The Gabled Window
Working on: Uncovering the big baddie's plot.
Word for this chapter: 54
So I'm about 5k behind schedule. I'm a little disappointed in myself, but life's been shitty recently and you do what you can. The positive thing about this nano attempt is that it's been more cohesive than the previous years', so maybe I'm finally getting a hang of this here plotting business.
BB
Working on: Getting the boys back to school.
Word for this chapter: 283
The plot's gone hay-wire. I'm trying to figure out how much plot this 50k needs to encompass. In my imaginary world of make-believe awesome, this book is part of a series... Just never planned how long this series was going to be. I need to figure out where the story is going to be at 50k so I can sort out the pacing.

Catching up on NaNo this weekend. November's been a busy month - lots of school work and other responsibilities - and now I have to contend with both Skyrim and Skyward Sword. Video games! I ask you!
This draft is awful. Maybe a smidge better than last years, but still eye-bleedingly bad. Most of the cast is nameless (I've got Name, Namer, Dickface, Name, Nambles, Name, and Name-Name), half the word count is from directionless conversation ("What do you want to do today?" "I don't know - What do you want to do?"), and I've jumped forward in time so many times that I completely lost when the story is taking place. And also while I might be able to hit the 50k, the story won't be anywhere near done. So all in all, a relatively successful NaNo! I wish I were one of those people who are able to develop perfect manuscripts, who plot everything in their heads and then merely have to let their fingers walk over the keyboard to get it all down. My method of writing is to vomit up letters and hope that words come out of the mess.
It's that time of year again!
Oct. 31st, 2011 04:41 pmI'm not sure if I'll have time to finish it this year, but I'll be trying NaNo again. I'm Jaeness over there. Going with fantasy, yet again. This idea's been bubbling around in the stew of my brain for the past two years, and I'm excited to try to get it down on paper.
In preparation, and also because I'm a terrible procrastinator, I'm editing my 09 NaNo SQ. I've chopped it to pieces, exorcised the entire middle 10 chapters, and axed a bunch of characters. I hope the editing makes the plot more streamlined and not less interesting. Last year's attempt is a lost cause. It just wasn't meant to be 50,000 words. A long story maybe, or a novella but a novel it ain't. And someday I'll finish draft 3 of my 08 NaNo... Someday.
WriteWay has a free one month trial, so I'm going to see if the bells and whistles can help me better organize my thoughts.
In preparation, and also because I'm a terrible procrastinator, I'm editing my 09 NaNo SQ. I've chopped it to pieces, exorcised the entire middle 10 chapters, and axed a bunch of characters. I hope the editing makes the plot more streamlined and not less interesting. Last year's attempt is a lost cause. It just wasn't meant to be 50,000 words. A long story maybe, or a novella but a novel it ain't. And someday I'll finish draft 3 of my 08 NaNo... Someday.
WriteWay has a free one month trial, so I'm going to see if the bells and whistles can help me better organize my thoughts.
still nanoing
Nov. 16th, 2010 02:50 pmMy three main characters have names now, which is certainly an improvement from call them BROTHER, DUDE, and KARACTER. But one step forward two steps back: I've lost the plot. I swear I had one at some point. Now my main female character is sort of just wandering around looking at stuff. No interaction. No strife. No plot. Hoping to remedy that soon.
I'm surprised I've been able to keep up with Nano. At the moment I'm about a day behind schedule, which isn't so bad. I'm doing better than I did last year on keeping up with word counts.
I got into a conversation with Vanessa about Nano yesterday when we were talking about lugging computers around and our professor came over to talk about novel writing with us. They asked me about my story and how its progressing, and I had to admit that it's mostly random ramblings based on whatever I happen to be doing at the moment. I don't know how people get publish-quality writing out of Nano. Or out of first drafts in general. Maybe I'm just sloppy.
I'm surprised I've been able to keep up with Nano. At the moment I'm about a day behind schedule, which isn't so bad. I'm doing better than I did last year on keeping up with word counts.
I got into a conversation with Vanessa about Nano yesterday when we were talking about lugging computers around and our professor came over to talk about novel writing with us. They asked me about my story and how its progressing, and I had to admit that it's mostly random ramblings based on whatever I happen to be doing at the moment. I don't know how people get publish-quality writing out of Nano. Or out of first drafts in general. Maybe I'm just sloppy.
Second day of Nano! I got a surprisingly good amount of writing done on the train yesterday, which gives me more confidence that I might be able to win this year. I was worried that I'd have too much school work to do, but since I can't do much on the train anyway, this looks like it'll work out.
My plot's a'chugging along, although my characters don't yet have names. And I don't have a title. Whatever!
My plot's a'chugging along, although my characters don't yet have names. And I don't have a title. Whatever!
na-na-na-nano
Oct. 16th, 2010 09:36 pmStoked for NaNo this year! I tried to arrange my projects so that I'll have November relatively homework-free, but we'll see how that pans out.
My story! involves werewolves. Well, more like shape-shifting than true lycanthropy. I'm excited to be writing pure fantasy. Last year was urban fantasy, more like an extended ghost story than true fantasy. The main character is a youngish woman from a nomadic tribe that circles the steppes. When her brother steals sacred treasure to fund his new life in a faraway city, she chases after him, even as he descends into darkness. Cue the scary music! DUH DUH DUHHHH! I've requested books about Mongolia and Central Asia in general from the school library; it's a part of the world I don't know much about but have always been interested in.
My story! involves werewolves. Well, more like shape-shifting than true lycanthropy. I'm excited to be writing pure fantasy. Last year was urban fantasy, more like an extended ghost story than true fantasy. The main character is a youngish woman from a nomadic tribe that circles the steppes. When her brother steals sacred treasure to fund his new life in a faraway city, she chases after him, even as he descends into darkness. Cue the scary music! DUH DUH DUHHHH! I've requested books about Mongolia and Central Asia in general from the school library; it's a part of the world I don't know much about but have always been interested in.