And they’re off! See you in December, mad scribblers — and perhaps occasionally before then if you find time to report in here.
*National Novel Writing Month.
Patience, Please
This site is under reconstruction and will look strange for a while. We regret the inconvenience.
46 minutes after midnight and I have a decent start, went with my original plot after some talking with friend and sister.
And my computer is slightly not functioning. None of the applications that have the ability to connect to the internet at all will work, which includes my word counter. ACK ACK ACK.
This is great. Not even an hour into NaNo and I’m already completely panicked. Ah, the spirit of NaNo.
3014 so far, and 2.5 hours in. I should probably go to beed soon… oops. Going to try to be a day ahead though, when I can, as insurance >.<
It is now 2:05 in the morning and I have 1,003 words. I feel proud. I will fall over asleep now.
Good luck, everyone!!!!!! You can do it!!!!!
I ave 1,072 words at 7:14 a.m., and I need to go to school.
*screams* AGGGGHHHHHH ENOURMOUS PLOT HOLE!!!!!!!!
1,788 words. I’m already ready to give up.
Don’t give up!
100.
DON’T TRY AND FOOL US
6-What? You can’t! Impossible! NOT ON THE FIRST DAY!
Seven hundred words, after about an hour and fifteen minutes total. My computer keeps crashing and won’t count words which spoils half the excitement.
I still can’t really believe it’s NaNo.
Now off to attempt to fix my computer. G’bye all.
Excitement levels: High.
Motivation: Strong
Writer’s Block: Not yet.
And my computer is now counting words! Still no internet and still no iTunes, but those are minor.
Now, off to write.
Just about half the words I need for today and I’m starting to think that I should start again from scratch. The beginning is supposed to be cheery and quirky, which I’m finding impossible to write right now. *headwall*
Shouldn’t the second year be easier?
i love that this thread went up at the same time as the monthly thread and has more posts
my novel is looking to be really weird, but i feel like it’s a format that totally works for nanowrimo. so yeah, we’ll see. 598 so far, gonna do the real writing this morning/this afternoon after class
Ended last night on 3488. Gonna try to do another 1667 later today though, because the middle of this month is gonna be hell for me, school-work wise. Keep going everyone!!
HAHA 940!! NOT ALWAYS HAVING MY LAPTOP = PROBLEMATIC?!?
i’m so happy to have gotten that much so far!! HOLY CRAP JADE ARE YOU FOR SERIOUS RIGHT NOW D8
brainstorming at breakfast/during class…..
Tagline from the prologue:
Once you’ve been nobody your whole life, you get used to it. This is the story of I how I went to being that nobody to the center of attention in almost every corner of the world.
Love it.
Thanks!
1722 words so far, finished around 10:45. Better than last year. I’m now taking a break to do school, and I’m closeish to done, if I can find my spanish book and not fall asleep while doing history reading.
Going well so far.
1,015.
I quite need a new plot. Fast.
Write about the first thing that comes into your head when you hear this word: cows.
Cattle mutilation.
Oh, dear.
Hmm. Well, I guess that COULD turn into a plot, if one wanted it to.
Either way, I’m a little frightened, myself.
12- WELL WHEN I SAID I STOPPED LAST NIGHT, I MEANT 3 AM THIS MORNING… but yeah! I went to a kickoff party where there are OTHER PEOPLE DOING NANO (I mean you guys always do, but I only eer see you through ~THE INTERNET~) and I wrote SO MUCH. And me and a friend are gonna try to do nightly write-ins in our lounge before bed so that should help. WOO!!
15- Now THAT’S more of a wordcount I’d expect from you!
None more yet, I’m i the photolab dring film. After this it’s back to the dorm to do laundry and write though, woo!
I’m trying to “write small” like my English teacher says, and am desperately adding more dialogue.
1,236. Only about 2,000 words to go before I hit my goal of 3,000 words a day.
Gah. I have my words for the day plus a few, but the dumb site just won’t load! Since I’ve set it to my time zone, I have four more hours. Maybe it’ll load by them… someone get them a new freakin’ server!
OK, this is my first NaNo, so I’m going to have a small minimum untill I get a feel for how much I can do. And by small, I mean really small. As in, just over a thousand words a day small. I really can’t work on my story at school. My minimum will no doubt go up as time goes on.
Lol…there’s 11 comments on the November Monthly thread and 21 here (counting nested comments).
NEED TO WRITE MORE. *slinks off* I don’t know if I’m going to be able to extend this to 50,000 words, let alone 60,000…
1671.
I’ve been working on mine since I got home from school (At 2:10!) and I have 2,596 words. I’ve discovered that Halloween candy is a very useful bride, and that listening to anime theme songs etc. while writing is very relaxing.
2090. Off track, but still ahead.
2032.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Stupid website, it won’t flippin’ LOAD!
It happens to even the best websites.
Even MuseBlog, unfortunately.
It won’t on my computer either, and, judging from post 19, it won’t load on Bookgirl_Me’s too. What browser/server do you have? I have Windows Internet Explorer/Midcoast, and normally it’s pretty good. Well, Internet Explorer is, Midcoast isn’t. But anyway.
It’s probably flooded with people trying to access it, updating their word counts and such.
Patience. It’s like this every year for the first day or two.
Oh good, there’s not a problem with my computer.
So far, I’ve only got 1,792 words. Which I know is enough for today, but I need to be ahead on my word count if I’m going to make it through the month!
Hey, Sudo, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what’s with your avatar?
Almost up to 3,000 words!!!!!!!!!
Congrats!
As for my avatar, I switched back to what it was originally, before my gravatar account. I’m not sure why I chose it in particular, I was just getting bored of my old one.
Well, you know how there are dares on the NaNo forums? (Such as, include ‘rancid yak butter’ in your story (Yay for crazy Maine forums!)) One of them was to include the Doctor in your story, not as a character, but just randomly running by in the street or something (And just describing him) and I’m doing that one. Of course, he’ll have to appear and disappear in his Police Call Box, ’cause the whole town’s under quarantine, but I think I can make it work…perhaps it’ll be a holograph one of the fiends conjures up…yeah, that could work…*mumbles to self*
Those dares got me through Screnzy.
*watches NaNoers in amused admiration*
Go everyone!
3131 words!
Around 2,000. And I don’t have school tomorrow. *reread old NaNo to try and see what I did wrong*
I moved the plot way too quickly, with days jumping in a page or less. Now, I’m up to three pages and it’s still the same (though fairly important) day.
Mine is moving way to fast… I have 2,147 words currently.
Although I am enjoying writing this. Mostly, I like taking literary cliches and messing with them. I have a fairly cliched premise, i.e. “the chosen one” or whatever that has to save the world, except it’s being told from the perspective of someone who isn’t the “chosen one”, or whatever I’ll call them. (They’re actually the “chosen one”‘s best friend, although they will no doubt grow to hate them. All my writing ends in tragedy!)
Also, six paragraphs in, I have The Kiss. Like, Peeta and Katniss, Hermione and Ron, that Kiss. It will also end in ruins. Wheee!
Wow…
It’s unlikely that there will be The Kiss in this story, unless I decided to put in a love interest…
I’ll probably end up setting up a system of arranged marriages for my characters. That way, when The Kiss occurs (their marriage) The Disaster occurs.
And I have totally logical ways of doing both!
And… What’s this now? Is anybody just getting “It Works!” in big letters when they try to access NaNoWriMo.org?
Ah woops- GAPAs, if you could, you can just zap the first one.
If you haven’t seen my post: *raises hand* I just used google’s cache and patience. Clicking it too much sends it back to 404.
Yeah, it sounds like other people are having website issues. Mine refuses to do anything except say “It Works!”
And, in other news, I still have absolutely no plot. Tonight will be late and rough. I’m not sure whether I should try a complete reformatting of what I once wrote of Ternitia (doubt anyone remembers that), or try something rudely realistic in this time where the fantastical is so popular. Either way, it’s going to include some of my thoughts on human nature, and psychological and sexual development. In other words, I’m thinking too much, and writing much too little. ugh.
2780 words. Successful day, and I have two or so more hours.
2415.
3846! I’ve been working for almost 5 hours, with a break for dinner! And I’ve been eating a ton of candy! Whee!
3105!
What’s your story about?
COMPLETE DOMINATION OF THE COMPETITION
No, dog murder/cheap blockbuster movie/fast programming. By two brothers and a sister.
What is with you people? How can you do this? I’m not even at 700 words yet! :envy:
Don’t worry POSOC. Not everyone is as far ahead as they. We just stay much more quiet.
OK. I will start tonight. I forgot, and have now remembered, I just need a topic.
I have my setting, I have registered, and I will now introduce a character! I think the character should be male.
I got off to a slow start, but I really like the character I’m developing and the setting I’ve put him in. I’m at 1280 words as of now.
Now I just need some secondary characters.
5042!
I am going fast fast fast in preparation for the slooooow that will no doubt envelop me in the next week
3334! Two days worth! YES!
I NEED 43 MORE WORDS
WRITER’S BLOCK WHY DO YOU TORMENT ME SO
Gah. So, I have several characters now:
Isambard Rhys, the half-breed cartographer/railroad surveyor who was always intended to be the protagonist, and I think is probably going to survive the story
Doctor Montcorris, a short and balding man with an air of command, who is probably not going to be in the story much longer
Gwynsel, a woman in her fifties, a “rector” (because the word “mage” is so overused) with a wandering shadow; possibly bonded with a stone spirit
Gleeson or Galson, a quiet, dark-eyed young man; Isambard doesn’t know which is his name, and neither do I
Clathers, a tattooed rector somewhat younger and less powerful than Gwynsel, and therefore dislikes her intensely
Two unnamed surveyors who have no discernible traits at this point
Two large and well-trained pack mammoths
One badly frostbitten survivor of an anthropological expedition; carries a logbook filled with terrible secrets
Is your title Defenestrate?
6001, as of an hour ago. Gonna stop for the night though. Hanging out with some people in the lounge. Someone’s making bread so it smells awesome, and I’m waiting up for it to be done
I am at 3036 and have several characters as of right now:
Cairine, the relaxed but defending protagonist
Snorri, the snob and a bit of a jerk
Freya, the girl half of the dastardly duo
Freystein, the boy half
Fagan, the quiet boy who might be hiding something
Ivar, chief of Berk as of now
Hauk, Cairine’s confused father
Starolf, the instructor
One wounded dragon Cairine has named Morven.
Wow, your character names are really cool and original!
Thanks! I got them from various baby naming sites, and a Viking name site.
How many words per day do I need again?
Would that be 50,000 divided by 31?
30, right? 30 days hath September, April, June and November…
So, only 1667? I feel like last year it was more…
Oops! Correct thou art. So much for the rumor that GAPAs are Time Lords.
You mean you’re NOT??? *gasp*
Of course they are. Time Lords forget how many days in each month from time to time.
One would have to, with all that traveling about in the Space Time Continuum.
Indeed.
Oh, good. I inferred that ‘So much for the rumour’ meant that they weren’t, but I’m *obviously* wrong.
1,667, I believe.
Oh, lord, I can’t believe I’ve done so little. 200 words maybe?
Must start. Must start.
105. Must hurry…
DO NOT CRASH, COMPUTER, DO NOT CRASH!
3,135. Daily quota almost filled. Rob just proposed to Bria in the middle of the bar.
Around 4,100. I think I’ll rest for today, I have to write less than a thousand to get tomorrow’s goal, and I certainly will be able to surpass it.
*celebration*
More than 324. I wrote on post-it notes this morning, and need to type it in.
ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH NANOWRIMO.ORG IS NOT LOADING AND I’M FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!! *runs around screaming*
I KNOW IT IS OVERLOADED BY TOO MANY PEOPLE
SO FRUSTRATING AN MY CAPS LOCK BUTTON IS STUCK
Lol, just kidding.
But seriously, at least it’s working a bit better now.
It’s driving me crazy too. At least my novel just got more interesting- someone almost combusts.
Sorry, I meant partially combusts *facepalm* Serves me right to try to write after capoeira training.
I’ve got 4,036. And now I’ve got brain cramps. Except my characters are telling me what they want to do. THEY HAVE MINDS OF THEIR OWN I SWEAR
Wordcount: 3,507!
I didn’t think I’d get enough in today, but I’m actually over the minimum!
Should I register at the YWP or the NaNo site? I found out my school has a program where every Friday kids who are doing NaNo(That are in the excel program) can go over to [name of town]’s middle school and talk about plots, word count, etc. and there will be a woman there who writes and is really good. I’m already registered at the NaNo site, but I think the program is on the YWP and I lied about my age, so yeah…I’d still be doing 50k either way. What do people think?
Wordcount 4592.
I’m officially a failure at NaNo-ing.
You aren’t. Even if you’re not doing too well, you at least tried which makes you not a failure. I have yet to convince anybody I know to do this at all.
5056!
54-*you people, not just people
55-Don’t give up! And why are you a faliure?
Word count is 2078!
Mikazuki- Register at the NaNo site, I think the YWP is for younger writers or people who do not write.
R101- You are not a failure. That statement ended in a period, it is a fact.
Well, the YWP is for people 17 and under, and I would still be doing 50k, and if I end up going to that group I may have to, but if I don’t then I’ll be annoyed because I won’t be doing it on the official site. Can you sign up for both, I wonder?
Word count=6030
Confidence=HIGH
*dances*
R101-NOT. A. FAILURE. Do what I do: empty your mind, think about your character, and just write. Your Inner Editor will want to go back to correct all those misspelled words and bad sentences. DON’T LISTEN TO THAT MONSTER!!!!
If it helps, an easy way to get rid of your Inner Editor is to follow these simple steps:
1. Picture your Inner Editor. What does he/she look like?
2. Now picture a big red button with the word DO NOT PUSH WILL LEAD TO CAPTURE OF YOUR INNER EDITOR.
3. It’s hard, but be brave and push the button.
4. Congratulations! Your Inner Editor should now be locked up in a cell!
1716 words! (I’m doing the Young Writers’ Program.)
I keep trying to Ctrl-S everything I type.
If you ate breakfast today, write 100 words.
If you didn’t, write 150 words. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
4565 words. Not as many as I had hoped for, but enough that I’m fairly satisfied. I’ll probably write a bit more before bed, but not much.
Overall today, I didn’t get too much done. I failed at school, did useless video games too long, and got less than I hoped for done on NaNo.
I hope tomorrow is better. Off to bed now.
Wait, did I eat breakfast or not? Yes, I did. I’ll take your challenge, Jakob.
I finished my first chapter and am literally STUCK — no idea where to take the characters from here. *dorky no plot dance*
Perhaps I’ll do a short interlude from the villain’s perspective, which might give me a bit more insight into its plans and motives. This will help significantly, because at the moment the protagonist hasn’t a clue that the villain even exists.
4139.
OK, I wrote the interlude and I’m still stuck. Nothing’s changed, except that I’m only 400 words behind now, and my villain terrifies even me.
Well, the writing of a story is nothing more then having completely defined characters, giving them a situation, and watching their reaction and development. Give them a new situation to react to.
suddenly, the town hall exploded!
Write some miscellaneous scene that might happen. Figure out later how it fits (or pretend it does). Or describe some scenery or whatever.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a GAPA end a sentence with “or whatever” before. NaNoWriMo is clearly affecting us all.
And I did write a scene, mainly inspired by that particular sort of crisp, cold morning where the sun and the freezing air make everything look crystal-sharp.
Yeah, the brain is scraping paint flakes from the wall. Mmm. I could use one of those crisp mornings.
The MB generation didn’t invent the word “whatever,” you know (although you may have invented “anyways”: people our age say it without the “s”).
Well, no, we didn’t, but just because an earlier generation invented “groovy” doesn’t mean we expect to hear it from one of our Admins.
2345 words! I’m doing most of my writing between 10 and 11 PM these days. Sigh.
Due to the Hippocratic Oath and my poor understanding of hypothermia, my protagonists are stuck in a godforsaken trading post too small to have an actual name for at least twenty-four hours. I was upset about this problem until I realized that it solved another problem more neatly than any solution I could have come up with on my own.
This surprises, pleases and scares me. Usually, plotting is like navigating a car up a steep hill full of obstacles. Now, the hill’s become a cliff and I’ve fallen off and been caught by the wind.
I finally hit today’s word count goal and the website’s down. C’est la vie.
AARRGH why do my stats say i’m one day behind?! i have 4079 words! RAAAAAGE!!!
or maybe i’m looking at it wrong…D: CONFUSIONNNN!!!!
anyway everything is progressing nice and slow…just kinda developing things now. actually all this randmo stuff i did even foresee is just kinda happening! i love feeling like i can/need to just write whatever! this is so exciting!!!
The total word count to date is where people should be… Today’s is 5000. Gulp.
2467. Introduction of another character.
yeah but i was at at least 3800 YESTERDAY and it was like “YOU AR BEHIND!!! ”
DDDD:
i think it’s maybe because i wrote more than 1667 words on the first day so i actually wrote less than that yesterday? hummm..well it doesn’t matter really, i’m just confused by it luls DX
Yeah, I think it’s that. Because it tells me the same thing and I am at 7000 words, but it’s all “YOU ARE 2 DAYS BEHIND but you are also a day ahead”
MADNESS
I’ve done something stupid. I started a new story. 3 days in and 2,344 words.
Ack. Writers block all day today.
Doing decently, haven’t written 1667 words yet today, but I think I’m still ahead and I wrote a fair amount this morning, before leaving for the zoo and just getting back. I think I should survive today.
Writer’s block hasn’t really hit yet. It probably helps that I can drastically change everything whenever I feel like it.
My story isn’t coming out right. My main character’s supposed to hate practically everyone she knows, but I haven’t managed to portray that yet. Maybe I’ll ditch her clichéd past and just let her really believe that she’s doing the right thing.
Hello, whoever’s reading this. If you’ve stuck with me this far, go write 200 more words. Now.
Fine, I did. Happy? The academy blew up. 6388 words.
6104.
I have a real problem with killing my characters.
DUDE. 4,566.
It is so much easier to write from real life experiences than anything else.
I agree.
15 words. New plot, Broken computer. Joy.
Awww… *cookies*
* eats cookies* Gahhh! 420 on THE WRONG LAPTOP! What would Nimbus do?
5,395 words and I got the website to load.
6,900.
Are name generators ok? I don’t usually like the names they produce, but I just found a fab one: Angel Ilyia.
MUAHAHAHAHA. YOU USED MY WORD. IT’S CATCHING ON!!!
Soon, everyone will say “fab”.
EVERYONE.
Fab!
Fab! I need to make one of my characters say that.
Need a character idea for someone who will rescue Cairine and Fagan. Must be a it modern, but still rebellious.
A name or a concept?
Concept, please.
Variah.
(Don’t know your world, so I’ll just put a profile without backstory.)
Inch long fingernails, sharpened so that a light scratch from her will bleed. Teeth sharpened as well. Either huggles you or stabs you, depending on if she likes you or not. Hisses a lot, slightly cat or snakelike. Wants to destroy the universe, but keep everyone in it alive.
Lol…that might work. I need her in the modern world, so she can be a crazy girl who, like, lives in an alley or something.
I need to make her a kleptomaniac. I’ve been obsessed over that word.
“Fab” is your word? I think the 1960s may disagree with that.
4188! Only 800 more to today’s goal!
5,252! I made today’s goal, against all odds! And I’ve finally established a plot and am on a roll, so I should be moving much faster in the future!
Things are looking up!
Doctor Montcorris has decided to tag along for a little while. I may be forced to kill him off in order to focus on the main characters again. But then, the story is suggesting that Clathers would be a better man to kill off, thus throwing Gwynsel into unexpected grief…
Let the record show that Day Three was when the novel spiraled completely out of my control.
My novel’s probably going to spin completely out of control a bit after Guy Fawkes’ day. Unless I can get word count ahead quite a bit, I’ll miss the perfect oppotunity for my character to light his entire planet on fire.
The novel was spinning out of my control on Day Two. I just let my characters do what they want to do.
Yeah, me too. They pretty much hate each ohter, but pretend everything’s fine and dandy even though they have a ton of problems.
7378!!! My characters are more assembled(Slightly.). I cut a lot of characters, and I now have Sora (Main), Skye (Her best friend), Hanna (Bossy person), Nina (Annoyingly peppy person), Ai (Sweet; gets hurt a lot), Bone (Depressed guy), Blythe (Annoying person who likes Sora), and Arabella (Insane person, but good at hiding it, hurts Bone, her boyfriend, but he likes her so he lets her (I told you he was depressed!) and she occaisionally has homocidal tendencies. And sucidal tendencies. Nothing like a good lunatic to liven things up!). Oh, and the scientists, but they have one mind, so yeah…I also have Abi, Eyks, and Raie, but they’re all dead…chapter 4 and already about a hundred people have died…and more to come.
Niiiice.
Nobody in my story has died yet, it’s been more idyllic, descrition and memory based. Of course, in a few days, my character will set the world on fire and kill everyone, but that’s to be expected since I created him.
Is it just me, or do other people enjoy killing characters in stories too?
Well, I’ve got 7,815 words, 24 pages, 4 chapters, and so far, 2 people have been killed by the main character, one has killed herself, the scientists have tried to kill all of the students at the school, and they succeded with most of them, one person has fallen off a building, and one has been injured very badly. Wheeee! This is fun!
I have a problem with killing characters. I have (about) 7,065 words, and no characters have died.
I do too, only it’s pretty much the opposite of your problem…Oh yeah, and one person got blown to bits.
5016.
First night I’ve finished behind on words. Slightly less than four hundred needed to bring me back. Can’t write the trip through Marlin Pass realistically. May just skip at a certain point, but problem: need attack by ersatz-Otzi, death of Clathers/Montcorris, experience setup for further expedition. Will write more of logbook. Play catchup on the weekend–
5077.
I don’t like how my word stats are being altered by me not being to update after I finish each night. Oh well.
8902 words today. Just finished around 1800. Maybe 1900. And I finished most of my school for the week, so I have a little bit more work. I’m booked most of friday, but the rest of the weekend is pretty free.
For some reason NaNo is way easier this year. I wonder why?
4k words and I’ve just realized that, while my storyline is great, my style just doesn’t work and I loathe my main character because she has no strengths so far and all of my faults (plus a few extra). But the plot is genius- I even want/wanted to publish it someday. I just hate it so much I can’t force myself to write anymore after writing rubbish (too short rubbish!) for the past few days.
I’m thinking about jumping ship and writing an old story of mine, a star wars fanfic I dreamed up before I heard of the expanded universe which a) totally violates the storyline and b) doesn’t work out of the context, ergo I can never do anything with it but I love the story and the characters, even the ones that turn evil and homicidal. My main character is a total Mary Sue, but she’s also incredibly strong and centered, loves her makeshift family to a fault and can’t play nice to save her life and she ends up acting stupidly and irresponsibly so it’s okay. The main antagonist is great too because it’s really not his fault that he went evil, he just got screwed over once to often, mostly because he gave up his destiny to save his sister’s life, a choice which she wouldn’t have been brave enough to make.
So, what to do, what to do…
SFTDP:
Never mind, bookgirl_me has had another genius idea: if one NaNoWriMo is too much work, write two. Whichever actually works will provide the wordcount.
8505
Now I have one novel with 4024 words and one with 3072 words (I just started the second one today). I have no idea how I’m going to do this when school starts again. So, here I go again doing crazy things and procrastinating. Bad Margaret! *shuts ears in oven door*
4k words each story. I’m not waving, I’m drowning.
9,458!!!
Pssh, I can stay up late all I want for NaNoWriMo! I got 6820 words! I was behind a day this week, so I think I’ll finish this year. I’m enjoying my plot so far, and it doesn’t seem to rushed. Here’s the synopsis I posted on the NaNo website (PS- I changed it from what I was going to do before):
An anti-social teenager finds his school cut off from the outside from the world after a lockdown. Soon, children begin to control the new life in the school, but a few rebels with strange powers must learn how to change the rulers, or better — escape.
Approaching 6,000 words, and my first character death. Violence will ensue soon. A revenant will get knocked off a cliff by a mammoth.
7903 and I just introduced the main bad guy, a man by the name of Professor Bentbrood. He has no motives as of now. :/
Joy, the 5th plot redo in a whole month. Gr.. NaNoWriMo has *nomed* my soul. *is ticked*
Joy. 6th plot redo, and only 1005 words. To dump.
so guys. i’ve got 3k? a third of it is on paper still. i’ve gotten considerably worse at ignoring people.
oh collegeland
although i’m probably still ignoring more people than i did in high school, there are just waaay more people to try to ignore :-/
and word of advice to all you young ‘uns…the week before nanowrimo is NOT a good time to gain an unexpected boyfriend. it’s been very much “hmm, i should write…or makeouts…hmm…” and then NOTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED EVER
plus it is guy fawkes day today so i doubt i’ll get much more writing done. going for smoothies in a bit and then later we are planning on carousing and watching v for vendetta and maybe burning things. if nothing else, at least the v for vendetta will happen. i suppose if we can’t invade someone’s apartment we could go out to west campus and burn things, there’s a lot of empty space past the river :-/
ANYWAY YES WRITING. i’m doing it a bit differently this year, my story is all in bits and pieces. usually i write chronologically. so we’ll see how it works
So: again, no time to write *screams* And double trouble- I justcan’t abandon my novels now, either one of them. I’m such an idiot…
I’ve reached 6700 words, and my family is already starting to go into “Cat’s Eye, why are you staying up late to write this, what is wrong with you, stop writing your novel now!” mode. Sigh.
On the other hand, I have discovered the magical magic of subplots! If at any point I’m not interested in one of my plots, I can switch to the other one! Oh, and I have to tell two stories at once, which gives me a way to boost my wordcount. Only one dream sequence so far.
I am a little unclear on what subplots are/how you have a subplot. Could someone please explain?
Instead of sticking with your main plotline for the entire novel, you find a more minor plotline, maybe with different characters, to write about as well. Sort of like the A plot and B plot in a TV episode. (For example, say Harry Potter 1 was a TV show. The A plot for one episode, say, could be Harry and his firends trying to get rid of Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback, and the B plot could be Harry worrying about a Quidditch match. Different storylines, one timeline.)
Ahh, I see.
So, I went to the meeting thingy. It was fun. And I am now forced to admit that not all people from [name of town] are evil. And I better get used to it, because we will be conjoining with them in a year. My NaNo is going pretty well, my main character just beheaded a monster (Making this her third murder…) and blood went everywhere…I almost have 10,000 words…I’m pretty happy right now.
So, basicly, last night I decided I hated my characters and plot and started a new NaNo which is much more awesome. But therefore, since I was really busy today and only started last night, my word count is 220.
Nonononononono.
NEVER start your novel over. No matter what you’re writing, if it’s unedited and written in a month, then you’re going to feel like it’s cake. Actually, you’re going to feel like it’s cake anyway. There was a great pep talk about that by Neil Gaiman that is still on the official NaNoWriMo site. (I won’t post a link to it, but it’s in the Pep Talk archive which can be accessed via the drop down menu labeled “Fun Stuff”.)
Basically, don’t start over.
Good advice, Sudo. Hating your novel and/or characters at some point is a standard part of the creative process. Learning how to work through that phase is one of the most valuable skills you can ever learn as a writer, and NaNo gives you the chance to practice it at high speed, which is much less painful than the long, dragged out sort. More often than not, your best inspirations turn up on the other side of the impasse. Even if that doesn’t happen this time, the experience of slogging through will serve you well down the road.
It was actually a good decision for me because I got farther on the new one in half an hour than I got on the first one in four days.
10,180 words.
AHGG I COULDN’T WRITE AT ALL TODAY.
I HAVE NO BRAINS LEFT FROM WAKING AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING.
ANY APPEARENCE OF SENTIENCE IS FAKED.
WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVINEINCE THIS MAY CAUSE.
Um, 6:00 isn’t really that early. (Unless, of course, you stayed up late) I get up then every day. After DS, I will have to get up at 5:00. Every stinkin’ day. (Until it actuaIlly feels like 6:00.) and I’ll be going to school in the dark. IN THE DARK OF THE MORNING. Obviously, the school board did not think the whole “let’s have them got to school from 7:35-2:00 to save money even though how exactly we will save money is not clear “thing through.
6:00 is far earlier than anyone should ever get up, unless it’s for something really cool like an international plane flight (well, that isn’t cool, but the end result is) or a field trip. My school is from 8:45-3:50 and I like it that way.
Please tell that to the CRAZYCRAZYCRAZY school board. I have to get up at 6:00 everyday, as I have to be by 7:15. It’s dark out, and it will be soon even darker, at school. LBK(below) I agree.
I have to get up at 6 every day, too.
International plane flight are cool. Landing in need of sleep and a shower and being told by your tour organizer that you’ll get those things in oh, about six hours after you sightsee is not cool.
When my dad drive me to chorus or band, it’s dark. The sun hasn’t even begun to HINT it’s coming up. I always feel like I’m going to the wrong school. And Tesseract, I get up at 6. Every day. Out of habit. And where are you that you have such an awesome schedule??????
On another note, is is bad if it took me about ten seconds to figure out you were talking about Daylight Savings time, not the Nintendo DS?
I had to get to school at 7:00 to go to early morning band. I play French Horn. French Horn= pressure on the head= brain implosion (in the morning)
But I’m all better now! The turtles agree!
(Look up the piece Into The Raging River, everyone. It’s perfect to write by.)
Yes, it is.
Oh, no. Don’t even complain. I have to be at school at 6:30 for three days a week. Sadly, I’ve gotten used to it.
You poor thing…*pies*
10k!
I need to write about a thousand more today in order to be where I want to be.
Bookgirl_me is being insane as usual. 1:30 am her time, the second novel- the one she started yesterday- has 9k words and the one from before has 4k words. She wants to make 10k on the fanfic and 5k on the other novel before she goes to bed, even though she’s very, very tired. She has an important test next week and many more in the weeks after those, so she wants to at least be up to speed on her wordcount if not ahead by next monday. Tomorrow- later today, actually, when she wakes up again she’ll try to squeeze out another 5k on the novel and 2k for the fanfic (which is almost writing itself because bookgirl_me dreamed it up in her copious spare time over several months when she was thirteen). And she’s just automatically crtSed this. *tiredness*
I only started yesterday, so I’m still reallllly behind…2,002. But hopefully going to catch up a ton this weekend!!!
SFTDP
Oh yeah, and when I say a ton…I mean, a TON. As in, a TON! :/
Write! Write! Write!
Cool, the stats window has been upgraded.
You know what? I don’t care, I sticking a woman named Eponine in my story. She’ll have a relationship with Marcelle…
7191.
You sticking a woman named Eponine in your story? You stick a woman named Atropine in your story. Atropine much nicer name. And then you can use her as a symbol for death, and it’ll be awesome.
I should write my own story…
11,631
Alright! This is the weekend where I write 8,000 words and catch up… yeah. Time to start. Hoo boy. Why does school have to take up so much time?
Time: 3 am
Wordcount fanfic: 10k
Words novel: 4,65k
Ahrg. Only 250 little words but I can’t brain anymore, I’ve been awake for 17 hours now at least and written about 6k words since elven, a little less, I’m too tired for math. Just 250 ickle words more…
“November: The month in which half of MuseBlog spends as much time sleeping as the other half spends brushing its teeth.”
Okay, the number in front is a five so I’m going to bed now *yawns* I wonder what this all will read as in the morning (the last 4k words after midnight plus these posts) as opposed to what I think I wrote. Brush teeth- good idea *wanders off yawning* And people wonder why my GPA is higher in the second semester…
I’ve got meself 12,077 words, woven in a lunatic’s musings, and am feeling rather proud. YAY for the weekend! My friend and I discovered we can send each other quick notes on the YWP site, which is just EPIC.
7,668. I’ve just set things up, written two cliffhangers but don’t know what to put next. Right. Time for the ninja attack! They can be interwoven with the assassin plot like so.. and like so… WRITE. GO AWAY YOU LITTLE EDITING CREEP.
6395. didn’t write yesterday. must catch up.
9,200. I’m ahead of schedule, know where the plot is going, like my characters enough, and I like it. Having a friend who reads it all and encourages you helps too >.>
7000! 1335 off track.
I have managed to push myself to get 9017 words today, which is pretty fantastic. And now I will fall asleep on the couch. Good night.
I may or may not have written myself into a corner. Let’s see, shall we?
Nope, I got out. Just over 9K! Also, my MC has met Hiccup and Toothless.
Nice! *high fives*
Yes! But now I’ve written myself into another corner. Oh, it’s a large corner, with plenty of room to write various plot twists, but in the end, it’s still a corner.
What music do all of you listen to while writing? I personally adore the piece “October” by Eric Whitacre, but I also like “Into the Raging River” by Stephen Reineke.
I’ve been listening to a lot of Florence and the Machine.
I like to listen to songs by various artists, such as Shawn Colvin, *NSYNC, lots more…I like to listen to glee music too. And anime themes and openers.
Pandora. Pandora is God. I made a list of songs that work with the plot of my NaNo this year and put them all into one channel, and now it just regurgitates songs at me that work. Either that or iPod Shuffle, because sometimes I receive very nice surprises in the forms of songs I thought I didn’t like but are actually totally good.
5820. I have to write a lot today. * writer’s block *
I’ve already hit the second week slog and it isn’t even the second week. Go figure.
Noooo, I have no idea how to lengthen my plot past 15K and the NaNo site is down!!!!!!!!
So, around 11600. I want to be around 12,700. I think I should be able to do this.
My story’s coming out well, though I’m concentrating more on plot than getting the message I was planning on across. Ah well, I’m having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.
I’ve been listening to a composer we just discovered called Christopher Tin. Very good. Maybe a few others, but mostly that.
Wordcount:12,799.
My lunatic has a bit of a purpose now.
Just how addicted am I to the Internet when I have to physically disable my connection to it in order to get my word count up to 11,756 words?
And what kind of novel is this exactly when it takes me 11,280 words in order to get my plot to the place I actually wanted it to go to?
Oh well. At least the 11,280 useless words boost my word count, even if I hated their guts as I wrote them.
At 13000. I’m not totally certain that this story is worth 50k, but I have a couple backup plans if it’s over before then.
My characters are having useless discussions right now. I need to do something interesting.
Except right now I need to practice violin.
Maybe I’ll write a bit after that. And tomorrow morning I really need to get up early and stay up, because I’ll be at church, with relatives, watching my sister preform, etc. most of the day. It’ll be easier if I get a bunch done tomorrow morning, which will be easier if I can get up and write.
This is so much fun! I think!
10015 and back on track.
Behind behind behind now. Wrote the 6000 on monday, like 1000 on tuesday, practically none on wednesday/thursday, and then barely any friday. Saturday I wrote again and am now at 9,514. Behind. But I have SO MUCH WORK this week it is not even funny so I will have to just try to catch up when I can : /
Also, in the last 55 hours I have only slept for 10, so I am going to bed now rather than continue to write, alas. I’ll make more sleep-sacrifices later when my sleep-debt isn’t quite so steep.
You know what annoys the crap out of me? Those new wordcount stat thingys. I desperately miss the old two-column system and I hate the way it says “at this rate, you will finish on Dec 05” or something like that. How dare it make such assumptions?
Novel: 5k
Fanfic: 10k
Total: 15k words. So there.
Can somebody explain to me why I was stupid enough to decide to write two novels when it takes me at least an hour to write 1k words?!
Enough whining. Must write. Write now.
Novel: 7,7k
Fanfic: 10k
Total: 17,7k.
I’ll just keep on replying to my post so that I don’t clog up the entire thread with my procrastination efforts. I just need 6,3k words to get back on track!
Novel: 9,4k
Fanfic: 10k
Total: 19,4k
Just a little bit more… I should have 24k today; I want to have at least 20k.
Nice! You’ve written a looooooooot…
OK, I’ve decided that I’m too busy during November to do NaNoWriMo. Perhaps some other month.
What?!?! You can’t quit now! I’m way to busy to write two novels in one months with all my exams but I’m not giving up! People say that week two is the hardest but I don’t think so. Your novel starts to flow in week two, as long as you can make the time it’ll almost start writing itself at times! Okay, maybe november is a bad idea for you, but you have to learn how to make time if noveling is a priority and maybe it should be. I’ve tried to write a novel in February but it just doesn’t work on other months. Somehow, the magic of everyone else writing and the secret wordcount competition (if a _ _ person can write so many words even though _, I can write that many too!) and the feeling of achieving something and your story starting to really get rolling… Sometimes it happens right away, sometimes not. It took me 1 1/2 weeks last year to get 10k words but I managed to finish anyone. Yes, I know I’m not you, blah blah blah, but I know you can do it- don’t quit until you’ve lost!
13,358 words. I have writer’s block…UGH
And I need to write. Badly. I’m going to Rhode Island this week, and I won’t be able to write, so I need words to make up for that, but I only wrote 401 words yesterday because one of my friends slept over. Must…write…
10450. So much work.
Okay, I am probably not going to start over, but do like you guys are doing and write my fanfic and then an actual story. I’m only 10K in, so it’s not like I’m losing 30K…
Plot ideas. Now. Please?
ebeth is…still at 3k
i’m thinking this might be the year it doesn’t happen. there’s just so much going on right now >.<
14, 137 words.
AAAGH writing fantasy was a mistake. I’m jonesing for some hard sf right about now. Lock me in a room and set up a De Lint/London/Clarke (Susanna, not Arthur C.) IV drip directly into cerebral cortex. Allow no mention of science. Drop Sanderson books on my head until desire to write spacefarers is purged.
NOIRBREAK NOIRBREAK NOIRBREAKkkikkkkkkk (TRNASJMISSION INDTIERUUPETED
Maybe the fabric of the fantasy world gets torn, and nothing works any more without scientific legitimacy.
Make two plots- One with the fantasy, and the other with the Science Fiction. Fantasy is Science Fiction’s roleplaying game. Go back and put periods of Sci-Fi interlude in the Fantasy, like they were in stasis sleep or something.
Oooh, yeah, there’s an idea. Have the Fantasy be a game the Sci-Fi people are playing to entertain themselves in stasis or in a holodeck.
Suddenly, you have twice as many characters- every character, plus who they play in the game. Contrast their real selves and their virtual avatars. Explore why they chose this setting for their game.
Maybe have one guy complain because he’d rather be playing another game that’s set somewhere totally different (“I’m tired of High Fantasy! Can’t we play the Desert Island Survival game again?”) have that other game become a running joke with the Sci-Fi people referring to what happened in that game the last time they played. (“Don’t you remember, Bob? You almost got eaten by cannibals because you were practicing your yodeling!”)
Can my Extended Essay be my NaNoWriMo novel? Please?
I didn’t even start on it until yesterday so…
Word Count: 977
Caaaake.
I am precisely two days behind, precisely where I ended on Friday at 8353. I need to get to 11687 tonight. Maybe. I should be able to get a bit in.
15,000! Yay!
Wrote two thousand words today, I’m happy with that.
And my main character has just been unexpectedly kidnapped. I’ll fix it shortly.
129- I miss the two columns, but I don’t mind the ‘You Will Finish On:’ thingy. Probably because it’s telling me a date somewhat before December 5th.
It is all going WRONG
Oh, not the word count. The word count is fantastic. I am a day and a half ahead and I am at 14,264 words, which is very nice. But I totally meant one main character, a factory girl, to fall in love with a certain person, the mysterious inhumanly talented rookie pitcher, and I had a whole plotline going just so that she could turn him to stone at the end. And the wrong main character, the daring reporter lady, is falling in love with him! Not to mention that I still have no idea how I’ll get the factory girl and the mysterious rookie to meet…
None of this ever happened last year! Then again, my NaNo last year was absolutely terrible.
Hmm, I wonder where the rookie pitcher character came from.
Unless I’m just an idiot.
You are probably thinking of the wrong player. But you are probably on the right track. I am obsessed, I can’t help it…
16k. I want to write three thousand today, so I’ve still got two more thousand to go. For those of you who can’t do basic subtraction.
MC is now un-kidnapped. And there’s going to be a battle later, and I am hopefully going to kill off my FIRST CHARACTER EVER. How exciting.
Why do I always plan to kill off the ones that turn out to be really fun?
I’m now not sure who’s really my main character. Or where to go with my plot. So far I’ve just had them running, fighting, with a couple of signs of…something…even though I don’t know what. Plot ideas? PLEASE? Or just give me a random word. Any word. And I’ll see what I can do with it. My lunatic is a more developed character now…she just murdered someone.
15k
Why is everybody so intent on killing off characters? I think some of you should challenge yourselves to write a story in which nobody dies, except of old age.
I try not to kill them, but I lost control several days ago.
I realize that it’s probably too late in most cases.
Quick question: Is anybody not writing about an ultimate showdown between forces of good and evil?
One of my books isn’t about that- relatively few characters die, except one who gets turned into an obnoxious vampire and another few people who die in fires and drunk driving accidents but aren’t very important to the story. Basically, it’s about how good and evil in the magic world are very subjective, vampires are pathetic liars and superficial, arrogant teenagers suck no matter what magic powers they have. It’s a very cheery story…
The other one does have several deaths, but none of the main characters die until several books from then (yes, this fanfiction is a mutant monster with two 1/2 generations so far, and if they all die it would end far too quickly). It is an epic good vs evil battle, except the evil is already dead for the most part and some of the characters have traits/evolved from people I once knew while the few superficial ones are too cute.
Which I need to writewritewrite because I only have 20k words and I should have 27k.
No. All of my books have some kind of Good vs. Evil Showdownâ„¢ in them.
i wasn’t! but i haven’t written since day one. i think i may have given up for the year, unless i get a sudden burst of free time and inspiration. this year was just bad timing >.<
but yeah my story may have had some sort of not-quite-ultimate showdown between the forces of somewhat decent and moderately okay
I’m killing off exactly one named character, because it’s a war, and it’s in my plot plan.
And no, I’m writing about how good and evil only exist in people’s minds, and it depends on your viewpoint, who’s good and who’s evil.
I wasn’t – I was actually going a bit outside my ‘comfort’ zone and trying to do a sort of romantic comedy type thing, but reaching NaNo looks pretty slim at this point. Obviously I’m going to keep chugging along, but starting late really put a damper on things.
I am. It is an ultimate showdown, but it’s more like an ultimate showdown between ordinary humans who were in the wrong place at the right time and creatures so alien that they don’t really fit into the scale of “good” and “evil.”
Yes.
I guess I don’t really have a showdown, so much. It’s more like a “sneak around and blackmail each other” type of plot.
I’m not writing about an Ultimate Showdown. The world I’m writing about definitely sucks for some people, but that isn’t solved by the end of the book, because it’s not the main conflict. My main character escapes from a horrible situation, but then her newfound magical powers kind of go to her head, and when my coolest character scorns her, she curses him to sleep eternally in an enchanted cave behind a waterfall at the end of the world until the world has need of him again. I guess my book’s more of a myth than a fairy tale. There aren’t any good guys or bad guys, just guys with different objectives.
ME!
I am killing off exactly ONE person, except I don’t know how.
Suicide? Strangulation? Stabbing? Having en’s head sliced up? Betrayal? Dies in battle?
I don’t enjoy killing people off. I get too attached and worried about what I’m going to do when they leave. I’ve only killed the shooter in my story, and that kind of had to happen. Not that he was much of a character, more of a tool.
Okay, I’m playing hookey tomorrow anyway so I’ll be able to write the words I need (I’ve written 1k today, so 10k more)… Then I’ll have to write 4k on Friday and Sat & Sun to write the remaining 15k… that adds up, right? Then I’d have 50k on Sunday evening (!!!) and have to survive the next two weeks from there…
*is excited*
This could actually work- I wrote mostly on weekends last year too, after several weekday meltdowns where I wrote nothing for 2-3 days. If I finish this, I’m freakin’ unbeatable.
Time: 11:19 p.m.
Words: 11k each.
Total: 22k
Yes! 1k less words on Friday!
SFTDP:
Is it creepy that NaNoWriMo got way easier the minute I started writing two novels even though I barely have time for one?
Still behind because of this huge timeline for AP Euro.
might not finish…
18,250! Got my goal and then some!
And I’m nearly to a giant battle. This should be fun.
I want 5k per novel today… bear with me.
Novel: 14k
Fanfic: 11k
Total: 25k
Words written today: 3k
I need to hurry up *headwall*
12,345
I hit an awesome number!
I reached 10000 last night after two days of writing absolutely nothing!
WHO KNOWS WHO SUCKY I AM? I DO! 1,609 words. *sucks*
You just need to put in two days of really serious writing and concentration!
I just realized that I have 26k words now: I just passed my 1/4 mark. I should have 32k by the end of today to make the wordcount work out & all, but I’m afraid I don’t make it *snail speeds today*
Novel: 14k
Fanfic: 13k
Total: 27k
To go: 5k.
Half way and I still have capoeira training, homework and an errand to run. I definitely don’t have the time, not even for a few ‘k. *sigh* *is tired*
Ugh. Still got 15k. My plot sucks…and so does my writing. And I’m sick, so I stayed home today and yesterday…but my brain’s too fuzzed to think. Bleh.
Will someone please explain to me what NaNoWriMo is? Is it a contest? If so I might actually do it next year… that is if sophomore year doesn’t eat me alive…. and I survive freshman year.
it’s a contest with yourself. Basically, crazy people around the world try and write a 50,000 word (or more!) novel in one month. You should browse through the previous NaNo threads to get some ideas.
You can also go to the NaNo site (google it) and look at the information there.
16.449k. *is annoyed with self*
Today isn’t working. I got up early, as usual, but after ten minutes of staring at the screen during which I wrote ten words, it became clear to me that this wasn’t working so I went back to sleep. All day today I got very little written, winding up with about four hundred words at five. Over the past hour I’ve gotten another thousand or so, and I really want to get another six hundred or so.
I’m now at about 19k. I suppose I’m far enough ahead that I shouldn’t worry, but if I do that too much I won’t be ahead any more.
Okay, so my problems aren’t very significant at all. Never mind.
hear you. I wrote barely 900 words today, give or take.
All right, if I have time tomorrow I will try to.
If not, I’m quitting.
I wrote double last time, so this is fair.
Quitting is never fair.
You don’t have a timeline that took three days to complete. I’m 5 thousand words behind.
I understand your desire to quit. I’m only saying that I do not consider writing more last year justification for quitting this year.
You’re banned from quitting. If you quit, we will bombard you with posts and more posts until you give in.
What if I just don’t do very much?
Got to 20k. Barely, and later than I’d hoped, but I got there.
This is going so much better than last year. I’m ahead, I’m managing to stay motivated, and I haven’t yet been very bored at all. Last year, I was panicked half the time and had writer’s block the other half.
I have a theory that this novel will wind up being better than last year’s.
so….
i’m dreadfully behind. like, REALLY REALLY BEHIND. we should have about 17,000 today right? urgh…..
BUT. I have a new idea that will hopefully get me more inspired and whatnot…i’m hoping i can bust out quite a lot once i have so more time. hopefully over the weekend or so….blargh
19, 087. I’m introducing another character, Noe. She is from a fairy tale-esque universe, and goes through a magic mirror into their world. She was escaping at the time, so she was disguised as a boy, which is going to be funny once she wakes up.
Remember how I said I’d make it to 16 words each story last Tuesday for my genius plan to work? It flopped. I’ve written 1,5k words today, but I’d like to try and make it after all.
Novel: 14,6k
Fanfic: 14,5k
Total: 29,1k
I’d like to make it to those 32k I wanted the other day… We shall see. That would mean 3k on Friday and 15k on the weekend. I’d better make it- it’s embarrassing to be so behind.
Ack, a friend over for dinner and my wordcount is lost again. Cake the loud sound of my computer when I type which stops me from doing so after I’m supposed to be in bed!
Novel: 14,6
FanFic: 15,2
Total: 29.8
I want to have 30k tonight…
Hrm, not working that much today.
I’ve gotten to my big battle sequence, finally. Yesterday I finished late, but I stayed on my personal overachiever track, so I’m around 22k.
Anyway, I must eat something and then I shall write more.
Gah, I’m so behind. 15,150
Today did not work. I got five hundred this morning, before going off to do various other things. Then I wasted time on the computer until about one. Then I picked up Mockingjay, because we just got that from the library yesterday, and read it all. And then, around five, I finished and made supper. Since then I’ve been talking and eating supper.
As you observe, none of this was schoolwork. So I still have numerous things to do before tomorrow morning.
The good thing is that next week will be Thanksgiving break, since we’re taking two weeks off for it. I can regain everything I lose, I know, but I really don’t want to do that…
So, I’ll do only the schoolwork that I have to have done by tomorrow today, and see if I can work out writing very quickly for the rest of the evening.
If worst comes to worst, I don’t get much done either today or tomorrow, and have to rely on my buffer.
Sounds like a bad idea to me. To work!
Phew. Finished. 22,070.
Apparently the site thinks I wrote over two thousand words today, when it was closer to five hundred. Weird updating, but I’m not complaining. At least it’s keeping an accurate tally.
Here are the things I have to do:
1) I have to write as many short stories as possible for my actual Creative Writing class using an entirely original character. Made worse because my Creative Writing teacher is an English teacher who took a few Creative Writing classes in college and is only teaching the class because someone’s gotta and everyone else is busy.
2) I have to write a birthday present for my friend from arts camp. Her birthday is November 27.
3) I have to write 30,000 words of a novel in which I’m getting into the part where I hate its guts. This did not happen last year. I loved its guts last year.
4) I have to remember why I’m going to do this for a living when I grow up. Oh, right, because I love it. God, I love it.
I don’t know if this is because it’s my first time, because I’m unmotivated, or if I’m just too busy, but I have a ridiculously low wordcount. Like only 5k low. I have Eid vacation coming up, so I’ll try to catch up some then, but I have other things to do too, and well, a word count that low is just pathetic given that we’re on the twelfth day.
I think I need some more encouragement. Someone sic the brain-eating zombies that forced me start NaNoWriMo in the first place on me again?
Word war me! I have a no school on monday (patron saint of vienna or something like that) and I need 20,2k this weekend. Deal?
I mean 20,2k more. I already have almost 30k.
Almost at 17K. When I get there, I’m gonna call it a day. I’ll try and write a lot more tomorrow, since it’s a weekend, but right now my brain is almost melted.
Why do I keep introducing complications? What’s wrong with me? Has the plot seized hold of my brain and is it merely steering my fingers as they type? Why am I listening to the In The Heights soundtrack?
1. To increase word count
2. Nothing. This is how al NaNoers are right now
3. Yes
3. I have no idea
Yesterday didn’t work.
Yesterday crashed, burned and died.
I got like, 100 words. Maybe 200.
All day.
So today I’m reaching for four thousand, or maybe five. More than I’ve ever written in one day, but I hope to be able to do so.
I got one thousand in the past hour or so. If I can do that four more times, I’m okay.
In good news, I now have a power adapter that doesn’t shoot sparks, works even if I don’t spend ten minutes fidgeting with it, isn’t making unhealthy noises, and lets me move without fear that it will stop working. This is a very good thing.
At least you have a technically failure to blame. My one main character has suddenly turned annoyingly philosophical when she was supposed to be happily snogging another character who snuck in way to early while in my other novel, my character blacked out and turned out to be much more incompetent than I planned. How is she going to utterly dominate known space and become a charismatic leader this way?
Sounds like she has some hard lessons to learn about leadership. Teach them. Horrible suffering optional.
Hmm… She kind of needs to learn them now, because she goes into exile and finally learns how to fight soon and already has to lead when she gets back- but I have an idea *evil laugh*
And now I’ve written two thousand words. Not going too badly.
I’ve never tried to do a marathon day before. I think previously three thousand is as much as I’ve written on a single day.
Not that five thousand is much of a marathon.
Novel: 17k
FanFic: 15,2k
Total: 32.2k
I’m so behind…
Novel didn’t keep writing itself.
Fanfic at 16k words- I want to grow to 18k
Total: 33k – I want 35k today.
Then I have sunday & monday to write the remaining 15k words I need… It’s possible.
Both novels now have 17k words (= 34k, yesyesyes!). Now I just need one more k to be on schedule…
Goal reached. Finally I can go to sleep…
Still at about 13,000. >.<
SAME.
It’s National Back Up Your Novel Day, y’all! Try emailing it to yourself, or saving somewhere other than your hard drive! Those words are precious, and we’re not letting them get destroyed because of silly technological issues!
GOOGLE DOCUMENTS
FOR
THE
WIN
Don’t know how I’d manage without them!
Didn’t make the 5k I’d planned, chiefly because I went shopping instead. I did make around 3k, which is better than nothing. I’m going to do at least 3k today, and I’ll be back where I wanted to be.
I still want to do the marathon 5k day. Maybe tomorrow?
Yes, let’s marathon together! I need to do a little more, I also didn’t do as much yesterday because I was at a party and only got about 4-5 hours of sleep the night before.
Novel: 17k
FanFic: 20k
Total: 37k
Goal for Monday evening: 50k. Homework and studying done so far: 0.
FanFic: 22k
To go tomorrow: 11k.
Okay, here’s an update on my novels. I doubt anyone will read it but I feel like talking and the only IRL people I’ve told about my ambitions have told me that’s it’s impossible and that I should stop to a) save my social life or b) my grades.
Novel 1 is still going roughly but the training wheels are off and I’m getting to the part where I’m really going to let it rip about vampires (and vampire romance novels, indirectly). My MC is still a little too introverted, an INTP who doesn’t spend enough time talking to other characters to have page-consuming dialogs. But she’s had a lot of shocking things happen to her so far, so I guess it’s justified. I just need to figure out how she meets her future boyfriend again- got it! They have a nice relationship until they break up, fight for weeks and then he goes away and dies.
FanFic is doing well too, except that N is flirting with A who is actually going to marry M in about eight years but will fall in love with her in two years so wtf is she doing? Anyway, she’s also going to become a bounty hunter and rogue mercenary with possible smuggling instead of a queen and/or senator and philanthropist. I know I’m shocked. And two identical twins sort of swapped personalities but I’m not sure if I should bother correcting them. And they suddenly have a younger brother who’s supposed to worship S but somehow he’s too busy sneaking around. And M and S let classified information slip and had an enormous fight which was never supposed to happen. I want to know who is writing my novel.
I mean the one who’s flirting with A is going to become a bounty hunter, not M who is actually the MC.
I’ve lost a ton of timeeeeeeee!!!!!! Oh dear oh dear oh dear!!!!!!!!! *runs around panicing* I went to Rhode Island (And got an awesome top hat, but not the point!!!) and lost 4 day and I only have 19k and I should have 25k at least and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *panics some more*
29k. 1k more today, hopefully.
I should be fine. I’ve written more in less time on past days.
My characters are behaving much better than yours, Bookgirl. They’re doing more or less what I want them to, except that they aren’t advancing the plot that much. And the entire tone is generally too light and happy for the book I was looking for.
Ah well. I’m having fun.
Off to set the table, then maybe get a few more words in before supper.
“I want to take the steak knife from the table next to us and stab her in the heart and watch her bleed to death.”
Okay, I need to think of a new best friend for my main character. I’d say this qualifies as a major falling out.
I would tend to agree.
I am struggling, I’m at 14.5k. My plot is hindered in most of its areas, I need to develop more but I can’t get it to do so. And I am TIRED. Cake. Not good. So not good.
I am sorry, Brain: Cat’s Eye appears to be experiencing malfunctions due to virus NANOWRIMO. Please restart and try again. If you continue to encounter these errors please report your error to a system administrator error error 10101110
Brain is shutting down.
Brain is restarting…
Due to an unexpected shutdown, some files in Cat’s Eye’s brain have been lost. Files are labeled “Motivation”, “Sanity”, “Social Life”, “Intelligence”, and “Family”. Do you wish to restore these files? Y/N
There is not enough room on Brain: Cat’s Eye to restore these files. Do you wish to delete other files to make room for these files? Y/N
Option selected: N. Files lost.
178-
Didn’t make it anywhere near 3k. So I’m expanding my goal and aiming for 6k tomorrow. I’ll probably fail miserably. We’ll see.
And now I am off to bed. Sleep. Sleep is good.
I’ve reached what I call the self-destruct point when I’m running: the point where you realize that if you keep going, you will cause irreparable damage to something/someone but you just don’t care anymore. In this case, both my grades and my social life just went out with a bang and both parents now know that I’m insane. Must write.
N1: 19k
N2: 22k
= 41k
Need more words!!!
42k
N1: 23k
N2: 22k
= 45.
I’m being kicked into bed, finish tomorrow.
Made it to 4k today, but not 5k. Puts me at 33k. I’ll try for 5k again tomorrow, but we might be doing stuff, so I’ll probably end up with less. We’ll see.
17182, I’m getting back on track! I’m back to writing in between and in classes when I can. And I’ve started developing my primary antagonist.
I’m 6,000 words behind.
6,000 is a manageable number. It’s a little less than four days. I can get that back on Thanksgiving.
Also, I’m doing some character development, something that’s been sadly lacking up to now, to remind me why I wrote Isambard in the first place.
I should have 53,334 words. I have 45. That’s 8,334k and I’m NOT happy.
Especially since my mom feels obliged to make me do something academic in my spare time. I’m never going to get into a good college anyway. Besides, it’s like she can’t see that I’m actually putting a herculean effort into getting my grades up to make a 4.0 GPA again while writing two novels at 50k words each and I’m working towards my first corda in capoeira and now, at her insistence, I’m going to tutor some kids as well. Which is nice and gets me money, but I don’t have freakin’ time. I could be holding the world on my shoulders and she’d still think I’m being lazy. What is wrong with parents these days?
24k.
22,513.
I’m behind, I know, but not by too much. I still have to write a couple thousand tonight (i’ve been sneaking up on catching up), so then it will look more reasonable. Plus, I’m starting at 9:47 instead of 10:00, so maybe that will help…
I haven’t written much at ALL today. A variety of things, (computer, books, people, shopping) have kept jumping out at me, and so I’ve written maybe a couple hundred words total.
This is a problem. I am going to sit down and keep writing until I hit at least 1000 words written today. Because where I’m at so far is pathetic.
I am very sick.
I’m pretty sure NaNo has destroyed my immune system.
It figures this is when I fall back in love with the story.
The problem is, I’m not sure what to do with it after the nukes go off. Basically, about two hundred ancient and vengeful spirits of light explode into the world, swirling down from the North Pole. I imagine the colony will have to be evacuated.
Unfortunately, once they’re loose, there’s no way for anyone to Seal the Evil back In A Can. Unless Isambard discovers the ancient methods that the ancestors of the Veshermen used to capture them. I think it would be better to actually do a bit of diplomacy. The situation’s predicated on a misunderstanding anyway.
Just passed 23K. I’m behind…I can only write like, 1 or 2K a day, and that’s bad. *sigh* WEll, at least today is off from school and tomorrow is a half-day so I can (maybe) catch up.
Got to 1k last night, and I’m not yet there today.
My enthusiasm is kinda not much here, and my broken computer which has crashed about four times today isn’t helping.
20k. Gragle, procrastinating on homework as well.
Got to 36k. Fairly happy with this.
Tomorrow I’ll try to get more. It’d be great if I could get 4k again… Hm. Maybe. We’ll see.
38k. Meant to do more… TV tropes stole way too much of today.
31k. I’ve found I can only concentrate if I shut internet explorer.
Brainstorming, plot outlines and notes are a perfectly legitimate use of words, right?
Absolutely.
I’ve almost completely caught up. *thumbs up*
Oh deeeeeeear. Major problem, though not really about my wordcount. I think I mentioned that my *newly combined* school district does a thing where people doing NaNoWriMo go to [town/city near us’s middle school] about once a week in November and talk about our novels and stuff. It’s really fun. We do it on YWP, even though I’m registered on both sites. So yeah, it’s great, except for the fact that we get to get our books sort of published, printed, and put up for sale on Amazon and sites like that. We get to edit and rewrite it for a few months, then design a cover, etc. and have it printed. We will each get a free proof copy, too. And my group, the ET, might have a book signing once they come out.My friend, who wants to be an author when she grows up, was literally jumping up and down and hyperventilating at this news.
But…my book really, really sucks. Personally, I don’t care, it’s fun and a good challenge and I’m not going to quit. I just don’t want anybody to read it. Partly because it sucks, and partly because I feel like if people are reading my writing, they’re kind of seeing how I think, or alternately into my brain. And I know it’s silly, but that’s how I feel, and I really don’t want people in my brain, thank you.
I started NaNo because I heard about it on here, and I thought it looked interesting, but I was just doing it for fun, and strangely, I don’t want my book published. But for everyone else, that’s kind of why they were doing it. So I run into a dilemma. I have to keep going to the meetings; I’m part of the group, and I can’t desert my other friend, who will then be the only person from [my town] there. But then I have to get it printed and published and stuff. And I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do.
And the person who runs the group wants me to change my wordcount goal to something lower, but I’m not going to.
32,567 words.
Sorry for the kind of long post/rant/worry.
Can’t you just tell them that you’d like to continue discussing, etc, but you don’t want yours printed? It’s not an unreasonable request.
Maybe. I’m not sure if they’d let me, though. I’ll probably try it anyway, though.
Harry Potter plus West Side Story stole two whole days. Luckily I was two days ahead. Still… bleh.
*is procrastinating*
After my meltdown… now, that sounds too nice. I’m still kinda melted down. Whatever, I’ve written another 4k words and now have 25k words each story. Which makes 50k. I’ve just submitted that into the NaNo site because hell, I’m not going to make my 100k like I wanted but I guess the point was to write 50k and I’ve already done that. To celebrate, I’m finally going to go to bed.
Yay! Good job! *celebrates*
YAAAAAAY! *confetti* Here, have a delicious blackberry cobbler!
I finally reached 25k and is halfway done in 2/3 of the time!
I need to step up my production, which should be possible now that school is on break.
I have a question. If I get to 50k and have not ended my plotline, does it still count? Can I submit it before I have finished it?
202- Yes, it counts.
201- Yay, 50k! *Celebration pies*
So I just managed to get to 40k, which is continuing my trend of 1k a day. Fortunately I am enough ahead that if I continue this to the end of November, I will win on the 30th. I hope to win before this, but we shall see.
Cake, meant to press ‘cancelar’.
Anyway, I forgot to add that I now have a really cool magic system for this world. Which is nice, since I got to a point where it’s rather vital to have a magic system.
35k. I actually might get this done!!! I have 10 days left, including today, so I only have to about 1500 words a day to finish, which I have been doing anyway. (The only time I didn’t was when I had to got to RI, where I didn’t have a computer.) *is happy right now*
28,068. 3000 typed today.
I thought you had typed over 26 million because of a smudge on my computer. O.o
Just over 35K, will try and get to 37 today.
Is it weird that I’ve become much more productive ever since I stopped caring whether I won or lost?
So yesterday I got about 500 words. I would be worried about this except for the fact I’m way too busy worrying about whether I’ve lost thousands of words. Last night, see, my computer crashed. It does this a lot, nothing to be worried about, I’m very good at saving every few lines.
But this time, my NaNo wouldn’t open after I relaunched the computer.
I’ve backed up several times, but not recently, and I’m a hundred miles from my backups. I don’t know how much I lost. I don’t know how much I can make up. I don’t know if I can get anything back.
I still want to win.
Okay, I figured that I just need to write 5k a day today through friday, then somehow write 25k in four days (though I can extend the weekend by cutting school).
Novel: 25k
FanFic: 28k
2k to go tonight!
Novel: 25k
FanFic: 30k
Woohoo! This might actually work.
English presentation: wrote the handout, remember the topic- I think
Math test- hey, it’s only the day after tomorrow so it doesn’t matter that I don’t fully understand half of it and haven’t studied, right?
38,418 words. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to meet my goal; my plot is almost at it’s end. I may have to add in a loooot of useless words.
Ye gods. I’ve just dropped a hint that one of my major characters is doing some seriously unhealthy suppressing of emotions, aided and abetted by a tree spirit. What is wrong with me?
Why do you think there’s something wrong?
Good point. Insane, spur of the moment plot twists are pretty much a standard technique in NaNo.
And I just realized I’ve gotten into the habit of leaving out hyphens to increase word count. Great.
It is 11:11 pm where I am. I wish that I will somehow magically regain all the sleep I have lost to this thing. 40K, though. I am two magical days ahead. Tomorrow I aim to be three days ahead. Wait, can I make that my wish instead?
Aw, man, it’s 11:12.
I managed to recover most of my novel!
So now I need to get back on track. 2000 a day, or at least almost that. Around 38k, now.
FanFic: 32,225k
Novel: 27,2k
Total: almost 60k. SugarHoneyIcedTea. I only managed 2,2k words yesterday. Math test= epic fail *cry*, but I got 61,5/60 on latin so I guess everything evens out in the end, right?
WORDCOUNT: 41,255. 82.51% there. My goal for today is to reach 45k.
Now 42,780. I’ve about 5 days left to do 8k. *screams* *dies* *is reincarnated and forced to do NaNo’s bidding*
I will be away from noon today till evening of Saturday.
Bad News: Various family obligations (who needs Thanksgiving dinner anyway?) will keep me away from NaNo
Good News: Laptop, but no Internet connection, so I won’t have the intarwebz around to distract me.
I wrote 4000 yesterday and 2000 today. That averages to 3000 per day, which is my goal. I think I can turn in for the night. 4 hour car drives take some time out of the day…
37000.
I got about a thousand today. I can’t keep doing this. It worked before I lost several days, but now I really need to get back on track.
Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. I probably won’t get 2k, but I’ll hopefully at least get another 1,000, putting me back at 40k. If I can manage that, I’ll probably be in a position to write more for the rest of the month. We’ll see.
FanFic: 35k
Novel: 27,2k
Total: 62.2k
I originally planned to reach 70k today; I’m going to try to catch up somehow. Minimum needed today: 5k. Perfect utopian goal: 7,8k. We shall see…
41K! W00t!
I’ve reached the awesome battle scene. Will be awesome. Now who should I kill…Freystein the dragon-phobe or Freya the relaxed? Hm…
218- Freya the relaxed; more drama.
I’ve finally reached the dramatic scene which is one of the highlights of the book but somehow the writing is going to slowly! I’ve be writing practically since I last posted and I only have:
FanFic: 35k
Novel: 30k
Total: 65k
-words so far which would mean 5k more today and I don’t have the time, not if it keeps taking this long!
219-That’s what I was leaning towards. Now how to do it…hmm…the crazy evil guy shoots her?
42K! *goes off to stalk plot ideas*
40k as of last night. Now I need to move towards the climax of the story. I need a scene where Norman goes to the destroyed department, and then where everyone meets up and maybe have a row, then discover the head servant’s designs. Then they will get their stuff, or maybe I will skip that, and then they will find the city and battle it out. That should carry me to the end.
Just added a bit of a plot twist. Hehehe…
47K as of last night, and my plot kind of spun weirdly out of control. I intended Juniper to have a moral conflict: should she be honest and publish the newspaper article about how Calvert originally came from a factory, which would send him back to the factory, where he would definitely die within the next year, or should she not publish the article, lose her job at the San Diablo Times, and keep Calvert safe? And she was going to choose the second option because she was in love with him and such.
But now one of my really, really minor characters who mainly existed to give info on life in the factories to my main characters bumped his way into a whole scene of his own, proved to be extremely vocal, and pointed out to Juniper that what’s being done to children at the factories is really, really, really immoral, and she could stop that from happening by publishing her article. And I want Juniper NOT to publish the article, so that she can try to live happily ever after with Calvert and it’ll be heartbreaking for her when Ladybug turns him into stone. But now, what with me having built Juniper with a lot of integrity, she’s way more likely to publish it.
Aargh!
Novel: 30,8k
FanFic: 35,8k
Lately, I end up writing 0,8k every time I try for 1k. I’m never going to finish and it’s starting to sink in. I guess I can lame-o connect both unfinished stories, but I think I’ll just try to win with the longer one and have the other as added bonus. I’m just so sick of writing that words can’t express it.
I’m desperately behind… 38,000…. At least I’m going to beat last year’s (40,000).
I’m almost done with my plot; I know I’m definetly not going to squeeze 50k out of it. So I’ve decided to add a weird bit: A novel in a novel. As in, I’m going to have a new character Ingemar be writing a novel and the story I’ve been working on, Bloody, will be it. This may or may not work, and I have no idea how the heck I’m going to be able to make it work, but it’ll boost up my wordcount so I have to try.
43k. Only 7k more…
And now 45k. 90% there…!
Ooh. I’ve began to link stuff that I jotted down weeks ago, but this presents annoying continuity stuff, like what color the windows are. Meh, continuity can jump out the window if it likes.
I now officially hate my plot. I don’t know if I want to keep going…
Oh, you need to keep your plot! Post it here and we can devise a cunning twist that will make you love your plot. Do not give up in the final days.
I just discovered that I needed to invent a currency that I will probably disregard soon, but oh well. I made the thail.
Well, it was really just one aspect that I hated… But I think once I get past it, then I’ll like it more.
Basically, some kid named Jared is all anti-social. He starts drawing maps of the school, and he sees something coming called the Change. He sees a girl every day named Summer, but he never speaks to her. One day, he says hi as he walks out of the door, and he hears gunshots. After a lockdown involving him being pushed out of the classroom because of suspicions, him killing the shooter on top of a pile of the shooter’s victims, and finally finding himself in a school shut off from the rest of the world, a leader slowly takes control. His name is Michael, and he executes people for the slightest crimes, but then Jared is looked upon to lead a rebellion. He finds that Summer was raped as a kid and that somehow connects with why she opened the door for the shooter. She disappears and people flock to him. One day he finds a mass execution going on, and after a large fight, he finds the school separated between his side and their side. So they had to deal with getting food (it appears in a random room each day) and holding off Michael from killing them. A few people beforehand developed corny powers (one could turn himself into water and control the water to ward off enemies), and now, the day before the big battle, everyone has powers. I hate the fact that they all have powers, but it was the only thing I felt like I could do… It’s a little late to change that.
But basically, he has the maps which help him know what it will be like the day of the battle. But I feel like the whole emerging of everyone having powers just ruined it.
I plan for a few thousand words of battle, and then the aftermath to be devastating until Jared finds a way out. Then, he’s going to find the Watchers (the assumed controllers of what goes on in the school) and Summer, and I don’t know how that’s going to end, but I plan on making it ambiguous.
But then just imagine that plot with really bad writing and you have my novel. GAH.
Other than being disturbed at the mass violence occurring in that school… which I hope is a high school, otherwise it would be really disturbing… Can you make a failsafe that the controllers embedded into the school system that reverts all the powers people back into normal people? There can always be a few exceptions, like if the controllers have a fancy for one of the kids. Final battle scenes can change everything.
It’s implied that it’s a high school, but the point is how scared the people are of everything, especially after a shooting and being trapped. And that’s an interesting idea.
Whoah! Estavo can have stolen the ashes, and when he has confirmed that the King will reform his government, he will give the ashes back to the King, in time for him to use the ashes in the battle! No, this is not cricket.
I’m giving up. I’m ending my story. They die saving the world. Then I have to figure out exactly how many words I need to write about a new character who is writing the frabbing novel. I’ve only got 45.5 k right now, as I slept in and so I’ve only written 500 word so far. Bleh…
Now I have finished it. 46k. Got to do other story…ahhhhh…….
42, 456! Catching up, surprisingly. I might actually do this.
Ugh, I’m at just over 44K, and I don’t think I’ll get to 45K today. *whimper*
43 words.
A few days of not writing and writing way too little killed me. I need to write at least 2,300 words a day, according to the NaNo website, to finish on time.
I will do this. I will do this.
Welcome back, panic of last year. I knew this was going too easily.
You know, even though I’ve been at my computer pretty much all day I am keeping on schedule, but I know I’m not being productive. I haven’t had a writing frenzy for a while. Maybe that’s because I’m tired… so tired… this is school break, aren’t I allowed to sleep?
50,000!
Well, strictly 50,054, because the NaNoWriMo website shaves off words.
But I WON!
…
…
I think I’ll go and find out how the story ends.
Congratulations!
Our first winner, no?
I’m just glad to be at 44,000.
Not necessarily. We haven’t heard from TMFA lately. He probably hit 50k two weeks ago.
Probably. Remember last year? I’m at 47k.
Our first announced winner. And TMFA is almost an automatic early win.
I dunno. The last we heard from him was that he wasn’t sure if he’d continue at all.
No, Bookgirl_me hit 50k a few days ago; although it was on her two novels she still wrote 50k so it counts.
Awesome! Congrats! *celebratory pies*
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have 45,039 words. I was five thousand words behind a few days ago, and I’ve probably written seven thousand words (scratch that, it says I’ve written 5000 words today alone) in the past two days. I should celebrate, but it’s one AM.
Nice!
I need to go write. Really do. But instead I’m wasting time on various sites.
Gargh.
47k. THREE MORE DAYS
Today, I submitted both my stories. Wordcount: 66680. I’m done writing. I didn’t write anything yesterday or the day before either. I’m not sure wether to feel like a winner because yay, I wrote 50k+ words or like a hypocrite because I’m using both novels.
I don’t have enough time for both and I don’t have the motivation either. This weekend, I celebrated my old friend’s birthday and read. It’s the first time I’ve spent reading for more than five hours straight since …the summer vacation? and it was long overdue. I did terribly in math, which used to be my best subject and I will go ballistic if I screw up physics. I hope I can make it up to my teacher somehow (great first impression!) but I’ll still be allowed to tutor at junior high level even if I failed, much as it hurts my pride. I guess one of the things I’ve never learned is how to accept when I’ve lost. I did lose, strictly speaking. But I promise myself that I’ll try to make up for it, sometime, somehow. I’m going to start running again; I’ve realized lately how much I miss it. I don’t know if I’ll actually be able to do something considered training; I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. Like in NaNo this year. And so it finally ends. I’ve looked at the badges this year again; they seem a little garish and all scream “hypocrite”, but I’m too much of a coward to unwin. I’m almost going to miss NaNo; it gave a method to my madness.
I really should pull out. I still need 15k words to make my one novel 50k, the other just isn’t going to finish. My weekend plan would have brought me up to speed but I just threw it all away. I wanted some time off, can you blame me? Maybe I’ll write another few words. Get it to 70k. Maybe I’ll never look at those two novels again. I don’t know. I’m too much of a sore loser to do anything but dither. See you again in two days, sanity.
I don’t think I can talk you into being cheered up, but I want you to know that I do look up to you for making such an awesome wordcount, so much higher than I’ve ever managed to do. I would say you won just as much as everybody else did, because you sat down and typed 66,000 words in one month. Just think about it. Doesn’t that feel a little amazing? There are so few things that we can even get one thousand of, and to have created not just one thousand, but 50,000 words… Doesn’t it blow your mind, just a bit?
I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around it, myself. I just know I can do it.
Almost 47K.
It’s the Final Countdown! *starts singing*
49k! And now I think I can start the battle!
I just got to 50 thousand words! YAYNESS
Now I’ll go validate and then move my plot along more.
Congratulations!
*congratulations* *NaNoPie*
YAY!!!!
47k. Barring disaster, I can make this. Probably.
I got a whole bunch today, though I don’t know exactly how many.
And my plot will not be finished in three more thousand. I might not even get to the end of the day I’m on, something like five days before the end.
But I’ll get 50k. Unless my computer finally gives out after limping along for a month or two, and unless I break another bone, this time before the end of NaNo, (Last year I broke my wrist on the first of December. I was so glad it hadn’t happened three days before.) and unless a host of other tragedies happen, I should make it.
I. Have. 49k. C’mon, I can do this, right?! RIGHT? My mom let me skip school today to work on my novel, so yeah… I’m. Going. To. FInish. This. *growls* Maybe…
Of course, I’ve reached the ends of both my plots. So, now I have to come up with another one…
One thousand more.. Not that hard, brain! I promise!
Okay, just got 50,002 words!!!!! *is happy* I’ve got my NaNo backed up in four different places. Off to verify! And then, to school!
48.5k. 1500 to go.
I think I can do this even if my computer does crash. Probably on Mom’s computer.
49.5!
So far from the end of my plot it’s not even funny, but whatever. I’ll finish it later.
I love NaNo. Not totally certain why. I just do.
I won! 50,040 by the official count!
YAY!
I can hardly stop smiling now. I feel so happy.
245-Awesome! Me too! *does dance* *celebratory pies*
I’m going to have a TGIO party with my friends soon.(Thank Goodness It’s Over)
I’m just so, so happy right now. I made it…! Yay!
NaNo was really fun. Like, actually fun. Strangely, fun. Very fun. I’m kind of sad it’s over…
I verified, then went to school for the last period, which was fun. The official certificate thingy is awesome, though…
I can hardly stop frowning, with a count of 4,566. Yay…!
Aw… That’s sad.
Maybe you’ll make it next year! I found it a lot easier this year than last year, maybe it’ll be the same for you!
Aww. It’s okay. You will make it next year, I know it! NaNo is really hard, so don’t feel bad. I applaud you for trying! *applauds* *hugs*
I am almost there! I will make it!!!!! I’m listening to The Final Countdown as motivational music.
I failed with 35, 468 words. Oh well.
Plot is not even remotely finish, but it doesn’t matter!!!! I WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *screams and runs around*
*screams and runs around with LBK* CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!
Yeah me neither. I don’t think I’m going to finish it, though-I’m pretty sick of writing.
Me too. Although I feel like it’s an obligation to my characters to finish the story…
Gonna’ go and finish (48,484 words), but ugh, my dad just started watching the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. It bothers me when there are half-naked girls are on TV with my dad, because I don’t know how to respond. I feel creepy watching, but if I don’t will we be all, “Why isn’t my kid watching this!?” and bleeeghh, I just want to write a novel.
Oh Christ, I just left the room, and he asked, “Where are you going?” Oops, I guess that was father-son bonding. -_- Yaay assertively straight homophobic dads….
I’m sorry, that sounds really uncomfortable.
I also want to congratulate everybody who has succeeded so far or will finish by midnight! You guys are amazing!
Oh, it’s no big deal. It’s just kinda’ funny. And I’m sorry for posting this on the random thread (didn’t know that it was not this one), but I won!
36,000. Gah.
Errgh, not fun. *sympathy pies*
Final count is around 54,000. Really glad I’m not done with my plot because it gives me an excuse to waste more time on the computer without parental complaints. XD
I bet someone could write a book on the NaNo experience here. The buildup, the frenzy, the climax, the slow aftermath…it’s all here!
Whenever I write something now, I automatically reach for the word count button the moment after I save. Lingering habits…
Oh, I do that too. And I don’t use dashes anymore. Oh dear. I told you NaNo ate my brain XD
Same here. And I keep trying to save, no matter what I’m doing, as long as I’m typing.
I’m in the habit of pressing Ctrl+S (Save) every few words, so when I come back to the internet and type something, I accidentally press it and it asks me where I want to save what I’m writing. >.<
So I tried to write a venting chapter, but the characters ended up venting about me. It’s pretty long, so I’m going to split it up.
VENTING CHAPTER, or, LETTING CHARACTERS FLAME OFF WEIRD IDEAS
“What I don’t understand,†Isambard said, “is why he dropped us all in modern, 20th-century reality when we come from a fantasy world equivalent to the 19th century.â€
“This is the 21st century, sweetheart,†Rachell replied. “And it’s probably because our Author knows nothing about the 19th century or how to write it realistically.â€
“You’re probably right,†Isambard conceded. “But… I’m sorry… ‘sweetheart?’ From your characterization so far, you don’t really seem the type to use pet names.â€
“Well, the details of our relationship were never really resolved,†Rachell sighed. “I don’t think the Author even knows when it was or how far it went. He’s been tiptoeing around it so far, but he won’t be able to avoid the issue when we meet. Anyway, I seem like the type to be perverse, confusing and inconsistent in my relationships.â€
“I wish you two would stop flirting,†Jasper interrupted. “Or at least stop complaining. I mean, I’ve got a billion-year-old vengeful embodiment of the sun’s core stuck in my brain. Your problems are insignificant by comparison.â€
Isambard rolled his eyes, again. “At least you two have got some actual character traits, however rudimentary they might be. My characterization has basically been confined to an internal monologue about how much I miss my father. Yada yada yada. Now, Rachell, you’ve got all sorts of interesting personality problems, and Jasper, you’re struggling with your faith in the face of what amounts to demonic possession. That’s what I call a character arc. I was so relieved when the Author worked out how to make me relevant.â€
“The Author seems to have a talent for writing protagonists all exactly the same,†Jasper commented, lighting his pipe. “Intellectual, male, and totally lacking in human emotion. Kind of like himself. You just know he’s one of those loser nerds who uses his writing to convince himself that he’s doing something “worthwhile†and goofs off the rest of the time.â€
“Shh!†Rachell hissed. “You lackwit, do you realize you’re talking about the omnipotent god of our universe? He could slate you for a horrible death at any moment!â€
Jasper shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself. “He’s not a God, he’s an Author. There’s a difference. Besides, I’m scheduled for a horrible death anyway. I’m to die in a nuclear explosion, for the Triune’s sakes. And it won’t even be a heroic sacrifice. I’m essentially a tragic character beginning to end. I don’t think he could make it any worse for me.â€
Both of the others cringed in expectation of something terrible at the last statement — a giant space cow landing on Jasper’s head, for instance, or a killer rabbit appearing out of a warp in spacetime. But nothing happened.
Jasper gave a triumphant puff on his pipe. A smoke ring curled up towards the sky, currently a very pale shade of green. “See, I told you. I’m being tormented enough in the story without suffering out of it as well.â€
“How do you know that?†Isambard inquired.
Captain Jasper gave him a weary smile. “I peeked at the Author’s notes. You see, up there, above the title, where it says, ‘Venting Chapter or Letting Characters Flame Off Weird Ideas.’â€
Isambard squinted upward, shading his eyes, but could not read the string of black characters in neat lines, far up in the green sky. He shook his head angrily and looked down. “I’d better not. We get penalized if we break the fourth wall too much. Why is the sky green, anyway?â€
“I think it’s to emphasize that we’re not all in what is generally called ‘reality,’†Rachell surmised. “After all, it does look so like a midnight San Francisco street that people might get confused.â€
“There’s less neon,†Isambard commented, “and it’s a lot quieter. So one of the abandoned neighborhoods… does San Francisco have any abandoned neighborhoods?â€
“See, look,†Jasper said, “the author doesn’t even know anything about the real world. Pitiful, almost. Oh, dear, it seems he forgot to capitalize Author that time.â€
Rachell gave him a severe look. “Now that is leaning too hard on the fourth wall. Reading our own lines? Bad form.â€
Jasper puffed on his pipe again. “At this point, I couldn’t care less. Being a fictional character is really a bad gig, you know?â€
“It’s not so bad,†Isambard reflected. “After all, we know everything the author knows… and we know a few things that the Author doesn’t.†He grinned, and prudently refrained from pointing out the lack of capitalization in his dialogue. “Remember, Jasper, you were supposed to be some random surveyor like us until you took control and demanded that the survivor suffering from hypothermia would turn out to be the Captain.â€
“I have to agree,†said a voice from further off, with the sort of deep yet not quite resonant tones of a boy on the cusp of adulthood. “All in all, I’ve gotten a pretty good story so far.â€
All three of them turned their heads to see someone traipsing down the sidewalk. He was a boy of perhaps fourteen or fifteen, with brown hair and a light dusting of freckles. He wore clothing so ripped and stained that it was impossible to tell what it had once been, what era it had come from, or what species it had been intended for. A rich and incongruous cape draped carelessly over his shoulder; silver, but swirling with all the colors of an oil slick. He carried a small, battered, hardback library book in one hand, with flaking gold lettering on the cover and spine.
Captain Lewis Jasper smiled. “Max Caraway, I presume? What are you doing here? This isn’t your story.â€
Max smiled. “Nor is it yours. This is what Professor Jones calls the ‘space between spaces.’ It didn’t even exist until a couple of hours ago, nor will it exist when we all leave. The Author called it into being because he needed more words. He’s willing to reach out to all of his novels to get it.â€
“He must be pretty desperate,†Isambard commented. “I mean, he’s not normally the sort who’d stoop to a venting chapter.â€
Max shrugged. “It is his junior year.â€
Rachell raised a sculpted eyebrow. “That’s no excuse for bad writing.â€
“Personally,†Isambard said, “I think it’s down to the amount of research involved. Both this year and last year fell apart near the end — although I like to think we haven’t fallen apart yet — while your stories both had a satisfactory conclusion.†He pointed at Max.
“That’s true,†Max replied. “Although the Fourhenge tales had all the imaginative cohesion of a wastepaper basket, they were a lot of fun. It’s a pity they were never finished.†The enigmatic smile on his face faded for the first time. “I still don’t know if my parents survived. Probably never will.â€
“You think you have it bad?†came a new voice out of the shadows. “At least you got some closure. My story never got a proper finish.â€
Another figure appeared on the street; a woman clad in an oddly cut indigo business suit. She was short, black, and almost bald but for a pale fuzz on her scalp. Something silver and spidery glittered behind an ear.
“Abeni Noble,†Max said, and gave her a deferential nod. “We didn’t think you would show up.â€
She let out a light, silvery laugh. “Oh, please! When I heard we were all gathering to complain about the Author, I came here as fast as I could. I never even found out whether the villain died or not. There was no conclusion. The climax was a chase through half a dozen weird spaceship halls, and the denouement came in the form of a radio interview twenty years later. And don’t get me started on my character development. The Author dropped all these enticing hints and didn’t follow them up. What about my father? Why was I so rebellious? How did I get this latent telepathic ability, for God’s sake? And I sure didn’t do any geology, for a so-called geologist. It was pathetic. And I was supposedly more interesting than the ‘main character?’ Mind you, that Sikorsky didn’t do himself any favors. You†— and here she pointed at Isambard, Rachell, and Captain Jasper — “are very lucky that your story has gotten this far.â€
Isambard nodded. “And now the gang’s all here. Wonderful. Shall we go have a drink?â€
Last month several MBers complained that their characters were getting out of control, but this takes the pie.
Wait till they reach the Bar with the Unreasonably Long Name. I spent a significant amount of time staring at the screen and thinking “Did I really just write that?”
“Does this town even have any bars?†Rachell asked. “I mean, it’s entirely fictional. And as far as we know, entirely empty but for us.â€
“There will be a bar, now that we’ve suggested it,†Jasper said. “The Author seems to be going with the flow a lot this time around. He’s trying to make up for his lack of planning.â€
Max raised a finger. “Can I point out that I’m underage?â€
“Come on,†Abeni laughed, “it’s not like that matters here.â€
“Don’t corrupt our youth,†Captain Jasper said severely. “Just because we’re fictional doesn’t mean we can afford to be irresponsible.â€
“I don’t know about you,†Isambard said, “but I’m off to find this bar. I know there’s one in the city now, because the Author wouldn’t send me on a wild goose chase when there’s an opportunity for words in it. I don’t fancy facing a revenant in my head, especially not sober.â€
“But… you will be sober in the story,†Abeni said quizzically. “The last drink you had on-page was back in Pike’s Town. Not even MacPherson’s moonshine could keep you drunk that long.â€
“I hope to get drunk enough to forget that,†Isambard shot back.
“What’s going on here?†Rachell demanded. “First Jasper’s a chain-smoker, now you’re suddenly some kind of lush…â€
“I am not a chain-smoker!†Jasper interjected. “This is finest Gleonarphy tobacco!â€
Abeni gave her a weary smile. “A lot of characters have unhealthy coping mechanisms behind the scenes. You know as well as I do how difficult it is to come to terms with the fact that you’re a helpless plaything of a sadistic creator with an overactive imagination.â€
Isambard shot the bald woman a disapproving look. “I’ll have you know that I generally drink in moderation. Not all of us have your depressing outlook on life as a fictional character.â€
Max shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll join you, but I won’t have a drink. That satisfy all of you?â€
Jasper and Abeni both nodded in the affirmative, and the five of them set off down the vaguely described, generic city street, under the pale green sky, in search of an imaginary bar.
It didn’t take long for them to find one. After all, it was the only lit establishment on the entire street, possibly in the entire imaginary city. Golden light spilled out of the window and through the cracks around the door. Its name was inscribed on the window in tiny six-point font, but still took up most of the glass.
“Now why,†Abeni said, “why would the Author come up with such an insanely long name and not write it all out? It’s so obviously a grab for words! I mean, it’s at least one hundred, if not more!â€
“Perhaps,†Max pointed out, “he’s trying to prove he still has some pride as an Author.â€
“Pride?†Jasper snorted. “The fact that he’s even writing this chapter proves he’s given up on pride in his work. He’s resigned himself to being a talentless hack.â€
“I’m getting a lot of bitterness from you,†Max said reprovingly. “Just because you’re not getting a happy ending doesn’t mean that you have the right to condemn the Author’s entire oeuvre. Am I using the word ‘oeuvre’ correctly?†He opened the book and seemed to check something inside it. After a moment of turning pages, he snapped it shut, apparently satisfied. “After all, the audience can fall in love with tragic characters too.â€
“That won’t do me any good,†Jasper griped. “Still, the name doesn’t make a lot of sense.â€
“Why would it?†Rachell wondered. “It’s a clear ploy to increase our word count. There’s no point in it making sense.â€
“But if it’s an obvious ploy, why hasn’t he written it out??†Abeni protested.
“This is giving me a headache,†Isambard said, rubbing his temples. “Let’s just go inside.â€
I think I love you.
It’s actually a pretty awesome and original idea, to write something about characters who talk about the ‘author’ and who know they’re actually in a book.
They’d not gotten two steps into the bar with the unreasonably long name before they were confronted by a clanking mechanical monstrosity, totally out of place among the tastefully paneled walls and still life portraits of carefully arranged tropical fruit. It projected from the wall on a plated and many-pistoned arrangement wrapped in dangling cables and gutta-percha hoses, which was articulated so that it could move in any direction. After projecting straight out for about three feet, it bent upwards to support an armored torso, arms and head like a robotic centaur. The design was patterned after ancient Greek armor, but made from a metal with the dark, soft gleam of lead. Glowing green eyes peeked balefully out of the sockets of the helmet below the bobbing horsehair crest, and steam gushed from ill-secured joints and florid, projecting exhaust pipes, filling the room with hot mist and condensation.
“This is deeply surreal,†commented Max, a teenager who messed with people’s dreams for a living. “What is it?â€
“I think it’s the bouncer,†Isambard commented, studying it. “It’s probably a projection of all the Author’s unrealistic ideas that he didn’t get to put into Skyfall. Remember, we were supposed to be vaguely steampunkish until he decided that wouldn’t work and we turned out more Jack London than Scott Westerfield.â€
“Good thing, too,†Captain Jasper declared. “I hate airships.â€
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were little robotic airships inside, whirring around and serving drinks,†Isambard surmised.
Jasper shot him a disgusted look. “You just had to say that, didn’t you? Now there will be.â€
The clanking mechanical monstrosity studied them for a moment, then waved them through a much smaller door.
“I’m surprised I didn’t get carded,†Max whispered.
The head under the impractical Roman helmet swiveled like a gun turret. “ANY DRINKS SERVED TO MINORS WILL IMMEDIATELY AND SPONTANEOUSLY BECOME A PARTICULARLY DISGUSTING BRAND OF ORANGE JUICE. YOU HAVE BEEN ADVISED.â€
“That thing hears like a bat,†Abeni said, admiringly.
“A NUMBER OF LONG-EARED BATS CONTRIBUTED BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS TO MY CONSTRUCTION. KNOWLEDGE IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR FUTURE!â€
“Oh, no, someone’s set it to Trivia Mode again,†came a muffled voice from within the bar. “Kilroy, go and reset it, would you?â€
A tall and well-proportioned woman strode out the door almost immediately, grumbling. “Why is it always my turn? How much did we pay for this thing? It never works properly anyway, just a useless heap of cogs…â€
A small dirigible airship whirred around her head, red elevator fins clacking back and forth. A drinks tray hung below it on fine chains like an odd-shaped gondola. Jasper let out a sigh that sounded depressed, but with undertones of vindication.
Then the woman vanished through the door again, returned bearing a miniature harpoon gun, and shot the airship through the envelope. It was pinned to the wall in less than a second, motors whirring helplessly.
She shrugged apologetically. “Sorry about that. We imported them as transportation and waiters, but their Babbage calculators’ self-repair systems went out of hand, and, long story short, they went feral about three years ago. They wouldn’t be much more than a nuisance, but some of them have learned how to synthesize poisons in their fuel tanks. We still haven’t managed to exterminate them.â€
Abeni’s mouth had dropped open in disbelief about halfway through this little speech. Now she regained her voice. “Self-willed automata going feral? With a Victorian-equivalent level of technology? That’s absolutely ludicrous. Unfeasible. Impossible.â€
“Just because you come from a hard science fiction universe doesn’t mean you can hold everyone else to your own exacting standards,†Isambard pointed out reasonably. “Some readers can suspend their disbelief for fantasy, you know.â€
“Yeah, yeah, de gustibus non est disputandum,†Abeni grumbled.
“WITH CARE, UP TO TWO LIMBS CAN BE REMOVED FROM A CHILD WITHOUT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRING ITS FUTURE CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY. KNOWLEDGE IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR FUTURE!â€
“Oh, crikey,†the woman named Kilroy interjected. “I’d better repair this sack of hoses sharpish, before it gets on to the really disturbing trivia.†She marched up to the Clanking Mechanical Monstrosity and opened a panel in its side, tinkering with the fiddly golden struts inside. “Ah, I see the problem. One of the gears in the Taste & Discernment column has slipped loose, and the whole stack is contra-rotating. This could have put a fatal jam in the Social Aptitude assembly if it had gone on much longer.†Kilroy plunged her arm up to the shoulder in the C. M. M.’s metallic guts and slid something back into place with an echoing snap. The steaming creature slammed back to attention.
Abeni seemed scandalized by this flagrant violation of computational science, but Rachell approved of it, reminded of the Automated Butler she possessed in Skyfall. “I wonder how they designed this,†she mused. “The Author probably made it up on the spot because he thinks it looks cool, but everything has a layer that he doesn’t know about.â€
Kilroy winked. “Shh. Don’t let on. He’s probably guessed more than we think by now.â€
The others, reprimanded, kept their silence and passed through the door.
You are an amazing writer.
Seconded.
Max was the first to speak up. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Max Caraway, Inspirator (journeyman rank), lately of the Fourhenge Quartet.†He paused, looking abashed. “Actually, it’s only the Fourhenge Duology… Flamehenge and Windhenge are the only ones completed so far, and according to the Author I’m likely to remain unfinished.†He gestured to the book in his hand. “And this is the Somniad Merlinus, Inspirator (immortal rank), currently in biblious form, of the same series.â€
Isambard took the hint and made the introductions for his party. “Isambard Rhys, railroad surveyor; Rachell Kensington, Rector-Professor second class; Captain Lewis Rhymbalt Jasper, explorer extraordinaire. We’re all from Skyfall, the currently unfinished novel above.†He waved a hand in the general direction of the ceiling, and the sky beyond.
“Abeni Noble,†the woman from the future said, with a complex hand movement that had been developed when explorers found that bowing and shaking hands were exceedingly awkward in zero gravity. “Geologist. Formerly attached to the starship Balboa, of the Blueverse novel Where Angels Fear to Tread. At your service.â€
Their host bowed. “I am Ruth Kilroy, bartender, extranormal mechanic, and occasional therapist. I hail from the fragment Alastair Barnes, a novel or story which, unfortunately, never panned out and is thus relegated to an unregarded back corner of the Author’s Google Documents account. However, I’ve managed to make quite a nice living here.â€
“And here is… where?†said Max, slightly stunned.
“Let’s call it the Bar with the Unreasonably Long Name and leave it at that, shall we? It’s where we all go on our… days off. I’m surprised it took you this long to find it.â€
“But…†Isambard stuttered, as they squirmed through a dark, narrow passage smelling strongly of mothballs. “It didn’t even exist until five minutes ago, when the Author thought of it.â€
“But once he thought of it, it had existed for over twenty years. I’ll explain in more detail once I’ve introduced you to some of the regulars, shall I?â€
Light exploded around them. Blinking away the stars in his eyes, Max was the first to see the whole thing. It was a long, low, narrow room full of exquisitely carved wooden tables, with a well-stocked bar at the far end. Fans whirred on the ceiling, sending gusts of tepid air through the atmosphere that smelled of wood smoke. A few feral miniature airships darted and swooped among them, sailing on the breezes to conserve power, or latching onto the fans, using the rotation to rewind their clockwork brains.
“Characters come and go,†Kilroy said, with a touch of pride in her eye, “but here at the Bar with the Unreasonably Long Name, there are a few fundamental concepts that remain.â€
She pointed to a space on the floor that had been cleared of tables. There was someone dancing there, a pretty young woman with hair like a dandelion seed. Her skin, her hair and her billowing dress were all the brilliant white of new paper. Though the dance steps seemed to form part of a grand pattern, if Max looked closer, he saw that they never repeated themselves. He could hear the music that she danced to in his head, a high, clear pattern of seven fife notes, endlessly varied but with a theme running through them all like a connecting strand of gold–
Kilroy snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Nobody ever hears the same song from her,†she said. “That’s Beginning. She’s one of our best customers, but if you watch her dance for too long, you’ll never get anything done.†She pointed to another table, where a large and bulky man in mismatched armor was regaling a large crowd with questionable jokes, guffawing through his thick red beard. “That is Middle. He’s a versatile chap. Don’t let the giant hammer fool you, he’s quite capable of repairing a Swiss watch with his bare hands and a safety pin. An avid gardener, too – he always provides the bouquets on feast days.
“And that is End,†she continued, gesturing at a large, lynx-like cat snoozing on the table, “although he prefers to be called Resolution, or Denouement. He says that the actual End is a person of no background, though how he knows that is anyone’s guess.â€
Max and the others peered curiously at the cat, whose fur was patterned in elegant geometric shapes of black and gold, but before they got more than a glimpse an irritating chuckle rang out above their heads. Something was roosting in the rafters.
“Is that another of your regulars?†Jasper said, curiously.
Kilroy looked faintly disgusted. “Oh, God, no. That’s What She Said. We’ve never been able to get rid of him. He’s worse than the airships.†She sighted along the barrel of the harpoon gun and fired again. The projectile vanished among the tangled rafters, and there was a shriek of pain. Several fluffy, yellow feathers drifted earthward. “I only wounded him. He’ll be back for more, I’m sure.â€
That’s What She Said.
Brilliant!
“And who is that?†Rachell asked, In a tone like that of an elderly spinster encountering a dead vole in her bathtub.
The others followed her incredulous gaze to one of the bar stools. The Personage who sat upon it (hunched might be a better word) was mostly obscured by a ragged trench coat, heavily encrusted with dried mud. Dirty water dripped off his Wellington boots. His battered straw sombrero was of the type sold to clueless tourists for extravagant prices in gift shops all over the Spanish-speaking world, and something had taken a large bite out of its brim in the recent past, giving it a rakish look. The face under the sombrero was unshaven and unwashed. Dark eyes glinted within, constantly moving.
A shovel leaned against the bar next to him. It was a long and heavy one, impossibly decorative, with a polished wooden handle and a blade that gleamed in the golden light. The edge of the shovel had left deep marks in the floor.
“That is the Traveling Shovel of Death,†Kilroy said grimly. “Don’t go too close to it. From its condition, it looks like it’s almost done draining the life from its current wielder and will be looking for a new one.â€
“How does a place like this exist?†Abeni said wonderingly. “The Author just made it up yesterday.â€
Kilroy smiled at her. “That’s the secret. I think it’s time he found out, even if it means breaking the fourth wall. He doesn’t make up anything. It all exists in potentia from the first moment of creation. The Author just writes it down.†She turned around, looking into the eyes of each in turn. “He hasn’t the slightest control over what words flow onto the page. The characters and the plot dictate what happens, not him. Oh, he can bend the story to his will through brute force of writing, but it will lose its soul – it won’t be true any longer, and soon he’ll have to acquiesce or give up. He can’t control your stories without destroying himself.â€
“Now that you’re done giving them the motivational speech,†said a sour, languid voice, “can I meet the fresh meat – er, visitors?â€
“This is Lovelace,†Kilroy said. “He’s an old softie really, he’s just in a bad mood because it’s the waning moon.â€
“Really,†said Max. “I’ve heard of a species whose temperament is governed by the tides, but nothing like this. What is he?â€
“I’m from the same fragment as she is,†said the source of the voice, a fellow perched on the bar like a gigantic bird. His hair was gray and grizzled, falling past his shoulders in a magnificent tangle, but his face and hands were those of a young man. “I’m a werewolf. And a poet, which you could say is the source of my bad mood.â€
“I see,†said Isambard. “Suffering from a lack of inspiration?â€
“That’s not it at all,†Lovelace replied. “I’m not a poet normally. Just during the full moon – at which time I lack opposable thumbs and can only speak in unutterably terrible howls. So I can’t write any of the poems down, and I forget them the moment I become human again.â€
Captain Jasper nodded. “So, in essence, you have a terminal case of writer’s block when you’re a human?â€
“Don’t say its name!†Kilroy yelled in panic, but it was already too late.
Is anybody editing theirs yet?