The Character RP Yet Again, year 4 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653 larelmian Four and a half years? Has it really been that long since our madcap adventure began? It started out with purple trees and an orange sky, some powerful magic users, a few assassins, the legions of the undead and more demons than we knew what to do with, and it ended with a story that lasted for months before its glorious conclusion. Bound by ties forged in the fires of RPG, we return again, to encourage and inspire our writing buddies. Here we go again. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:35:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9422 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9422 hmltwin I can hardly believe it's been four years since I met all of you. So much has happened and yet, it doesn't feel like four years has passed. Time is weird that way. I've seen hints of what you're plotting for this year, Em. Want to share the specifics? Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:48:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9626 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9626 larelmian For this year, I'm planning a story called "Out Wit." It features Micah and Irene, now 19 and 18. We've also got Shaun, a sorcerer who kidnaps Irene in order to blackmail her family (including her brothers-in-law that lead the army). There's Doanvan, another young knight who thinks Irene is cute. And last but not least, Randy -- a spy who's caught in the middle of this mess. I'm writing it in first-person, since otherwise it would get too confusing. Randy goes by several names. Randy is also a cross-dresser. So, yeah, too confusing in third-person. (I think some of you, my dear writing buddies, might know who this Randy spy really is.) Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:48:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9632 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_9632 hmltwin I do have some good guess. ;) I've got ideas to write a group of interconnected short stories where my two main characters work to solve mysteries of the supernatural or just plain strange variety. One main character is an eccentric earl who is secretly a wizard. The other one is an apothecary who has faerie blood. He looks like a vampire (in that he has fangs), but he's not a vampire - no blood drinking, not dead, can come out in the daytime, etc. I think I'm going to have some fun with him, actually because one of my planned cases <em>does</em> involve a vampire. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:41:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_25589 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_25589 larelmian Ooh, fun. I'm not that crazy about vampires, but you should do well with that. I realized one thing last night. My sorcerers have an innate warning system, a tingling in their back of their minds when they're in danger. However, it's impossible to tell the source of the danger. So, if you're going to stab an evil sorcerer without him stopping you, you have to direct his attention to other possible threats. *nod nod* I can't wait to get started on this. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:58:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_27750 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_27750 hmltwin I'm going to keep my vampire as traditional as possible. She died (I still have to decide how) and soon after she's buried, her sister claims to have seen her. Meanwhile, the sister is slowly becoming weaker and weaker. The vampire returns to her grave each night and doesn't emerge during the day, sleeping instead. She's not going to have super strength or burst into flame with sunlight. She won't necessarily be repulsed by holy symbols, but great faith will repel her. I'll also play with the ideas that they can't cross water and are compulsive about counting things. By the end of that story, the two Mains will have found a way to take the evil spirit out of her, so that she can rest in peace. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:34:01 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_28108 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_28108 larelmian Good news -- I have yet another niece. This is my sister's fourth girl, bringing the total up to eleven. Rejoice with me. Sounds like an interesting case with the vampire/evil spirit thingy -- it should be good. I wonder if any of our other buddies are going to do NaNo this year. I know Tasha has a lot to do in school, but what about the others? Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:00:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31945 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_31945 hmltwin I don't know. I really hope some of them at least give it a try. Congrats on the niece! That's terrific news for you! I keep crossing your path in the fantasy forum and I wish I could do here what I do on the Ravelry forums. Over there, you can click buttons under other posts to say how you feel about them. (Educational, Interesting, Funny, Agree, Disagree, Love). There are so many times when I stop and look for the Agree, Funny or Love buttons... Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:22:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_42300 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_42300 I am Tasha Hi guys! Wow, I've changed so much in four years... I feel like a completely different person. In many ways I am. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:29:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_43490 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_43490 larelmian Tasha! *flying tackle hug* Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:14:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_44708 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_44708 I am Tasha Emily! *grins* Yes, I'm back. And I've convinced my roommate to do this with me. So good times will ensue. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:28:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_44864 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_44864 larelmian Ah, it's so fun having a close friend do it with you. Although Rebecca got so desperate, she would stick her homework assignments in the middle of her novel. Me -- I ended up with the main characters throwing food at each other. At the end of November, we had a party with the two of us -- and a thirteen-scoop, thirteen-topping ice cream sundae. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:54:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_45168 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_45168 I am Tasha Oh man, yes. Rage and I are making a collaborative world and writing short stories and worldbuilding things about it for her Nano. I have my two other projects as well. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:51:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_49673 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_49673 larelmian I think I've seen this one show up on your FB comments now and then. So, do you have a plot figured out, Tasha? I'm working on an idea I came up with three years ago, but which is undergoing a big overhaul, or at least getting everything down. Micah and Irene are back, along with all the rest of the Wit family. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:44:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_53629 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_53629 I am Tasha I have two plots figured out, and the third part of my Nano project is a collaboration with her. That one we just started building yesterday. It's a lot of fun, though. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:16:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_55989 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_55989 hmltwin *tackleglomp* So good to see you! Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:31:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56107 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56107 hmltwin Collaborating can be a lot of fun! My sister and I collaborate on stories and worlds all the time. I'm so glad you'll be joining the fun this year! Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:32:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56120 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56120 I am Tasha We might be coming here frequently to bounce ideas off of you, just a warning. The Seven Cities don't build themselves. :P Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:27:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_58248 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_58248 larelmian Bounce away, Tasha. I'm still wrestling with a plot hole right in the middle of "Elfmarked." It's frustrating. But my characters don't want to do this scene. I need Lon to confront Robart. Lon would rather just runaway, seeing as how he's completely alone at this point, and Robart's got four or six guards with him. And Robart just wants his guards to kill Lon on sight. They're heading up the coastal road, Lon finds Robart has just about caught up, there's a bit of a chase, and then . . . then the story falls straight into a gaping hole. I don't know why Lon would stop running without something preventing him from doing that. That's the first hole. What prevents him from escaping? Second, why would the guards not kill him? Lon will probably have to kill them. Second hole; I don't know how he's going to pull it off. It's not like he has a long-range weapon. He hasn't had one before this point. And the spears would have a longer reach than Lon's sword. I can't find a thing on mounted combat with one-on-one. The fact that I haven't figured it out now is really getting irritating. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:31:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_59607 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_59607 Gradius Hello, group! Looks like I found my way into the new thread, after all, and the website is looking snazzier than ever! Four years, huh? Go figure. Now I'm nearly done university, and working full-time for an internship! How things change. And, unfortunately, I haven't the slightest idea what I'm going to do for this year's NaNo. The past three years saw the writing of a refreshing trilogy, much different from my usual stuff with Aaron and Threeblade. Nowadays, I still have a work-in-progress that's hovering somewhere just before Act III. I'd feel guilty finishing that off during NaNoWriMo, though. And besides, it's been put on hold while I put more time and effort into Aaron's opening novel, since I'm gearing up to seriously bring that one to market. A November project, though...I'm not prepared at all! Kane's trilogy is written -- what now? Perhaps I will dive head-first into the seventh and final installment in the Aaron/Richard saga. I only have the vaguest idea of how that story is supposed to go, but charging through the story, blindfolded and swinging my keyboard around like some kind of battle-axe...well, that can't be all bad, right? Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:45:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_66586 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_66586 larelmian Gradius! *hugs* Wonderful to see you on board. Nice choice of picture, too. I hope you come up with something. If not, well, you're pretty good at spontaneous improvising writing where you had only the faintest idea of where it might end up. Rick and Aaron are strong enough characters that you could give them a goal, a few enemies, and let them have it. Good luck. By the way, I did have a thought about Lon's dilemma. I think I'll have him join a group of bandits. Then the bandits can kill the guards for him. And the guards will slaughter the bandits. What's another dozen or so casualties? Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:26:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_66888 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=1#forum_thread_comment_66888 I am Tasha That's the most feasible thing I've come up with, Em. :P Good to see you, Gradius! And I concur. You're an excellent writer from the seat of your pants. It's kind of awesome. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:49:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_68758 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_68758 larelmian *unburies thread* My work hours keep getting cut, so I have today off. Maybe I'll pass the time by picking out names for random characters. This was actually slowed me down one year, because I suddenly needed a name for a character. I hadn't decided to give a major character a sister before that point. (She then went on to flirt with Kayson, the second MMC. You remember Kayson. Go figure.) Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:20:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95353 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95353 hmltwin I was messing around in my prospective NaNo universe and found out that two character I thought only met each other when they both began to work at the same place actually grew up together - like, in the same house! It would have been nice if they'd told me that before. Jakob's been keeping all manner of things from me, though. He didn't tell me that he had a twin sister either. At least that means I won't have to make up characters for one of the stories I've plotted... Jakob's going to invade the NaNo! Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:25:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95393 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_95393 larelmian Silly characters for not telling you things. It's nice, though, when you can bring in old friends. I mean, Micah and Irene first showed up in my 2006 WriMo, and they're major characters in the last half of this one too. Irene will show up in the first part (which is kind of a prologue, introducing characters section, while still being fun), and then during parts 2-3, Randy's pretty much on her own. They'll be back when things start moving in parts 4-6. Whee! Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:59:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_98488 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_98488 hmltwin I have one character who insists on making a cameo in some way each time I write for NaNo. I think it's his way of trying to remind me finish his stories. In my first, unofficial NaNo, he showed up to talk to the main characters and give them a mission (it was about a group of Shynian Intelligence agents living in NYC). In my first official NaNo, he made the briefest of cameos, in the form of a phone conversation, as I recall. The reader wouldn't have even realized who the character was speaking to, but I knew it was Keenan. My second, third and fourth NaNos each featured an expy of him as a character (in two, he was the main character). Last year, he just burst into the novel and kept popping in, even when I hadn't planned for him to show up at all. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:34:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_123261 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_123261 EmIrene Oooh, this does look interesting. Mind if a newbie drops in? Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:23:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_125040 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_125040 larelmian Hi, Emlrene. We're a bit random, so hopefully we don't utterly confuse you. You know what's funny, hml? Keenan even managed to wrangle a very brief cameo in the old RP. Right at the very end, but he was there. My characters don't show up in all the stories, since they're spread out over several centuries. I mean, my Nolan-Lon-and-all-the-rest takes place over a thousand years before the Micah-Kieran-Wit-clan adventures. However, I'm convinced that the Wits have to be decedents of Katerina DiKensea. They just have to be related. (If you know about the characters in question, you'll understand why.) Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:35:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_125196 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_125196 LittleGreyDragon Peoples! Hello again. What do you know, I still exist. I don't know why I stopped coming here. I haven't even been lurking. But I'm definitely doing NaNo. I have no idea what story I'll write. I have so very many kicking me in the back of the head and clamouring for attention. I suppose I ought to pick one. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:20:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_127505 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_127505 larelmian Yea, LGD! *tackle hugs* Well, you've still got another twelve days before you have to make up your mind. Strangely enough, despite all the ideas I've got bouncing around, only one really stood out -- despite the fact that I tried writing bits of this before. Ah, heck, it's due for an overhaul anyway. But usually I have several possibilities for a story. (Randy insists it has to do with her pure awesomeness.) Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:03:01 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_129144 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_129144 hmltwin Hello, LGD! Hello, EmIrene... I do remember, now that you've mentioned it, that Keenan appeared in the RP... He really wants me to finish his stories. I went through a couple ideas before I settled on the one I'm doing. I'm having all sorts of fun preparing for it. I've been able to find a bunch, until now, unconnected universes and dump them into the same world. It's giving me fun ideas for little cameos and cross-overs. Like, for example, I now know that my characters will take a ride on an airship, because I have a captain and crew for an airship. I also now know that there are little floating islands in the air around my country. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:10:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_142564 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_142564 larelmian Sounds like it should be fun, hml. I think I've finally figured out my antagonist's (Shaun) background. Runaway blacksmith apprentice, worked as a mercenary for a while, ran around with some bandits, and then returned to his homeland (with the intent of taking it over) and united several bands under his leadership. Two bandit leaders are now his captains; I think he killed another one. Another random fact -- he's the son of Kieran's cousin. So related, but not close. I toyed with putting Shaun in a prequel, but then I decided against it. I don't really want a lot of recurring villains in this sub-series. It's more interesting with different problems. So, Shaun just won't try to take on Kieran. He waits until he's long dead before even attempting anything in that area. *nod nod* Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:40:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_143778 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_143778 hmltwin That's probably a very good idea, given Keiran's reputation. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:04:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_154824 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_154824 LittleGreyDragon *unburies thread again* In the past two days I've spent thirteen hours writing poetry based on the mythology of Tirgalon, copying out that poetry on parchment paper with a calligraphy pen, aging the paper, and burning large segments of it. I now have four manuscript fragments rescued from a burnt record-house in Falonth. But I still have no idea what I'll write for NaNo. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:43:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_170702 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_170702 larelmian Sounds like you've been having fun, LGD. I'm sure you'll think of a story idea before the first. There are tons of ideas out there. Or perhaps redo an old one in a new way. That's pretty much what I'm doing. I've written a bit about Randy before, and the whole story runs parallel to one of Micah's stories, but I've never really finished it. Am I rebelling? Possibly, but not really. Would I let that stop me? Nope; I didn't last year. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:30:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_174059 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_174059 hmltwin LGD, that sounds so cool! Does anyone know if they're going to give us free proof copies of our novels again this year? I hope so. I'm planning to take stories that I've written previously in this universe, the ones I will write for NaNo and the poems/lyrics I'll write for FAWM and put them all together in an anthology. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:42:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_196459 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_196459 larelmian They haven't put out an official word on it yet, hml, so I really don't know. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:46:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_197591 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_197591 Gradius Greetings again, folks! So I didn't quite mention this before the fact, but I just recently returned from the Surrey International Writers' Conference. Equal parts fantastic and overwhelming. Besides the pages of notes that I took from the likes of Donald Maass and Robert Dugoni, I pitched a book to a publisher -- and was asked for a synopsis and the first three chapters! This is pretty exciting. I'm glad my pitch worked, and I can now consider it "a good pitch." The catch, though, is that the workshops and masterclass from that conference gave me specific and unavoidable ideas that I have to apply to each of the first three chapters. So now I am ratcheting up my focus and applying some significant revisions, so that I can get this submission off to that publisher before the end of the day! Onward! Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:18:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201230 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201230 I am Tasha AUGGHH I have been waiting for you to pitch for so long. You <em>have</em> to let us know all the gory details of your amazing publishing deal when you get it, kay? Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:39:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201551 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201551 LittleGreyDragon Congrats! Sounds like a very encouraging step in the right direction. I hope the publisher likes what you give him. Keep us updated, yes? Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:48:16 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201696 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_201696 Gradius Yes, things are clipping right along over here. The pitch that I gave was my query's "third generation"; it's been rebuilt from the ground up every 6 months or so. It's pretty lean now, and cuts to the heart of Aaron's dilemmas. Just finished revamping Chapter 2. These edits are dealing with a lot of "big stuff", so I will have to let my eyes cool down and go over them again before I'm actually comfortable submitting it. Would someone here be prepared to read through ~7000 words to check for the "small stuff"? (Typos, inadvertently repeated words, etc.) I'd send it out either Tuesday or Wednesday, and I'd hope for a rather quick turn-around (for, say, me submitting to the publisher by Friday). Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:09:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_203118 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_203118 larelmian Which publisher? Wow, that's freakin' awesome, Gradius. Go, buddy, go! I'd be happy to look over it for you for any typos or whatnot. Good luck. If this goes well, you could very well be the first of our little group to get published -- though almost certainly not the last. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:13:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_204061 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_204061 Gradius All right, Emily, I sent you the 8700 words that are the first three chapters. There have been some considerable revisions, not the least of which was gender-swapping one of the tertiary characters... I only mention it here in case you don't receive the email. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:55:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_210392 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_210392 larelmian Yeah, I noticed the gender swapping. And I was right about who it was. You didn't have a lot of female characters before, I'd noticed.. I didn't notice anything that needed major changes in my read over, but there were a couple of places you could reword things. If there's less later on, maybe it's because I was too engrossed to think about such details, but I thought I was pretty thorough. Good luck, buddy. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:21:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_216867 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=2#forum_thread_comment_216867 hmltwin Best of luck, Gradius. I just noticed - or maybe it's new? - We can find all the posts we've made now and go to them to see if anyone has replied directly to them. We can also return to the original thread. I'm loving the new forum layout! Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:08:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_227811 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_227811 larelmian Yeah, I noticed this new feature last night. I really love it too. My hours keep getting cut at work. I plan on naming a character after my boss -- and shoving him off a cliff. Hey, I needed a name for that character anyway. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 08:56:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_228865 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_228865 hmltwin Two days? Where did everyone go? Are we all set for the madness to begin? With regards to my story, I think I am. With regards to life in general... I'm not quite so certain. I have a scarf, a bracelet and many little cork elves to knit. Not to mention all the crocheting I'll be doing. Some of it can wait until December, though. I'll just focus on finishing the things that need to be done by the end of the month (the bracelet, the scarf and... probably four of the elves). Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:14:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_261260 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_261260 larelmian I had a heck of a time figuring out what the antagonist was going to do with a secondary character; I didn't want him to die, because that felt unsatisfying, but he didn't seem to do much during the climax. I think I've got it figured out now. *rubs hands together* I think this story is going to be FUN, which is why I chose this one out of the many ideas vying for attention. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:50:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_264828 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_264828 larelmian I was wondering what to do with chapter three, but now I have an idea for some fun. My little spy character goes on a dangerous mission, and the spy master knows she won't break under pressure and can cope with torture. How? Well, there's going to be a torture scene in chapter three. My characters are not happy with me right now. *innocent smile* By the way, did any of you get a kick out of the November 21 instructions on Lindsey Grant's NaNoWriMo calendar/ (You should have gotten the e-mail, right?) It's "Back up Your Novel Yet Again Day," so back up your novel. Yet again. Yeah, I smirked. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:47:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_269679 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_269679 Apflamous Hey, I'm Jill. This place looks interesting, and you guys seem like the people I would hang with in your life, so HEY. Mind if I drop in? Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:08:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_270039 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_270039 Gradius HEY to you too, Jill, and welcome to the thread! We're folk who just happened to participate in a role-playing thread a few years back, and now we chat about our writing projects. And such. I'm still pretty up in the air for this year's NaNo. I feel more inclined to do an in-depth revision of Book1, rather than fling myself -- raving and totally unprepared -- at Book7. But NaNoWriMo isn't about editing. And besides, it WOULD be a good exercise to throw some thoughts onto the page. I've been psyching myself out over this final book for over a year now, so NaNoWriMo is probably the perfect time to take a stab at the first draft. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:11:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_287435 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_287435 larelmian You could always be a Rebel, Gradius. Heck, one of my projects last November involved working a total rewrite on a story. (The other involved an off-the-wall comedy; go figure.) Good luck with whichever you choose. Hey to you, Jill. My latest thoughts on my little project -- I had thought that I'd give Randy a chance to kick some random character's rear, but now I'm thinking I won't do that. Randy doesn't need to be a fighter. (Stop looking at me that way, silly character; you're awesome enough without being a ninja or something.) Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:12:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_289904 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_289904 LittleGreyDragon I have selected a plot, outlined the first seven chapters, and figured out how the story will end. I have no idea what will fill that nebulous space between chapter seven and the end, but I suppose I have enough figured out to start writing. Tonight at midnight...wow. NaNo sneaked up on me this year. I've hardly even thought about it. But now I'm getting excited. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:20:08 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_321054 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_321054 hmltwin Sometimes it's better that way, LGD. I have been worrying and stressing about NaNo since the end of September. Once I figured out what I was doing, I realized that I really needed to combine about four different universes into one for the stories I'm planning to actually work. I think I have most of my ducks in a row now. We'll see what happens when I start writing. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:32:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_321295 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_321295 larelmian So this year, our group seems split between having a vague idea of where to go and thoroughly prepared. Can we do it? I think we can. Prepare to write; there's only a matter of hours to go. I haven't decided yet whether or not I'll stay up until midnight to start writing like crazy. I've got the first chapter mostly figured out. Second chapter -- a bit. Third? Well, not exactly; that's where things will get interesting. There's a counterfeiter involved; I know that much. And my poor characters will likely get beaten to a pulp. But that's not until the second or third. :) Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:37:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_322733 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_322733 LittleGreyDragon This is the first time I've been worried about having enough time to write. I'm taking too many credits this semester, I'm over-committed to various student organisations, and I have three research papers and two major tests during November. This will be interesting. *hides under desk with laptop and chocolate* Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:19:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_326967 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_326967 larelmian It can still be done, LGD. I won NaNoWriMo with a part time job, major research paper, and other college classes. Try to set aside an hour or so each day and just write. The year when I was busiest, the story probably turned out the best because I wasn't just churning out 10,000 words in a day. *passes LGD more chocolate* Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:29:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_330242 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_330242 Apflamous Man, it's almost time! I'm super psyched :o Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:38:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_330466 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_330466 Gradius Well, I brainstormed a little bit on Book7 and realized I have no idea where the plot can go. There's some political turmoil, a nontrivial chance of the world ending (which sounds promising enough), but I haven't the slightest clue for what kinds of events would lead from the beginning to the end -- which are the only two scenes I have even sort of sketched out. So, yeah, I might just invent something entirely new, without any forethought, and see where I end up. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:50:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_336919 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_336919 Gradius ...Or I'll lose it entirely and fall for the idea of novelizing one of my favourite childhood video games. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:19:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_340315 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_340315 larelmian Gradius, you can always make me laugh. Sure, your characters just have to stop the world from imploding; no big deal. Which video game? Well, it's now after eleven. Less than an hour to go. What am I still doing up? Well, I did watch my favorite NaNoEve movie -- "Whisper of the Heart." Mom suggested "Nim's Island," but I just watched that. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 01:07:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_343722 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_343722 hmltwin I'm about to start... and earn my secret noveling badge, since I'm at work. ;) Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:09:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_350748 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_350748 larelmian Done with my first chapter -- featuring a coded message where I decided (inspired by these forums) to use the word "cerulean" as a key term. It was in the middle of a love letter filled with really corny similes. MC got it just before class and had to read the whole thing out loud, and no one knew it was referring to information about a counterfeiting ring. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:11:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_363091 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_363091 I am Tasha Re-writing (does it really count as re-writing when the plot is almost completely different and I'm using no pre-written material?) my Nano from three years ago, writing a graphic novel script, and collaborating with my roommate. Good times! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:27:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_365913 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_365913 hmltwin Sounds like your really busy this month, Tasha. How's it going for you? Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:35:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_386632 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=3#forum_thread_comment_386632 I am Tasha Pretty well. Got 2000 words yesterday, but big projects and family weekend are looming. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:58:45 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_387094 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_387094 Gradius Band practice was cancelled tonight, so I have some more time than I was planning on today. I managed to detour and rewrite part of Book1, since my sister is proof-reading it and the changes I had in mind pertain to her next scene. (It's also a lesson I took home from Surrey, and I figured it's important.) A 2,000-word scene got some medium-revisions, but I'm not counting any of that toward my word count. The fact that I can sit down and hit my quota in 90 minutes or less is deeply comforting. It certainly helps that I know the story front-to-back intimately... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:49:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_415842 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_415842 hmltwin It's always nice when the words are flowing and you can write easily. I'm very lucky that I'm writing a bunch of short stories this year. I finished the first one and just couldn't write the second or third. I skipped to the fourth and had a good time with it. Now... do I go back and write the second or skip around to another one that interests me? Hmm... decisions, decisions. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:45:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_425769 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_425769 larelmian Today's word count -- 724. Pitiful. But it was hard to concentrate while trying to figure out unemployment insurance. Ah, I never liked that crummy, two-bit job anyway. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:30:11 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_480548 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_480548 Gradius I just noticed that our forum avatars don't show our word counts anymore. That's kind of a bummer; I liked just checking in on the forum page and seeing how everybody was doing all at once. I'm marginally ahead of schedule, but I'll probably have to push a lot further ahead if I want to properly finish this book. This thing could push 100K pretty easily if I'm not careful about my pacing. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:53:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_499009 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_499009 hmltwin I miss the little progress bar by our names. It was nice to see it change colors as people finished... Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:40:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_503871 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_503871 larelmian You can still look under your writing buddy tab to see how your friends are doing. At least that's something. I haven't been doing very well these past couple of days. I was too busy trying to figure out the unemployment system. (Yeah, got laid off, and it bites.) Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:54:08 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_504267 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_504267 LittleGreyDragon I've been writing a paper for the past few days. No time to write anything else. And now finally I have time, but I only got two hours of sleep last night, and my brain feels fuzzy and incapable of coherent thought, let alone coherent writing. I'm trying anyway, but so far I've only managed a hundred words of disjointed rambling about an idea I had a few days ago. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:39:47 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_585949 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_585949 hmltwin LGD: Get some sleep and start fresh would be my advice. I just wrote a fun, fun scene with Keenan. Lord, he's too funny! I've been posting excerpts from my story on my blog and this is the one that's going there for today! Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:32:07 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_596912 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_596912 larelmian I've only gotten through five chapters. Life has kind of been rather distracting. That and trying to keep the people in the fantasy forum in line. In fact, it's only now that the plot is really starting to move forward. I keep going back and forth on that opening story arc. Will it show vital background information, prove interesting, or end up rather pointless? I'm not sure. The conflict has little to do with the rest of the story, I know that. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:53:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_598904 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_598904 LittleGreyDragon I got a few thousand words today, and I should have time for a couple thousand more. And they gave us word count bars again! It pleases me greatly. They must have gotten lots of complaints. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:28:27 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_604852 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_604852 hmltwin Having the word bars is so nice! I have too many buddies to try and go to everyone's pages to see how they're doing. Much easier this way. Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:48:00 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_616850 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_616850 larelmian Hooray for little word bars. I kind of missed seeing them. Let's keep writing, my buddies. I just need to come up with the personality of a minor character just to kill him off later in the chapter. But you might not know that. This plot is anything but straightforward. XP Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:46:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_618849 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_618849 larelmian I just wrote the most horrible death scene of any character I have EVER written. This wasn't just horrific and gory; it was prolonged, although the viewpoint character only got a glimpse of it. You know what they mean by "to the pain!"? This was all that and then added third-degree burns and starvation. And yet, at the same time, I don't think I can hold back. Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:34:00 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_665539 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_665539 Gradius Yeah, I hear ya. I also had some emotional low-moments in the writing today. The story reached the point where the villain poisons a besieged castle's water supply. Hundreds of people die, including the family of one of the heroes; the man goes half-insane with grief and tries to wage a one-man war against the besiegers. The viewpoint character is someone who tried (and failed) to stop the villain from poisoning the water. He then infiltrates the castle to warn everyone, but he arrives too late, and has to stand and watch as everyone starts keeling over from the poison (which is both prolonged and very, very painful). Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:09:25 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_668124 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_668124 larelmian Gradius, you are brutal -- even more than I am. (Of course, I already knew that . . .) Today I actually got to a more comical bit -- Randy "sleepwalks," stabs a man's pillow, tosses it in the fire, and then chews on it, while babbling about chicken. Well, if you really want a private room, I suppose that's one way to get it. Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:24:14 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_698114 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_698114 larelmian Imagine this -- the captive is bound to a chair in an interrogation chamber. The questioning begins. Prisoner: Would you mind untying me? My nose itches. I thought you might appreciate this. Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:54:18 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_711724 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_711724 hmltwin lol! That's too funny! I created a character to specifically have someone I could send into the Otherworld, in order to replace one of my trapped mains... Now, I feel bad for him. He wasn't a nice person, but... yeah... Oh well, at least he wasn't hanged, right? Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:53:19 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_724801 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_724801 larelmian All right so I need Randy put into solitary confinement . . . and Randy throws food at the knight-commander. Of course. Why didn't I think of this sooner? And then repeats everything he says and mocks him to his face. Ooh, not only is this annoying, but it will also up the word count. Yea! Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:54:51 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_724821 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_724821 larelmian Over 30,000 words in, and I finally bring in the protagonist. Yea for Micah! Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:17:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_753750 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=4#forum_thread_comment_753750 Gradius Well, there's the 50K! I've realized there's no hope of me reaching the end of the game before the month's out; there's just too much story. (The whole thing is probably going to clock in around 100K, and I have too much going on to actually manage six digits this NaNoWriMo.) However, there is a major turning point that divides the two main sections of the game, and I think I will reach that point somewhere between 70-85K. If I keep a good pace for the last 10 days, I should hopefully hit that goal! Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:00:31 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_771522 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_771522 larelmian Way to go, Gradius! *cheers and throws confetti to celebrate Gradius breaking the 50,000 barrier* My best estimate for this draft is about 60k at current pace. Of course, what I wrote two chapters ago was downright awful. All info-dumping and random notes. I think I have a better idea of what to do during the rewrite, though, so it wasn't a waste of time. No such thing as wasting time while writing, because it's usually how I'll get it better. Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:05:24 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_772320 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_772320 hmltwin Congrats on being the first of us to reach 50K, Gradius. ^_^ My novel is rolling along nicely. I'm nearly done with the 10th of 14 stories that will make up the anthology. I hope to finish it today. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:14:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_803559 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_803559 LittleGreyDragon My muse is ignoring me. And I have a frighteningly large amount of homework to do over break. My word count bar is sad and little. Alas. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:19:21 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_804012 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_804012 larelmian I was going over one scene and hit a wall. My character has no reason to act the way I had her act. Because it will make the story more dramatic is not a good reason. I'm going to have to throw out 1000 words. Well, I'm not deleting them (yet). I'll just make notes of where I'm going to have to change this. So much for reaching the climax today. And I'd been so looking forward to that scene. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:40:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_813164 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_813164 larelmian My story is done now. I know it's going to need a lot of rewriting, especially since I actually have an entire scene I crossed out because it just wasn't working. (See, above comment.) Sure, I'd miss a good line along the way, but that's okay. Now, I'm going to have a good time with my family. We get the Christmas season started with Thanksgiving and it goes on until New Year's Day. Whee! Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:31:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_825228 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_825228 Gradius Well, here we are. If anyone's been paying attention, I hardly wrote 2K over the past week. This is because, well, I pretty much burnt out. I could barely focus on anything (much less write) for over a week. I think it was the combination of working full time and taking on NaNoWriMo, but MAN, was I ever perpetually tired... After taking some days off from NaNo, I am now back in the saddle. I know I can't finish the story (I'm expecting it to be ~100K), but there is a critical moment in the plot that I still want to reach. This probably calls for another 20K, and it's the 26th. I'll see what I can whip up. Sat, 26 Nov 2011 03:05:38 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_849669 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_849669 larelmian Sorry you've had a rough week, Gradius. But look at all that you've written so far. It's hard when real life gets in the way of writing. Good to luck to all the rest of my buddies. Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:44:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_865824 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_865824 I am Tasha Agh, I'm almost there. Agh agh agh. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:32:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_887897 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_887897 larelmian Come on, Tasha. You can do it! Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:08:22 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_888758 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_888758 larelmian Nearly there, Tasha. You're in the home stretch! *Cheers and stands by finish line eagerly awaiting another buddy* And LGD, you're doing well. Write on, write on. Well, since I finished that project, I went back to older ones. Right now, I'm trying to flesh out some random thieves I'm throwing in to fill in a plot hole. And I'm planning on killing them all too. Well, maybe one or two can stay alive, but the others are going to die - along with several armed and armored guards. Yeah, I have a hole in the plot, so I throw in a bloody fight scene. Fewer survivors mean they can't muck up the plot later. XP Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:55:42 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_892889 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_892889 I am Tasha Whoo done! Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:25:05 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_902018 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_902018 larelmian Yea, Tasha! *hugs Tasha. And hml. And Gradius. And LGD And all the other people who've posted at least once on the thread.* Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:59:35 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_902464 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_902464 LittleGreyDragon Well, as you can see, 50 k didn't happen. My muse is being cruel. I woke up this morning full of ideas which, had they come a few days ago, would easily have given me enough words to finish. But no, a few days ago my mind was empty and unwriterly. Alas. I'm going to go and write now. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:02:45 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_915185 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_915185 larelmian LGD, you're still a winner in my mind, even if you didn't reach 50k. Look at how many words you did write. You did great, especially considering everything else you had to do in November. The purpose of the challenge is to get a story going, and you've done that. :) Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:25:35 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_916266 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_916266 LittleGreyDragon Aw, thanks. I know I've written way more than I would have without NaNo, but it's still disappointing to break my past few years' winning streak. But yes, the story is started. Onward! Time to write three papers and study for seven exams! I'm really looking forward to the easier schedule I have next semester. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:10:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_917202 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_917202 hmltwin I think we all did really well this year. Whether you actually reach 50K or not, if you keep pushing yourself to write, then you won. ^_^ Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:58:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_921955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_921955 Gradius Well, I ended up not getting as far as I planned. I don't really mind though, since instead I finished reading the second book by Patrick Rothfuss, and otherwise spent my time mentally recuperating. (Didn't help that I was working graveyard shifts for the last week of November.) I had a lot of fun with this year's project, and if I don't think of anything else next year, I may just pick up where I left off. I've started to see NaNoWriMo as the equivalent of exercise. Most of the stuff I hope to publish is already written to some extent (with a couple of exceptions), so most of my "serious writing time" is spent on editing, revising, etc. NaNoWriMo gives me the opportunity to set all thoughts of editing aside and just write brand new stuff, for the thrill of it. It's like going for a run through a forest; good exercise, and with the opportunity to explore. Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:28:34 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_929463 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_929463 larelmian Good points, Gradius. Brandon Sanderson, in his pep talk, said that NaNoWriMo is a tool. Use it how you will. I already know darn well that I can write a novel in a month. So I use this time to experiment. I hadn't written a first-person story in about ten years, and that story wasn't longer than 10k. Last year, I tried my hand at comedy; it's not as easy as you'd think. Another year, I tried writing an evil protagonist, but unfortunately, I ended up hating her within three days and killed nearly the entire cast. I've tried plotting and following the outline, and I've tried writing by the seat of my pants -- before I found a comfortable middle ground. I've tried condensing the timeline to a matter of hours. I have no idea what crazy technique or story idea I'll try out next year. Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:26:33 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_929687 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_929687 I am Tasha Nano for me is a chance to stop world-building or setting my writing aside in favor of other 'more important' things and actually get started on my stories. I haven't finished a novel during Nano yet, but that doesn't matter. Because of Nano, I have over 80 pages of script to begin with and 40 pages of polished work. It's a jumping-off point. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 08:06:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_936305 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=5#forum_thread_comment_936305 larelmian *pops back in* It took me some thought, but I've finally decided where the assassins should meet. The original draft had them meet in the throne room, and while this would make an interesting scene, it just seems too open. The top of the tower is a much better alternative, I think. I love it when I finally figure out the solution to a problem. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:24:58 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_946040 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_946040 larelmian I'm working today on a particular battle scene that's given me grief since I decided to cut the castle siege. That cut, while necessarily, left me with a gaping hole. But I needed L to confront the main antagonist to learn Crucial Information. Then I hit another problem. Horses! Stupid freaking horses! I couldn't figure out how to factor them into the scene. That, and L was outnumbered about six to one. I finally got around that by throwing in some sword fodder, but then what do I do with all the horses? I don't know. This is why I usually end up with the horses just bolting or set to one side - if they're around at all. I know people used horses in battle, so why is this so difficult for me? I'm not trying to plot it based on one thought -- get rid of the horses. Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:23:42 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1001725 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1001725 Gradius Hey Emily, I just had a thought about your horse-dilemma. Horses and charging and lances are fine on even ground, but what if your hero can reach a steep slope (or similar terrain) for his last stand? The footing would be too awkward for the horses to come after him, and then his enemies may have to dismount to face him. Hope everybody is enjoying the holiday season. I'm merrily editing through Book One, taking a deliberate and methodical approach as I tighten up each scene. Lots of focus on story/scene structure. The progress is slow, but I am seeing very significant improvements, which encourages me to keep going. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:06:48 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1003620 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1003620 LittleGreyDragon A merry Christmas to all my writing buddies! I've been doing lots of reading for my upcoming intersession class and fighting off a nasty cold. Not exactly the best way to spend the holiday season, but such is life. And a week from now, I'll be in England, and that should be marvellous. I shall be without internet access for two weeks (oh, the horror!) but I'll come back with tales to tell. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:41:11 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1003696 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1003696 larelmian Right now, my thought is to have L attack at night -- with the help of a few random characters who could help by stealing the horses. Not sure how well this will work; I never know for certain until I actually write a draft or two. Have a wonderful holiday, you guys. Thanks for the advice, Gradius. I'll keep that in mind for my story. LGD, England? I am so jealous. It's worth going without the internet. Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:31:38 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1004512 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1004512 larelmian Happy new year, everyone. My goals for this year include applying to graduate school and finishing my epic "Elfmarked." Today I figured out how to work one story arc. Previously, I hadn't quite figured out how to have the King of Aurora assassinated. Well, I had an idea, but I've scrapped that. Here's how I'm thinking it will play out. The castle steward gets a couple of assassins into the nursery where they kill the guards, mortally wound the nursemaid, and toss the prince and princess out the window. Then the steward runs to tell the king; he demands to speak to him alone, and once they are alone, he stabs him. He then claims the king wants to be left alone, so none of the guards or other servants will disturb him. Then he and the assassins go after the queen, but the queen's maid found out about the prince and princess (from the dying nursemaid), and when she tells the queen, one of her bodyguards (also allied with the assassins) attempts to kill them. The other guards fight to hold him back, giving the queen a chance to flee. The steward finds the queen is gone and all her guards are dead (or wounded enough that the assassin would finish them off), and he goes after the queen. And in the meantime, I've got a captain of the guard hot on the trail of the steward and his assassins, so things really are going crazy. Should I even follow this story arc? I've already got two more on the same events. If I did follow them, should I use the steward (a rather oily man named Marion Own) as the viewpoint character, or should I do it from the viewpoint of Vance, my least favorite assassin? Vance managed to survive chapters two through five; I went back and forth on when and how to kill him, but for some reason, he stubbornly remained alive. He's now managed to wrangle another scene in chapter forty-seven-ish. And he might even survive that, the little weasel. I might just let him rot in some dungeon somewhere. I don't know. Does anything I've said made the least amount of sense. Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:33:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1019451 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1019451 LittleGreyDragon It sounds pretty good. I would say always go with a POV you've already used unless you have a good reason to introduce a new one. Vance may be an annoying weasel, but if you've already written from his POV (or even if he's merely shown up repeatedly), you and the reader both know him better than the steward. And in terms of whether you should follow it at all, I can't really say without knowing all the context, but ask yourself if it's necessary. How important is it for the reader to know the exact details of these events? If you already have other characters dealing with the aftermath or repercussions or what have you, do their sections tell enough about the situation already? You tend to follow a lot of characters and story arcs already; does the desire to show these events up close and personal outweigh the need to prevent the story from getting cluttered or confusing? On another note, two days until I go to England and I've done less than half of the required reading. This is because I have a large folder full of digital comic books, and they are distracting. But I'll get all the reading done. I suppose I need to pack at some point too. Why am I always so disorganised? Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:34:51 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1021705 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1021705 larelmian Necessary? *thinks* Probably not, since as you say there are people dealing with the repercussions. It might add to the suspense not to know exactly what he's doing. But I might write it out anyway, just to make sure I know what's going on in relationship to everything else. And I really don't want to get in the head of most obnoxious sub-villain in the entire story. I've never gotten into his head before. He's better to keep in the background, always scheming, and my MC's getting in the way of his schemes. Annoying heroes. They're really starting to get on his nerves. *laughs* Have fun in England, LGD. I really am quite envious. Maybe someday I will go to Europe. Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:57:13 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1022832 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1022832 larelmian After some consideration, I've decided to limit the viewpoint characters in "Elfmarked" to eight. For those who've read the earliest chapters, you know about five of them -- Nolan, Ruben, Briana, Lon, and Sierra. The other three are Seth, Emiline, and Zed. Each is a sibling, a significant other, or both to the above mentioned characters. And this is me cutting back. At least five characters I'd used for viewpoints have been cut from the story. Others have undergone drastic changes, but they're still around -- at least half a dozen. This is what I get for making saving the world a group effort. Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:26:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1025768 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1025768 hmltwin I have always thought that saving the world <em>should</em> be a group effort. Good luck getting it all straight. I hope everyone had a good holiday season. I'm back to work today and... actually not dawdling to terribly. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:58:49 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1028926 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1028926 Gradius I agree with LGD's comments. Deciding which parts of a scene are crucial and which are superfluous can take a lot of thinking. Now that I'm paying closer attention to story structure, I've axed a whole lot of writing, including everything from a few trivial POV characters. I have more than a few viewpoint characters, too, but there's a pretty uneven distribution in who gets how many scenes. Actually, because of this post, I skimmed through my writing and tallied the POV-scenes for each character. (And made a pie chart! Yeah...engineer.) Anyway, a little more than halfway into the first book, Aaron has at least twice as many POV-scenes of any other one character. 2nd place is actually a pretty even split between Kayla, Taylor, Rick, and Jon. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:19:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1030572 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1030572 larelmian Let's see how my characters pan out, based on number of scenes. *crunches some numbers* Nolan has a far lead: 29% of the total. Sierra was second: 20% Briana 17% Ruben 10% Lon 8% Seth 7% Zed 6% Emiline 3% Oh, one more note. I put up the strangest question I have ever written, concerning how much blood splatters if you stab someone. I'm thinking about how my assassin murders someone without it being too conspicuous. Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:54:11 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1033539 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1033539 hmltwin Stabbing can be very conspicuous, unless they stab just the right place and the person dies quickly. It'd still be messy, though. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 06:56:03 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1046851 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1046851 larelmian You know, sometimes something in a story is so obvious, you wonder why it took you so long to think of it. Why would Nolan dress in an outfit that screams sorcerer? Is he trying to get mobbed? Yes, he is. That's his job -- check to see how his people are received so they know where they can trade, where they should quickly pass through, and where they should avoid entirely. Among other things -- scouts are quite versatile. It sure beats the earlier explanation of there's no use in hiding what you are; they'll find out sooner or later. I tried to write it that way, but it just didn't seem quite right. Maybe this was what was wrong with my rewrite of the opening scene. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:20:24 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1057858 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1057858 larelmian Right now, I've got two characters vying for position of Emily's all time favorite. Nolan Monson -- a Child of the Wind, honest, dislikes thieves, has magic, overly flamboyant, compassionate, protective, fun loving, optimistic, claustrophobic. Randy Makaylson -- a double-crossing, cross-dressing, backstabbing double agent. And I can't tell which of those two I like writing about more. Micah Dagger comes in at a close third. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:29:45 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1065502 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1065502 hmltwin It's nice when things work out in stories. I've had that happen as well, where something is so glaringly obvious after you've thought of it that you wonder why you didn't see it sooner. I'm doing that now with one character - one of my spies. Cyrus has begun a relationship with a character who is very much his senior and is on the same team as him. The director in charge was up in arms about it - threatened to restation them if they didn't get it sorted out, preferrably by ending it. Cyrus refused to end the relationship, opting to move instead - even though it put a hardship on him. With other characters, this director has shuffled the teams around, so that they were on different teams and then he had no problem with the relationship. I couldn't think for the life of my why he was leaving them on the same team and trying to force them to break it off. Then, I realized the explanation: He's Cyrus's uncle and sending either of them to a different team would let them continue a relationship he doesn't approve of! He's trying to force a break up! NOW, it makes perfect sense. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:40:19 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1067216 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1067216 I am Tasha Agh, hi guys. College has eaten me alive. Agh. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:31:03 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1070363 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1070363 larelmian College has a tendency of doing that, Tasha. *pats on head* Focus on that right now. The writing will be there. Oh, the joys of actually discovering the characters' motives. Why did the assassins kidnap Sierra? To kill her for interfering. Oh, that's so nice to know. And they want revenge on the others; of course, they do. So now I point this out instead of having them making a few vague, random threats. My writing is coming along. I toyed with the idea of killing Lon just to bring him back a page and a half later, but that might set an unwanted precedent and weaken later scenes. I'll just leave him at mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. ;) Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:01:29 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1070495 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1070495 Gradius Yeah, my time for writing took a pretty sharp hit moving from high school to university. I was lucky to get a couple of hours in on the weekends, but for the most part I had to wait until Christmas break or something to ever do significant writing. Character motives! I've a story to share about that, too. Early on in the book, Aaron is teamed up with his employer's other mercenaries. Aaron is a pretty crap team-player, though, and things go terribly. Part of the fall-out from their botched job is that another character (Nickel) gets fired from his stint as a bodyguard, and Aaron's gang takes him on as an extra mage. While this was nice, it was missing motivation. WHY hire Nickel? Once I figured that out, everything became obvious, and the scene improved muchly. Aaron's "coworkers" don't want him around; he's antisocial and doesn't do anything to protect them in a fight. So, hiring Nickel is just a veiled tactic to boot Aaron out of their squad, making him form a new (and separate) team with the new guy, Nickel. In other news, I'm taking a brief hiatus from writing, as I've nearly burned myself out again. From December to sometime last week, I rewrote a little over half of Book One. It was heavy slogging and I made massive improvements across the board, but now I need a break. Pretty soon, I'll be able to continue on with the book's third act. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:09:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1071805 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1071805 LittleGreyDragon I have returned from England. It was amazing! Photos shall come on facebook as soon as I get some sleep and figure out how to put sentences together again. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:51:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1072110 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1072110 larelmian Welcome back, LGD. I look forward to seeing those pictures. Yea for character motives, Gradius. Don't burn yourself out too much. I'm plugging away on rewriting "Elfmarked," yet again. I've only made some minor changes -- well, adding a bit more of Nolan's motivation and the assassins' motivations. But I think this has smoothed it out a great deal. Card said that the novel is the best medium of storytelling for exploring character motivation. Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:43:22 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1073459 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=6#forum_thread_comment_1073459 larelmian Well, I'm done going over Part One (yet again). As I mentioned, I didn't make major changes, just a little more explaining motives, a touch here and there. Chapter nine needs an overhaul. I've never been happy with it. Maybe I'll add another scene or something. Show Ruben trying to learn his magic, meet some of Nolan's relatives (thus learning a little more about his background), Sierra dealing with becoming an Elfmarked and all that entails, Lon refusing to open up and speak to anyone (well, that's already there), Briana who's used to doing things her way having to work with a group . . . I could go lots of different ways. And this will be a nice lighthearted break before I throw them up to their ears in goblins. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:55:35 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1078910 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1078910 Gradius Well, I've been back at it for a while now, and the rewrite is moving right along. I'm into the third act now, so hopefully by March or April I can have the draft finished and pick out some agents for the next wave of queries. Something interesting: I compared the word count for this story in its present form against that of the previous draft. In just the first half of the book, this latest round of editing has shaved off slightly over 9000 words. That's a lot of trimmed fluff. Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:53:11 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1118537 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1118537 hmltwin I'm glad to hear that your story is going well. It never ceases to amaze me that other writers talk about needing to trim fluff and I'm always realizing there were things that I skipped that are truly necessary to understand something that happens. If I were to cut 9000 words out of some of my novel-length stories, they'd cease to be novel-length... It must have to do with different writing styles. I <em>do</em> cut some scenes, but most of my editing consists of me adding to the story, not cutting parts away. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:57:34 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1141398 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1141398 larelmian Keep up the good work, Gradius. I'm sure it will be awesome. I don't generally trim fluff. What I do cut out is scenes that make no sense or don't fit in with the rest of the plot. I'm more apt to add a scene. Some of my readers (LGD, for example) even encourage me to add new scenes. One of my mentor's biggest criticisms of my early drafts was a lack of fluff -- i.e. description, character development, motivation. My rough drafts are just glorified outlines. "Plant weeds between the rows," he said. So I'm like you in that way, hml. By the way, the scene I mentioned a few weeks ago . . . right now it involves 40 goats. I had to talk to Rebecca to get some ideas, since her family has goats. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:58:35 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1141680 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1141680 Gradius I'm a little surprised at the drastic cuts as well. This is a bit of a first, since most of my previous forays into editing/rewriting have been like you've described. The second draft of Book Two ended up growing by 50K! This time around, though, my editing is a lot less left-brain and a lot more right-brain. I'm finished with all the "exploring" that I did in earlier drafts. Now that I have a clear idea of what I need to tell the story well (down to the scene), I can see where I have extraneous fluff. In most cases for this edit, "fluff" has been "too much attention to unimportant characters." I've redone a subplot to centre on Aaron instead of a bit-player, and I've axed another character entirely. When you realize every POV scene one character has needs to be removed...9000 words isn't all that difficult. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:38:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1142481 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1142481 larelmian I know how the cutting out of characters goes, buddy. Some of you may remember a set of twins from my early drafts of my epic adventure. After struggling with them for a while, I finally gave up and let them go. I also originally had a whole sub-plot in a coastal kingdom, which has been cut. I'm still working on the replacement, because I need a way to work in Crucial Information. I've already tried a besieged castle, betrayal, a royal assassination, and at least three variations of mounted combat, and now I'm trying horse thieves. Good luck to you, my friend. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:55:08 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1144891 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1144891 larelmian After getting nowhere in my writing (partially because of family visiting during spring break and partially because life is rough), I gave up on this straight through rewrite plan and skipped ahead to a random scene and started writing. I picked a part where Nolan becomes a bounty hunter. That was not in my original draft, I swear! Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:46:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1240046 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1240046 larelmian Two posts above, you'll see my comment about Crucial Information. I've had this plot hole for over two years. Originally, I had a castle under siege. No, that won't work, since logically the queen would notice an army coming, and it just doesn't make sense. Betrayal? How would word of this not spread? A royal assassination? This would also bring in consequences that I can't fit into the rest of the story, and this is insanely complicated enough. Mounted combat? When I posed this idea, some people seriously doubted Lon's ability to survive, much less win, with the odds so stacked against him. Mounted combat with reinforcements? I ran into trouble while writing it. I just have a hard time factoring in those stupid horses. An ambush? I've never even mentioned Lon using a ranged weapon before. A deadly came of hide-and-seek, perhaps in a deserted village? How would he survive long enough to confront the antagonist? Would the antagonist really send out all his men and let them get killed? Latest idea, Lon comes alone and slaughters everyone in their sleep. Well, it's not entirely out of character, but . . . still. How would you as a reader react to something like that? The antagonist is traveling with four to eight bodyguards; I don't think I can justify a royal emissary from the noble court riding alone. Both the antagonist and Lon need to survive (if just barely). Everyone else is expendable. In fact, it would be best if no one else did survive, because then the antagonist would be more likely to play his trump card -- and thus reveal the Crucial Information. If any others were alive or at least able to join the fight, Lon's chances of survival would greatly diminish. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:20:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1248593 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1248593 larelmian Right now, I'm in such a vicious mood, I'm considering scrapping an entire civilization -- yet again. I've had, since I first made up Larelm, a seafaring people. The idea was that the men would be great voyagers and traders and explorers, while the queen rules the land, served by her loyal handmaidens. The only problem is none of the ideas took off. I have no interest in tedious voyages. I don't want to have to make up another set of strange cultures. I tried writing a story about pirates, ended up hating the whole cast, and killed them all. What does this have to do with my current predicament? Lon needs to go to the coastlands, and he goes alone. His antagonist, along with his assassin-body guards, go there as well. Changing these would prove very difficult and make the gaping plot hole even wider. Right now, Lon goes to warn the queen about as assassination attempt; the assassins come under the guise of a diplomatic mission from the prince. This makes sense; I have motivation for the assassins to go, and since they ARE assassins, they'd have to have a target in mind, and this would give Lon sufficient cause to go to the coastlands. If I cut this country out entirely, I'd be left with no explanation at all. At the same time, if I cut the coastal kingdom, the only thing I'd lack is a reason for them to go to the coastlands. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:09:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1249047 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1249047 Gradius Well Em, the main question I have to ask about this coastland business, is <cite>how does it fit into the overall narrative</cite>? There's a queen and there's assassins; are any of them connected to what happens at the beginning, or at the end, of the book? Do they matter at all to the overall plot -- "Lon saves the world from the Dark Elf", or whatever it is your precise Plot Goal may be? Put another way: How do the events at the coastlands fit into the overall through-line of your book? That's my very first question before anything else. Whether or not those events mesh with what your story is trying to accomplish. If they don't, then it's fluff and you should axe it. If they do, though -- or, maybe we're just missing that <cite>a-HA!</cite> in the chain that links the queen to the Dark Elf or whateverwhatever -- then the sequence in the coastlands is probably worth keeping. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:10:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250375 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250375 Gradius Going back to your previous post, I don't mind the cat-and-mouse scenario. I don't know the context at all, but I can imagine something like this. Lon is alone and up against this team of baddies (the boss and his lackeys). They're chasing him, maybe on horses. Lon knows he can't win on mounted combat, so he goes to hide in some area (forest/village/jungle/etc). Boss sends his lackeys in after Lon, and Lon systematically stealth-kills the lot of them. This is obviously the tricky part. Is Lon capable of outsneaking and outassassinating the lackeys? You'd have to make this scene tense and really convincing. Anyway, when Lon tries to confront the Boss, Boss gets the heck out of there (what with all his lackeys now dead), but not before Crucial Information gets dropped. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:16:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250383 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250383 Gradius So, with those thoughts out of the way, hello again. Haven't really posted in a while, mostly due to a week of night-shifts followed by a week of sick-with-the-flu. Those two weeks were very slow for writing, but I did inch my way through the second-to-last major sequence. This rewrite of Book One has precious little left to go: 3 scenes, and the enormous courthouse battle. I'm looking forward to being done this project (yet again)...but, man, Book Two is going to need a <cite>lot</cite> of work. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 01:22:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250396 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250396 larelmian Hi, Gradius. *long distance hugs* Yes, it really does fit in with the overall narrative -- not with the queen, but really with the Boss Lon has to confront. I could have fun with the cat-and-mouse bit, I think. I suppose the Boss wouldn't mind sending out all his lackeys, especially since he's got a trump card no one knows about. *looks left* *looks right* He has been endowed with the powers of darkness. Bwa ha ha ha! (By the way, that would be the little bit of Crucial Information I mentioned.) Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:32:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250658 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1250658 hmltwin [quote=larelmian] Right now, I'm in such a vicious mood, I'm considering scrapping an entire civilization -- yet again. I've had, since I first made up Larelm, a seafaring people. The idea was that the men would be great voyagers and traders and explorers, while the queen rules the land, served by her loyal handmaidens. The only problem is none of the ideas took off. I have no interest in tedious voyages. I don't want to have to make up another set of strange cultures. I tried writing a story about pirates, ended up hating the whole cast, and killed them all. What does this have to do with my current predicament? Lon needs to go to the coastlands, and he goes alone. His antagonist, along with his assassin-body guards, go there as well. Changing these would prove very difficult and make the gaping plot hole even wider. Right now, Lon goes to warn the queen about as assassination attempt; the assassins come under the guise of a diplomatic mission from the prince. This makes sense; I have motivation for the assassins to go, and since they ARE assassins, they'd have to have a target in mind, and this would give Lon sufficient cause to go to the coastlands. If I cut this country out entirely, I'd be left with no explanation at all. At the same time, if I cut the coastal kingdom, the only thing I'd lack is a reason for them to go to the coastlands. [/quote] Well, if you want to keep the coastal kingdom, you could pattern their culture off one that existed in history. That would be a shortcut method of creating another culture for your world. Since the kingdom only appears as a tool to bring Lon to the coast, you have to ask yourself if you really need to have it completely filled in and lifelike. Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:48:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1251259 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1251259 larelmian I think that fight scene is really starting to come together . . . except for the last couple of fighters where Lon ends up hurt and barely manages to pull a fast one at the last second. I'll have to go over that one to really make it convincing. And ending with a delightful "ah-crap" moment. Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:30:25 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1275418 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1275418 Gradius Well, I've completed my latest "content edit" of Book One. As I was expecting, the final sequence didn't require much in the way of heavy-duty changes. Most alterations involved improving the use of setting during the battle, as well as a bit of tidying up with POV-use. Today I'm going through a much quicker review of the whole book. Since the scenes don't need invasive surgery any more, I can focus on the quality of the writing (lazy words, sentence structure, etc.). But as I was going along, I did find a new improvement, and it kind of surprised me. Previously, I axed a whole bunch of Kayla's early material. She gets into Ghast much more quickly now, but there's been some sacrifice in her backstory and motivation. Today, I managed to bring that information back in with just a few sentences of dialogue, as Tricky-Rick puts her under the microscope a-la Sherlock. This quick exchange helps show us why Kayla is refusing to back down from attempting the impossible, and simultaneously shows how brilliant (and dangerous) Rick really is. It's getting to be a bit frightening how many of the improvements to this story involve Rick... Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:50:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1289118 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1289118 larelmian Scenes that show Rick are good, right? He is one of your more compelling characters. :D *huggles Rick* Yeah, I know, he hates it when I do that. I'm still plugging away at filling in the last few plot holes. I've still got a couple of big ones, but I feel like it's really starting to come together. I hope we all get published and can do book signings together. *nod nod* Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:18:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1289338 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1289338 larelmian I love it when scenes just fall into place. I've been looking at some of the later segments, the ones I haven't really written. I had a vague idea of a character going off with some random huntsman. Now, the noblemen are all hunting together. Character development, court intrigue, and I might throw in attempted murder. *thinks* Yeah, definitely an attempted murder. One major change I've noticed in this latest rewrite (the one I've been working on for, what, almost three years) is the motivation of the secondary characters -- figuring out what makes them tick. It's a lot of work, but I think it adds a great deal to the story. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:36:38 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1297893 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1297893 hmltwin I've been spending the better part of the month completely re-writing Keenan's story. It's great fun, because he's always been my favorite character. At the same time, I've been straightening out some inconsistencies in his backstory and making it (I hope) a bit more believable. Some parts of the story remain largely unchanged. However, I'm adding and re-arranging and, in some cases, removing parts too. There are some things that I haven't figured out a way to show just yet. They may have to wait for other stories - I may even have to change the main character, so that I don't mess up Keenan's timeline. All of this because I realized that far too much happens to him between the ages of 18 and 22 to be believed. Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:35:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1304591 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1304591 larelmian I finally got a job. I mean, I kind of have a job as a freelance writer, but now I have something to pay the bills. XP A hostess at a local Italian place. I start this Thursday. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:51:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1317017 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1317017 larelmian I keep messing around with the timeline in my story -- especially near the end, where I try to cram all the action into a short period of time. It's not the first time either. Most of the first eight chapters take place in about a twenty-four hour period. I have a couple of places where three or four chapters to span a single day. Then another nine in a very eventful thirty hours -- also the single worst day of Nolan's life. Then I skim over a few days to get everyone in position for the next set of battle scenes -- which, though spread out over a vast distance, take place at much the same time. I'm still trying to figure out which order to put those chapters in, because it's pretty much all at once. I also needed to make a map at this point to figure out how far it is from Point H to Point L . . . or something like that. Then I again move over a few days so people have time to get where I need them to be, before the ending where a lot happens at once, I leap to the climax, and bring it all to its glorious finale. At least, that's my hope. I'm still working on that section. This isn't the only project with a super-condensed time frame. I once wrote a NaNo where the whole thing took place in about twelve hours. And there's my comedy, which takes place over 97 minutes -- thirty of that consisted of a word war. Sat, 05 May 2012 11:57:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1344723 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=7#forum_thread_comment_1344723 larelmian I was going over my master list of characters (which I hadn't updated in a while) and I was surprised by some of the characters I found. Oh, yeah, I thought, I remember that one. I kind of liked him. Too bad I cut him. Some characters get names changed or personalities overhauled. A few get cut out completely. When I reworked my magic system (ice and thunder were once magical elements; blame Final Fantasy for that), I ended up cutting several elves. When I started my major rewrite, I cut out two members of the main company (at the urging of my dear Beta readers) since they had little to no personality. It was hard to make the decision to let the twins go, but a relief when I did. In one section, I had slavers, which have been replaced with pirates, and a scheming slave who is now a corrupt steward. Nolan used to have a stepmother, older brothers and sisters, and younger half-sisters. I tried to write a scene with the stepmother in it, decided it didn't work, and redid his entire family. Now he only has one brother. Ruben used to have two older sisters who were both married; now there's only one older sister. I just hit too many plot holes with them. Bard and Davis were two nice minor characters, but I gave their roles to Jase Anson. I had Lon visit the coastlands, so there were lots of characters there, but I ended up changing the sequence and cutting the lot of them. I'm sorry if I've rambled about this before. This is just what I've spent the morning doing. I think I've almost got the list of characters finalized. I hope. Wed, 09 May 2012 14:37:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1356213 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1356213 larelmian Hey, Heather, I keep thinking of you as I write this current scene. Why? Because I've got Dar and Keenan playing opposite each other. I keep thinking of how trippy you'll find it when I let you read it. Thu, 10 May 2012 16:47:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1359129 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1359129 larelmian Why am I so happy? I just practically killed a main character. In fact, the reader won't know whether or not, he's really alive for quite a while. And yet I'm almost giddy because I have FINALLY gotten that scene where I've wanted it for the past THREE YEARS! Wahoo! I don't know where else to mention it, so I'll just comment about that here. Why, if all goes well, I might have a draft of this novel ready for readers in a couple of months. Yeah, hopefully before summer vacation -- which would be late July, early August. Tue, 15 May 2012 15:32:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1371295 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/writing-groups-and-clubs/threads/1653?page=8#forum_thread_comment_1371295