Did anyone else do a NaNo with lots of family members?
I'm the oldest of eight kids, and everyone in my house wrote a novel this year -- either through NaNoWriMo or the Young Writer's Program -- my dyslexic 13-year-old sister wrote 15k and 11-, 9-, and 7-year-old brothers all wrote 10k, often dictating their work to other siblings, who would type it for them. My other sisters, brother, and parents all made it to 50,000.
I am so ridiculously proud of them. Heh. My teenage sisters have done it in years past, but family NaNoing all together was really an amazing task. I can't wait to read what everyone came up with.
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56,338 / 50,000
Dec 1, 2008 - 22 48
Well for me it wasn't "lots of family members" but it was with my cousin :) It was the first nano for both of us and somehow we both won (and we're both still in shock from this!). We had a lot of phone conversations to give each other pep talks and did our own personal write-ins. Lots of fun was had :)
50,038 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 09 03
That sounds fantastic! I'd love it if I could get my kids into writing when they are older. I'll probably be nanoing each year, so if they are interested, I'll certainly encourage them.
50,059 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 11 04
Sadly, not for me. Every year when I try to get my family involved, I am either laughed at or assured that they actually have lives. Which I resent. My mom gave NaNo a try this year, but she didn't make it past the first few hours. Everyone else is supportive enough, but no one is willing to give it a try. :(
67,127 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 17 01
I'm the oldest of eight kids, and everyone in my house wrote a novel this year -- either through NaNoWriMo or the Young Writer's Program -- my dyslexic 13-year-old sister wrote 15k and 11-, 9-, and 7-year-old brothers all wrote 10k, often dictating their work to other siblings, who would type it for them. My other sisters, brother, and parents all made it to 50,000.
I am so ridiculously proud of them. Heh. My teenage sisters have done it in years past, but family NaNoing all together was really an amazing task. I can't wait to read what everyone came up with.
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Purple Cow... WHAT FUNNNN! Super kewl indeed!
My brother and I NaNoed together. This was our first NaNo ever and both of our first novels. He's 39 and I'm 41. We sat down with NaNo Head Office's approval and plotted out the same novel. But when it came down to the writing of it, we were totally separate. Just reading the itty bitty bits we've shared of our book with each other over the course of November, I can tell it is going to be VASTLY DIFFERENT stories! I can't wait to read his book. Mine is titled The Time Seamstress and his is The Time Tailor.
Since we really didn't know what we were doing, we kind of didn't plot out important things in our book during the pre-NaNo planning time so the big plot holes will even make our novel that much more different. It was so interesting how different our "time devices" were and what happened during the actual time travel! It was also different at which characters we decided to develop. Both of us have the same characters in our books, but in his book... the male is the hero and in my book... the female is!
Purple Cow, when your family gets together to read, will the writer of the book do the reading??? That would be a fun part of the Christmas holiday to spend! Something like, the 10 days of Christmas!
jade
50,187 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 20 54
jade
Probably! We're definitely ordering up some printed copies of our books and sending them as some extra fun Christmas presents to relatives. :-)
50,085 / 50,000
Dec 2, 2008 - 22 36
That sounds really great.
My cousin was interested in doing Nano, but didn't get around to joining, and I know there are a few other relatives who might be into it.
Nano 2009 might be me, my cousin, 2 aunts, one second cousin (older than me by 40? years) and my (masters in english literature holding) grandmother. That will be a challenge! *Yay!* I can't wait!
50,114 / 50,000
Dec 3, 2008 - 08 08
Wow. That would be awesome. My youngest sister says she might join next year, but she couldn't right now since she's on a mission in Orlando, Florida.
50,646 / 50,000
Dec 3, 2008 - 14 37
There is nobody in my family who would be even REMOTELY interested in doing NaNo. Like...really not at all.
So I get looked at sideways all day instead.
54,108 / 50,000
Dec 5, 2008 - 12 12
So I get looked at sideways all day instead.
I have the exact same problem. The thing is, my parents are actually AGAINST me writing novels at this point. They're scientists and so they believe in me going down the "medicine route" like they did and the rest of my Chinese ancestors did. They think I need to spend more time on my grades, which is absurd because I've got 3 A's and 1 B...not bad at all.
The depressing part is, MANY of my relatives and elders have this small love for writing as well, but they just went for a job they like better. Me, I was unfortunate enough to get ALL of those writing genes piled up onto me.
I had to do NaNoWriMo this year in SECRET, without my parents knowing. Sha-bang.
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"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."
58,159 / 50,000
Dec 5, 2008 - 16 53
I'm quite jealous of your family NaNoing. Like a few others, I wrote in absolute secrecy this year -- usually in the middle of the night or with a chemistry textbook in my lap. When I went home for Thanksgiving I made sure that I passed the 50K mark the day before so I wouldn't sit through the four-day weekend with my fingers itching for a keyboard. My family finds writing incomprehensible and they mock it at length.
The strange thing is, they don't mind that my sister is a Women's Studies major. It's just this ridiculously unrealistic 'writing' phase that they dislike. My sister tried NaNo one year and wrote for only one day until they found out. Maybe next year I'll indoctrinate my other sisters and we can revolt against the family tradition of giving bewildered stares to people who write!
Your family sounds, well, awesome, Purplecow.
50,007 / 50,000
Dec 6, 2008 - 10 35
thats awesome purple cow.
I cant help but wondering if my family wont end up the same.
This is my second year and my brothers third. IM 13 and he's 19 so plenty of sibling rivalry which defo helped! of course, i beat him by miles =] (if your reading this then... well its true!!)
My eldest brother wouldnt be interested but i reckon when my little sisters are say, a decade older then they might =] My mum is also taking part next year. Cant wait, as long as i beat her that is =] (very competitive =])
50,057 / 50,000
Dec 10, 2008 - 15 15
Ha-ha, I wish. ...When I start my own family it will be a family tradition. Even if my future husband isn't into writing.