Yesterday I signed up for NaNoWriMo, knowing very well that due to other obligations there’s no way I can make it all the way through to the 50k words.
Today I realised that I can’t participate officially because what I’m itching to do is to – finally – finish an old project with the working title “Magnifica Revisited”.
My personal solution: To commit myself to writing 25k words of fiction from 1st to 30th November 2011, which will be difficult enough to reach this year.
I’ve placed a progress meter in the sidebar. As I prefer writing the first draft by hand (and an exact word count is a bit of a bother, as I remember from the last NaNoWriMo), I’ll update word count by page average, counting only entirely new scenes.
Note: To get your own free html progress meter, log in to storytoolz and follow the instructions.
"writing buddies" by Sandro Botticelli - and, no, that's not the original title 
Official participant or not, I’ll pop in to NaNoWriMo now and then – I don’t want to miss the pep talks – and I’m looking for writing buddies.
If you’d like to be my writing buddy, state your commitment in the comment section below. I’ll create a blog post for every day in November where you can update your daily progress.
Let’s do it! 
Maria
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- What I learned through NaNoWriMo (enermazing.wordpress.com)
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Thanks for the storytoolz tip!
As far as I’ve figured, NaNoWriMo is meant to get us working on something we’d “meant to o sometime”–and it sounds like you’re doing just that.
That’s what I thought, too
– and I’m really looking forward to a bit of fiction.
Continuing a previous project is allowed, but I’m reusing what I’ve written already, so I’d rather stay out of NaNoWriMo this time.
By the way: storytoolz also have great generators for random story ideas and multiple conflicts: http://storytoolz.com/generator/index
Thank you, Kana, for visiting
I look forward to more tips, I am following your blog closely and would love to be a nanowrimo buddy. I am under maggielr
Thank you, Maggie – I’ll see you there or here then
Btw, I’m dendrina.
Good luck! I think that, rather than getting caught up in the rules of NaNo, it is much better to embrace the spirit: commit yourself to a writing goal that pushes you, and stick to it.
I push myself with a lot of mini challenges anyway, but in November the spirit is stronger
NaNo also gives me an excuse to focus on fiction – “literally” Creating The World I Want 
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As long as NaNo is motivating you to write, then I think it is doing what it was meant to do. Good luck on hitting your goal. I’ll be trying for the 50k…
All the best to you too
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I am doing NaNo for the first time, and kind of doing what you are, except I am just going to scrap what I have written and start the process again. I will definitely follow your progress, hopefully give me some extra steam when I need it
First time? You’re in for a great experience
I’ve done the complete scrapping trick twice – now there are indeed three (!), perhaps five scenes which only require some tweaking, and I can keep the setup and main story line… What will be entirely different is the way it unfolds, and the ending.
Let’s do it!
Wow – how great that you decided to take on NaNoWriMo! Good luck and stay inspired. I’ll be watching from afar, but I’ll be supporting you throughout the process. Keep us updated!
Thank you, C.B. – support is always welcome, and (I remember well from last year) come week three it is indispensable
Good luck, Maria!
If I understand the challenge correctly, the goal is just to write 50k words in a month, not edit or publish, or write a literary masterpiece. IOW – No need to throw on a bunch of unnecessary expectations.
Enjoy your time writing!
Letting go of unnecessary expectations – that’s how it should be anyway, in writing, painting, playing music, life,…
Analysing too much while writing, painting etc. is one of the major reasons for blockage and takes away all the fun 
Thanks, Eric
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I’d love to be writing buddies! I have to admit, it’s been lonely sometimes so I’m REALLY looking forward to having company this coming month!
Good luck! I know you can reach your goal and I hope you surprise yourself and surpass it
Thanks, San, for teaming up
As for surprises & surpassing goals – ditto
Btw: An hour ago I checked the NaNo site: about 65,000 “users online”. Doesn’t look like you’re going to be a Lone Ranger this month…
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You can still participate in NaNoWriMo as a Rebel….they have a forum for us and everything. I am using it for finishing my second novel/starting the third in the trilogy. You can even still validate and win.
Thank you so much for your tip, Emmie
I just returned from the NaNo site – as a Rebel *big grin*; I’ve even found a “non-fiction blogging” thread in the forum. Guess what my Official Goal is now? 25k + one blog post per day in November + … = 50k
Maria
Good luck to you!
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