Because November is a ridiculous time to schedule anything

January 10, 2013 10:13 AM

MeFiWriMo! As discussed in this year's NaNo thread, let's do a Metafilter Novel Writing Month from January 15th to February 15th - the deadest time of the year, and so a good one to have a nice concrete goal to work on.

I'm not personally all that picky about rules and victory conditions and whatever, but I figured it might be nice to have a thread to encourage each other and report on our progress. I have a project all set up and ready to work on - who's with me?

posted by restless_nomad to MetaFilter-Related at 10:13 AM (96 comments total)

Hmm. Yes, I think I will try this. Good idea, r_n. Sign me up.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:21 AM on January 10

Metafilter Novel Writing Month

Man, writing a roman à clef isn't any fun when everyone has the clef.
posted by griphus at 10:22 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Oh hell yes! I will join. I had a great time with this last NaNo and I was just thinking mournfully about how far away November is. So far, I have done the best with ideas I cooked up at the last moment, so I'll be doing that again.
posted by tomboko at 10:25 AM on January 10

My goal for that month is already almost impossible to meet as it involves not stabbing any of my coworkers.
posted by elizardbits at 10:27 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]

You're on.

Meaning I'm in.

God, English is weird if you think about it too much.

(Reason #2342 why long form writing is hard for me: the above)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:27 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

not fatally stabbing any of them at least
posted by elizardbits at 10:27 AM on January 10

I am in! Hooray for flaming disasters!
posted by mochapickle at 10:36 AM on January 10

Also everyone who doesn't finish should combine their novel into one, and then collaborate on a framing device, like that novel by that Italian or Spanish guy who I can't remember.
posted by griphus at 10:42 AM on January 10 [6 favorites]

Looking for something to do on Feb 14th since well I had no one to kiss at midnight on NYE. I could be frantically finishing some writing.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:58 AM on January 10

I'm in!

But I'll be writing a script.

But I'm in.
posted by gauche at 11:06 AM on January 10

Also everyone who doesn't finish should combine their novel into one, and then collaborate on a framing device, like that novel by that Italian or Spanish guy who I can't remember.

Given that
(a) I'm 90% sure the project I may do for this is a gay YA romance that in the end will probably borrow heavily from the plot of Delirious (which I don't remember ever seeing but realized I was ripping off when I started going down this path for NaNoWriMo 2011), so if anything gets written this time, it will already have a lot of story-within-a-story stuff going on.

AND

(b) I have a tendency not to finish things,

I fully support this idea.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:10 AM on January 10

...that novel by that Italian or Spanish guy who I can't remember.

If on a Winter's Night a Danza, by Tony Danza.
posted by Iridic at 11:24 AM on January 10 [14 favorites]

WAIT, is everyone doing a gay YA romance?
posted by roger ackroyd at 11:25 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Nope, I'm doing Spock vs. Vader.
posted by Mister_A at 11:26 AM on January 10

Neat. I have not touched my NaNo since November. I hit my 50k and dropped the mic, despite my wife nudging me to complete the story. I had promised myself permission to buy a Chromebook when I completed it, but since they seem to be out of stock everywhere, that reward hasn't panned out.

Maybe some more nudging will get me to go back to work on it (tentatively titled "Black Eyed" - it's here Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 for those interested in reading/commenting, although be warned it's a Twilight knockoff). Think Samsung will have its act together by 2/15?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:26 AM on January 10

Iridic: If on a Winter's Night a Danza, by Tony Danza.

I've just changed my plans.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:28 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]

WAIT, is everyone doing a gay YA romance?

That depends, how old were Tony Danza and Scott Baio during the first season of Who's the Boss and Charles in Charge?
posted by griphus at 11:38 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Well, Charles was in charge of their days and their nights from the get-go, and Tony was already starting a brand new life around the bend, so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be age-appropriate for the genre. But there's no reason why you couldn't do a prequel.

Speaking of, since when would doing Spock vs. Vader necessarily mean it WASN'T necessarily a gay YA romance? I mean, put Zachary Quinto and Hayden Christensen in the roles, and I'm pretty sure it's already been written somewhere (though hell if I'm searching for it at work)

...that novel by that Italian or Spanish guy who I can't remember.

If on a Winter's Night a Danza, by Tony Danza.

If I haven't recently thanked Metafilter in general for making jokes just 'dumbed down' enough that I can still understand them AND feel smarter for having understood them, let this comment act as that thanks.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:43 AM on January 10 [5 favorites]

wait wait

Fonzie Loves Chachi
posted by griphus at 11:49 AM on January 10 [2 favorites]

Fonzie Loves Chachi 2: Sit On It
Fonzie Loves Chachi 3: Ralph's Mouth
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:51 AM on January 10 [3 favorites]

You immediately realize that you are listening to something that has no possible connection with Leaning from the Taxi Window or with Outside the Town of Brooklyn or even with If on a Winter's Night a Danza. You exchange a quick glance, you and Angela, or, rather, two glances: first questioning, then agreeing. Whatever it may be, this is a novel where, once you have got into it, you want to go forward, without stopping.

Without Fear of Wind or Baio
At five in the morning, military vehicles crossed Milwaukee; outside the bratwurst depots lines began to form, housewives with tallow lanterns; on the walls the propaganda slogans, painted during the night by the teams of the various factions of the Fonzic Council, were not yet dry...
posted by Iridic at 11:58 AM on January 10 [8 favorites]

I'm in. I've got some terrible ideas just waiting to go unfinished!
posted by Katine at 12:00 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

I have one word for you: weredolphins.

Polyamorous gay weredolphins.

Also of note: The Love He Squirrelled Away.

People are paying these writers money. WHY DO I STILL HAVE A DAY JOB
posted by Madamina at 12:01 PM on January 10 [6 favorites]

For years, a friend of mine has been threatening to write a gay YA erotic romance about two young surfers who meet in search of the perfect wave, only to get tumbled in the break of their hearts. She plans to call it Rad Bromance.
posted by KathrynT at 12:05 PM on January 10 [20 favorites]

I'd love to give this a try. Should we try to use something to view stuff in progress? (Github? Blogger?)
posted by jamaro at 12:06 PM on January 10

Iridic: Without Fear of Wind or Baio

This may be the best comment ever in the history of MetaFilter.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:09 PM on January 10

WAIT, is everyone doing a gay YA romance?

No, dragons are way hotter.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:09 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

This may be the best comment ever in the history of MetaFilter.

Seriously, iridic, you deserve every favorite for this one.
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 12:12 PM on January 10

Wait, I'm confused: I thought we were supposed to be writing MetaFilter-specific slashfic?
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 12:16 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

I started a blog, so, close enough.
posted by the man of twists and turns at 12:17 PM on January 10

Dear Penthouse,

I never thought this would happen to me, but one night I was working late in the library with It's Raining Florence Henderson...
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:20 PM on January 10

Wait, I'm confused: I thought we were supposed to be writing MetaFilter-specific slashfic?

Well, I don't know what y'all are doing, but...
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 12:35 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

For years, a friend of mine has been threatening to write a gay YA erotic romance about two young surfers who meet in search of the perfect wave, only to get tumbled in the break of their hearts. She plans to call it Rad Bromance.

How your friend was able to tap into my particular erotic imagination from when I was actually a YA I'll never know, especially while still using a present-day neologism.

On a totally unrelated note, does anybody remember the shitty Australian soap opera Paradise Beach that they tried to show in syndication in America at the exact same time I was starting to come out? Because...yeah... never mind.

On preview: So I wrote this but didn't post it for accidental distracted reasons. And now everybody is talking about Metafilter-specific slashfic so it feels even weirder and embarrassing and was tempted not to overshare for once. Alas, once more unto the breach.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:47 PM on January 10

Thanks to all the wonderful and helpful answers to my latest dork question I also may join you fine folks.
posted by Doleful Creature at 1:00 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

I'm in! Until I'm fatally distracted like I am every Nanowrimo, anyway!
posted by Lina Lamont at 2:20 PM on January 10

I'm in, but I'm going to take the time to finish the spec pilot that inspired this question.

My last project was a gay YA romance, though, so I should be good, right?
posted by Sara C. at 3:51 PM on January 10

Oh, if that wasn't Prime Grantwriting Season (TM) here in Australia, I would totally be in. Maybe I should write a novel about someone who has to write three 50 page grant applications by mid February... But I think I should wait until March to start it :)
posted by lollusc at 4:04 PM on January 10

Just count your grant apps as valid wordcount. 150 pages is at least 50k words!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 4:13 PM on January 10 [2 favorites]

oh god i should do this shouldn't i
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:15 PM on January 10

I think I'm gonna fake it, but use the time to work on writing projects none the less. deadlines give me pesky stress.

hmm, I should finally organize an rpg setting project though... hmm...
posted by AngelWuff at 4:30 PM on January 10

Aw man, I would totally do it but I need more than a weeks notice before I take on something like this.

Next time though...
posted by Elly Vortex at 5:32 PM on January 10

Just count your grant apps as valid wordcount. 150 pages is at least 50k words!

Epistolary novels are old and busted. Novels-in-the-form-of-grant-application are the new hotness!
posted by Rock Steady at 5:38 PM on January 10 [2 favorites]

I still need to finish the novel I started in November. So I'm in.
posted by maurice at 6:28 PM on January 10

I'm on deadline anyway, so count me in!
posted by artemisia at 7:37 PM on January 10

Waaaaaaah, I'm under revision deadlines until the beginning of February. I want to play! I even have a gay YA project on the backburner. About gargoyles. Gaygoyles.

Sulk.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:07 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

Possibly we need a separate challenge - maybe "write a gay YA book this year." It wasn't on my list, but I have a couple of months in the summer that may be open...
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:14 PM on January 10 [1 favorite]

(Goddammit now I know what my gay YA book will be, too.)
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:18 PM on January 10

Oh god, Madamina, we were looking at those links at my volunteer job and dying laughing. Why do you still have a day job, indeed?

Also, if your boyfriend seriously cannot tell you apart from a meal, FUCKING RUN.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:54 PM on January 10

Mine isn't YA, but I've got the gay covered. I'm going to do a sequel to the one I did in November. I know I'll be pulling out my hair in the midst of it, but damn I enjoyed that story and there's more stuff to do in it.
posted by tomboko at 5:44 AM on January 11

I skipped NaNo this year and have been feeling the pull to write lately, this is perfect timing. I'm in!
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:42 AM on January 11

FUCKING RUN

Starring Burt Reynolds
posted by griphus at 7:23 AM on January 11 [2 favorites]

robocop is bleeding, I've only read part 1 of your novel but I'm enjoying it a lot so far. Please finish it!

I would love to join in but the only things I should be writing at the moment are job applications and code for the Coursera course I just started. Can we do another one in the spring or summer?
posted by daisyk at 7:46 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]

I'm in. I have no ideas, but I'll worry about that at the 10k mark.
posted by lwb at 8:19 AM on January 11

HA: I reached 55k in my gay YA book yesterday!!!

which means I will be finishing up that book (& revising another book) over those dates. otherwise I'd love to participate.
posted by changeling at 10:37 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]

Divine Secrets of the YA YA Transistor Code
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:48 AM on January 11

I can't seem to come up with a good excuse not to do this.

That doesn't bode really well for my novel, now that I think about it.
posted by MrVisible at 1:04 PM on January 11

Chapter 1

The sky above the park was the color of MetaFilter, set to the default preference. Title Font Size: 0.

"It's not like I'm eating food," The Whelk heard someone say, as he shouldered his way through the crowd around the door of Flavortown. "It's like my body's developed this massive vitamin deficiency." "Except for all the irony," came the inevitable response. It was a cabal voice and a cabal joke. Flavortown was a restaurant for hard-core MeFites; you could eat there for a week and never hear two words without irony....
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:38 PM on January 11 [6 favorites]

I'm in but will be writing a screenplay and there's nothing you can do about it.
posted by dobbs at 7:02 AM on January 12

I wonder if I could rework Larp Trek as a prose-format sex farce.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:57 AM on January 12 [4 favorites]

Class starts the day before this, but if I can count my homework towards my word count (and have my novel be about a newly single student wrapping up her second degree that spends too much time lurking on Metafilter): I AM IN.
posted by RainyJay at 8:39 AM on January 12

The one and only thing I'll miss from "official" NaNo is the ability to obsessively update my word-count thingy.
posted by tomboko at 8:57 AM on January 12

I wonder if I could rework Larp Trek as a prose-format sex farce.

I assumed you were heading towards sex farce anyway.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:15 PM on January 12

Only off-panel. Always off-panel.
posted by cortex (staff) at 12:20 PM on January 12

The one and only thing I'll miss from "official" NaNo is the ability to obsessively update my word-count thingy.

free word count progress meters
posted by changeling at 2:45 PM on January 12 [1 favorite]

free word count progress meters

Can we incorporate that tater-based Writertopia widget into our profiles? Thanks in advance.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:59 PM on January 12

I always thought he was a california raisin
posted by changeling at 9:21 PM on January 12 [1 favorite]

I'm in! I'll most likely have a large chunk of free time starting on the 15th, so this is perfect for me.
posted by anaximander at 10:17 AM on January 13

I'm torn on this. On the one hand I didn't finish my nanowrimo story and promised myself I'd start writing again in January (spoiler:I haven't done anything).

On the other hand I told myself I'd get out more in January.
posted by Erberus at 10:19 AM on January 13

Upon reading the rest of the comment thread, I see that gay YA is a theme. My previous book was gay YA, but this one is just YA that has a gay side character. I'm still allowed to take part, right?

Right?!
posted by anaximander at 10:20 AM on January 13

I want to start now CAN I PLEASE START NOW
posted by tomboko at 3:29 AM on January 14

Okay, NOW I can definitely start.
posted by tomboko at 10:17 PM on January 14

Guys?

Well, I started. YAY!
posted by tomboko at 4:40 AM on January 15

let's do this
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:13 AM on January 15 [1 favorite]

Yeah. I'm ready to give this a try. How do we do it?
posted by Rock Steady at 6:28 AM on January 15

1686
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:02 AM on January 15

Is it cheating to start with my failed NaNoWriMo? Because I'm either at 16,747 or 50 words, depending on that.
posted by RainyJay at 10:28 AM on January 15

I am officially awake and declare this here writing thingie open. Not that you were waiting for me.

I, personally, don't give a damn if you're starting with a partial draft or doing revisions or writing grant proposals. This is just intended to give people a place to chat/whine/gloat about their progress. So write whatever, just come back here and tell us about it!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:34 AM on January 15 [2 favorites]

OK, well here is my start. I'm writing a novel about a veterinarian who takes care of magical familiars. Familiars around the world begin getting sick and he and his assistants must find out what is going on. Here's a background document laying out the magic system I've devised, and here's a start of the first chapter. It may not end up being the first chapter, as I may decide to give a little more background before we get right into the action, but I knew I wanted to write the action first. Both are Google docs that I've opened to comments.

1621 words in the first chapter so far.

Be kind. This is my first creative writing since a short story class in college, and I'm pretty anxious about sharing it, but I really can't tell if it is good or horrible. I'm my own worst critic at anything.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:31 AM on January 15

I was all raring to go this morning and then I got called out on a job. I'll get a page or five in after work tonight, I guess.
posted by Sara C. at 11:48 AM on January 15

Well, I started. Here's to not stopping.
posted by soplerfo at 12:41 PM on January 15

Oh, HELLO GIANT OVERTIME-BUSTING WORK PROJECT DUE ON FEB 21. I should have guessed. Effing A.
posted by mochapickle at 1:15 PM on January 15 [1 favorite]

He unfolds the slip of paper. Heavy cotton paper, of a tangible and pleasing grain, dirty at the edges and linty in the creases from a long residence in his left pocket.

He studies the name and email address written on one side. He has to peer to make them out; it's as though the paper all but rejected last night's cheap green ballpoint ink.

He turns the slip over and reads, in letters sharp as though embossed with fresh cast type, violently black as though marked with new ink:

Flames in the forehead of the morning sky
That teach the rustic moralist to die.
He folds the slip and replaces it in his pocket.

He removes it, looks at it, replaces it.

He removes the slip, does not unfold it, does not look at it, runs the ribbon of paper of through his fingers, wondering at the grain, over and over. He sits slowly to his desk and draws toward himself a stack of copy paper and a pencil as sharp as a lancet. He lays the slip on the desk at his elbow and pats it. He begins to write...
posted by Iridic at 3:18 PM on January 15

Well, I got 1500 words in, which is not bad given how much Benadryl I'm on right now. I had to get sick right as this was starting, didn't I?
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 8:18 PM on January 15

1730. I was sick several times during November, and I expect pretty much the same this time. Throw in a dream sequence or something if you're all wiggy on cold meds. It adds a certain edge.
posted by tomboko at 10:31 PM on January 15

10,213 words on my outline/notes for my test next week. My novel is now officially about an overscheduled returning student who just lurks on Metafilter all day. It's inspired by Rashomon, Memento, and Neil Gaiman's short story "Diseasemaker's Croup".
posted by RainyJay at 2:40 PM on January 18

I haven't been writing a sustained word count every day, but my script is moving forward. Most importantly, I had been stressed out that my outline wasn't good enough and that I needed to massively rethink the entire project. But when I pulled everything out and read through what I've done so far, I'm actually pretty happy.
posted by Sara C. at 3:22 PM on January 18

I can see already, after two blank days of screen-staring, that mine really won't be done in 30 days. But I am working on it and I'm grateful for the impetus to start. It's still going to be 50,000 words, and I'm pretty pleased with the first 5000.
posted by tomboko at 3:14 PM on January 19

aauuuuuhuughghghghrg I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THIS
posted by reprise the theme song and roll the credits at 5:44 PM on January 19

Goddammit I'm an idiot. Despite writing down in very clear terms in my notes that this book was to be written in first person, I started it in third - and then got really confused as to why it was boring and went nowhere. Dammit. At least that's easily fixable.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:24 AM on January 20

...And we're back to "I can't write, I'm a talentless piece of shit, this is horrible" territory. Man, I will be glad when Drynuary is over and I can go back to leaving my inadequacies at the bottom of a wine glass.
posted by Sara C. at 11:08 AM on January 20

So, only up to 2400ish. Writing is hard.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:53 AM on January 21

I finally sat down and fixed my POV problems and barreled on, and all of a sudden this looks totally doable and fun. Pity I lost a week to Benadryl and despair, but hey, I'm not really on deadline.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:06 PM on January 22

OK people, sound off. We're just about halfway through, which means everyone should be giving up this week. I, on the other hand, am being nagged by one of my beta readers to go back to my last project, and that is exactly what I need to finish this project instead, because nagging is the fastest possible way to put me in fuck-you-make-me mode.

In other news, I am going to have to issue a massive number of disclaimers about this project, because no one I know actually appears in it and yet I am never going to be able to convince anyone of that. (Although the idea of Matt as a parsimonious PR whore is so far off as to be deeply amusing.)
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 5:35 PM on January 29

I have written... stuff. And gone back to the drawing board on my outline. And had a lot of AHA! shower moments. But it's unlikely I'll actually finish the piece in the next two weeks.
posted by Sara C. at 6:32 PM on January 29

I screeched to a halt. But first I started posting my story and now I'm stuck and aware of people waiting for more. REALLY wish I'd held off on that. Sometimes pressure is a good thing for me. But I see now that when I do NaNo it really has to be a new idea, not even a sequel to a previous NaNo, because now there's too much structure and forethought somehow. It's the development of the ideas that gives me enough horsepower to sustain the pace. When I do one in November I will be sure to keep that in mind.
posted by tomboko at 4:04 AM on January 31

Well I thought it started February 1st. So happy Day 1 to me!
posted by Katine at 11:06 AM on February 1 [2 favorites]