All right, you've had December off... time to get back to work!

Where is the novel you wrote for NaNoWriMo 2010? Where does it stand? Have you done anything with it since November? If not, what does it need?

I've let my NaNo novel rest for a month, but now I'm starting to receive feedback from my writing group. So far, the gist is, "There's a few plot holes... now hurry up and finish it already!" So I'm dusting it off and preparing for another draft. (My current "draft" is a bunch of scenes connected by summaries of all the plot I didn't get written...) I'm making a list of all the world-building and plot-holes I need to polish.

What are you doing with your NaNo novel?

Me? I've posted mine on HW for review and just asking for some suggestions. Now after I've added some sentences and scenes, I plan to go back and re-write most everything, changing things around to make scenes flow better. I plan on releasing this new draft by May.

That's fantastic, Elanhil! Will you be putting any of the new version up on HW?

I'm writing and taking notes as things change and I have to figure out where freewriting left me with senseless scenes. I'm up to 83,476 words and hoping to finish the first draft this month (2 weeks).

Those are a few unique methods. I hope it works out. I'd be weary of rewriting or starting over until you've finished the first draft and know what you want, otherwise you could be rewriting stuff you'll have to cut or rewrite later. We all have different methods, but that's the advice I've received.

I'm excited that you'll be finishing soon, Tim!

Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not so much doing a second draft as I am finishing the first one. I will start my "second draft" with a clean file. As I go through the current "draft" (which is more like an extended outline...), I will edit scenes I'm keeping and write out the unwritten gaps. Then I will have a truly complete draft to edit.

Mine is...uh... I don't even have chapter 2 done yet.

So I'll finish a first draft as soon as possible.

My goal is for every two scenes I write, post one of them on HW for peer feedback; I'm unsure of some of my characterisations and want to monitor peer feedback as it goes. Plus it does encourage me a lot when ya'll tell me that you want me to keep writing -- some days I just want to lock it in a box and never touch it again, haha!

But at this point I'm stalled and need to get back working again.

It's, uh, being allowed to rot.

I'm working on my JulNo novel, We Will Survive, for January. And I need a jumpstart. Decided lack of motivation.

I need to fill in gaps. Then I need to delete huge chunks. Then I need to fill in gaps. Then I'll sit down for a scene-by-scene editing session which will, no doubt, include deleting huge chunks and filling in gaps. Get the picture?

That's what I did in December for my non-NaNo novel. =)

eruheran

That sounds like a plan, Mel! Are you going to set a schedule for how often you write scenes?

Aw, Droid... perk up! Writing a novel often involves a lot of cut 'n paste. Just keep plugging away... and if you need motivation, start a thread on here with your question (or a sample scene). I think we can provide the necessary boost...

I haven't worked on it much yet.

But that's because some friends of mine on another forum are going to do a NaNoWriMo round two next month. ^.^ So I plan on finishing it then, with them. In the meantime, I'm working on another book that I had set aside for a while. But now I miss it, so it's getting most of my attention in the writing realm.

Erm.... whenever I can?

That sounds like a plan, RedWing!

Okay, Mel. Though I'll warn you that if you take too long, you might have some of Takeshi's fans after you. Or Takeshi himself, if I decide to let him loose on you as... motivation.

Takeshi doesn't have near so many fans as Iri, so I think I'm safe. Especially because I can always send fans after him instead. (after all, fans are very easily distractable...ooh, shiny!)

I can handle Takeshi coming after me. I have the magic manga-ka pencil of doom.

Meh. Takeshi, you'd better stay right here with me until we figure out what to do with Melody, okay? Yup, sounds good...

I'll see when I write it.

*Shakes head at Phili and Mel.*

I am perky! *pokes inspiration* Ah, it will come to me.

It's done! But not edited....

Maybe now's the time to edit, Elly!

I'm letting my NaNo sit on the back burner for January, with plans to pick it up again in February. I'm not sure if I want to keep plugging away at it or just writing down what loose threads are left and what might be done to fix them and then finding someone who will read the story and help me fix the ending. *sigh*

Yeah, my ending needs fixing too.

Leandra, I think both methods are reasonable. My writing lives off of peer feedback, so I'd be more inclined to seek feedback before attempting to revise. Some others prefer to polish their work significantly before sending it to anyone, however. Whatever you do, go for it in February!