It's time to make it official: Enter the NaNoWriMo Contest
A couple weeks ago we announced our intention to bring the freewrite experience into the NaNoWriMo experience. If you didn't read that post you can find it here:
https://steemit.com/freewrite/@freewritehouse/who-wants-to-write-a-book
Still here? Ok, I'll tell you what it says:
Freewritehouse is challenging our community to join NaNoWriMo and support each other while writing our books. And we're also turning it into a fun contest.
We already have seven people who committed to the challenge in that previous post mentioned above:
@felt.buzz
@kaerpediem
@kaelci (didn't exactly say "I'm in" but a definite maybe?)
@improv
@botefarm
@eroticbian
@ntowl
Now it's time to get serious
I've been putting a lot of thought into how to manage this contest logistically. Since I'm a fan of reducing work as much as possible we're going to automate some of it. This means we'll be using Google Forms to keep track of who is in the contest and how they are progressing.
So for those who have already committed and anyone reading this who wants to join in, you'll need to register using the following form:
https://goo.gl/forms/Np3izTVkLGdvg1z63
You must register at the NaNoWriMo site before filing out the form.
In order to be eligible for the prizes you need to register using this form before 11:30 pm October 31st PST. The challenge runs from November 1 to November 30.
The benefits of registering sooner than later
Once you're registered, you'll be invited to the NaNoWriMo room on the Freewritehouse Discord. In October we'll be talking about how to prep for the majorly insane task of writing a novel in a month. The Discord gives you a place to ask questions in a more timely and lively fashion than comments here on Steemit.
I've completed the NaNoWriMo challenge once, barely. I tried almost every year since then and haven't managed to do it. But I was doing it alone and frankly with no one to disappoint but myself it was easy to give up or find excuses.
This time, with a supportive community, I hope to do better - no I plan to finish and "win" again. So come join us and we can all push each other and commiserate as needed. There are some truly awesome people here and no matter what happens I'm sure it will be fun!
How the challenge will work
Honestly, we're still figuring this one out. But here is my best guess now. Once November starts I'll share another Google Form for you to enter your word count into each day. It will record your responses in a spreadsheet that will be available for everyone participating to view only. This will be the official tracker for the contest that we can also verify against the words you enter into the NaNoWriMo website. [If there are any programming whizzes around who can link the two automatically please, let me know!]
Keep checking back as we'll post more details as we get closer and feel free to let us know what you think about the challenge and what you'd like to see happen.
This installment of @freewritehouse was brought to you by @ntowl
NaNoWriMo logo used courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.
Make sure to participate in all the fun events at the Freewrite House
Regular Features
- Adopt Me!! - Monday
- Recommend your Favorite Freewrite and Win SBI - Tuesday
- We-Write and win SBI - Every other Wednesday
- Announce the Adoptee
- Freewrite Favorites - Thursday
- Recommend your Favorite Freewrite Poem - and Win SBI - Tuesday until Saturday
- Over 20 Club - Saturday
- Poetry Digest - Sunday
Join us at the Isle of Write in the freewriter - retreat
art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
Join the Freewrite daily prompt
I don't even know what I've said Yes to... super nervous now
I have one question, so once we submit the day's work, can I go back to it later to change it for whatever reason?
@kaerpediem Haha hi-fives I totally echo your first line,
But life's all about saying yes and yielding to the adventure. 🙃
Said "yes" ... now we get ready for the adventure
Let's do this ... (Putting on my bravest face yet ;)
@joeylim Are you saying yes? We would love for you to write with us!!
Officially saying, "I'm in!" :)
Have just signed up to the google docs thingy, and am looking forward to "winning" NaNoWriMo this year. I've failed every time I've tried, but hopefully doing this alongside other peoples will be just the push and encouragement that's needed.
At the moment I'm just trying to create a character who's not a carbon copy of any of my other characters (which is proving difficult), and plan to throw him or her into whatever madness @freewritehouse dares to summon. :D
Yay!!! So glad that you are!!!
So glad that you are! It will be fun!!
Um...I don't think you really stated what the contest was "for"...just like to be able to say you did it I'd guess?
I don't think I'm going to compete myself. Might get in the way of other writing efforts. Plus it uses google docs, and I'm not feeling very google-iscious lately. They don't exactly support consumer privacy and seem to be getting worse with every headline.
Oh, we linked the post that talks about the idea. We are basically doing NaNoWriMo as a Steem group and using the prompts to propel us forward. And of course the support we give each other.
We are still working on how to figure out the reward system. So far, we have 35 steem on the table - not sure if in the form of SBI or straight out pay. And we have weekly SBi for the highest word count.
Still trying to figure it out and would love to have that to be a group project.
What would you suggest instead of google docs to keep track? We need easy.
I know you have great ideas...
All you need is a database. You likely have one of those built into your website. If not, you could just use a flat file. What CMS do you use for your website?
You talk to me like I know anything 🤪
I know that it is a wordpress site, that I use siteground for hosting and that I paid someone a lot of money to put it all together... That is all I know. CMS is a foreign language to me.
CMS stands for Content Management System. Wordpress is kinda a CMS. It's written in PHP though...which is ehh...
There are probably Wordpress plugins already to interface with Google Docs. Even if there aren't, you could always just manually update what the word count is in a post every week or so.
There is a database that Wordpress uses though, just like every CMS. That's what posts are stored in. Well...in addition to the ones on the blockchain. A database is like an excel worksheet. It stores everything on the website. A quick Google search did suggest that you can make a Wordpress plugin to let people store data in the database.
Oh, I don't think we will make people post what they write - some only want to put really polished stuff out into the world. And NaNoWriMo has already a system in place where you upload your stuff for a word count. The google doc is only for numbers.
And I thought you don't like google but you google searched :)
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this to me.
Oh, no, I meant a plugin for wordpress for users to be able to put their word count in.
Switching away from Google is a process. Sadly a lot of the other search engines still suck in different ways. I'm trying to slowly move away from it. But there is a potential issue that using a google account that's hooked up to other things may potentially dox you.
You mean that you sign into other applications through the google account? I never do that. Not facebook, not google. Everything gets its own account. The thing is, so much is working together. Like email, YouTube and, and, and.
It is the biggest search engine for blog exposure and such...
Wow @freewritehouse!! 😊 This sounds so cool yet so daunting haha.
But I'm in!
Yes!!!!!! Are you on discord yet? here is the link https://discord.gg/5BZhe2Q
@freewritehouse i'm on discord, but not in the NaNoWriMo room? (:
do you have the same discord name? Here is an invite to the Freewrite house discord. https://discord.gg/5BZhe2Q
Let me know if your name is different so I can add you in.
@freewritehouse no, my discord username is purplezpeace! Thanks 😊
Am kind of nervous about this, seriously nervous, but the gain outweighs the fears, I can't imagine what I will become after doing this.
Greatness?.
Posted using Partiko Android
You already are great!!! And nothing to be nervous about. The way I see it, even if we don't finish, we will have written more than we did before :)
Caught this on @felt.buzz’s resteem. If this actually helps me finish a nanowrimo for once then I’m in too. :)
so cool!! Please join this discord if you haven't already :)
https://discord.gg/5BZhe2Q
Hahaha I'm still thinking about it as I will be away for quite some days in Nov. Sure sounds very challenging, oh my goodness!! I think I can produce a freewrite on those days but a write of 1600 words? Hmm, I'm apprehensive. But it will be so cool to read about your stories!!
Why don't you sign up just in case. We are planning on doing some write-ins and in the past, when I have gone to those, you get a ton of words in LOL. I put you in the NaNo room anyway.
Hahah OK. How do we sign up?
Posted using Partiko Android
I am in too :)
LOL!! You have to be hahaha
right? But what happens way too often when you organize something - you don't have time to actually participate. That kind of happened with the freewrite. I had to do a lot of scaling back and reaching out for help. which in the end is better. All of us together are way better than just one person :)
Am kind of nervous about this, seriously nervous, but the gain outweighs the fears, I can't imagine what I will become after doing this.
Greatness?.
Posted using Partiko Android
Am kind of nervous about this, seriously nervous, but the gain outweighs the fears, I can't imagine what I will become after doing this.
Greatness?.
Posted using Partiko Android
So convinced you have to say it 3 times hahaha
Sorry, I couldn't help it
This is the second time I've noticed your comment comes through 3 times
Just in case you didn't know already :)
I am super nervous too
I calculated and I'm thinking 50,000 in 30 days means over 1600 words a day....
I noticed that too LOL
1600 words in a day!, oh my, am scared already, all my post in a week is not even up to that.
But I'll give it a try.