[font=Georgia]Was there a thread like this last year? I was on hiatus at the time so if there was, I missed out.

I've been so excited about NaNo this year because I've had a plot in the works for months, but the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to doubt that I'll be able to stretch it out into an entire novel. Maybe I should go for a series of short stories instead.[/font]

I haven't decided if I want to do NaNo this year or not. On the one hand, I have an idea and plenty of time on my hands, but on the other, I really stressed myself out last year and I'm not sure I want to do that again.

(I probably will, though. Because I'm dumb and have no regard for my own health and safety.)

Perhaps you should brainstorm some additional story ideas? So you can still reach 50k words, in case the first story ends up being more of a short story or novella.

I agree, brainstorming some extra ideas might be worthwhile, so you can write the plot you had in mind and then just squeeze your extra ideas in here and there. That's what I did way back in... oh god, 2008? That was the second year I entered and the only time I won. xD

You may be onto something there. I tried to keep my ideas minimal when I was outlining the plot, because I wanted to avoid complicating things and losing the basic point of the story, but I think I may have overdone it just a bit. The pitfalls of being an easily-derailed writer.

I really have ALWAYS wanted to do this yet I always chicken out by the time it comes around. 2012 was the closest I ever got to getting any work done... a single chapter... ha-ha. I envy people who do this year in and year out and actually manage to finish (or get very close to finishing) you guys are amazing.

I am so excited. Nano has become like a tradition to me; I don't even have to ask myself if I'm going to do it, because I am. This will be my 5th year.

I'm actually being a bit of a rebel this year and rewriting my first Nano-novel that needs so much work it's not even funny

I've thought about participating in this during past years, but this year I have two (threeish) ideas for a novel and I'd really like to try my hand at it. Especially since I'm trying to get more serious about my writing. One is a fantasy (with dragons), the other is present day (about a shopkeeper). I've wrote a few drabbles about the characters but I've not seriously done anything yet.

This would be such a good year for me though, college classes aren't that work loaded right now and I'll want to kick myself if I don't.

How does everyone feel about participating if you already know you definitely won't finish it?

I'm so anxious to finish that it seems a bit like a waste to start it out and never finish on time.

I'm participating again this year and excited to do so. I'm still wrestling with plot ideas, though. I'm not hugely inspired by my plot ideas at the moment, so I might be flying by the seat of my pants like I've done in past years. We'll see. crosses fingers

Dive in anyway! I have a friend who, both years she's tried, has written for the first four days and then found her motivation gone. But she still got four days of writing done which is better than none, and had fun hanging out with us at write-ins.

Even if you don't/can't finish, you'll still have some writing under your belt which can hopefully be the basis of something someday!

It is kind of anxious making, I agree, what with the deadlines and MUST WRITE THIS MUCH PER DAY but if you can find a writing buddy or eight, I've found that helps me immensely. n__n

I'll have to start looking around for some buddies.

Anyone on the board need one?!

Ooo.. I didn't know subeta had a community of NaNoWriMo participants. I think I'm going to enter this year. Don't know if I'll be successful, but I'll give it my all.

Entered last year and barely got finished halfway. But then... I was really busy (Yes. That's me. Making excuses.)

Dooooo eeeeet! Good luck! :3

Man, I wish you were my ML. Ours are....okay, but not as creative as I wish they'd be. I'd love to hear more about this theme! Maybe we can co opt make it sort of a satellite theme? :3

Ohmigosh, this is coming up so fast, and I still don't really know what I want to do. I should probably continue writing my story from last year. One of these years I swear I will write something that fits within 50k words.

Hello everyone. :) I'm thinking of participating in NaNo this year... I finally have my own flat and therefore also some privacy to concentrate on writing after school. :D I've participated once, I think. It was like 2007 or something? I didn't get very far. XD

I have a problem, though - I don't know what to write. I have one idea for a story that I've been thinking about for a long time, but it's only one idea without an actual plot. I could always make a new version of the story I started in my first NaNo. o.o My only goal would be to practice writing everyday and finish the story, though, so I'm not that strict about the quality.

- No one said anything about quality! My sister is having the same problem, she has a sort of idea, and a couple of chracters, but not an actual plot. I suggested that maybe instead of writing a story, she could write the background stories of the characters, and do some world building, and see if any plot ideas come from that. Maybe you could do the same sort of thing, write out your idea, maybe write some side stories for your characters and see if that gets any juicy plot ideas flowing.

Steampunk is the main site's theme this year! "The Boundless Novel" is the theme slogan, and the art is kind of halfway between steampunk and vintage shabby chic. So feel free to use the theme and steal ideas to suggest to your ML. (Or maybe even volunteer to do them. The basic stuff can take a surprising amount of time and attention, and they might just not have time to get creative.)

Oh duh, lol! Guess I'd better go sign up on the site again, I haven't done that yet, big slacker that I am. I'd love to do the steampunk thing, but my novel's shaping up as more srs SF and I don't know if it would fit so well. I'm actually helping a friend handle an increasingly-growing write in, so I don't know how much I can help the ML's, especially as my brother's getting married out of state at the end of the month.

Sheesh, November, why you gotta be so busy? OMG.

- Hey, helping with a write-in DOES help the MLs, even if it's not one of their write-ins!

My new nephew is actually due on a day I'm holding a write-in; luckily, babies almost never arrive exactly on time. Busybusybusy!