Here is my NaNo-oriented article, entitled "5 Completely and Utterly Ridiculous Ways to Boost your NaNo Word Count." This a complete rough draft, ready for burtal polishing.

One point of research I need to complete - I'm not sure if Baty uses the term "word fluffing" or "word stuffing" in his book. If anyone has the book on their person and wants to look it up, I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, as soon as I can get to a library I will confirm the word choice there.

Thanks so much!


****

5 Completely and Utterly Ridiculous Ways to Raise Your NaNo Word Count
Since writing a 50,000 word novel in a month is a completely insane idea reserved for literary addicts and maniacs who have nothing better to do, those who attempt it are not above the somewhat unscrupulous practice of “word fluffing.” As described by Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month, in his book No Plot? No Problem!, these subtle tricks can boost your word count at the last minute with minimal effort. They include spelling out all contractions and using find & replace to change someone’s name from “Arthur” to “The Most Honorable Lord Arthur Swansen-Hodgenson III, chancellor of the Outlying Eastern Islands and ambassador for her Most Royal Highness Queen Mary Louise IV.” Being one of those misguided writers who has attempted the unreasonable feat of NaNoWriMo, I’ve come up with a few of my own tactics for word fluffing.

Warning: As the title of this article suggests, these ideas are completely and utterly ridiculous. If you’re a serious writer looking to make each of your 50,000 words worthwhile, these suggestions probably won’t make the cut. Or will they? There just might be a bit of literary truth tucked inside the word fluffing. You’ll have to read and decide for yourself.


#1: Title Your Chapters Start by heading each chapter with the phrase “Chapter Number One,” “Chapter Number Two,” etc. That’s three words right there. (You could also try “The Third Chapter” or “The Chapter that Comes After the Last One” for more variety.) Then give your chapter a title. The longer, the better. For maximum effect, go in the style of Dickens and use titles such as “In Which the Hideous Lord Grylon defeats the Alliance and seizes the capital; Meanwhile, the Lovely Lady Lucinda awaits the return of…” Give a plot summary of the entire chapter if you want.

Take it a step farther… and title each individual scene within the chapter.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – Titles, when done tactfully, can add a depth of interest to your book. While you probably don’t want to include them in the final draft, plot summaries at the head of each chapter may help you in revisions; you’ll be able to see at a glance what content is covered in each chapter.


#2: Head Your Chapters Titles aren’t the only things you can give to chapters. Try headers: Scripture, song lyrics, poetry, or quotes that fit the theme of the chapter. Give each of your chapters a header – a long header. Instead of using one verse, use the entire poem or song. Try to quote people that have a habit of being long-winded. You can generate a similar effect by having your characters recite entire passages; why not hold a talent show?

Take it a step farther… and give your scenes headings too. Time/location stamps are a good choice.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – As a reader, I find headers thought-provoking; I love wondering how the theme of the quote will tie into the chapter. They may also set you, as the writer, in the proper mood by capturing your thoughts in a single quote. Time/location stamps can enhance the overall tone of your book and help you keep track of when and where each scene occurs.


#3: Create an Echo Send your characters into a cave – or any other room with the proper construction to generate an echo. Then make them have a conversation. A long one. With as many people participating as possible. The acoustics will ensure that each and every word they say can be repeated in the narrative.

Take it a step farther… if you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi, create a device, creature, or scientific phenomenon that follows your characters and repeats their every word. If you’re writing realistic fiction, you can settle for a parrot.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – While you won’t want to literally write every word twice, an echo can have interesting effects on the tone of the scene. Hearing his words repeated can give the character (and the reader) pause to give them second thought. In terms of speculative fiction, you can use the essence of an echo to explore some probing themes about the power of the tongue.


#4 Insert Author Commentary Directors get to write commentaries on their films; why can’t we authors do the same? No need to wait for the publisher to request an annotated version of your book. Allow yourself the liberty of expressing some of your thoughts on a given scene. Ramble before, after, or in the middle – whenever you have something to say. Tell us how you came up with the idea for this scene; show us how this character is inspired by your little sister. You can even tell us what color socks you were wearing when you drafted the scene. “Relevance” is subjective.

Take it a step farther… and write a forward warning readers about the commentary. Write an afterward explaining why you felt the need to constantly comment. Insert a footnote blaming me for the harebrained idea.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – When done properly, a narrator that talks to the audience, whether a character in 2nd-person or an omnipresent being, can have an interesting tone. If you’re doing historical fiction, footnotes stating your sources can add credibility; if you use foreign language, add a translation. Don’t be afraid to write yourself notes in the text – you can reference them during revisions and then edit them out. If you’re stuck on a scene, write notes explaining what you want to say and come back and fix it later. This is also a good idea if you think of changes you want to make partway through the story; instead of wasting time with costly revisions, leave yourself notes in the affected scenes and continue writing.


#5 Keep a Diary Let one (or more) of your characters keep a diary. At the end of each day, they can rehash the events. If your character isn’t the journal type, give them a blog or other social networking site to vent on. Spy on their emails, or be old-fashioned and have them send a piece of snail mail. IM and telephone conversations can also be recorded in all their slang-ridden detail.

Take it a step farther… have another character find the diary and reread it. Then give it to another character to read. Emails can be forwarded – multiple times.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – Personal correspondence can be a great way to see some of the character’s private opinion without resorting to 1st person narrative or writing out thoughts. Correspondence and conversation also reveal the personality of the character; some entire books are written in the form of diaries. When done deftly, trivial tidbits such as a character’s “status” on a social networking site can make the character seem realistic by painting “a slice of life.” If you write modern-day fiction, you can show the power of the internet in this day and age; one small post can ignite a flame war that could greatly affect your character’s emotions.


Have you made your word quota today? If not, why not try one of these suggestions; you never know what might get you jumpstarted. Come up with your own tactics for “word fluffing” – and share them with me, if you would. I just might need them, come the end of November.

I think all your points need an "Enter"


ect...

(I'm guessing you had it that way and it just didn't copy over right )

* chuckles * That is great. Haha. I approve the content. Have at it, Editors!

Hilarious, Philadelphia. I love it!

Personal Preference: ‘Since writing a 50,000 word novel in a month is a completely insane idea reserved for literary addicts and maniacs who have nothing better to do,’ I personally would add a comma after idea. I put this down as personal preference because I don’t think it is a mandatory comma addition. I believe it flows better with the comma, but there is no hard or fast rule that says it must be there. I leave it to your discretion Philli.

Editorial note: I believe “has” should be “have” in this sentence. You have attempted this in the past, you now have new methods.

Personal Note: Okay, so there aren’t normally a lot of personal notes when editing an essay or article, but I had to say this: I love Arthur’s elongated name! I have done this myself before in my own books, not because it was necessary to have a certain word count, but because I love words! Okay, moving on to productivity…



Personal Note: Now, I’m sure (well, actually I know) you will do formatting and all of that when you go to put this on the blog, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned it since the underlines and the title breaks weren’t here. Not a problem though, I know what you are saying.

Personal Curiosity and Possible Edit: ‘(You could also try “The Third Chapter” or “The Chapter that Comes After the Last One” for more variety.)’ Okay, I wasn’t sure why you put the brackets around this sentence. It was completely encapsulated in its own sentence, and therefore, I did not see a need for them. The sentence stands on its own, and does so well. But there is a possibility I missed why you had them there.



Personal Preference: I think you should interchange the word farther with further. ‘Take it a step farther…’ I think it sounds more esthetically pleasing in this sentence. Further means to expand and to extend, add to or advance. Farther, though only one simple letter change, is more geared to beyond and past in its representation. It isn’t a big deal, but I think further is more the word you are wanting to portray. You want your readers to take it a step beyond, yes, but you’re wanting them to do so by means of expanding and advancing a previous idea.



Personal Note: Now that, is one I never would have thought of.


Editorial Note: I think, in this sentence, that Phenomena would be a better use than phenomenon. Much as I prefer the latter word, I think it will improve the flow of your sentence, and be a more accurate word coupling.



Editorial Note: ‘write a forward warning readers about the commentary.’ You need a comma after forward. The thought is unclear without it.


Editorial Note: ‘When done properly, a narrator that talks to the audience, whether a character in 2nd-person or an omnipresent being, can have an interesting tone.’ I found this sentence unclear and slightly disjointed. You are trying to say that “A narrator, when properly done, talks to the audience, whether through an omnipresent being or in the character of a 2nd person.” But that isn’t presented clearly. I think adding the word “through” would help clarify your intent. Also, I would insert the bit about the tone of the narrator in a second sentence, although this could feasibly be done in the first, so long as the though remained clear.



Editorial Note: I think you should have a comma after “Then” in your second sentence. ‘Then give it to another character to read.’ See? It improves flow and adds depth to the thought.


Editorial Note: ‘Personal correspondence can be a great way to see some of the character’s private opinion without resorting to 1st person narrative or writing out thoughts.’ “Opinion” in this sentence should be “opinions”.

I also think you should put a comma after narrative in ‘1st person narrative or writing out thoughts’.





Ending Notes: First off, let me congratulate you in thoroughly combing over your own work before submitting it for all of us to read over and go through. Most of my comments were ways I thought you could make it better, as opposed to actual editorial needs.

I love the consistency you kept in using the different points.

#__
Take it a step farther…
WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA

I think these points helped to keep your work very reader friendly in its basic components. I also liked the occasional humor tidbits that were on topic. You used words that would cause a chuckle (slang-ridden detail) in order to interest your audience.

Your concepts were also realistic, not way out there. While they are certainly ways to add “fluff”, and not always substance, they can be transferred into your writing to add substance, reader interest, and depth, in certain instances.

Thank you very much for writing this piece Phili, it is appreciated.

Many thanks, Sir Emeth and Sir Elanhil!

Vili (and Airianna), yes, you're right. In my original document I have underlining and tab-space. I thought the tab-space copied over, but apparently not! I will fix that when I format the final version for the blog.

Airianna, thanks so much for taking the time to give the detailed comments!



I am torn here. Personally I don't believe the sentence needs the comma, but if someone else suggests it I will definitely stick it in.



What if I said... "Being one of those authors who attempted... I have..."?



I originally had the parentheses because it felt like a side comment, but in reality it flows well with the overall paragraph. I'll take the parentheses out.



A good thought. I'll switch those out.



Depends on how you read the sentence. If you read the first 'a' as applying to the whole list, the items are all singular - "a device, a creature, or a scientific phenomenon." I only write 'a' out once, however. Thoughts?



Kindly beg to differ, though in theory I think it could go both ways. As written, it is a forward that warns readers. With a comma, I as the writer would be writing and warning. For example... "I saw light glimmering on the water." Light is what's glimmering. "I saw light, glimmering on the water." Technically I think that's correct, but it's an unnecessary pause. Thoughts?



The sentence is cumbersome as written. What I am trying to say is that a 2nd person narrator can be interesting, as opposed to a 1st or 3rd. What about... "When properly done, a 2nd person narrator that talks to the audience, whether through a character or an omnipresent being, can have an interesting tone."



Actually, as it stands, the second sentence is a fragment (intentionally). So what about "Then, have him give it to..."



True on "opinions." Beg to differ on the comma; it creates a splice. "1st person narrative" and "writing out thoughts" are the compound objects of "without resorting to."


Thank you again for your thorough and kind thoughts! I will wait to see what you have to say on my questions above, and then I will make another polishing pass.

Well Phili, as you and I have talked about extensively in the past, I believe that no writer should change their work if they do not agree with a point made by an editor (which may get me into a lot of trouble in the publishing process). Thus, I feel you should not change what you do not agree with.


I think this would be a wise change and help strengthen the structure of this sentence.


I do not think it would be wise to add an a before each of these points, so I think it was a good call on your part not to add them. I understand your reasoning for using phenomenon; however, I still find it reads better as phenomena. Either one is technically appropriate, and thus, I would say this is something you will have to decide as the writer.


Ah, I did not read that sentence that way. Now that you have explained the sentence to me, that makes sense, but I did not read it the way you intended it. That to me says perhaps you should slightly rework your sentence to make your thought more clear, but not everyone might read it as I did. I agree that in the way you are trying to present the sentence that pause is not necessary. Again, this is going to have to be something you as the writer decide on.


Yes, much clearer. I think that sentence would work well.


I think this is a good way to handle this change.


Again, I see your point, but read it slightly different than your intention… perhaps you should change your words to “first person narrative or written thoughts.” I think this gets across your desire more appropriately.

I looked it up online, and it appears that Baty actually uses the phrase "word padding." I edited my article to reflect that.

I also made the other tweaks as described, and here is the polished revision. Any additional thoughts? (Formatting is still not fixed, FYI, but I have note of it.)

*****

5 Completely and Utterly Ridiculous Ways to Raise Your NaNo Word Count
Since writing a 50,000 word novel in a month is a completely insane idea reserved for literary addicts and maniacs who have nothing better to do, those who attempt it are not above the somewhat unscrupulous practice of “word padding.” As described by Chris Baty, the founder of National Novel Writing Month, in his book No Plot? No Problem!, these subtle tricks can boost your word count at the last minute with minimal effort. They include spelling out all contractions and using find & replace to change someone’s name from “Arthur” to “The Most Honorable Lord Arthur Swansen-Hodgenson III, chancellor of the Outlying Eastern Islands and ambassador for her Most Royal Highness Queen Mary Louise IV.” Being one of those misguided writers who attempted the unreasonable feat of NaNoWriMo, I’ve come up with a few of my own tactics for word padding.

Warning: As the title of this article suggests, these ideas are completely and utterly ridiculous. If you’re a serious writer looking to make each of your 50,000 words worthwhile, these suggestions probably won’t make the cut. Or will they? There just might be a bit of literary truth tucked inside the word padding. You’ll have to read and decide for yourself.


#1: Title Your Chapters Start by heading each chapter with the phrase “Chapter Number One,” “Chapter Number Two,” etc. That’s three words right there. You could also try “The Third Chapter” or “The Chapter that Comes After the Last One” for more variety. Then give your chapter a title. The longer, the better. For maximum effect, go in the style of Dickens and use titles such as “In Which the Hideous Lord Grylon defeats the Alliance and seizes the capital; Meanwhile, the Lovely Lady Lucinda awaits the return of…” Give a plot summary of the entire chapter if you want.

Take it a step further… and title each individual scene within the chapter.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – Titles, when done tactfully, can add a depth of interest to your book. While you probably don’t want to include them in the final draft, plot summaries at the head of each chapter may help you in revisions; you’ll be able to see at a glance what content is covered in each chapter.


#2: Head Your Chapters Titles aren’t the only things you can give to chapters. Try headers: Scripture, song lyrics, poetry, or quotes that fit the theme of the chapter. Give each of your chapters a header – a long header. Instead of using one verse, use the entire poem or song. Try to quote people that have a habit of being long-winded. (You can generate a similar effect by having your characters recite entire passages; why not hold a talent show?)

Take it a step further… and give your scenes headings too. Time/location stamps are a good choice.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – As a reader, I find headers thought-provoking; I love wondering how the theme of the quote will tie into the chapter. They may also set you, as the writer, in the proper mood by capturing your thoughts in a single quote. Time/location stamps can enhance the overall tone of your book and help you keep track of when and where each scene occurs.


#3: Create an Echo Send your characters into a cave – or any other room with the proper construction to generate an echo. Then make them have a conversation. A long one. With as many people participating as possible. The acoustics will ensure that each and every word they say can be repeated in the narrative.

Take it a step further… if you’re writing fantasy or sci-fi, create a device, creature, or scientific phenomenon that follows your characters and repeats their every word. If you’re writing realistic fiction, you can settle for a parrot.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – While you won’t want to literally write every word twice, an echo can have interesting effects on the tone of the scene. Hearing his words repeated can give the character (and the reader) pause to give them second thought. In terms of speculative fiction, you can use the essence of an echo to explore some probing themes about the power of the tongue.


#4 Insert Author Commentary Directors get to write commentaries on their films; why can’t we authors do the same? No need to wait for the publisher to request an annotated version of your book. Allow yourself the liberty of expressing some of your thoughts on a given scene. Ramble before, after, or in the middle – whenever you have something to say. Tell us how you came up with the idea for this scene; show us how this character is inspired by your little sister. You can even tell us what color socks you were wearing when you drafted the scene. “Relevance” is subjective.

Take it a step further… and write a forward warning readers about the commentary. Write an afterward explaining why you felt the need to constantly comment. Insert a footnote blaming me for the harebrained idea.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – When done properly, a 2nd person narrator that talks to the audience, whether a character or an omnipresent being, can have an interesting tone. If you’re doing historical fiction, footnotes stating your sources can add credibility; if you use foreign language, add a translation. Don’t be afraid to write yourself notes in the text – you can reference them during revisions and then edit them out. If you’re stuck on a scene, write notes explaining what you want to say and come back and fix it later. This is also a good idea if you think of changes you want to make partway through the story; instead of wasting time with costly revisions, leave yourself notes in the affected scenes and continue writing.


#5 Keep a Diary Let one (or more) of your characters keep a diary. At the end of each day, they can rehash the events. If your character isn’t the journal type, give him a blog or other social networking site to vent on. Spy on their emails, or be old-fashioned and have them send a piece of snail mail. IM and telephone conversations can also be recorded in all their slang-ridden detail.

Take it a step further… have another character find the diary and reread it. Then, have her give it to another character to read. Emails can be forwarded – multiple times.

WHY THIS MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD IDEA – Personal correspondence can be a great way to see some of the character’s private opinions without resorting to 1st person narrative or written thoughts. Correspondence and conversation also reveal the personality of the character; some entire books are written in the form of diaries. When done deftly, trivial tidbits such as a character’s “status” on a social networking site can make the character seem realistic by painting “a slice of life.” If you write modern-day fiction, you can show the power of the internet in this day and age; one small post can ignite a flame war that could greatly affect your character’s emotions.


Have you made your word quota today? If not, why not try one of these suggestions; you never know what might get you jumpstarted. Come up with your own tactics for “word padding” – and share them with me, if you would. I just might need them, come the end of November.

Still utterly hilarious!

Haha, thanks, Sir Elanhil.

I am actually using some of these now. * chuckles *

Make sure the book titles are styled consistently with italics or something like that.

I actually used one similar to the echo one, before I even saw this. I have a character count 40 lashes with a whip.

* chuckles * This will spark a good conversation in the comments.

Well, she doesn't count all of them. Just the first couple.

Yes, when I format the final edition for the blog, there will be appropriate italics and underlining and such the like.

Please beg pardon - what do I do now? I assume this is approved and ready to go, but I honestly have no idea how to proceed. If there was a thread detailing the procedure, I missed it. Thanks!

Register on the blog, and I can make you a contributor, then you can post it on there.

Registered! Thank you.

Authorized.

Many thanks! I will get it up today, barring unusual circumstances.

Due to the fact that this article is now on the HW Blog, this thread has served its purpose and will now be archived. Thanks all who participated.