I've heard about it, but haven't yet mustered the self confidence to subject myself.  I plan to bask in the torrent of self doubt and recrimination this year though and hopefully come out of it a little stronger, or dead...

:) 

Thanks for sharing. 

I think you have a good idea there!  I've never participated and I doubt I'll do so this year.  I want to, but realistically I don't think I'll be in the right head space to do it.

I've really wanted to use my Conquistador campaign and focus on the beginnings of it, the things the players haven't seen on the history of the family and the motivating force behind the campaign.  ...but I can't even tackle the DiSantiago family tree to a state of completion!

If namowrimo participants are interested, there is a cool widget that we could put on the site, or just on this thread, that shows the word count of the participants.  It looked pretty cool.  I don't know though if it would be encouraging or discouraging to see a daily word count.  *grin*

...anyways!  Welcome to the site Art!

Art, you're going to be in FC with two fellow NaNoWriMo participants. Both Tribe and I participated last year and were winners. I'm not sure about Tribe but it was the first year for me and I'm looking forward to doing it again this year.

My NaNoWriMo name is gypsyav if you want to hook up as buddies for this year's.

I'd be interested. I know when I did it last year seeing one of my buddies get ahead of me always inspired me to put in a little more effort so I could catch up, or pass them if I could.

very cool.  I've been a Nano-loner for 4 years running.  I'd be happy to have a buddy list this year.

We all know it isn't the widget that I want. *grin*

...but the NaNoWriMo site had several, all of which could be dropped into any or all of our pages, by dropping the code into a block.  I would love to watch the progress! 

I'll make sure to get it up later in October and get a list of everyone that would like to participate. 

I think Richard might be doing it this year, and Sinanju as well.  

 I did it last year, though I only got a few thousand words in - I may well take a shot at it again this year, though I don't really have a concept underway at this point. I toyed with the idea of using my Dawnstars character, but I haven't really settled on anything yet. Because I'm a masochist (well, actually, because I collect fountain pens and enjoy using them) I'll probably do my first draft longhand again this time though, which makes widgets harder to use.

I signed up back in 2005 and never participated. Methinks that this year I'm gonna give it a shot. Come hell or high water I wanna write something.

But seriously, how many people start writing before November? I have an idea for a book right now, and I have a very rough map of the story. I may or may not use this one for NaNoWriMo, but if I did, I'd probably already be writing the book by the time it started.

In any case, I'm signed up as "admelior" over there (as of about 10 minutes ago), and I'll certainly be giving it the ol' college try.

The only thing I did before November was to create my outline. I didn't start the actual writing of it until Nov. 2, a day after the official start date.

I had an outline and because it was based off of a game world that I created I had characters written up (for the first three years).  Year four I had an outline.  Sometime, usually around noon on Nov. 1, I started.

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

Here's another link with some talk of NaNoWriMo - http://www.nextgenrpg.com/forum/recommended-advertised-links#comment-3873

Although, this is a much better place for the discussion.  :)

Yeah, I'm definitely thinking about it, and the competitive word count angle sounds fun. Dunno right now what I'd write about, but I know it wouldn't be Soldier Boy. He belongs to this site.

Maybe zombie apocalypse from the zombie's point of view? Who knows.

I heart Soldier Boy.  :)  He belongs to the world that he serves.  *grin*  Not this site, we just helped birth him.

I'm sure that whatever you decide on will be great, but you do have a gift for comedy. 

Don't let that stop you! He's your creation. The story I sold is about Iron Maiden--that I created her for a game originally is irrelevant.

Personally, I think a Soldier Boy novel would be great fun to read (and probably to write).

Alas, I think he put that bit in about not writing for Soldier Boy, for my benefit.  

I have been encouraging him to use Soldier Boy as his NaNoWriMo project, but he refuses.  *sigh*  That character is so rich in personality and unexplored history, he's magic for me.

For anyone that hasn't read any Soldier Boy stuff, do a quick search for Soldier Boy and read one or two of them.  :)  ...just not anyplace where laughing will get you into troubles.  *grin*  (They're all good, but some of my fave SB pieces are Soldier Boy vrs. the Swear Jar, Soldier Boy Saves the World (sequel to the swear jar piece), The Pick Up Game and Sunday Night Dinner (? -something like that).

But don't get me started on my favorite characters and their fiction pieces.  :X 

Yeah, I did it for the first time last year and made it to the 50,000 (although I absolutely hated the last third of it!).

This year I'll be doing it again.  I've got probably eight or nine other teachers at work who will be doing it at the same time, so I've got virtual and real-life support!

Not sure of my topic this year, but I would like to do some planning before November comes around!

Heh. Dean Wesley Smith, the SF writer, says--and I've heard other writers agree--that there ALWAYS comes a point in the writing of a novel where you come to hate it, you think it's crap, and you'll have to start over. He's written more than fifty novels and he says it happens every time, though usually about 1/3 of the way in. It's so common that when he or his wife (also a novelist) come out of their lairs and gripe about how awfully the book is going, the other one just asks, "How far along are you?"

The writer then stops, growls or sighs, and goes back in to keep writing. 'Cause that's the only answer--this is predictable as clockwork and you just have to push through it.

Nope. I just don't want to come up with a SB idea and have to figure out if it goes into the game or into the novel. Also, I quickly figured out that a novelized SB would become a different character, and I didn't want two competing voices in my head.

I'll start brainstorming for ideas.

Cool.
I might suggest it as a project for each of us in our writing group.

The competition is called 'National Novel Writing Month'  - does that mean its only open to Americans?  I do hope it is simply an inverted example of the form of logic that leads you guys to call that Baseball tournament the 'World Series'  ;>)

NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo? 
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/whatisnano

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

When is NaNoWriMo?  November 1st - November 30th

How does NaNoWriMo Work?  http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/hownanoworks

It's open to everyone. Tribe is in Australia and he did it last year and he's not the only one I know not in the US who's done it.

I think they explain the 'National' part as being any nation.  And it is definitely international.  There are NaNoWriMo parties in the capital cities here in Australia.  I think the National part just goes well with the NoWriMo.  If they had International it would be InNoWriMo.  Nah, just doesn't work!

... actually, come to think of it.  Sounds kinda cool.

So who's in?  I've just signed up and I'm looking for the rest of you guys there but with no luck.

Me: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/532603

Geez, it's almost November. I was thinking about doing it this year, but the next couple of weeks are really busy for me...dunno if I can put enough time into it. Hrm....

I'm in. http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/402426

I'll get to adding the Nano widget to the site so that we can follow progress and cheer you guys on!

I will not be doing it this year.  My life is too hectic and I am already lacking in my games...so I think adding this to the mix, would take me over the top.  But I'm eager to root on the rest of ya!

Making a concerted effort this year...if I can focus long enough.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/92230

Okay,

I configured the NaNoWriMo head to head counter today for the site.  I disabled it for now, and will enable it on November 1st.

I have the following user numbers included:

Heatwave
Imajica
Admelior

As I see more user numbers, I'll add them in.  That way the users here can see how far you've gone ... or... not gone.   

I'm in on this NaNoWriMo, too, provided I can get the site to send me a new password. I lose and forget passwords. It's what I do. It's my thing.

Give me your user number once you get your new password. 

Keep your user names and numbers coming in, if you're participating.

KL said that the Nanowrimo site has been overloaded, so their number widget thingy is down.  But once they get that remedied, the word counts will show up on NextGen on the left hand tool bar.  That way we can all follow your progress!

Good luck guys and gal!

Ok, I just read the NaNoWriMo forum and can give you a better idea of what is going on. Widgets were scheduled to go live either Oct 31 or Nov 1 but as the site admins are concentrating on site stability at the moment due to the number of hits the site is getting the widgets may be delayed.

They are working on it and know there are a lot of people waiting for them to go live. Their first priority at the moment is to keep the NaNoWriMo site working and the widgets will be turned on as soon as they feel it is safe to do so without putting more strain on their site but it should be soon.

There are a couple of different versions of the word count widget available and different options that can be turned on for each one. Once they are working we may change them around a couple of times until we find the one that works best for us.

Also as some of us have different usernames at NaNoWriMo than the ones people are used to seeing from us here I've added a label to each widget showing their NextGen username. So if you see a username listed twice it's because the person uses the same name in both locations.

well I jumped on the bandwagon, didn't think I'd have time, and probably don't, but I need to try to prove a point to my wife, so I"m gonna give it a shot. User name is darren5472, I've got avery small start,

And so we don't have to look it up later. Darren's user number is 581132.

Aw crap. Now I have to make sure I finish. If Darren does and I don't I'll never hear the end of it.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/498190

user name is Richard L Smith

I wish I had the time.

And Richard's number is 498190.

Muhahahaha!!! and that was my alterior motive!!! (snicker) 

lol.

Yay.  Go NaNoWriMo-ers!

Thanks for the update KL.

Wooot! Good luck everybody!

I may be be doing my own personal one in December.   : )

I've just got back from an afternoon NaNoWriMoing with a group of four friends.  It's kind of fun writing in a group.  So far I'm a little over 4000 words, which is about 1000 down on where I'm supposed to be.  No big problem.  It's going well so far.

I'm in as tribe and I think my number is 306540

Love to add you as a buddy.

P.S. And I want to read Soldier Boy fiction too....

4000 words, that's great!  I think I talk to much to have a writing party, I'd be duct taped and in a closet by lunch time.  

Any news on the Nano Widgets?

They are still working on them. They just had to do some work on their databases to handle the amount of traffic they are getting. They said it may be a few days before they turn the widgets on as they want to get the rest of the site stable first.

Thanks for the update.

I'm glad that they're getting so much interest, this year.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/82436

12000+ words and going strong.  I looked up Underworld in wikipedia and found out that that huge werewolf in the first one is Kevin Garioux who cowrote the movies.  Cool stuff.  He has his own website and what not.  I wonder how he feels about fan fiction.  I'd love to slide my 50000 words finished NaNovel over to see what he thought.  Wouldn't that be cool.

JOE--

They're hoping to get the widgets working by tomorrow. They've had record numbers at their site and they've been concentrating on keeping the main functions running.

7718 words so far, but it's not a sprint it's a marathon. Right?

Marathon, indeed.  :)