Sidewalk Crossings: The nanowrimo fanatic tag!

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The nanowrimo fanatic tag!

So! This tag from Smudged Thoughts couldn't be better timed, as I decided basically last night to participate in Nano this year. I found this tag via Coffee, Classics & Craziness.

The rules:

1. Insert the tag graphic into your post. (done)

2. Link back to the original post. (done, see above)

3. Answer all — or as many — of the questions as you like. (done)

4. Refer to our communal family bunny named Fanny at least once in your post. (done, see question 5!)

5. Eat three cookies. (I don't eat cookies, so.... I gave them to Fanny!)

6. Post a clean list of ALL of the questions somewhere in your post. ('Clean' meaning a list of the questions without my answers. Which is always convenient for other people who want to answer the tag.) (done)

7. Tag as many friends as you want! (I tag anyone doing nano this year!)

. . . THE QUESTIONS. . .

PART ONE. . . Get to know me

What is your NaNoWriMo Username?

Fencer (hence the url of this blog page, which was originally begun to share nano writing fun). Not quite sure how to link to my page there, but please find me so I can follow your progress too!

Are you a plotter, pantser, plantser, or planter?

Er... a plantser, I guess? That's assuming that's a combo of plotter and pantser? Haven't actually heard that term. Usually, I have to know where the plot is going, but not the details of how to get to the end. That comes as I write. Usually I need some carrot scenes that I'm writing towards. Broad strokes, not nitty gritty details. However, that said, I'm plotting absolutely nothing this time around. We're going to pants it all the way, just for the fun of it!

How many years have you done the NaNo? How many times have you won?

I have done nano 7 times, won each time, starting in 2004 (!). Boy, that seems a long time ago now. I also did an unofficial on-my-own half-nano of 25K in 2012. However, haven't participated in quite a few years now.

What is your NaNoWriMo Origin Story?

That was in 2004, you expect me to remember?? I do know a good writing friend of mine and I decided to do it at the same time, and so we did, but how we found out about it... don't recall. All the cool kids were doing it?

Do you have any writing “lucky charms”?

Not even sure what this means, so no.

What is your absolute favorite NaNoWriMo memory?

I guess I would have to say the very first time I won, as I had no idea I could write that much so fast, and I did it. That was a huge thrill.

How do you pronounce NaNoWriMo? (Na-No-RYE-Mo, or Na-No-REE-Mo?)

Hahah! Na-No-REE-Mo, thank you very much. I have pronounced it that way from the very first time I saw the word in print in 2004, and I refuse to pronounce it with the RYE sound. Sounds awful and weird, and I hates it when I hears it that way, precious, I don't care if it is technically correct. It's REE for me. Part of that is because I did not recognize the "wri" in nanowrimo as = "writing" until months after I was already mispronouncing it, so it never occurred to me to say "rye." (P.S. Yes, I am dreadful with acronyms. I just see them as words unto themselves, never pull out what the pieces stand for.) (P.PS. I also mispronounced meme... which I say as memm. When I first heard someone say meeeeme, I was completely taken aback.) (P.P.P.S. Yes, a writer should know better, what can I say.) I should add that when I'm forced to say the whole word aloud, I do pronounce it with the RYE sound. It's only in the privacy of my own head that I call it REE. And ideally, I always just leave it at Nano.

PART TWO. . . PREP

What’s the name of your NaNoWriMo Project?

Well, I'm doing something new for me this year. I'm going in blind. I'm doing that for multiple reasons. When I work on a serious project... I can't write words that aren't working, I don't care if it is a first draft. I can't write words just to fill space. I can't go off on tangents. So the last couple times I did nano, I deleted words left and right as I went. Yeah, I totally edited as I went. Exactly what you're not supposed to do during nano, but I couldn't help myself. Which made meeting the word requirement difficult, but it also meant I came away with a pretty clean 50K at the end.

I don't want to do that this year, though I have three projects I could do that I would love to have done (or at least have my 50K start on them). But I don't feel like planning and preparing this year. I think I would prefer not to focus on an existing project, but start with something brand spanking new. Something shiny and unknown, and I will trust my subconscious to fill in the required details as I go.

Now, I have been known to change my nano project as late as November 3nd (when the one I started fizzled and I had to throw out what I had done and pick a new one and start over from scratch), so... until I'm actually in the throes of Nano, who knows if this will remain the project of the month?

All of which is to say, the project is currently untitled. LOL!

What is your project’s genre?

I prefer fantasy or science fiction, so it will be one of those.

Introduce us to your cast!

Well, I'm trying something new here too. I have a potential cast randomly selected by Pinterest's "suggested for you" algorithms. No character names yet, no idea how these people relate, if they're friends or foes or what. I don't know if any of them will even remain in the book, but for now, I like the randomness and the fact that I wouldn't necessarily pick some of these if left to my own devices. Different things are good sometimes. I'm getting an Ocean's (8, 11, 12, 13... pick your number) vibe from these pictures. Of course, I don't like cons or heists, so I wouldn't write a story about one, but the pictures suggest they might be experts in certain fields working together?

What is your novel’s theme?

Unknown!

What are your novel’s main settings?

Unknown! But I was just touring some very very old buildings in real life, so I'm also thinking ancient ruins will figure in this story.

Are you using any plotting/story structures for your project, or are you just winging it like the beautiful pixie that you are?

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go."

What are some ways you prepare for The NaNo?

Normally, I'd have a sense of plot, characters, setting. I'd have a notes document started with a bunch of potential character names to use and all my set up and world building notes. This year... who needs preparation??

What’s in your writing toolkit? (pictures are encouraged!)

A laptop. My iPod. A tea mug. The internet. Books.

(Laptop, tea, plus Silver and Jack... can't do anything without them either!)

(iPod in its player.)

PART THREE. . . Inspiration

What was the initial inspiration for your NaNoWriMo novel?

Hamlette and I talked about doing nano this year, and when she decided to do it, I opted to join her. Honestly, nano succeeds for me only because of peer pressure. Because I can't flake on my writing when everyone else has achieved their words for the day. Or when they're pulling ahead. Since I don't know what the book will be about yet, that's the only inspiration I have to offer.

What’s your NaNoWriMo Novel’s Word Aesthetic?

Sparse, tight, clean. I can't write extra words just for word count. Has to be words the story needs. Yes, I will delete the extra words, even this year, when I'm aiming more for fun than anything else. I have my own expectations to meet, don't'cha know!

Share your Pinterest boards and music playlists!

The Pinterest board I have is right here. Playlists, well, can't choose music until I know what the story's about, can I? What sort of mood will be required? Playlists will come later. On the other hand, just looking at my Pinterest pics, I keep hearing the theme from "The Detective," which would lead to a playlist of Jerry Goldsmith scores in this vein, such as Nick Quarry, Police Story, The Stripper, Studs Lonigan, etc...

What’s your absolute best advice to new (and old!) NaNoers?

Never forget to have fun. Writing should be a joy, not a hardship.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So, the clean questions: