Funny stuff all around .. When I was five or so my grandmother got stuck in a Big Wheel one Xmas morning .... She wasn't large or anything, just 65 years old with bad knees ... I remember my dad and uncle finally lifting her out after everyone had had their fill of laughing, including grandma.

Hang in there Andrea ... don't worry so much about the word count and just use this month as a reason to sit down and write for 2 hours a day ... some good stuff will come from it. Keep going!

Keep pushing everyone! Housework can def. take a back seat. I'm holing myself up this weekend to catch up on word count. Internal editor - off!

Great post. 3rd person always seems comfortable, but only if you can get inside each character's head. Just finished World Without End ... 3rd person, but it sometimes reads like 1st person because Ken Follett masterfully switches perspectives. I write a lot of personal essays and YA, so 1st person always seems like a good fit for me. Think the best YA is edgy, personal, non-preachy ... which is right up 1st person alley. PS: This post literally saved my NaNo from utter ruin. Changed perspective from 3rd to multiple 1st person....Like My Sister's Keeper and The Help. Thanks!

I always find it to be a question of authenticity. It's so much easier to effectively recreate places, situations, conflicts, and characters when you've experienced their real-life counterparts. When you write what you know, your imagination frees up to fill in the details with humor and creativity and all other good things that keep readers engaged. Of course, you don't always want to write what you know. Sometimes you want to tackle a new country or conflict or whatever. So you've got to become an expert. I always marvel at novels that require tons of research but still read as compelling, imaginative fiction. Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett seem like good examples. Tons of historical information - but they fly by because the research is woven seamlessly into creative characters, plot twists, and so on. I guess my point is that if you've got to do research, go big and dig as deep as you can so that your writing will feel authentic. If not, you'll put too much pressure on your imagination. Good luck with the new book! Glad you survived the wild pigs ...

@DC - I'm guessing most NaNoers post their work to NaNo site as they go. Me included. @WM - smart move being proactive about the family and friends ... very funny! @AJ - I too am not very consistent, which is why I made the schedule. Sort of like carving out time to exercise. So far so good, but it's only Day 2! Great "no backspace" option. Genius. I caught myself doing too much editing last night ... instead of forging ahead. Good luck to you.

Congrats on the novel, Corey. Great news! I would use your school contacts as much as possible. Maybe you can make a fun, educational study guide for you book for when you make classroom visits. Also, maybe make some fun promotional videos for your book and post to your website. Just a few thoughts....look forward to reading the finished product

1. Try to stick to a schedule ... carve out 2-3 hours a day for writing. 2. Write that book you've always been dying to write. Write what you know/love - the ideas will flow more easily and keep you motivated. 3. Lots of comfort food. 4. Skip Thanksgiving ... :)

Great to see so many people jumping in! Good idea WordsandMusic to have a local writing group. Wish I had thought of that. What's everyone writing about? My brain is on overdrive trying to hash out plot points and characters.

Good post. Haven't seen the movie, but have to agree. Going into the Lord of the Rings trilogies, knew the plot, but was really drawn in by how well the characters were developed. Contrast with the most recent Star Wars movies... Didn't really know the plot, but was totally turned off because the character development was so bad. Since you mention BMezrich ... same thing for Bringing Down the House. Knew the story, but loved the book anyway. Maybe that's one sign of a great movie/book. If you know what's going to happen, but you still love the product. Think really good non-fiction writers excel at this.

Great post JM - If it's the book you absolutely wanted to write, there's got to be something about it that screams "marketing buzz." Ask yourself why you love it - then hone in on that single thought. I've pitched my YA novel around a bit ... but I've been a bit timid because the girl in my book does something super illegal, then asks her readers to see her as a role model for sticking up for what you love to do. My thought process has been - "No one's going to buy a book about a girl who has to break the law to get what she wants." Then I remembered why I wrote the book - as the dad of a daughter who will be 13 before I know it, I am sick of YA books about girls that focus on boys and dating and vampires. Sure, that stuff has sold (didn't Twilight sell a few copies?), but what about girls who are athletic and resilience and dangerous and reckless? I think Hunger Games Tri is nailing this previously untapped market. I'm hoping to do the same, without violence. So I guess I'd keep coming back to the questions: What is about your book that's awesome? What do people who have read it love about it? Why is it important? Maybe narrowing in on these things will help you nail down an agent/editor. Keep at it!