Nano Questions?

Solidarity and discussion for the NaNoWriMo 2020 Write-Through
jdsawyer
Site Admin
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:17 am

Nano Questions?

Post by jdsawyer »

We're hitting that point in the month where conversations start to dry up, so we'll be taking questions and/or comments if they come in. If you've got anything you'd like to hear the panel talk about, now's the time. Post them here or through the normal channels.

Keep writing!
-Dan
Edryan
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:34 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Edryan »

Hi Dan

A couple of questions to ask the group (and comment yourself if you would):

1 - what is everyone's schedule like - I'm curious because I work about 50hrs a week and have kids and wonder what everyone else is managing (or not) to work around. How many hours of free time to hit the keyboard does each of you end up having in a day?

2 - Did any/all of the gang preplan their project or are they pantsing? Did the preplanners outline or just brainstorm in advance? (I know Gail is working on a book she had in process as I am, but I'd be curious to know if anything changed in prep for NANO as far as her planning (or lack thereof))

3 - Are the paperbacks for Clarke Lantham ready (ok not a Nano question!)

4 - Is everyone cycling (like i do and i think you do Dan) or are their word counts messy and in need of major edits when it is all over and done with? ( i commit the cardinal sin or leaving spell check on as type and stop and fix all the mistakes every 300-500 words. Just wondering what the NANOGANG folks do.

Total aside - sorry if some of this has been covered - I missed episodes 2 and 3 - episodes never popped up on podbean where I listen
jdsawyer
Site Admin
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:17 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by jdsawyer »

Lantham paperbacks should finally be up by early in the coming week. :-)
jdsawyer
Site Admin
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:17 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by jdsawyer »

I take it back--they're up now :-)
Edryan
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:34 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Edryan »

excellent!
indianajim
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2020 10:08 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by indianajim »

Edryan wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:18 am 1 - what is everyone's schedule like - I'm curious because I work about 50hrs a week and have kids and wonder what everyone else is managing (or not) to work around. How many hours of free time to hit the keyboard does each of you end up having in a day?
I work at an elementary school so I have some gaps between classes in which to get some words down, and on a good day can get 1,000 to 1,500 in that time. My kids are all adult/teen so they don't need as much attention, so if I'm disciplined, I will do some writing while my wife is working from home until 5:00. I work part-time on weekends in the Kroger fuel kiosk and can usually get up to 2,500 during the slow time before closing if I'm feeling particularly inspired.
Edryan wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:18 am 2 - Did any/all of the gang preplan their project or are they pantsing? Did the preplanners outline or just brainstorm in advance? (I know Gail is working on a book she had in process as I am, but I'd be curious to know if anything changed in prep for NANO as far as her planning (or lack thereof))
I did not do any pre-planning whatsoever. I had an opening line echoing in my brain and just started from there.
Edryan wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:18 am 4 - Is everyone cycling (like i do and i think you do Dan) or are their word counts messy and in need of major edits when it is all over and done with? ( i commit the cardinal sin or leaving spell check on as type and stop and fix all the mistakes every 300-500 words. Just wondering what the NANOGANG folks do.
I'm not doing any real editing when I cycle, I just read a little bit to get my head back in the story.
Edryan wrote: Sat Nov 07, 2020 4:18 am Total aside - sorry if some of this has been covered - I missed episodes 2 and 3 - episodes never popped up on podbean where I listen
Yes, Episodes 2 and 3 have not shown up in the feed.
Edryan
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 1:34 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Edryan »

Glad it is not just me that missed the episodes

Admire your progress so far IJ
jdsawyer
Site Admin
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2020 12:17 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by jdsawyer »

Found the feed error--they should be all better now :-)
kelsifer
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:28 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by kelsifer »

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has any tips on worldbuilding. I feel very good about my characters, dialogue, and descriptions, but I'm not sure I'm doing well with making the reader feel oriented in the world where all of this is happening. Are there any tricks or strategies you use for this? Do you go back and add exposition about the world later? Do you ever get so wrapped up the details of how your world works that it starts to feel overwhelming?
Theresa Baumgartner
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:52 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Theresa Baumgartner »

Has anyone here ever written by dictating, and if so, do you have any tips?

I'd like to be able to use some of the time I'm doing chores or walking the dogs to write. I've been working at it for 10-15 minutes a day, hoping to get over the self-conscious feeling of speaking aloud. That part is improving. However, the whole process is just painful. Not only am I a pantser (so I usually only have an idea that I want the story to go in a particular direction), but I'm realizing that when I type, I often get half a sentence down and then go back to add a clause at the beginning. (I've written 8+ books this way, so I don't think that part is going to change any time soon.) Dictation seems to take ten times the mental work of typing the story because I have to form a coherent sentence before I start talking.

Is this a hopeless challenge?
Post Reply