The NanoMonkeys

Another Year, Another Novel

chris — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:01:18 +0000

Thanks so much for joining us again this year! In this episode, we have a few parting thoughts from Chris Miller and Tee Morris. See you next year!

Day 30: The Finish Line

chris — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:01:19 +0000

Host: Chris Miller, co-founder of Podiobooks.com

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

—Theodore Roosevelt

“Citizenship in a Republic,”

Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Day 29: Freewriting as a part of the process. Next step: revision!

chris — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 05:01:30 +0000

Host: Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms II: This Is Life, and A Long Way from Disney

A suggestion for your New Year’s resolutions. A suggestion for your New Years.

Day 28: Talk it out…

chris — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:01:50 +0000

Host: P. G. Holyfield, author of Murder at Avedon Hill

Let your stream of consciousness guide you, young jedi. Also a focus on Voice Recognition software

Day 27: Writing Rituals

chris — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 05:01:38 +0000

Host: Chris Miller, co-founder of Podiobooks.com

Train the mind. Ritualize the act of writing. Or…not.

Day 26: NaNoBreaks

chris — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:01:19 +0000

Host: Sam Chupp, author of Heart of the Hunter

How it is important to, sometimes, break your silence and your loneliness with some good, honest, distracting socializing. But not too much. Get back to work!

Day 25: When You Can’t Write In, Go Out…to a Write-In

chris — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 05:01:20 +0000

Host: Nuri Steinhauer, of the Seeing in Stereo Webcomic and the Artist Alley podcast

Social writing can work. The pros and cons of going to Write-Ins and some advice to take with you.

Day 24: His Turgid Rod

chris — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 05:01:08 +0000

Host: Chris Miller, co-founder of Podiobooks.com

If you’re really, truly blocked…it’s time to use extreme measures. Like Sex.

Day 23: You’re doing it! You’re really doing it!

chris — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:01:08 +0000

Host: Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms II: This Is Life, and A Long Way from Disney

Here’s some applause for getting this far. Now, let’s think for a moment about what comes NEXT.

Day 22: Are you a writer?

chris — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:01:19 +0000

Host: Erik John Bertel, author of Flores Girl: The Children God Forgot

Obsession and staying obsessed in your writings

Day 21: Take Care of Your Instrument

chris — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 05:01:47 +0000

Host: Sam Chupp, author of Heart of the Hunter

This is just a reminder as to how you might best take care of your primary writing instrument: your brain.

Day 20: Writers Block when Under the Gun

chris — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 05:01:08 +0000

Host: Tee Morris, author of Morevi, Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword, and co-founder of Podiobooks.com.

Writers Block when Under the Gun

Day 19: Exercise: Good for the Body, Good for the Writer’s Mind

chris — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:01:02 +0000

Host: Ken Newquist, publisher of the Nuketown Webzine, host of Nuketown Radio, game designer/review, and writer.

Exercise: Good for the Body, Good for the Writer’s Mind

Day 18: The Joy of Stream of Consciousness

chris — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:01:36 +0000

Host: Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, author of Number One With A Bullet, Shadow Falls: Badlands, and many more.

Use your stream of consciousness to your advantage.

Day 17: Allowing Yourself To Lose The Plot

chris — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 05:01:06 +0000

Host: Jared Axelrod, host of The Voice of Free Planet X and Aliens You Will Meet, author of Tales from the Uncanny Valley

Characters and situations quite often don’t follow the paths we set out for them. Why that’s okay and how you can work with it.

Day 16: The Merits of yWriter

chris — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 05:01:50 +0000

Host: P. G. Holyfield, author of Murder at Avedon Hill

Learn the joy that is yWriter. Links:

Day 15: Who am I writing for anyway?

chris — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:01:18 +0000

Host: Phil Rossi, author of Crescent

The sweet bliss of the first draft. Writing to tell yourself the story. You’ve seen yourself naked plenty of times; no need to be shy in this stage of the game.

Day 14: Wake up, and Try Again

chris — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:01:09 +0000

Host: Sam Chupp, author of Heart of the Hunter

Having trouble getting any words down yet? Don’t let yourself fall into despair. Wake up this morning, or tomorrow morning, and try again.

Day 13: Listen to the music you’re making.

chris — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 05:01:56 +0000

Host: Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms II: This Is Life, and A Long Way from DisneyThis is all about writing from the strength of your sentences, listening to your music, instead of trying to stick to the truths you think you know.

Day 12: Dispatches from Middle Earth

chris — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 05:01:40 +0000

Host: P. G. Holyfield, author of Murder at Avedon Hill and Phillipa Ballantine, author of Chasing the Bard

This is Pip Ballantine’s Nano Party, straight from New Zealand. Enjoy!

Day 11: Play Dirty

chris — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:01:54 +0000

Host: Natalie Metzger

Did your plot just fizzle out and die? Well, fear not good Nanowrimo-ians! Throw your characters into a pit of nasty things. Quit being so nice and the fountain of words shall flow once more.

Day 10: How to set yourself up for the next day’s start.

chris — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 05:01:18 +0000

Host: Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms II: This Is Life, and A Long Way from Disney

Some good advice I got from (reading) Hemingway about when to leave off for the day. (No drinking involved.)

Day 9: Running around the block

chris — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:01:22 +0000

Host: Erik John Bertel, author of Flores Girl: The Children God Forgot
Getting past that pesky writer’s block.

Day 8: Look! I Found a Minute Under the Couch!

chris — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 05:01:53 +0000

Host: Sam Chupp, author of Heart of the Hunter

How to find and use “Found Time.” This is time you could be writing, that is currently not being used for anything else.

Day 7: Change the World

chris — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 05:01:50 +0000

Host: Kris Johnson of The Volcanicast

Is your novel set on the planet Earth in the present (or near present) day? Don’t be afraid to allow your story to change the world as we know it.

Day 6: Don’t Read… Just Write

chris — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 05:01:48 +0000

Host: P. G. Holyfield, author of Murder at Avedon Hill

The art (or the hardest thing you’ve ever done) of writing without editing.

Day 5: Feeding Your Creative Engine

chris — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 06:00:28 +0000

Host: Natalie Metzger

Ways to pull ideas out of your surroundings.

Day 4: Journaling to get yourself in the zone

chris — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 06:00:31 +0000

Host: Seth Harwood, author of Jack Wakes Up, Jack Palms II: This Is Life, and A Long Way from Disney

Sometimes when you sit down to write do you have a lot on your mind? Use these simple tips to get your mind onto your project and down to business.

Day 3: Outsmart Your Muse

chris — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 06:00:50 +0000

Host: Jason Penney

Ideas on how best to work with your muse, and some tips on how to put your muse to work while you’re not writing.

Link to NaNoWriMo Message Board Fixed

chris — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:35:48 +0000

I’ve fixed the link to the Nanomonkeys message board up at the Nano site. Have at it!