Okay, heh, I didn't know so many people would want a more defined structure, I was considering this a freeform thing where you'd challenge your particular limits (Aaron and I trying to LIMIT it to 50,000 words being almost as much a challenge as reaching it, for instance). But to answer a few questions with at least my opinion...
1) If you write an entire fanfic partway through and you're less than halfway through, I'd say write something else - maybe an addendum or sidestory to what you just wrote! If you're like 15 days through, call it a win. The challenge is ultimately about writing every day, after all. If you get more than 50,000 words done in ten days, well, hell, call that a win too and start working on your next/current real project. ;p
2) I don't consider starting writing now cheating - go for it! However, for me, I'm using this time to get a little bit of prepwork done because I don't want to ever have to stop to look up anything once I've started (such as names or researching any concept, which often slow me down). I'm also admittedly trying to figure out a beginning point so I can write without even waiting for that first idea. If I don't, though, I'm still sitting down on the 1st and going with what comes first to mind.
3) No, it doesn't have to be fanfic! Of course, if you do a 50,000 word story of an original concept... congratulations, you won NANOWRIMO, since that's their limit too. ;p
4) I realise lots of people are busy and such... and yes, your particular circumstances might be so awful that it's really impossible for you. But I don't think most people's are. One of the (several) reasons I decided to do this is because I've just had a serious personal disruption to my life AND I'm in the middle of moving, which will take several days and require me to spend at least a week of this arranging furniture, stocking the kitchen, shopping for a new bed, et cetera.
The idea is that I can still find at least an hour every day to write, because I know that even on my busiest days I waste at least that much time. It is my belief that the same is true of most people - you can find that hour or two in your day if you look at it. Part of the challenge is to make sure you find that hour. If you do it - and my belief is that the vast majority of people can - when the project is over you'll have redefined in your own mind what YOU are capable of. I think this will really help a lot of people's confidence in their writing and ability to write more steadily. And if not... heh, well, at least you have a feather in your cap!
5) I wasn't sure how many would even WANT to show off their product here. ;p But, if there's interest, I or someone else could set up a Livejournal community or similar so that everyone participating can post either what they've written each day or (if they're more shy) a summary of their progress each day. Seeing everyone else should remind you that YOU can do it too. It's just typing, or writing. ;p But don't get overwhelmed if someone posts a lot... slow and steady wins the race. Everyone who seriously writes every day wins, even if they wrote 10k in twenty days and didn't finish the story, if that's something they didn't think they could do before it started.
1) If you write an entire fanfic partway through and you're less than halfway through, I'd say write something else - maybe an addendum or sidestory to what you just wrote! If you're like 15 days through, call it a win. The challenge is ultimately about writing every day, after all. If you get more than 50,000 words done in ten days, well, hell, call that a win too and start working on your next/current real project. ;p
2) I don't consider starting writing now cheating - go for it! However, for me, I'm using this time to get a little bit of prepwork done because I don't want to ever have to stop to look up anything once I've started (such as names or researching any concept, which often slow me down). I'm also admittedly trying to figure out a beginning point so I can write without even waiting for that first idea. If I don't, though, I'm still sitting down on the 1st and going with what comes first to mind.
3) No, it doesn't have to be fanfic! Of course, if you do a 50,000 word story of an original concept... congratulations, you won NANOWRIMO, since that's their limit too. ;p
4) I realise lots of people are busy and such... and yes, your particular circumstances might be so awful that it's really impossible for you. But I don't think most people's are. One of the (several) reasons I decided to do this is because I've just had a serious personal disruption to my life AND I'm in the middle of moving, which will take several days and require me to spend at least a week of this arranging furniture, stocking the kitchen, shopping for a new bed, et cetera.
The idea is that I can still find at least an hour every day to write, because I know that even on my busiest days I waste at least that much time. It is my belief that the same is true of most people - you can find that hour or two in your day if you look at it. Part of the challenge is to make sure you find that hour. If you do it - and my belief is that the vast majority of people can - when the project is over you'll have redefined in your own mind what YOU are capable of. I think this will really help a lot of people's confidence in their writing and ability to write more steadily. And if not... heh, well, at least you have a feather in your cap!
5) I wasn't sure how many would even WANT to show off their product here. ;p But, if there's interest, I or someone else could set up a Livejournal community or similar so that everyone participating can post either what they've written each day or (if they're more shy) a summary of their progress each day. Seeing everyone else should remind you that YOU can do it too. It's just typing, or writing. ;p But don't get overwhelmed if someone posts a lot... slow and steady wins the race. Everyone who seriously writes every day wins, even if they wrote 10k in twenty days and didn't finish the story, if that's something they didn't think they could do before it started.