Are you writing or procrastinating like me and surfing the forums? :D
How are your stories going? Who's your favorite character? Do you love what you're writing?
I'm having a blast. I fell behind my personal goals a little (went out for karaoke last night instead of writing), but I plan to catch up tonight (if I stop procrastinating). Right now my favorite character is my Jay, who is a possible love interest for my main character. He's funny (and I'm not, what the hell subconscious??) and I'm currently rooting for him to get the girl (even though love interest #2 has yet to make his formal entrance). I'm loving writing, but every once in a while start to doubt and tell myself that it sucks. But then again I am not reading anything yet until it's done, so maybe I'll be surprised.
How are you doing? Tell me, tell me!
----------
Elizabeth K. Barone | http://perpetualsmile.net
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 20 56
I literally just finished making use of "write or die" for my first time this year. It's late and I'm half-asleep, so I'm certain most of what I wrote doesn't make a whole lot of sense---that's gonna be fun when it's time to revise >.<
Generally, though, I'm pretty happy with my story today. I woke up frustrated because I've been thinking about this story for years and I never quite grasped the FMC's background well enough to have confidence in the story becoming something strong. Today presented me with a lot of ideas, however, and although I'm already 20k into it, I'm finally seeing it take shape. I can't wait to see where it goes. :)
Choosing a fav character at this point is hard to do because I love several of them. Judging by today's revelations, though, I'm gonna come out and say that my FMC's father is probably my temporary fav. Although he treats Dani very badly, his reactions to her current situation are going to be s much fun to write, hopefully at some point tomorrow.
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
25,183 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 06 11
Was doing well up until Friday, fighting a cold and a flu.... gonna try to write between football game today though.
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 13 36
I've been... obnoxiously procrastinating, but hey, schoolwork comes first. >.<
Mine is... only on "Day 3". "Day 3" was supposed to be finished last Tuesday. So you can imagine my pain. So far, I've managed to formally introduce what I would hope to be some of the main characters: Rose (the 17-year-old runaway), Officer Jennifer (one of the officers that's on the case) and Officer Jack (the other officer, who's also Rose's uncle.) Personally, I like Jack best. He's amusing. He's just got this air of "old man awesomeness" about him, and it's really pretty obvious. He's quick-witted, fancy, fast on his feet, everything. Too bad he isn't the main-main character. "^_^
But, I'm not gonna lie. I wish I knew what I was doing, instead of just dragging it on and on... and keep bemusing myself with the necessities of Rose's deranged mind, and how it affects her actions. But hey-- at least I found a place that I can kinda base the setting off of! (One of my more personal favourites to do. Helps the brain recharge, and allows me to think. Plus, it's kinda amusing looking up different areas of the country and eyeballing the town names. For example, Accident, MD. Oh, and Friendsville, MD, as well. Both around the same area. But you get the idea.
Then again, the short-story-writer in me keeps wanting to just cut to the chase, and then start something new all over again. Bah, humbug. Arguing with oneself really doesn't help, now does it?
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 15 10
Wait, schoolwork comes first? Uh oh... well, to be fair, I haven't yet written anything today. I was busy all day and just finished up all written homework that's actually due tomorrow. This week's gonna be tough, though, because I have a 2k paper due in one week and I haven't even begun to think about my topic. I'm also hoping to get several other school assignments out of the way this week so I can focus on NaNo for the rest of the month.
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 11 25
Haha, I feel your pain. Thankfully, I go to a tech school, and right now I'm in my trade cycle, and thankfully, the admins don't block this site, so I'm able to update and everything while I'm at school and working on the computer all day. (Nor do I have much work on these days, so the next two weeks are going to be my hardcore writing weeks... hopefully.)
----------Thee's Blog
50,018 / 50,000
Nov 9, 2009 - 10 35
I have been trying very hard to stay on target. I am AMAZED how many people are so far ahead. I can't seem to find enough time to squeak out any more than the minimum to stay afloat. I am very concerned about the holidays.
I'm now at the point where I'm consuming double-caffeinated coffee and lunch-in-a-container meals.
I've also forgone the gym, and my work is suffering.
But the story is moving. Slowly, but its moving. At this rate, it will be 110k, not 50k when its done.
-----------F5iver Out
52,940 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 15 53
@Zaelyna: I love when things start taking off! I see you're also just a little bit ahead of me at 28k; keep going!
@Inf1d3l: Aww, I hope you feel better! I've got a nasty virus, myself.
@Thee Alchemyst: It's totally okay if you don't know where you're going! Sometimes it can be fun to just run with it; you never know where you're going to end up. PS: You wouldn't happen to go to Kaynor, would you? I'm an alumni!
@F5iver: To be fair, I only work part-time and have tons of free time to write now that I've had to drop out of school. (I never thought I'd thank my health problems, but here I am!) And hey, 110k is more like a novel. 50k is about the size of a novella, so you're good.
----------Elizabeth K. Barone | http://perpetualsmile.net
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 15 58
Try about 40min north. I go to Oliver Wolcott. Kaynor was just refurnished-- and I must say, it looks pretty amazing! (In my eyes, it looks more like a college campus than a high school, it's THAT big, and THAT shiny.) What trade were you in? I'm in Electronics.
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
"Believe you can, and you're halfway there."
![]()
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 11, 2009 - 18 35
Phew! I decided to make use of my "extra" time during classes and write during the lectures. Just finished typing up everything I wrote, to the anger of my aching elbow, and I got just over 1800 words, bringing my total count past 30k. I really wanted to aim for 32k tonight, but with my elbow acting up as it is, that probably won't happen. :(
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 04 30
Lucky! I've got little time during classes-- so I've been writing during the little time I actually DO have *note the wordcount*. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a bunch of stuff done today, right?
By the way-- is anyone else having difficulty balancing NaNo with the rest of their duties? If so... got any advice?
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
"Believe you can, and you're halfway there."
![]()
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 04 48
~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,006 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 04 56
YES! It's been a completely crazy month! I announce to people that between X o'clock and Y'oclock I will be working on my novel, and thus will not take questions, comments, concerns at that time. Then I put headphones in and keep a little index card at me. It says "Unless it's a //real// emergency, please wait til I'm done."
I have another that says "Do not bother til December 1st." :)
As this is my 6th year doing NaNo, people have started to get a bit more understanding.
The other trick is scheduling time every day to write. Some days that has meant getting up early and writing before work. Somedays it has meant staying up a bit late. Somedays it has meant if I get to work early I sit in the parking lot and type until I have to go in. Somedays it means I'm not making dinner until I write at least 500 words and feel good about stopping.
Somedays it means I park my tuckus at Panera and drink tea and type instead of going home where there are hundreds of distractions. (Like cleaning since you all are coming over Sunday! Eep!)
This past weekend when I went to the book signing and got to hang out with Brandon Sanderson, he said something very inspiring (considering his accomplishments in the noveling world). He said, "I am a compulsive writer." He said that his vacations consist of writing something he's not supposed to be writing just then. :)
I find that when I'm stuck I just start writing what I'm thinking. It will need to be edited later, but that's okay. I just keep typing, and eventually something spurts out that isn't all that bad. So what if I can't word it exactly right? So what if I've just used the words "really good" and "he said/she said" a hundred times? I can edit to my heart's content for the other 11 months of the year. I just remind myself that it's all about word count. It's all about keeping going even when my brain does //not// want to focus and my coffee cup is empty.
----------~Meg aka Kaydrienne~
(Your Fearless) ML CT Valley/Northwest
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 12, 2009 - 08 07
Woot! Just tapped out 3500 with Write or Die and my arm's not aching too much yet! At least 2/3 of this stuff is going in the trash when I revise, but it's helping to generate the general ideas for everything. I'm so happy! I've never been so successful (ly crappy, lol) with my writing before.
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
52,940 / 50,000
Nov 13, 2009 - 17 22
Try about 40min north. I go to Oliver Wolcott. Kaynor was just refurnished-- and I must say, it looks pretty amazing! (In my eyes, it looks more like a college campus than a high school, it's THAT big, and THAT shiny.) What trade were you in? I'm in Electronics.
It totally does look like a college campus! I was in Culinary, and graduated right before they really started, in 2006.
By the way-- is anyone else having difficulty balancing NaNo with the rest of their duties? If so... got any advice?
Fortunately for me, not really. I had to drop out of school because of health problems, so my schedule freed up quite a bit right before November. The only things I'm having trouble keeping up with are my laundry and showers!
In years past, though, I spent a lot more time on my writing than I should have on school, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. Heh.
Phew! I decided to make use of my "extra" time during classes and write during the lectures. Just finished typing up everything I wrote, to the anger of my aching elbow, and I got just over 1800 words, bringing my total count past 30k. I really wanted to aim for 32k tonight, but with my elbow acting up as it is, that probably won't happen. :(
The space between my right shoulder and the side of my neck keeps tightening, and I suffer from chronic pain anyway, so I have to pace myself. You're doing great, but don't forget to pace yourself and take a break every hour (which I know is hard when you're writing a great scene and you're really into it, but it really does help with the aches).
Woot! Just tapped out 3500 with Write or Die and my arm's not aching too much yet! At least 2/3 of this stuff is going in the trash when I revise, but it's helping to generate the general ideas for everything. I'm so happy! I've never been so successful (ly crappy, lol) with my writing before.
Way to go!!
So what if I've just used the words "really good" and "he said/she said" a hundred times?
I used "he said" and "she said" so much that I've started to describe other actions instead, because it's driving me crazy! lol
----------Elizabeth K. Barone | http://perpetualsmile.net
70,658 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 18 33
Okay, I have the craziest excuse for not updating my word count for three days. Bionicle--the Lego story-world offshoot--posted a final chapter on one of their story serials which was such a bad lousy lame ending I was seized by a fit and rewrote the whole chapter. This as you may imagine retarded my machine-like word count output and caused me to sprout mechanical appendages and become fully mechanical, so don;t be surprised if Meg sees this cloak-wearing machine stagger into her house and say in hollow robotic tones "I am Stoneking I am Stoneking beep beep bleep."
(Actually, I'm still human, last I checked)
----------"I have a father with sevenfold heads, and every head wears the crown of a king it consumed. Why should I aid you?" --The Dragon of Eld, "The Orders of Marvenda"
"Thou hast come to me. And here thou wilt stay. For I am He that Dwells in the Darkness."
25,183 / 50,000
Nov 14, 2009 - 19 52
Well, now that I've shaken my flu/cold mixture, I've been able to put out able 3K words in 2 days. Unfortunately, Sunday is football day (Go Steelers!) so chances are, I'll fall behind even further tomorrow.
Glad to see so many people as far ahead as they are, keep it up everyone!
50,006 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2009 - 06 43
(Actually, I'm still human, last I checked)
Fair warning - I'm generally up for a whole lot of weird, but show up as a robot and I may lock my door and hide under my bed. :)
----------~Meg aka Kaydrienne~
(Your Fearless) ML CT Valley/Northwest
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2009 - 18 39
*sigh* I think my punishment for failing with schoolwork is to lock myself in my room this entire week and not leave until the majority of my academic life is finished--then I'll reward my good behav with more NaNo torture! O:)
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 04 33
Further proof, between you and me, that it is like impossible to keep up with both at the same time!
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
"Believe you can, and you're halfway there."
![]()
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 08 49
Further proof, between you and me, that it is like impossible to keep up with both at the same time!
Yes, well, after somewhat discussing my paper in class with peer group and the professor, I've narrowed my topic (thankfully) and have manage to get out a couple hundred words so far, which just finishes my counter-argument. :) The only price was to forfeit my best/possibly only writing time for today. :( See? *This* is why I got ahead at the beginning of the month! Got all of the most stressful NaNoing out of the way and can now relax with the last few thousand while focusing more on my grades. >.< I'm still so burnt out! ----------
~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 09 08
Further proof, between you and me, that it is like impossible to keep up with both at the same time!
Yes, well, after somewhat discussing my paper in class with peer group and the professor, I've narrowed my topic (thankfully) and have manage to get out a couple hundred words so far, which just finishes my counter-argument. :) The only price was to forfeit my best/possibly only writing time for today. :( See? *This* is why I got ahead at the beginning of the month! Got all of the most stressful NaNoing out of the way and can now relax with the last few thousand while focusing more on my grades. >.< I'm still so burnt out!
Hmm... good point. I'll be sure to keep that in mind next year. As well as try plan out the story itself before the month, this way I at least know (somewhat) of what I'm doing. That, I think, has been my greatest difficulty. I've got a very elongated writing style, meaning I keep mostly with introverted characters who do a lot of thinking, processing, planning, etc., and very little action, movement, and talking. So I kinda feel as though my story's getting a little bland....
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."
"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
"Believe you can, and you're halfway there."
![]()
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 09 12
~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 10 13
So... I think, the best way to approach my characters would be "TALK, [W]ITCH, TALK!" and "DO SOMETHING ALREADY!" if they were real people. At least we're in the same boat here. In a way. >.<
Hey-- we could probably try to get away with "spamming" the forums trying to come up with ideas. I really don't mind. ^_^ Gives me some place to recharge my noggin before I go back to writing instead of bombarding Facebook.
----------Thee's Blog
50,006 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 13 53
On the upside the plot is sort of coming together, though as Megan stated, I've hit a plot wall.
No, really.
Katherine (the prophet) and Keith (her boyfriend) are sitting on a stone wall.
It just happens to coinside with a plot wall.
pfft!
----------~Meg aka Kaydrienne~
(Your Fearless) ML CT Valley/Northwest
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2009 - 15 07
No, really.
Katherine (the prophet) and Keith (her boyfriend) are sitting on a stone wall.
It just happens to coinside with a plot wall.
pfft!
Just eyeballing this.... Have you got a thing for K names? (If you say "yes", you've got no idea how happy I will be, 'cause I've had this thing for the longest time for J names.)
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 05 51
No, really.
Katherine (the prophet) and Keith (her boyfriend) are sitting on a stone wall.
It just happens to coinside with a plot wall.
pfft!
~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 06 32
Is it so wrong that I've now been able to freely raise my fists and shout, "YES! I'VE FOUND THE WEAPON AND DRUG DEALER!" ...Just asking. My MC has found her help in her time of need, and now the real story begins. Killing spree and away! *Determined face*
----------Thee's Blog
60,067 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 06 48
I just made a sign telling everyone to leave me alone because I'm not allowed to do anything till I get my quota for the day--although I'm taking a break for breakfast right now. I can't be too mean to myself apparently. =\ Anyway, I'm using Write or Die because it's the only thing that makes me get my quota as fast as possible and I keep squealing "No! Don't turn pink!" when it starts yelling at me for pausing. Hehe. I think myf amily has realized how crazy I get during NaNo when influenced by sleep deprivation and caffeine.
----------~ zaelyna ~
http://zaelyna.wordpress.com/
2008 NaNo word count: 50,590
2007 NaNo word count: 11,659
50,812 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 06 54
Umm... OKAY. I'm seriously about to rip my own throat out. Craptacular. I just lost several pages, all because of one silly little click. >.< Whoop-de-doo. Hopefully, I can manage to pull out a couple cards out of my sleeve, and hammer out what I just accidentally deleted. Wish me luck (and not to be stupid!)
----------Thee's Blog
50,138 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 22 45
I'm doing pretty good, only 11,000 words to go! Hoping to get just about done before my sister comes home for Thanksgiving on Friday, because I know I won't get much done then.
I also had a question, has anyone accidentally put in the wrong word count? I was trying to get mine in with just the few seconds left to go before midnight, my finger slipped and I added an extra zero to my word count that I didn't notice until after I hit Update and after Midnight went by. I fixed it as soon as I realized my mistake, but now my progress report and status bar is all messed up. Does anyone know a way I can fix it?
Edit: Ahh, darn. Never mind about the above question, I got an answer, it cannot be fixed :-/