# NaNoWriMo 2014: Is It Worth Doing?



## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

I've been looking into maybe doing the National Novel Writing Month challenge this year. I'm a bit slow with my new novelette, and was wondering if I tried this in November, whether it would get my butt into gear. I was wondering has anyone on the board tried this? Did you write a novelette? How was it uploading your manuscript? Did you scramble it? Is it worth going through the effort to get the feedback? It would be helpful to help me finish it, since I want to get the series wrapped up and worked over by my editor for a Valentine's Day release. Making it a NaNoWriMo project will help me stay on schedule. Any suggestions? Experiences with NaNoWriMo?


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## SomethingClever (Mar 9, 2014)

I've done NaNoWriMo a number of times. Only won once. But it's a great motivator for me and I try to do it every year. Doing NaNoWriMo taught me what works for me as far a writing process goes. I tend to just write and not edit as I go anyway so NaNoWriMo is perfect for me. Besides learning what process works best for me I learned I can write 5,000 words a day if I really try. It was a Saturday. And that I can write 2,000 words a day during the week even with a day job that involves two hours of commuting time a day.

I scrambled my manuscript when I uploaded it for verification. 

Beware the boards though. I find I procrastinate a lot on the forums there. Especially the adopt a plot threads. I love seeing what plots other people have come up with but won't write. 

Find a local thread if you can in the regions and see if you can get out to write-ins. I found it really helped me knowing others in my area were doing it too.


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## going going gone (Jun 4, 2013)

It fits into my production schedule this year, so I'll give it a try. I enjoyed the two Camp Nanos I did.


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

I've really enjoyed Nano each time I've done it. There's something different about writing a novel at the same time as heaps of other people and sharing the journey with them. I love the social aspect of it. Since I don't have an issue with word output I can't give you any advice on whether it helps with that. But I enjoy attending local write ins, going to Kick Off Parties and Thank God It's Over Parties. It's a lot of fun and I think it's an experience you should try at least once.


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## 77071 (May 15, 2014)

Every month is NaNoWriMo for me these days. I don't always write that much, but I certainly try.

I'm not sure if the group is a better motivator or not. I think it was for me in years gone by, but you have to be certain you have the time to devote to it and won't get totally stressed out.

It would be better to write 30,000 words in a month and then 30,000 the next, and the next, (or however much you can manage) than to push yourself so hard you crash and don't write again for ages. 

My point is that mileage may vary and NaNo can be a cool and fun tool, but ultimately you have to pick and choose what works for you. And you probably already know all of that anyway...

Best of luck.


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## Hugh Howey (Feb 11, 2012)

Going for my sixth year in a row. I love NaNo. 60,000 words feels like the perfect length for a novel for me. December and early January are revision months, and then usually pub by the end of January.


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## Gigi Priest (Oct 6, 2014)

I'm going to rebel NaNo this year... 50k words spread out between a couple of different projects.


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## SB James (May 21, 2014)

cadle-sparks said:


> It fits into my production schedule this year, so I'll give it a try. I enjoyed the two Camp Nanos I did.


Camp NaNo is much more mellow and informal than NaNoWriMo. Different experiences, but definitely worthwhile doing. This year will be my second NaNoWriMo, and I've also done two Camps, but only won the July CampNaNo.


Gigi Priest said:


> I'm going to rebel NaNo this year... 50k words spread out between a couple of different projects.


go for it!


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

I say it's worth doing, in fact, I have already begun to plot my novel for this year's Nano. It was Nano 2007 that really spurred me forward novel wise, albeit, not for a few years later. I started 8 days late that year and wrote up to around 48,000 words. Then in 2012, I wrote again as a pure "pantser" and hit around 60k. I went on to do my own Nano in I believe April 2013 and then again completed Nano in November 2013. The result of that was my trilogy of which I am hoping to publish over the next 6 months.

I proved to myself I could write novels and I could write them at a decent pace/ length in only 30 days. (my second two books averaged appr. 75k but I did have a lot of plotting prior to the start of the 30 days)

One of the only reasons I haven't written a novel this year so far is my wife told me I need to work on the ones I already wrote. (She's got a point!) The book I am plotting at the moment is related to my other three books, so in total over the course of 2 years I have four novels all in the same world. I would've never known I could do this if I would've not competed in Nano. Sure, its personal, and yes, someone could technically "cheat" but what's the point?

See what you can do and if you don't hit 50k, so what? You will have something completed by then. If it's only 20k or 30k, fine, finish your draft and then you have more than you likely would've had not doing Nano.

Just my thoughts!


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

NaNo is the perfect reason to make writing the top priority and not let other distractions derail you. The book is being plotted and researched. My calendar is cleared. The spouse has been notified.


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## Matthew Rief (Jan 16, 2014)

It really helped me get into the habit of writing everyday. 2k words a day isn't that bad when you do it every day. And it sure adds up quick. I would recommend doing it because it's just another motivator More motivators the better!


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## Julie Wetzel (Oct 6, 2014)

I loved my nanowrimo experiences. I've done it two years now. It's a great way to get into the habit of writing everyday. If you need help, there are lots of forums to chat with the other writers, and they have fun challenges that help push you to your goal. You just have to be careful not to get caught up with all the forums and remember to actually WRITE your novel. Come join us and have a blast. 

My novel this year will be the next installment in my series!


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

I love love love NaNo!  It is a great motivator, creates some fabulous habits, and if you can get out to a NaNo write-in, do it!  Such a hoot!  They do word sprints and give away prizes and just make the very isolated world of writing social and fun (after NaNo ended, I kept up with the group write-ins with several of my friends).  Their blogs and vlogs will keep you motivated.  It is just a great experience.  And if you can get out to the Night of Writing Dangerously, it is DIVINE!


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

I've done NaNo a few times. Sometimes I reached the 50K goal, other times I didn't. Sometimes I cheated and spread out the 50K among multiple projects. Anything that gets you to write more is a good thing in my book.

Not sure what you mean about feedback, though. The manuscript upload is just to verify your word count. I've never gotten any feedback from NaNo on my work.


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## August8 (Sep 5, 2014)

I'm excited about doing my first nano this year. I've done 50k in a couple of weeks so I know it's doable but my writing is starting to slack so it's going to be a good opportunity to get my ass back into gear. 
I already have my story planned a bit and will be doing some reading in the genre towards the end of the month to get into the mind frame. I can see myself spending way too much time on the forums over there though :/


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## 75845 (Jan 1, 1970)

Doing it in 2013 enabled me to complete a novel in 25 days after failing at attempts to complete one for 37 years. That got that load (of never having completed a novel) off my mind and now I am much better at writing. Due to delays in other projects it now looks like my next project can be delayed until 1st November. So having flown 4750 miles to Seattle for last year's version this year I am doing NaNoWriMo about my home section of London.


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## SB James (May 21, 2014)

Mercia McMahon said:


> Doing it in 2013 enabled me to complete a novel in 25 days after failing at attempts to complete one for 37 years. That got that load (of never having completed a novel) off my mind and now I am much better at writing.


^This^ ^Awesome^


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## TheGapBetweenMerlons (Jun 2, 2011)

When I first did NaNoWriMo in 2006 it was the perfect thing for me to reignite the writing fires that I'd let smolder for too long when my kids were young, after being very productive (writing-wise, not publishing-wise) in my late teens and early 20s. Since then, it's _usually_ been a good experience and one I recommend. There have been bad years along the way, for reasons unrelated to NaNoWriMo itself. Last year was probably the worst and at the time I said "never again." Now I'm saying "get back up on the horse." If you have people in your life, as most do, any concentrated writing requires cooperation (if not "support") from those people. For those who lack that cooperation regularly, NaNoWriMo can sometimes be a foundation to ask for and receive it... but not always.


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## hankgarner (Apr 30, 2014)

Going for my second year.  Published my NaNo work from last year. NaNo was the thing I needed last year to help me build good writing habits.  Loved the experience!


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## nellgoddin (Jul 23, 2014)

So is the rule to start something brand new on Nov. 1? I've got abut 5000 words of something, can I put that aside until then and start with that, or is that cheating?


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## LA Ramsey (Feb 4, 2014)

Hi nellgoddin - if you read the NANOWRIMO rules - you "can" cheat like that, but you aren't supposed to be able to "win".  

I always start a new novel - I call it "seeding" a novel - I have done this since 2011 - I just stop what I'm doing and write a new book in November. I really enjoy it. I have made some good friends there as well.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

I've "won" NaNoWriMo every year since 2009   That first year, it led to a huge creative breakthrough for me that got me back to writing and finishing what I write after a long dry spell, and now I'm kind of hooked on it. Right now I'm planning a new novel to write this November.

I don't scramble my manuscript before uploading. All they do is count the words (actually, the spaces between the words) and then immediately delete it (so make sure you only upload a copy and have your original safely backed up!). It isn't stored or posted, and no one gives you any feedback. After the event, they have a critiques and beta reads board where you can post short excerpts for critique by other members of the community or find someone to beta read for you. But there's no official NaNoWriMo feedback - no one there actually reads what you've written.

The word count goal for November NaNoWriMo is 50,000. To "win" (I prefer to think of it as completing the challenge) you have to get at least 50,000 words. Some people "rebel" (the word "cheating" is severly frowned upon) and do a couple of different projects to total 50,000 words. You can also start a project now and write the next 50,000 words during November; this used to be rebelling, but they changed the rules this year to allow that. It's entirely on the honor system; the one hard-and-fast truth is that you have to verify 50,000 words to get the purple winner's bar and the goodies (certificate, web badges, sometimes there are special discount offers from writing software companies and stuff).

There are Camp NaNo events (lately they've been in April and July) where you can set your own word count goal.

The community is a lot of fun. You'll find everyone from 13-year-olds to people in their 70s and older, raw beginners writing their first fanfic to multi-published authors. The forums can be kind of a  time sink because there's so much fun stuff going on, but the support, commiseration, and sharing are a big part of what makes me look forward to the event so much.


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## nellgoddin (Jul 23, 2014)

OK, thanks LA. New book it is!


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## TheGapBetweenMerlons (Jun 2, 2011)

Kyra Halland said:


> You can also start a project now and write the next 50,000 words during November; this used to be rebelling, but *they changed the rules this year* to allow that.


(emphasis added)

Interesting! Was not aware of that. Hmm, maybe I'll do that instead. I've gone the "start a new novel" route every time before (no rebel here), so adding 50K words to an existing project would help me finish an on-hold WIP and add a fresh new twist to the challenge.


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## Gerald (Dec 11, 2010)

This will be my 11th year of NaNo. In the previous 10, I've 'won' 9 times. I've been a rebel a couple of times (once I wrote 2 X 25k novellas, which I threw together for validation). You will know if you cheat, no one else will. If 'winning' matters that much, you can copy and past one word / one sentence throughout the whole document if you like. No one will know, and you'll get your badges and certificate and whatnot. But that's totally missing the point.

I find it a great experience. Meeting up with local writers is a good way of meeting fellow authors in your area, and I've created a number of lasting friendships.

NaNo state that the MS isn't stored on their servers, and I've never bothered scrambling anything before I upload it.


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## ElenaLinville (Aug 15, 2014)

I love NaNoWriMo. 
1. Last year's NaNo helped me finish my first novel (I wrote 60k in November and added another 40k in December until I hit the End). 
2. It also showed me that I can write every day and achieve a good word count even with a full time day job and family obligations if I put my mind to it. 
3. It helped me get into the habit of writing (or editing / plotting / outlining) every day. I have done that ever since.
4. Helped me experiment with writing methods and find what really works for me.

So all in all, I would recommend doing NaNo at least once. It's amazing what you might learn about yourself in the process  

PS. I'm 1/3 through outlining my NaNo 2014 story. Can't wait to start.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

I'm getting a picture of what this is like. I do need a push to "Get Butt In Chair" and write. I've really fallen off writing from this summer. Got sick, and have been recovering since. I guess I was wondering if I could do the day job and write to keep up. How flexable is the 2,000k a day? Can you do 5,000 one day and 2500K another? I've managed 500K a day, to 1,500k on a good day. I guess it would push my writing aims. I have a Time Travel Romance 1/2 done, and would like to finish it. 

So, what I'm guessing, is you're on the honor system. But I like the idea of combining two projects to make the 50,000 goal. I think the most I've done is 25,000K. And my writing style is to switch back and forth with projects. If you write shorter stories, can it be kosher to combine? I would be looking for a motivational tool, really. I'm trying to find a way to make it work for me. Finding the right writing formula is so important.


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## Angela Holder (Mar 19, 2014)

I started writing original fiction for Nano 2006, and I haven't quit since.  It gives me two deadlines - I have to write 50,000 words in November (usually I do around 80,000, and I hit 100,000 once) and I have to finish my previous novel by Oct. 31 so I can start the new one the next day.  Right now I'm racing to get the one I'm working on finished in time.  My published book was my third Nano novel.  Next I'm going to release a series that consists of my first Nano novel, my fourth, my first Camp Nano novel, and last year's Nano novel.  I've won every Nano I've tried - 8, plus 2 Camps and a Script Frenzy.

Of course, now I have a bunch of rough drafts which need to be edited before I can publish them.  But it's a good start.  Over the next few years I'll probably spend more time getting completed drafts ready to publish, but I'm always going to stop in November and do Nano.


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## Cactus Lady (Jun 4, 2014)

MarilynVix said:


> I'm getting a picture of what this is like. I do need a push to "Get Butt In Chair" and write. I've really fallen off writing from this summer. Got sick, and have been recovering since. I guess I was wondering if I could do the day job and write to keep up. How flexable is the 2,000k a day? Can you do 5,000 one day and 2500K another? I've managed 500K a day, to 1,500k on a good day. I guess it would push my writing aims. I have a Time Travel Romance 1/2 done, and would like to finish it.
> 
> So, what I'm guessing, is you're on the honor system. But I like the idea of combining two projects to make the 50,000 goal. I think the most I've done is 25,000K. And my writing style is to switch back and forth with projects. If you write shorter stories, can it be kosher to combine? I would be looking for a motivational tool, really. I'm trying to find a way to make it work for me. Finding the right writing formula is so important.


You can write however much you want each day. The daily average to finish is 1,667 words, but that's just an average, not a requirement. Some people write only on weekends, some start slow and finish fast, others just finish fast (there are always some who hit 50,000 within the first week by doing writing marathons). Some people write the whole 50,000 words in the last week (this is not recommended! ) For me, it works best to aim for 2500 words a day (to allow for Sundays and Thanksgiving off) and write the same amount every day.

The kosher way to do shorter projects is to have them be related, like a set of short stories involving the same characters. But, again, no one reads what you've written so it's entirely up to you. The one thing is that for the word-count validator, all your words have to be validated at the same time in one big copy-and-paste, not in separate files.


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## 75814 (Mar 12, 2014)

nellgoddin said:


> So is the rule to start something brand new on Nov. 1? I've got abut 5000 words of something, can I put that aside until then and start with that, or is that cheating?


Don't worry about cheating. I've cheated numerous times and just not submitted my stuff for word count confirmation. I've done it in the past with a WIP purely for the momentum that writing with so many other people generates. There are lots of people who do that. In my fanfiction days, a number of people would just write 50,000 words of their various fanfic series to catch up.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

Breaking up into smaller projects is helping me get a grip on the idea of NaNo. I really want to finish the last novelette and get some traction on the other novel I've been working on. I usually let myself pick which project I'm writing for the day. It's a mood thing. I tend to toggle back and forth. I always try to get my butt in the chair for an hour a day. 
Harder to do while the day job is active. So balancing between weekend writing and weekday writing will make a difference. 

Plus, there are big day job projects during the month of November. I could always just try, and not beat myself about it later. After all, I didn't meet my reading goal last year for Goodreads. But at least, I read a lot more books than I have before. Setting a reading goal for books helps a lot. I think just have encouragement to get something done will be good. I love the writing threads on this board that push to write during the day. I could settle for that on the weekend more. This might be "doable". Thanks guys!


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## Andrea Simonne (Aug 30, 2014)

I did NaNo for the first time a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. I'd never heard of word sprints before and that basically changed my writing life. I'm totally looking forward to it this year because I know I'll put everything on hold and just write like a maniac. Plus family and friends give you a pass on stuff, since they know you're doing NaNo.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

So, you all convinced me. I signed up on Friday. I wish you all good luck, and happy planning your projects. I'm going to write the third novelette, Never Cross A Warlock. That should be at least 25K. Then, I'll finish my Time Travel Romance novel for the other 25K. Good luck everyone!


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## Rue Hirsch (May 4, 2014)

Marilyn, that's good! NaNo is a good motivator and pretty fun. This will be my second year and I'm looking forward to it.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

I love NaNoWriMo, both Disturbed Fate and Disturbed Connections were written during NaNoWriMo. Last year I wrote most of Tranquil Destiny (book #3 in the series) but I lost momentum and had to stop because of plot issues (and university stuff).
This year I'll prob join in, but under a different name as I'm writing a totally different genre.

I always write about NaNoWriMo on my blog (my first Pre-NaNo post has just gone live a few days ago: Pre- #NaNoWriMo 2014! How to outline and collect awesome ideas ) and I'm doing a NaNoWriMo Tips and Tricks project where I'm interviewing (previous)participants on their best tips, tricks, ideas and other things. If you want to be part of it, you can sign up through the sign up form (I'm looking for tips for pre-NaNo work but also things you can apply during NaNo).


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## J H Bogran (Jul 19, 2011)

MarilynVix said:


> I've been looking into maybe doing the National Novel Writing Month challenge this year. I'm a bit slow with my new novelette, and was wondering if I tried this in November, whether it would get my butt into gear. I was wondering has anyone on the board tried this? Did you write a novelette? How was it uploading your manuscript? Did you scramble it? Is it worth going through the effort to get the feedback? It would be helpful to help me finish it, since I want to get the series wrapped up and worked over by my editor for a Valentine's Day release. Making it a NaNoWriMo project will help me stay on schedule. Any suggestions? Experiences with NaNoWriMo?


Believe it or not, I did my first Nanowrimo in 2006. It was the novel that would later become Firefall (published in 2013). Since then, I've entertained the idea a couple of years, even signed up once more-2010 I think-but failed misarably as life got in the way and only wrote about 10k that month. Still, they were 10k words I didn't have a the beginning of the month.

Just registered again this year as I'm gearing up for my new novel and can use all the help I can get.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

So, as a follow-up, NaNoWrMo started this weekend. I got my butt in my chair, and got 1951 words done. It's a start, but I'm eyeing some Nano events in San Francisco. One is in a ballroom in the city with a sponsorship of $250 to just write. But then, I could get my butt in chair at home, supply tons of snacks, and just write for 6 hours. I mostly write on the weekends, Monday and Friday night. So, I'm wondering how to keep the momentum going. I figured I'd follow my regular writing pattern and not push it. Just writing and getting things done are great. I'll probably finish my novelette at 25k, and then work on the Time Travel Novel I put away for a year. Was rereading it yesterday. Forgot how interesting it was to work on. Very excited now! Thanks for all of you convincing me to do this. Whether I get to 50K or not, I'll get some writing done. That's the good thing. 
Hope you all had a great start this weekend!


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## [email protected] (Mar 20, 2014)

I am doing nanowrimo for the first time this year.  I don't have anything published but I've probably started four books and never got past the first chapter.  I'm excited because I'm already at chapter four.


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## Julz (Oct 30, 2014)

Nano's always intrigued me but never fit into my production schedule. This year I was supposed to start a book today anyway so why the heck not...ya know   I'm actually really excited to get in on the fun though


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

Dan Wood said:


> I'm excited because I'm already at chapter four.


Congrats. Hope the words continue to flow.



J Keanini said:


> Nano's always intrigued me but never fit into my production schedule. This year I was supposed to start a book today anyway so why the heck not...ya know  I'm actually really excited to get in on the fun though


Glad to have you join us. It's a lot of fun!


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## 31842 (Jan 11, 2011)

Just wanted to report that I went to my first write-in of NaNo 2015 and it was awesome. Great people! Great motivation! I ended up getting stickers because I passed the 5k and 10k mark (before anyone gets too impressed, I walked in with 8k already done, so the first 5k was retroactive stickerage). In two hours, I managed to get 2,400+ words written, which is bonkers for me right now (the siren call of Facebook and some massive writer's block keeps foiling my efforts). If you're wondering if the write-ins are worth getting out of your pajamas for, they totally are.



MarilynVix said:


> I'm eyeing some Nano events in San Francisco. One is in a ballroom in the city with a sponsorship of $250 to just write.


The Night of Writing Dangerously!! Just wanted to say it is fantastic evening for a great cause! I've gone twice and they make you feel like the prettiest pretty princess. Prizes! Finger foods you can eat with one hand while you type with the other! An all you can eat candy bar! And open bar! Cookies and milk! Costume contests! I wrote a blog post about my first time going if you want to see what it looked like:

http://katedanley.blogspot.com/2011/11/night-of-writing-dangerously.html

Such fun! Some people even brought manual typewriters to really stay in theme. It's worth doing at least once.


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## ecg52 (Apr 29, 2013)

I've never tried it because it's in November. Our photo business picks up considerably beginning in October and doesn't let up until a few days before Christmas. I would be a stressed out mess if I attempted it. But I would jump at the chance to do it in February or March. I often write 50K words in a less busy month. It's less than 1700 words per day and my general goal is to hit at least 2000 daily.


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

ecg52 said:


> I've never tried it because it's in November. Our photo business picks up considerably beginning in October and doesn't let up until a few days before Christmas. I would be a stressed out mess if I attempted it. But I would jump at the chance to do it in February or March. I often write 50K words in a less busy month. It's less than 1700 words per day and my general goal is to hit at least 2000 daily.


Camp Nano is on in April and July, if those months are any good for you. It's more laidback than Nano.
http://campnanowrimo.org/about


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## chele (Jun 5, 2013)

Every book in my Out of Orbit series has been started on November 1st with the first 50k written by the end of NaNoWriMo. I find it's a great motivator and a great way to meet other authors by going to the write ins. 

I'm hoping for more like 60-70k this year. Fingers crossed.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

I want to thank everyone for kicking my butt to get into NaNo this month. I've got 9,200 words so far. Yes, there's a week left. But hey, I wanted to just motivate to write. If I get a project done, I'll be a winner. I'm almost done with Never Cross A Warlock, and emailed my editor it's on the way to get it scheduled. Now, that is progress.  So, thanks guys.

I also got my act together and participated in the big fundraiser night in San Francisco. I got a sponsor, and managed to pull together an outfit, and crank out 2k in the event. One of my table mates did 3,500 in an hour. I believe our table wrote 20k for the night. So, no matter what, it's a great experience and has got me back into my writing routine. I'm thankful for that. If you'd like to see pictures and read my blog post about "The Night of Writing Dangerously", link below.

Let The NaNo Race Begin
http://marilynvix.com/2014/11/23/let-the-nano-race-begin/

For all those participating, good luck in your writing the last week. I am now on vacation for a week. Going to try to catch up. I'm just working for badges now. So, trying to get to the 10k badge, and then the 25k badge. If anything, I'm already a winner. I've written more than I usually do in a month.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

MarilynVix said:


> For all those participating, good luck in your writing the last week. I am now on vacation for a week. Going to try to catch up. I'm just working for badges now. So, trying to get to the 10k badge, and then the 25k badge. If anything, I'm already a winner. I've written more than I usually do in a month.


Good, that is a victory in itself! Congrats!


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

Avril Sabine said:


> Camp Nano is on in April and July, if those months are any good for you. It's more laidback than Nano.
> http://campnanowrimo.org/about


Actually, July would be a great time. It's the best time of the year. I got sick for most of the month this year. That's why I'm trying to get my writing mojo back. I'm going to check it out. ;-)


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

So I knocked out just over 10k in 24 hours and am sitting at 48k once I upload today's writing. Hopefully others are doing well too!


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## Rin (Apr 25, 2011)

I'm sitting on about 41k and hopeful about my chances of succeeding.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

Rin said:


> I'm sitting on about 41k and hopeful about my chances of succeeding.


You got this!


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

Hope everyone had fun and managed to get some words written.


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## TheGapBetweenMerlons (Jun 2, 2011)

I started behind and stayed behind all month, so much so that I was skeptical that winning would even be possible. I was skeptical until about 11pm on the 30th, when I realized I only had a few hundred words to go. I had to write 17,500 words that day to catch up, though, and only passed the 50K mark by 50 words. Not at all how I like NaNoWriMo to go -- words written, but not quite there in the "fun" part.


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## J.T. Williams (Aug 7, 2014)

Avril Sabine said:


> Hope everyone had fun and managed to get some words written.


I did. Another first draft done and a new personal record in writing a first draft!


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

J.T. Williams said:


> I did. Another first draft done and a new personal record in writing a first draft!


Congrats! Beating personal records is always fun.


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## MarilynVix (Jun 19, 2013)

I just wanted to followup on this thread. I had a blast doing NaNo this year. No regrets. I didn't make the 50K mark. I managed to get to 25K, but I got a novelette completed, and on the way to beta readers and my editor. I managed to start a new adult romance I've put on Wattpad, and then added to my time travel novel. It was awesome to do. Thing is, how do you keep the momentum going? I actually am missing it. 

I've been trying to use Wattpad as a motivator. Making sure I post once a week is good. But it's only one project since I'm still a newbie at Wattpad. Camp NaNo isn't until the summer. What do people do in between to keep going?


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## Avril Sabine (Jun 18, 2014)

MarilynVix said:


> Thing is, how do you keep the momentum going? I actually am missing it.
> 
> I've been trying to use Wattpad as a motivator. Making sure I post once a week is good. But it's only one project since I'm still a newbie at Wattpad. Camp NaNo isn't until the summer. What do people do in between to keep going?


You could try setting yourself a daily target like you do during NaNo. It's a really difficult question to answer as everyone is motivated by different things. The main reason I write as much as I do is that I love the stories I write and can't wait to finish each of them and find out exactly how they end. I don't outline, sometimes only have a vague idea of where the story is headed and love finding out what is going to happen to the characters.


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## Lisa Grace (Jul 3, 2011)

I did NaNoWriMo with my 12 Angels by Christmas. I completed the novella at 30K words, a 95 page book. So while I didn't *win* Nano, I have a wonderful holiday book which I put up for sale a week before Christmas. 
I do NaNo every year. Why not? It's only 1677 words a day.


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