have December be a write-anything month?

Well, I have received some Christmas letters that sounded more like drafts, some that were long enough to be novels and others I believe to be fictional. So perhaps it is an appropriate designation.

Yee-haw! That works for me!