NaNoWriMo

[Sparky Dragon]

Has anybody else that problem that they go over 50 000 words, but never finish the novel? I've have participated two times and I have not finished those stories yet.

HahahahhahahahahahahahaIwish. Sort of. I've got a "completed" novel sitting around and waiting for draft 3, and it's obnoxiously content to have a word count of 36,000. It's the longest thing I've ever written, and one of...precisely two stories to have the happy words "The End."

[Hedge14]

Well, it's better have finished story than one that stops midway! So I'd say you are doing better than me.

I'm quite curious. Have you written your texts in English? I don't quite understand the differences in word count between different languages. In Finnish there is no a, an or the, so Finns have to write more in that regard. Even worse, it's possible to make those extra long and informative words : so word count becomes smaller again. Anyway, the question is, would 50 000 word be normal amount of words for a English novel? I don't think that it's enough for Finnish even with these differences.

[mithrysc]

Anyway, the question is, would 50 000 word be normal amount of words for a English novel? I don't think that it's enough for Finnish even with these differences.

I think 50,000 words is on the smaller side? There's some stuff about word counts on Wikipedia which might help, but kind of just says that "the word count of novels varies a lot."

[Fen Shen]

I'll be writing in German because I have to think about English too much. My story is about twins in a pseudo-Andean setting who are worshipped as living gods and get evicted from home because of a volcano eruption. And then they meet a totally different tribe in the lowlands. In my mind it's way cooler than it sounds now in short form. 

[Sparky Dragon]

I think 50,000 words is on the smaller side?

It's not especially big, but it's not tiny, either.

My story is about twins in a pseudo-Andean setting who are worshipped as living gods and get evicted from home because of a volcano eruption. And then they meet a totally different tribe in the lowlands. In my mind it's way cooler than it sounds now in short form. 

No, no, that sounds very cool!

[StellersJayC]

I'll be writing in German because I have to think about English too much. My story is about twins in a pseudo-Andean setting who are worshipped as living gods and get evicted from home because of a volcano eruption. And then they meet a totally different tribe in the lowlands. In my mind it's way cooler than it sounds now in short form. 

That sounds really cool and like something I'd want to read! (Things always sound less cool on paper then they do in your head.)

I think 50,000 words is on the smaller side? There's some stuff about word counts on Wikipedia which might help, but kind of just says that "the word count of novels varies a lot."

50,000 is actually pretty short for a novel. I would say that most books written in the last couple of years - that I've read - are at least 65,000. I haven't read every book, though. (Not even close!)

[Nimphy]

I'll be writing in German because I have to think about English too much. My story is about twins in a pseudo-Andean setting who are worshipped as living gods and get evicted from home because of a volcano eruption. And then they meet a totally different tribe in the lowlands. In my mind it's way cooler than it sounds now in short form. 

It already sounds really cool! Now I have to learn German quicker, I want to read that!

[Fen Shen]

Aww, thanks for the nice feedback. I've been spending part of yesterday evening trying to find names for my characters. They always sound artificial, or difficult to pronounce, or lame. But I won't start writing still naming them X and Y (it's a girl and a boy...) 

[StellersJayC]

Aww, thanks for the nice feedback. I've been spending part of yesterday evening trying to find names for my characters. They always sound artificial, or difficult to pronounce, or lame. But I won't start writing still naming them X and Y (it's a girl and a boy...) 

Are you trying to make up names? You could just give them "normal" names and rename them later. I heard that Eragon was originally called Kevin.

[Nimphy]

Two das to NaNo and I have yet to decide whether I should remain in the adult site or switch to the YWP. Also, which story idea should I be working on. Grrrr.

[mithrysc]

Aww, thanks for the nice feedback. I've been spending part of yesterday evening trying to find names for my characters. They always sound artificial, or difficult to pronounce, or lame. But I won't start writing still naming them X and Y (it's a girl and a boy...) 

Naming is one of my weaknesses (and not just with characters). I can't just "make up" a name because I think all the names I make up sound really weird, so I end up trawling Behind the Name or looking up things/ languages related to the character in hopes of inspiration. Either that or my characters get placeholder names (like StellersJayC suggested) or aren't referred to by name. I also have a list of "names which I think are cool and I might use someday," but I haven't actually used yet.

Two das to NaNo and I have yet to decide whether I should remain in the adult site or switch to the YWP. Also, which story idea should I be working on. Grrrr.

Stay!

Yeah, I thought I had my story idea nailed down, but now I'm not so sure. [insert frustrated/ thinking onomatopoeia]

[Sparky Dragon]

Blah, I had a long post that got deleted.

Long story short, the best places to find names are in movie credits, or Googling "[language] names for girls/boys."

[ThisCat]

Names... I gave a book of stars I use sometimes, but usually I just improvise something weird and stick with it, like how I just decided that the name of my protagonist shall be Henrich.

I'm actually rigging a new language to use for a line or two right now. I've always found it interesting when authors make it clear that there is more than one culture in a fantasy setting.

[Fenris]

Well, signed up, but highly doubt I'll be able to finish a novel by the end of the month although I do have some ideas. Personally, I rarely find naming difficult, but I do tend to try to avoid using the names of anyone I know (I then tend to end up having some difficulty separating the character from said person).

[ThisCat]

Well, signed up, but highly doubt I'll be able to finish a novel by the end of the month although I do have some ideas. Personally, I rarely find naming difficult, but I do tend to try to avoid using the names of anyone I know (I then tend to end up having some difficulty separating the character from said person).

What name do you use there? "Fenris" is hardly easy to find.