NaNo Nerds - The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

[starsapart]

 

Welcome, intrepid rebel writers, to the NaNoWriMo accountabilibuddy group!  We gather today to support those insane souls who intend to marathon a novel in November... possibly while training for an actual marathon.  The purpose of this group is to offer support of you and your writing, provide occasional word sprints and other fun challenges to keep your novel on track, and serve as a place to stay accountable for the fitness side of things.  Who binge-eats takeout and sits on the couch all throughout NaNo?  NOT US!

 

A few notes:

• Although I will keep this main post updated, this group has no official leader!  Please offer any challenges you wish to the other rebels, start word sprints, provide fitness challenges if you so desire, etc.
• Weekly challenges will likely be provided, if there is interest.  I've made a loose schedule below.  Anyone can submit one (trust me, you don't want mine or you will all grow to hate me).  Ideally, combining a fitness challenge with a writing challenge is best!
• This group will run through the month of November and will move forums once the new challenge forum is created.
• Anyone can join - level 1 or experienced Rebel - but only if that person is participating in NaNoWriMo.

 

Interested?  Sign up, tell us a little about your novel idea, and give us an idea of how you intend to keep your fitness journey chugging along without crashing and burning while you write!  Provide a link to your NaNo profile if you'd like to gain some writing buddies on the NaNo site as well.  I'll add challenge links after the November 10th challenge begins.

 

Happy writing!

 

Members

Adelrune - Challenge | NaNo profile

amberdisa - Challenge | NaNo profile

Anaticula - Challenge | NaNo profile

blkhole24601 - Challenge | NaNo profile

ChristArtist - Challenge | NaNo profile

Clarys - Challenge | NaNo profile

Femmetrooper - Challenge | NaNo profile

Hammlin - Challenge | NaNo profile

Jakkals - Challenge | NaNo profile

MissLish - Challenge | NaNo profile

Nianne - Challenge | NaNo profile

Ornata - Challenge | NaNo profile

PachaTisai - Challenge | NaNo profile

Phoenix Burning - Challenge | NaNo profile

Quill - Challenge | NaNo profile

raptron - Challenge | NaNo profile

redimagination - Challenge | NaNo profile

salambander - Challenge | NaNo profile

shaarawy - Challenge | NaNo profile

SheHulk - Challenge | NaNo profile

starsapart - Challenge | NaNo profile

sterre - Challenge | NaNo profile

stillskies - Challenge | NaNo profile

Strickland5 - Challenge | NaNo profile

thewritescott - Challenge | NaNo profile

Thrillho - Challenge | NaNo profile

Whirlwind - Challenge | NaNo profile

 

Week 1 - Outline or plan (or hide in a corner and plan to pants it)!

Week 2 - On your marks, get set, go!

Week 3 - Double challenge mode!

Week 4 - Give it a push!

Week 5 - Crossing the finish line!

[starsapart]

Week 1 - Outline or plan (or hide in a corner and plan to pants it)!

 

Hey guys!  It's the last week before NaNo begins!  Who's excited?  I'm hoping to hand off the challenge creation every week to a willing rebel, but I'll get us started for this week!

 

Writing challenge: Finish your outline - whatever form that takes - or simply formulate your idea.  Tell us about it!  We'd love to hear how things are shaping up.

Fitness challenge: It's zero week and we're all tired, but that doesn't mean we need to let all of our hard work on the fitness front go to waste.  My challenge to you is simple - commit to at least 10 minutes of movement every day this week.  It could be as simple as a walk or as ambitious as crossfit.  I don't care!

[Anaticula]

I'm signing up.  My NaNo name is Ana Sims. I think I've added everyone who posted their name in the other thread as a friend.

 

We going ahead and doing week one this week, correct? 

[starsapart]

I'm signing up.  My NaNo name is Ana Sims. I think I've added everyone who posted their name in the other thread as a friend.

 

We going ahead and doing week one this week, correct? 

 

Added you!

 

And yup - this is week one - aka planning week (aka OH GODDESS MY OUTLINE IS STILL NOT DONE week - or is that just me?).

[blkhole24601]

I'm here! And not pantsing it like I thought I was going to have to, but that meant I switched back to my original idea after switching away from it for a time -- I'm back on space pirates, guys. I have a very rough outline that may or may not get completely fleshed out depending on my rehearsal schedule but I have a beginning, middle, and end at the very least. Let's see if I can get something more solid by Saturday!

 

My NaNo name is blkholeinfinity and I may not get to 50K by November 30 by I will try my absolute best!

[Thrillho]

*waves his pen*  NaNo member Topper Grey here!

[Anaticula]

I'm doing zombies. I'm a little worried my story is going to get pretty dark, but I'll see how it goes. I'm trying to write it as if it were the type of horror movie I'd be interested in watching. Except as a book,

 

Here's my plot summary:

A young woman (A) is attempting to keep her children alive in a world infested with zombies. The zombie outbreak occurred roughly two years ago and she must now cope with surviving in the chaos that has become everyday living. In her journey she meets another woman and the two attempt to rebuild their lives together.  Act 1: Her friend (B ) is expecting a child and difficulties arise in caring for everyone as they prepare for the upcoming winter. When A’s assumed dead husband (C ) arrives things become complicated as he wants B out because she is unable to help with daily tasks and becoming a burden on the family. A is forced to choose between her husband and her friend.  C mysteriously disappears. Act 2: Difficulties arise with B’s pregnancy as winter becomes more difficult to cope with.  Food runs short and groups of scavengers sometimes arrive in the woods.  The women must choose whether to leave their home and return to the village with the others or keep their families away. B’s baby is born, but does not survive. B is devastated because A buried the child before she could see it.  She comes to believe that A has become infected and become a zombie.  She begins to believe that A actually cooked the baby to feed the family. Act 3: Tensions have grown between A and B.  B has become attached to A’s toddler and believes that the girl isn’t actually A’s, she believes that A is raising her for meat and that the older child is also infected. She begins searching the home for evidence of A’s infection and discovers the body of C in the shed frozen solid with chunks cut out.  She believes that A has been feeding the family on C’s body.  B attempts to run away with the toddler. A hunts for her in the woods and swears that her only goal is to protect the lives of her family. At all costs.  She (A) claims that B has lost her mind and unless she (B ) gives back the toddler she (A) will kill her (B ). The two struggle in the woods, and the older child who is helping hunt for the toddler is bitten by the zombies. A manages to get her children away from the zombies and B, but doing so results in B’s death.  A brings her family back home and locks her son in the shed. She knows that he is infected and she should kill him before he turns, but she cannot bring herself to do so. She had killed her husband when he was bitten, but she cannot bring herself to kill her son.  She instead chooses to feed him the body of B, swearing that she will do whatever it takes to keep her family alive even if it means hunting down people to feed her son.  

 

I'm open to suggestions on plot.  And names.  I have no clue what I'm going to name these people.

[shaar]

YEEAAAAHH!!.... I think... so many words... augh...

 

NaNo participant Shaarawy reporting for duty, with a pretty solid outline that just needs a few more "oooooh" plot points to keep it trundling along.  I'm writing a dark psychological space horror/thriller about a pair of brothers that are searching for their origins.  STOKED + nervous at the same time.

[She-Hulk]

I've been seriously considering trying this again. I completed it once in 2008 and then I got distracted by school and life every other time. Most of November I'll be out in wine country in California with family and that sounds like the perfect time to write. I've had some ideas swimming in my head for a while, too. Although I'm definitely going to use the word count as a guideline and not try to make myself crazy. ...I'll appear again later after I make an account and throw some ideas out of my head and onto a screen.

[starsapart]

I'm here! And not pantsing it like I thought I was going to have to, but that meant I switched back to my original idea after switching away from it for a time -- I'm back on space pirates, guys. I have a very rough outline that may or may not get completely fleshed out depending on my rehearsal schedule but I have a beginning, middle, and end at the very least. Let's see if I can get something more solid by Saturday!

 

My NaNo name is blkholeinfinity and I may not get to 50K by November 30 by I will try my absolute best!

 

Welcome!  Hahahahaha we will both be writing pirates, yes, good, excellent.

 

*waves his pen*  NaNo member Topper Grey here!

 

Woooooooooooooot!

 

I'm doing zombies. I'm a little worried my story is going to get pretty dark, but I'll see how it goes. I'm trying to write it as if it were the type of horror movie I'd be interested in watching. Except as a book,

 

Here's my plot summary:

A young woman (A) is attempting to keep her children alive in a world infested with zombies. The zombie outbreak occurred roughly two years ago and she must now cope with surviving in the chaos that has become everyday living. In her journey she meets another woman and the two attempt to rebuild their lives together.  Act 1: Her friend (B ) is expecting a child and difficulties arise in caring for everyone as they prepare for the upcoming winter. When A’s assumed dead husband (C ) arrives things become complicated as he wants B out because she is unable to help with daily tasks and becoming a burden on the family. A is forced to choose between her husband and her friend.  C mysteriously disappears. Act 2: Difficulties arise with B’s pregnancy as winter becomes more difficult to cope with.  Food runs short and groups of scavengers sometimes arrive in the woods.  The women must choose whether to leave their home and return to the village with the others or keep their families away. B’s baby is born, but does not survive. B is devastated because A buried the child before she could see it.  She comes to believe that A has become infected and become a zombie.  She begins to believe that A actually cooked the baby to feed the family. Act 3: Tensions have grown between A and B.  B has become attached to A’s toddler and believes that the girl isn’t actually A’s, she believes that A is raising her for meat and that the older child is also infected. She begins searching the home for evidence of A’s infection and discovers the body of C in the shed frozen solid with chunks cut out.  She believes that A has been feeding the family on C’s body.  B attempts to run away with the toddler. A hunts for her in the woods and swears that her only goal is to protect the lives of her family. At all costs.  She (A) claims that B has lost her mind and unless she (B ) gives back the toddler she (A) will kill her (B ). The two struggle in the woods, and the older child who is helping hunt for the toddler is bitten by the zombies. A manages to get her children away from the zombies and B, but doing so results in B’s death.  A brings her family back home and locks her son in the shed. She knows that he is infected and she should kill him before he turns, but she cannot bring herself to do so. She had killed her husband when he was bitten, but she cannot bring herself to kill her son.  She instead chooses to feed him the body of B, swearing that she will do whatever it takes to keep her family alive even if it means hunting down people to feed her son.  

 

I'm open to suggestions on plot.  And names.  I have no clue what I'm going to name these people.

 

Wow, that is incredibly dark and pretty freaking awesome, Ana.

 

babynames.com for the naming?  I look for meanings that relate to character personalities......... and go from there when I get stuck on names.

 

YEEAAAAHH!!.... I think... so many words... augh...

 

NaNo participant Shaarawy reporting for duty, with a pretty solid outline that just needs a few more "oooooh" plot points to keep it trundling along.  I'm writing a dark psychological space horror/thriller about a pair of brothers that are searching for their origins.  STOKED + nervous at the same time.

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!  Share your plotting problems here if you like, we can try to help?

 

I've been seriously considering trying this again. I completed it once in 2008 and then I got distracted by school and life every other time. Most of November I'll be out in wine country in California with family and that sounds like the perfect time to write. I've had some ideas swimming in my head for a while, too. Although I'm definitely going to use the word count as a guideline and not try to make myself crazy. ...I'll appear again later after I make an account and throw some ideas out of my head and onto a screen.

 

Doooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiiit!  Once you have a forum name over there, share with the class!

 

 

 

 

I've added you all to the list!

[Thrillho]

*looks around at everyone in the thread*

 

I'm surrounded by fit, literate women.

 

... all right. 

[starsapart]

I should probably introduce myself/my story!

 

My NaNo profile is linked in the first post.  I am writing a sort of dark fairytale wherein an adult Wendy Darling returns to Neverland to rescue her brothers, who never came home.  Wendy will spend most of the story in boys' clothes, because Proper Young Ladies in 1911 do not go cavorting off to sea with pirates.  Granted, she's not exactly a typical Proper Young Lady, so it works out just fine....

 

I'm doing endless research on Edwardian era schooling for girls (if you have useful links, SEND THEM MY WAY), astronomy and navigation, pirate ships in the 1600s/1700s (have not decided exactly what era to pull Hook from - or what his actual given name is l;askdj;klasdfhjkadslhfjkalsd), trying to decide what happens to you when you lose your shadow, and coming up with increasingly more fiendish faerie bargains.  Also trying to figure out what voice to use.... for awhile I seriously considered first person present, even though I usually write in third person present for short stories and third person past for longer works.  STILL NOT SURE WHAT I WILL DO - WHEN THE FIRST SENTENCE COMES OUT, I WILL KNOW I GUESS.

 

My outline is.......ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... halfway done?  I am trying to get it finished this week, but we will see.  There are holes in some of the character narratives and I'm a bit confused about exactly how I will orchestrate the end of the story - I know what happens, just not how exactly to do it.

 

And on the fitness front, I am starting StrongLifts today so..... hahaha I will outline through the inevitable DOMS?

[starsapart]

*looks around at everyone in the thread*

 

I'm surrounded by fit, literate women.

 

... all right. 

 

Welcome to the best accountability group on the internet?

[PachaTisai]

Adelrune and I are in.  I think our Nano name is P A Tisai, but I'll let her confirm or deny that.

[redimagination]

I'm here! I'm rachelwrites. I'm also writing about zombies this year from the perspective of a mid-twenties, introverted woman with trust issues which is troublesome when trusting someone with your life. I'm still fleshing (no pun intended) bits of it out but have a basic outline minus an ending. I'm doing stuff just now but getting distracted XD and once I've finished this I will get back to it. I need an ending and the rest of my characters sorted out.

 

No idea how I'm going to keep up my fitness during November. I have a tendency to fixate on one thing and forget about everything else that I can. So I think combining the two will be a bit of a challenge. I only have an off-peak membership so hopefully it means that I can make myself go to the gym when I can and then write after. If I'm working a late shift then perhaps either get to the gym early and then write or write first and get most/ all my words and then go to the gym. I'm sure I can work it out... XD

[Thrillho]

I really need to write out my basic outline. I have it all spread out over three txt files, and as a crazy jumble of notes in my head.  I have the outline all planned out to the beginning of the third act, but I don't know how it ends, and several things still don't make a lot of sense. Wheee! 

[starsapart]

Adelrune and I are in.  I think our Nano name is P A Tisai, but I'll let her confirm or deny that.

 

I'll let her post and provide a link, and will update then!

 

I'm here! I'm rachelwrites. I'm also writing about zombies this year from the perspective of a mid-twenties, introverted woman with trust issues which is troublesome when trusting someone with your life. I'm still fleshing (no pun intended) bits of it out but have a basic outline minus an ending. I'm doing stuff just now but getting distracted XD and once I've finished this I will get back to it. I need an ending and the rest of my characters sorted out.

 

No idea how I'm going to keep up my fitness during November. I have a tendency to fixate on one thing and forget about everything else that I can. So I think combining the two will be a bit of a challenge. I only have an off-peak membership so hopefully it means that I can make myself go to the gym when I can and then write after. If I'm working a late shift then perhaps either get to the gym early and then write or write first and get most/ all my words and then go to the gym. I'm sure I can work it out... XD

 

Someone suggested 10 push-ups every 1000 words.  THIS ISN'T THE WORST EVER IDEA?

[Anaticula]

 pirate ships in the 1600s/1700s (have not decided exactly what era to pull Hook from - or what his actual given name is 

 

I think that in all the books/comics/movies/tv shows I've ever seen about Neverland Hook's first name is James.  You don't have to follow that of course,

[blkhole24601]

Welcome!  Hahahahaha we will both be writing pirates, yes, good, excellent.

 

 

I mean. Pirates. Who can resist?

 

The hardest part of this story is that I will be dealing with aliens, and how do making up an alien race and giving them names and such? Mostly it's the names, actually. The species, their culture and government, and how similar and dissimilar they are to humans are all in my head. I just suck at coming up with names that sound alien but doesn't sound or look like a kid went keysmashing. Two characters names are Bak (male) and Alaena (female) so I have a very, very rough idea on the structure of their language which sort of helps but idkkkkk...

[Thrillho]

Robot Boy

working title

 

Extreme Synopsis - ‘Adventure Time meets HBO’s Carnivale’

 

Regular Synopsis - In a dark, tired world, lit by a hazy red sun, a travelling bazaar wanders from town to town, shining a brief light of awe and wonder into the weary corners of humanity. Their strange path is guided by their enigmatic leader, the Taskmaster, who seems obsessed with the shattered, mouldering and burnt-out ruins of huge, ancient cities that dot the landscape. He scours the world for unique and deviant folk to fill his circus, as well as artifacts from the past, particularly the mysterious and eternal relics composed of New Steel, a strange and indestructible substance. One small boy with no name, more metal than flesh, seems to embody both. Stalking this strange travelling carnival is the Thief, a blind and crippled man who knows far too much about the Robot Boy’s origins, though what invisible force seems to be haunting him? How does the Taskmaster know exactly where to find these ancient artifacts, and what does he do with them? What does the mark of an old, dead religion signify, and why does it shine on the Robot Boy’s chest?

 

[PachaTisai]

 

Robot Boy

working title

 

Extreme Synopsis - ‘Adventure Time meets HBO’s Carnivale’

 

 

 This kinda terrifies me...

[redimagination]

 

Someone suggested 10 push-ups every 1000 words.  THIS ISN'T THE WORST EVER IDEA?

 

I think I suggested that in the previous thread. I may actually use it though!

[raptron]

I want toooo, but I know I'd stop the moment I got through the intro and I have done 0 planning for this, plus there is a whole bunch of exciting life things happening and the last time I actually COMPLETED a NaNo challenge was in 2005...

.....

.....

.....

I WANT TOOOOO.

 

I am going to live vicariously through the rest of you for now. 

[PachaTisai]

10 pushups for every 1000 NOT written?  Motivation to get your wordcount in...

[Everstorm]

I am in, here is the nano address: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/phoenix-burning/

I still can't make up my mind which of two ideas I want to pursue. I only got 4000 words into last year's novel, and I have the idea pretty well developed, so it seems like the logical choice. It somehow feels like cheating, though. The other plotline I have is rather vague, it feels a little like an excuse to fictionalize my journal. What to do....