It's tomorrow! I have next to no plan, but a lot of coffee. What stead is everyone else in for this year's contest? What are you writing? Do you think you win?

Also, how many goats are you sacrificing? I ask in order to revive a year-old joke.

I'm starting to panic, just ever so slightly. I've got part of a plan, sort of. I know what's going to happen, just pretty hazy on the how for the most part. And I'm suffering from a critical shortage of names, for places, characters, creatures...

But it's my first attempt, so I'm not surprised by this.


As for the goats, mine were confiscated by the RSPCA

I think I'm incrementally ahead of you, and this does not bother me (though it probably should). Then again, I'm naturally inclined towards winging it when I write, so I don't know if that's a problem for you.

The lack of goats, however, is definitely a problem.

I'd like to have more planned, particularly where names/characters are concerned, but I'd still be winging most of it anyway. Until I picture a scene in my head I've no idea how it'll play out, so I really can't plan them.

I'm not sure the lack of goats will be too big an issue, I've no real idea who or what the Mighty Grash'Haggurack even is, let alone how I'd go about sacrificing all those goats...

I have a couple of ideas, a single little plan, and no goats at all. Let's see how it goes!

Heh, I'm running round the Adoption Society section of the NaNoWriMo forums with a metaphorical sack picking up names

So helpful.

Day One: Decided which story to write, debated a title, downloaded a free image to make a cover, got worried about a potential malware attack from the free image, ran a scan, engaged in a lengthy debate with my son about the software, bought a license and installed it on his computer, emptied every wastebasket in the house, engaged in a lengthy debate with Mr. Grits about the software, changed my mind about which story to write, realized I lost my NaNo password and handled that situation, bought lunch for the family because I’m “writing” and don’t have time to cook lunch today, (lol), browsed the NaNo title forum in search of ideas, ate candy, realized that I had just thought up a title for the wrong story, did some laundry, refilled the birdfeeders, then finally made a title and cover for the story I’m going to write.

Word count so far: 0

But hey! We turn the clocks back tonight, right? There’s still some time.

You forgot to add 'posted a long post in the Chorrol thread'

Wait, can I add that to my word count?

Sure. I mean, it's more productive than 'sat in front of a computer screen for several hours, squeezing out a few words while feeling hungover and tired'

Well, I suppose it's a little early to start writing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over. Every novel starts with a few words!

Much more productive day today, managed a good 1800 words. I went to one of the write-in events today, where people doing Nao all get together, chat about their books and write. I had a really good time, and I got a lot done

I'm managing nothing more than to bash my head off a brick wall at the moment.

I just can't picture anything...

Ugh, I hate that feeling.

I'm not sure how much help it might be, but if you're just running low on ideas then I'd recommend going on Youtube and putting on 'Epic Inspirational Dark Epic Awe-Enspiring Epic Music Mix of Epic Epicness #193843' and browsing some fantasy/sci-fi (not sure which one you're writing) artwork archives. I don't know how far it might go for you, but when I'm stuck for ideas I find that that sometimes really helps.

Sounds fun, Mustard! There's a lunchtime Write In near me tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can make it.

Ugh, Thorn, I know that feeling. Sometimes just writing anything in the main character's voice can get me back on track. Anything at all.

It's definitely worth going if you can, it's a lot of fun, plus just talking about the book does help.

Actually, with that in mind, Callidus, what are you writing? I know it's something vaguely SFF-ish, seeing as you've been talking about worldbuilding, but aside from that I've got nada and I'd be interested in hearing the concept behind it.

Unfortunately my broadband's a dongle with a datacap, so avoid youtube like the plague. Too dangerous



Copying my synopsis from NaNoWriMo(I'm Callidus Thorn over there too ):

After witnessing firsthand the destruction of a village at the hands of bandits from the Northern Frontier, Amaril, a mercenary trained to fight with magic and steel, makes a choice. He decides that the Border Cities; the bastions which hold back the north, are not enough. That defending against the bandit raids is not enough. That honour, nobility, and common decency are not worth the price in blood.


That the Bandit King must be stopped, no matter the cost that he, or the band he assembles, must pay.




I figure it's kind of over the top and cliched, but since it turned up at the right time I just ran with it.

Liz wanted me to share her username with you guys!

It's red.witch

Woo, Saturday!!!

Plot holes filled, others opened, character page growing, people I tried to kill insist on surviving, another that I really like wants a tragic death scene, no one likes the names I've given them, and my tea has gone cold. Best day so far!!


And thanks for the message, Kobby!

Woo, Saturday!!!

Essays slaved over, no book done, more essays slaved over and one scene from Fight Club watched over and over for aforementioned essays.

I have officially given up on NaNo, which is a shame because I really like what I'm writing. Just don't have time to write it.

Well, I might have sod all to show for the first 8 days, but I'm gonna keep trying. I'm pretty sure this block is starting to give.

Huh. Just saw this thread.

I was all set to go this year. Then the accident happened and sucked all of the creativity out of me. Now that it's (mostly) over and I'm back in business car-wise, I'm trying to get the mojo going again.

So far, not so lucky. Maybe I'll head over to the grocery store and pick up a bottle of Malbec. Or a case of Moose Drool . . .

Or both.

Sorry to hear you’re in a time crunch, Mustard. Sometimes it’s just not the right time. Like in November, for example. I need to finish before Thanksgiving or I’m sunk.

Thorn, keep at it! Break that block!

Yay, haute! I’m glad the worst of the accident-related mojo-sucking is behind you. I hope the Malbec/Moose Drool does the trick. Your characters want you to write them!!

Well, a thousand words written today, may get some more done this evening. They're pretty spread out across several scenes form several chapters, but at least the block's crumbling.

And still getting more planning added in, a lot of it backstory. *Sighs*

Way to go Thorn!!

With this story I’m learning that the time I spend hashing out plot lines in the beginning pays for itself several times over when the story starts flowing out. In many things I like to wing it, but a flexible outline is my friend.

Virtual write-in right now!


ETA: That was fun! I didn’t get far with most of the prompts because I had too much of my story buzzing in my head, but it was fun to crank out a few paragraphs and have some laughs with the invisible people who are doing the same thing at the same time. Also while they read stuff out loud I had time to make a sandwich, saving me from a fast food mistake later when I otherwise would have been driving around hungry. I'm glad I checked in for it.

Urgh.

Had a cold all week, and a blocked nose has meant my head's been wrecked. Managed to do some more planning and bump my wordcount a little, but it's definitely not going well so far.

And this cold is starting to concern me a little, I think it's trying to hit my chest now.

Ugh, sorry to hear about your cold, Thorn. I hope you get over it soon without any chest complications.

I have about an hour between morning stuff and afternoon stuff, so I'm going to see if I can get the next chapter cracked. Yesterday was rough going. Thank goodness for December (or much later) re-writes!

Urgh.

Today's lesson: Nothing slows down your writing like a scene that takes place in a brothel.

*Sighs wearily*

It's so awesome to see so many participants! Little late to the party

For NaNoWriMo this year I'm working on the sequel to the novel I have spent the past few months writing (which, to be honest, has added a lot more depth to my first novel.)

I'm 24,000 words in, so still under the word count :/but I'll get there

Still determinedly slogging away at Amaril: The Spellsword for NaNoWriMo. So far today: 3,701 words, in less than three hours. I'll probably put in some more tonight.

I'm taking a new approach with it: rather than thinking of it in terms of words per day, which at this point is the rather intimidating figure of 4,053, I'm thinking solely in terms of words per minute. Targeting a minimum of 20 words per minute, and aiming at 30, it seems a much more manageable number to work with. With the last chunk I wrote I was hitting about 28 words per minute, which I figure's pretty good.

Way to go, Thorn!

I’m starting to get excited about the prospect of having a completed first draft to work with later. It’s going to take me way more than 50,000 words to get there, but I want to keep going with this project into December until I finish it.

It’s crunch time!! I have warned the family not to ask me for ANYTHING today, other than rides everywhere and three meals each plus meds and drinks for Mr. Grits who is still barricaded upstairs with the flu, so I expect to at least introduce my other main character today!

So as soon as I got over my NaNoWriMigrane I finally started using Scrivener. It’s awesome! It kind of choked when I loaded my behemoth story into it, but it’s going well so far. Of course it handled my latest one with ease. Now I need to get the rest of Jerric’s Story written so I can get going on the prequels and sequels. I wonder how many more Novembers that will be!