Its NaNoWriMo again!

The servers are overloaded because of the huge sign-up and response this year. Ironically even the separate area to contribute to getting new servers is down.

Still, I start because these are my hours and its time for my words.

NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth is every November. During the 30 days, each participant tries to write 50,000 words or about a small novel. It works out to 1,667 words a day. Even typing "all work and no play got Stephen King a contract" will give you a start of 10.

This is my eighth year to participate, hopefully seventh year to finish and sixth year as an ML (Municipal Liaison) a sort-of local moderator (with online moderation 'powers'). If anyone in my local Tri-State area of Sioux City Iowa, South Sioux City Nebraska, North Sioux City South Dakota or all the cities in and around there would like to join in the Kick-Off and TGIO parties and/or weekly write-ins, I will list the information at the bottom of this post.

I also do NaNoEdMo which is in March. The goal is to spend at least 50 hours during the month editing your manuscript. It was born of the idea that every writer needs time away from material in order to be more objective when cleaning it up for submission to be published.

Spending November writing, then putting it away until March is a decent time frame. My rule-of-thumb is to put the ms. away for at least half as long as it took to write.
If I start in November, get 50k and then get it 'finished' at 90k in December, thats 60 days. Leaving it alone for January and February while I work on other projects clears my head and after those second 60 days, the Nano ms. is almost foreign enough to me that I can be ruthless with the blue pen. I get scrap paper thats been printed on one side already which makes for less waste as I need to have a physical copy to edit on. But everyone's mileage varies; this is what works for me.


Its already 5 1/2 hours into the month and I still haven't picked my idea. I like to use something that is completely 'new', meaning I haven't already outlined or worked on it in any way. But I want to be sure its one worthy of the focus and won't write itself into a wall by next week. As I have time until the servers come back up, I'm going to put my insomnia (normally I go to bed by now to arise at the crack of noon when my phoneline goes live but I've been working on political stuff near 'round-the-clock for over a week. I'm hoping for a big nap the afternoon of the 5th.) to use and go through some older notebooks and see what dabble I should pursue.

Happy and productive writing to all participants. Add Alphabeter as a writing buddy either on the nano forums or just drop a line in the comments. I'm a good nag. *neigh*

TriState NaNo Events
All events held at the cafe in the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Southern Hills Mall in Sioux City. There is free wireless available.

Kick-Off Party
Saturday November 1
6 pm to 10 pm

Weekly Write-ins
Sundays November 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd
2 pm to 6 pm

TGIO Party
Sunday November 30th
5 pm to 7 pm
The store closes at 7 so anyone wanting to verify after that will have to do so elsewhere.
However the party may continue to a local restaurant, depending upon interest.