So I admit, I'm a good five days behind. It's all my fault. I went on vacation and didn't write a word for three days. Still, I can't help but notice that all the people who are already up to 80,000 plus words are all writing in the sci-fi/fanstasy genre. What's up with that? Am I being hindered because all action in my story is confided by the the limits of reality? Anyway, I'm not a bitter hater, I'll catch up I'm sure... but it's just a bit unnerving seeing all those green meters.
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148,177 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 04 51
Come on.. don't despair. I'm sure with a couple days of good writing you'll be able to catch up in no time. *cheers*
I don't think you're being hindered because of that. Though my story does have a couple of fantasy elemental (a touch of urban fantasy) that's not the main driving theme behind it, hence why I classified myself under mainstream fiction because my story has elements from several different genres all wrapped into one. There's a lot of great stuff that can be pulled from reality.
34,409 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 06 52
I have a theory that it's the same people who would normally be sitting in their basement playing World of Warcraft (or whatever the current geekazoid "it" game is) 80-100 hours a week. They are now focusing the same amount of energy on their NaNo book. And I mean this in the most affectionate possible way :) because one of my critique partners is a comic book/video game/role playing game geek, and she writes a chapter in the amount of time it takes me to decide what my character is wearing in the next scene. And she has four kids!
26,797 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 07 39
That sounds about right. Thanks for the consolation.
52,610 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 09 35
If we could bottle up that energy, we wouldn't need to re-tool the grid for green energy. Why run a city off the sun when you can run it off SF/F gamer energy?
50,022 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2008 - 12 57
in another thread (somewhere in the 50k board) someone mentioned "world-building". I think the word counts are so high because they have to spend a lot of time describing the fantasy world, what it's like, what the people are like, the geography, etc (think Tolkien). When your story takes place in, say, 21st Century New York, you don't have to do so much description because your average reader already has a picture in their head. :)
187,854 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2008 - 12 04
I don't write fantasy. I wouldn't know how to do it. I'm way behind my word count from last year because my wife just had surgery and I have to care for her. I just like to write fast, and I'm mainstream all the way.
The best thing I can say is "just do it!"
-- Wes
104,544 / 50,000
Nov 26, 2008 - 18 17
I'm doing mainstream fiction this year, and I had my green bar early. I did a mild sci-fi/mainstream fictionish piece in 2006 and hit 50k by the 12th. I think sci-fi/fantasy lends itself to lots of extra words because when you're creating your own world, that is a TON of backstory you can do. Describing new technology, or an entire society or world, isn't something you'd find in a mainstream fiction setting.
And if you name all your sci-fi characters things like Zimbabwe, son of Pangea, Lord of the Evil Stinky Marsh and Overseer of Your Death, that's 15 words every time your character hears his name called.
Don't let them bother you, and just keep writing!
50,001 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2008 - 10 35
I'm a fantasy writer...
Yes, it's because you can describe the bizarre things you make up in detail. Yes, because you have places no one has ever been too.
For me, it's because I can add any bloody thing I wish. From little monkey/ferret/bird things to griffins.
I'm doing mainstream next year I think... or for JaNoWriMo...