NaNo, the madness that is November for writers around the world.
NaNoWriMo is complete and utter madness, but exhilarating at the same time.
Sometime during October you sign up and create an account if you don't already have one and you can explore the forums and find friends - I'm Sarmorrow if you want to take a peek, feel free to add me as a writing buddy if you like. Then on November 1st you start writing, you might have prepared notes, character sketches or you might have no idea what you're going to create, but you open a fresh page and you write.
After a week or so you slow down, think you can't do it, but everyone hits that wall, that block, at some point and someone, somewhere will have a tip that you can use to get through it. I use a writing buddy or two and we have word wars where we set a time and see who can write the most in that time, or race to be the first to a batch of 500 words.
It's fast, furious and so intense that you have to turn off that inner editor and critic and just write. There's no time for quality and polishing, just write and then write some more.
Then, all too soon it's November 30th and you've created a 50,000 words novel, one day at a time.
What a rush!
Go on, I dare you....
The fatal phrase that started it all for me, Sarah Barnard, author of the Portal Series.No way was I going to do this mad thing, no way could I possibly write that much in such a short time. Writing needs time and space, needs to be carefully thought out, planned and then edited and polished, doesn't it? I mean, I have the utmost respect for people who do these mad things, like running marathons, but I didn't want to.....
But she said it, "Go on, I dare you." How could I resist, so I opened a word document and began to write a description of a woman waking up in bed, feeling still tired and being climbed on by children, lots of children. And so Kate was created and The Portal Between was begun.
What's happening in 2009?
Blogging as I go!
I'm planning to blog the story as I write it, on my writing blog at the Sarah Barnard site and I want to invite you to come and read it as it unfolds. You'll be able to comment and offer feedback and ideas - but I do reserve the right to use or not use any of any reader suggestions or criticisms.Some feedback will be kept until I've finished, some will be ignored, some will be answered but not used and some might be incorporated into the work.
So far I have a male character, a name and a rough setting but no plot, no story and no direction! But I still have plenty of time to change my mind.....
Who knows what will happen, it'll be an adventure and I'd like you to join me. Will you read as I write?
(NaNo 2009 is November 1, 2009)
Sarah Barnard's Blog
Where it's all taking place.
From November 1st 2009 through to either November 30th or when Sarah reaches 50,000 words - this year's NaNo story will be blogged.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byWhat do you think?
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Reply
- SarahBarnard SarahBarnard Oct 4, 2009 @ 4:44 pm
- there are a few NaNo lenses I need to find time to read.
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Reply
- aj2008 aj2008 Oct 4, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
- Good luck Sarah! You may like to check out lenses by Lensmaster Eelkat as she is doing NaNo too.
Burning question of the day!
Follow Sarah on Twitter
Sarah Barnard twitters under the name Ethics Trading
- EthicsTrading
- aka Sarah Barnard
- 705 followers
- 283 following
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- Blogging: @myzerowaste needs your help, and what did she do with a loo seat.....
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- RT @myzerowaste: Pls vote for My zero waste in "Green Living Advice" http://bit.ly/5uYTKH takes just 5 secs xx pl RT!
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- RT @myzerowaste: OMG! Too funny; here's a story about us; check out the commentshttp://bit.ly/6F4xJD
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- Adding items to my @BTTradespace shop: http://bit.ly/6ZrOwj
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- Hmm, book editing, knitting, website work or bogging about on facebook?
Other Sarah Barnard lenses
The Portal Series.
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The Portal Between, by Sarah Barnard
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The Portal Between was begun quietly, in the dark, at midnight as the day changed from October to November in 2005 when Kate turned over in bed to find Hayley had crept in and was fast asleep. It marked the beginning of a writing journey that still...
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The Portal Series, by Sarah Barnard
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The Portal Series consists, at the moment, of two books: The Portal Between and The Portal Sundered, with a third book still being written which is currently titled Child of the Portal. Portal Series author, Sarah Barnard, lives in Derbyshire, Engla...
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Sarah Barnard - Author
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Sarah Barnard's debut novel "The Portal Between" was self published through Lulu.com early in 2008 and has since grown to find it's way onto the websites of Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmiths, Barnes & Noble, Borders and most good online bookstores, as we...
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The Portal Sundered, by Sarah Barnard
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At the end of The Portal Between, Lily returned alone; Kate hoped Sam would follow and she didn't, Sam chose to stay behind and rule in Lily's place. So Kate was left alone with all four children again and she waited for Sam, and Sam never came. Lil...
by SarahBarnard
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