Entmoot Wrimos?

[katya]

I was watching your progress, Varnafindë, good to see you reached your goal.

I managed to reach 50,000 on November 29th, despite all the obstacles in my path. For example there's a solid week where I didn't write anything, due to lots of parties and stuff and staying out late and whatever. Also Thanksgiving, etc. I was a little nervous at the end! This was the hardest NaNo yet and it was pretty horrible at times. But I ended up with a novel I actually like, more or less, and a pretty nice feeling of accomplishment. Looking forward to that TGOI party.

[Earniel]

Congrats to you both.

Didn't get a single letter written, despite plans on finishing two of my unfinished stories. But then it was full weekends, emergency repairs, I got sick, etc... So, yeah, not a letter. But I did get to finish my goal for NaNoArtMo, so it wasn't all bad. I write the whole year around so I guess those stories will get finished in their own time.

[katya]

I find it really funny to read my last comment on here.

I just hit 50k tonight, though my story is not quite over yet. It was a very difficult year in a way, but easy at the same time. I had next to no problems at all with writer's block, I had a solid story, it went really well, and I have a lot of fleshing out I can do a little later to make this actually a full length novel rather than a novella. On the other hand, I had a severe lack of actual time to write. I have two jobs and am working around 55 hours a week. In my free evenings, I've been obsessively watching Doctor Who with some friends. I've basically had to write in every spare minute I have. So in that sense, I felt like it was a very hard year.

But, looking back at 2010, I remember that it was hard then, too. I think that's what keeps bringing me back to NaNoWriMo is that, quite simply, I forgot how horrible it was and only remember the fun times. Otherwise, I don't think I'd have the courage to do it every year! But now I do remember 2010, all those parties, all that debauchery... It was a really good month for me, but I remember how the words just wouldn't come, how my heart was off on an adventure of its own far from the world in which my story took place, and trying to write with horrible hangovers while trying to manage my social life at the same time.

2011 was the first year that I lost. My life was insane, I didn't even have a laptop to write on, but I managed about 15k in a notebook before giving up about halfway through the month. I was in between homes and sleeping on friends' couches. I was working 45 hours or so at a job that sucked my soul out (as opposed to the ones I have now that revitalize me). My social life was the biggest mess it's ever been, ever. Some of the worst moments of my life occurred in the fall of 2011 (and some of the best). So that was the hardest year, and it kind of takes some of the joy out of victory this year. I won three times, then I lost. I'm hoping sometime in the future to finish 50k PLUS finish my 2011 novel. But I don't know if that's ever going to happen.

[Earniel]

It's not really losing, if you ask me. You just didn't finish. It's hardly losing since it's not a competition, just a creative project. Congrats on reaching the 50K this year. It's a real achievement to be proud of.

I've kind of lost the writing spark lately. I still have ideas but I miss the energy to sit behind the computer and work on words. Too many excuses, and too many RL mishaps (they do sap your creativity, that's for sure). I'm trying to revive it slowly but ah, there are so many things you should rather do. I guess growing up finally caught up with me. But we all need our dreams, and writing will remain one of mine.

[katya]

I know what you mean. I was feeling the same way for a long time. I think growing up has made it a lot more difficult to write, because I'm always thinking, "That isn't realistic," or "That's a stupid idea." I have a harder time believing in the stories like I used to. But, after two years of pretty much not writing at all, I actually had a lot of fun with NaNo, and fell in love with new characters. I had characters that were alive, and did things that surprised me. That, to me, is the fun of writing. But it's also very hard to do when you're a grown up.

[Earniel]

Hm, growing older didn't give me too many problems with silly story-ideas. For instance, I still plan to write the one story involving a thousand open fridges on an icy field in the Antartic, and I will just as happily write another story about my wizard and his troublesome sentient vegetables, should a plot present itself.

But I can't get myself holed up in my room all evening anymore like I used to when younger and just spend hours to draw or write. Food's got to get cooked, administration's got to get done, laundy needs folding and the family really likes me to spend the evening downstairs with them. Writing doesn't mesh all that well with all that.

[katya]

Actually my stories have gotten more silly and crazy as time goes on, so it's not so much that. It's more that the creative spark gets smothered by reality sometimes.

I feel like writing is one of the best ways to spend my free time, and I don't feel bad about that. But I just don't have much free time. It's like... when I was working at my old job (the soul sucking one), I just didn't have any soul left to give to write. My mind was too much bombarded with work and laundry and responsibility. I think you can't write for an hour a day. I think it has to be all day or nothing. By that I mean, when I'm "writing", I spend all day thinking about my characters, imagining plots, etc. When life is taking over too much for that, even if I do have some free time to write, I just don't have anything in there to write. I have a job now that lends itself very well to day dreaming, luckily.

[Varnafindë]

This year I haven't even tried writing - and surprisingly, I haven't read the NaNo fora, either. I generally haven't written much lately - something that has made the RPG forum suffer

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by katya

I feel like writing is one of the best ways to spend my free time, and I don't feel bad about that. But I just don't have much free time. It's like... when I was working at my old job (the soul sucking one), I just didn't have any soul left to give to write. My mind was too much bombarded with work and laundry and responsibility. I think you can't write for an hour a day. I think it has to be all day or nothing. By that I mean, when I'm "writing", I spend all day thinking about my characters, imagining plots, etc. When life is taking over too much for that, even if I do have some free time to write, I just don't have anything in there to write. I have a job now that lends itself very well to day dreaming, luckily.

I still can do the day-dreaming in the odd periods when the mind can wonder between tasks. It works miracles too when I need to take my head off work-related things that might otherwise keep me up at night. But I also like the actual writing, the putting words to the scenes in my head, picking the structure of sentences that works best, picking and discarding scenes that won't work. It's getting to that part that is lacking lately.

Originally Posted by Varnafindë

This year I haven't even tried writing - and surprisingly, I haven't read the NaNo fora, either. I generally haven't written much lately - something that has made the RPG forum suffer

Yeah, I'm still waiting for your scene in Journeys. But don't fret too much, there at least we can move slowly when needed.

[Acalewia]

Just thought I'd bump this thread...

I participated in my first NaNo in 2012

I didn't think I'd hit the 50k goal. I ended up with over 68k


And I was asking myself, why the heck did I not do this before. Had a lot of fun with Night of Writing Dangerously and meeting with my fellow Wrimos. (We all now have an inside joke )

Already planning the novel I'll write this year

[katya]

I'm deep in the process of planning out a revision/re-write for last year's novel, myself. This would actually be the first time I'm really making any drastic edits to any novel and I think that's a good sign for me.

Acalewia, we are totally both going to write awesome novels 2013 and we can do it together and do word wars and it's going to be awesome.

[Acalewia]

-high fives-

Totally! I had a blast this year and my husband actually left me alone so I could write

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by katya

Actually my stories have gotten more silly and crazy as time goes on, so it's not so much that. It's more that the creative spark gets smothered by reality sometimes.

I feel like writing is one of the best ways to spend my free time, and I don't feel bad about that. But I just don't have much free time. It's like... when I was working at my old job (the soul sucking one), I just didn't have any soul left to give to write. My mind was too much bombarded with work and laundry and responsibility. I think you can't write for an hour a day. I think it has to be all day or nothing. By that I mean, when I'm "writing", I spend all day thinking about my characters, imagining plots, etc. When life is taking over too much for that, even if I do have some free time to write, I just don't have anything in there to write. I have a job now that lends itself very well to day dreaming, luckily.

That's me as well, when writing. I have to have a day to really sink into it. Although I've done plenty of one hour sessions. But that's mostly for editing.

[Earniel]

I wouldn't mind getting some more written this year either. I'm mightily pleased I got one short story finished this year already though. It's not much, but considering it's been about two year since that last happened, I'm hoping the dry period is over now.