Fred's Friends

I've found that the only way I can write is by a sort of reward system. I try and take a brief break every couple hundred words to relax my mind, and I promise myself something for every 500 words or page, depending on how I'm feeling. I try and keep it intellectual (catching up on new slacktivist comments is a good one.) I just find I cannot write for an hour at a time, but I can string ten or so five minute bursts along.

Rosina, I've been having a similar problem. I occasionally need to introduce semi important characters, for a chapter or so, to speed the action, introduce the characters, fall over and die...whatever. I don't just want them to be cardboard cutouts, so I've taken to introducing them via a brief story from their shared past with the view point character. Interesting bit of story, builds their character, expands the view point character, and bam. 700 words later you're ready to go. My only problem is I'm worried it'll break down the flow of the novel to introduce these little asides. Any thoughts?

I think that works for now - you get into the head of your character and get to write 700 more words. When you come to editing before publication, you can cut it down - your character still is based on all this good backstory, so no cardboard cut-out, but you might be able to drop some of the detail. I don't plan to publish, so I can leave all that nasty editing stuff on one side. I do know that when I am reading, I like feeling that the character has backstory, and character - but on the other hand, I don't like being made to invest in a character who then is killed too soon. But, as I said, for NaNo it is all good words and good practice.

I have to give backstory for this lot so they can be suspects when one of them is battered to death. But it does interrupt the flow, particularly when you find you are beginning to detail the set-up for the meeting in obsessive detail. Thank heavens they don't have phones!

2005: The Cheese Gate Guard
2006: The Heron's Bridge
2007: Fair Warning
2009: Valley of Thorns

I did a very brief introduction of a number of the characters in the first chapter and then have been steadily trying to develop their characters and plotlines more fully as the story has progressed. That seems to be working okay so far. The introduction isn't so much that it bogs down the story, but it provides enough so that the hypothetical reader knows who the characters are when they pop up.

So I'm writing a character who's story-important flaw is hubris. And rather than just saying "he was filled with hubris, oh woe is him." I'm trying to portray him as having hubris. At the same time, the audience has to like him because otherwise they won't read the damn book. At the same time, I can't make it blatantly obvious, with him standing on his roof ranting to God about how cool he is.

So I have to make a likable, viewpoint character (3d person limited, we see, for the most part, what he does.) who thinks he's hot shit, without turning him into a Marty Stu. I've been doing this by showing the way he interacts with other people. Not as a bad guy, but somewhat patronizing, possessive, quickly pissed off, focused on the ways he is superior to the people he meets. For instance, his boss, my character focuses on his weight, his thinning hair, his perceived greed, his low position, not in a "You disgust me" way, but in a sort of patronizing, "ah well, he ain't much but he's ok" way.
Of course, he's doing this more or less subtly through the first bit of the novel. Does that seem too subtle? I don't want to accidentally turn him into Mary Sue.

I don't know about keeping him from becoming a Marty Stu - but what works for me with cocky bastards, who think they are (and even are) hot shit, is to write about them with my own consciousness that I like them as a character, and am amused by their obnoxiousness... If you can let him have the occasional wry smile at his pretentiousness, that would help. Not all the time, but just when he has said or thought something particularly full of himself. Or would that avert hubris?

But you, as writer, can have your tongue in your cheek, but with affection ....

I think he will be fine. Tragic explanations, and pinned on flaws make up a Mary Sue in my book....

2005: The Cheese Gate Guard
2006: The Heron's Bridge
2007: Fair Warning
2009: Valley of Thorns

Gahhh...had to go to a conference so I got out of the writing habit. This three thousand words came hard. Still, I did it. And that's what counts. Also came to an unusually difficult bit. I have to consult an expert on the symptoms of schizophrenia. Still. I ground out three grand plus a bit today, and that works. The shit has officially hit the fan, and from here on, it gets complicated, emotional and trippy. This should be fun.

But for now, I'm gonna go type out a story I already have written just to clear out my head.
How goes it for y'all?

I had a couple of difficult days, but the story should be on the downhill stretch now - they are coming up to the series of climaxes - a murder! and a miracle! and an attack by bandits, and romances to bring to (possibly) happy conclusions.

So it should be easier, no more characters to introduce (the bandits can be generics....) and action and fun.

But it is not fair that you have to go to conferences - I think I'd have used the paper they always used to give us, to write drafts and witty dialogue and cool stuff .... In fact, I used to do that at conferences when I did work.

But 20,000 is good - and 3000 in a day will see you finishing in ... 10 days!

Huzzah!

2005: The Cheese Gate Guard
2006: The Heron's Bridge
2007: Fair Warning
2009: Valley of Thorns

So I've made it past the 50K mark (much sooner than expected), but the story isn't actually done.
I can see it easily taking another 20K to actually finish, but I'm finding that I'm kind of burned out, and I realized that while it would be something of a cliffhanger, it is actually at a point at which it's told a complete story while setting up a sequel.
With what's left to be told, I could probably add on enough to get another 50K out of it next year.
Any thoughts? Should I press on and tell the much longer story, or hold it in reserve for next year?

Congratulations on finishing! That is pretty wonderful, and I hope we can all do as well by the end of November.

As for what to do now, can the rest of the story wait a whole year to be told? I decided to break my story in two - Valley of Thorns set around Roncesvalles, then next year, Field of Stars to be continued with some new pilgrims, in Santiago di Compostela itself, but I don't know what they'll be doing. That was because I had so many interesting pilgrims I wanted to write about that I couldn't fit them all into the single plot I was writing, and anyway, I want to do Pilgrims in Compostela!

If you can knot the ends enough now, it would be great: one story complete, and the basis for another one next year. And if you do decide, between the end of this month and the start of next November to finish it, you still have that option.

Huzzah! for finishing, and don't forget to get it validated.

PS Can I read it when you're ready - after the end of November, of course.

2005: The Cheese Gate Guard
2006: The Heron's Bridge
2007: Fair Warning
2009: Valley of Thorns

Thanks, I pushed pretty hard this year. I guess I was trying to make up for not participating over the past few years.
Not having much else to do with my non-work time helped a lot, too.
As to whether it can wait, that's what I'm not sure about.
As it stands, the main character is missing and presumed dead (by the other characters in the story, at least), and one other character has been imprisoned, and it would be ending with a couple of shocking revelations, one of which wouldn't be fully-addressed in the story even if I did continue onward, so I suppose that leaves an opening for next year.
I think it really depends on what I want to actually do with the story itself, by which I mean, do I want to try to get it published or do some sort of self--publishing (either via simply posting it to my blog or through Lulu, etc.), or is writing it just an intellectual exercise, as has been the case in previous years?
If it was just an exercise, it can wait. If I want to do something with it, even if that's just posting it to my blog, it would seem cruel to make people wait a year to see how it plays out. On the other hand, if I were shooting for actual publication, it could stand pretty well as the start of a series.
So...
I'm actually leaning towards continuing, but I fear that now that I've hit the 50K mark, I'll lose a lot of momentum.
As for reading it when I'm done (whether left as is, or if I go on to finish it completely), sure. In fact, I'd like to get the opinions of others as to whether it's worth trying to publish (or self-publish), or if I'm just deluding myself.
(And I would be interested in reading yours, if you're willing.)

Congrats, Heimdall472!

@Rosina: I'm coming up to my climaxes, too. There's the Second Coming of Jesus, the Last Battle, and then Final Judgment. I ended up moving the Seven Bowls to the Last Battle because even merging the two parts where Jesus pwns the Devil (one before the Millennium and the other after), the Last Battle is still rather lacking in description in the Book of Revelation, and I didn't want it to come off as anti-climatic after the Seven Seals and the Seven Trumpets. As it turns out, the story will conclude organically at just about 50000 words. I should be finished Monday or Tuesday and get it verified then. After which point I'm going to go back to my parents' houses and stuff my face for five days. XD