Oh, disappeared there for a while. Been working hard on the first draft of Knight. I'm seven chapters (give or take) away from the end of the first draft. My goal is to finish by December 9th, because then life gets hectic as I head to NJ for the holidays and I don't want to potentially leave two or three chapters unwritten for a month.
So, I won NaNo! Sort of, I mean, by there definition maybe not so much, since it was not a brand new idea that I started and completed in 50,000 words. But I did write 50,000 words, most for Knight. But I also started planning the next book I want to work on, as well as Book 2 in the Mist Walkers series. And I also wrote a bunch of little snippets from future books, new story ideas, just for fun, etc.
It was a great experience, especially having my writing buddy to act as cheerleader while she worked on her own NaNo (she also won!).
That's basically what I've been working on, that and eagerly awaiting new episodes of One Piece and Once Upon a Time.
It's so great to see the Strawhats all back together again! Just goes to show how great a writer Oda is (in my opinion), where for 2 years (literally and in the story), we were exclusively following Luffy and only got a handful of scenes to update us on the other characters! Now, I started watching One Piece over the summer, so I didn't actually have a two year wait to see the reunion, and you can bet there were several arcs, the Marineford arc the most recent, that my boy and I watched in marathon runs over several weekends. I was actually the one making us slow down during the Marine/Whitebeard war since I knew we'd soon catch up to the real schedule! And man, does it hurt having to wait a week for one new episode when you're used to sitting down a watching eight episodes over a weekend. Ouch!
Luckily, Castle has picked up it's pace and is back to be the wonderful show it is! I wasn't completely upset with the opening episodes to the season, they were just soo dark, and there were several scenes I knew I was giggling at that I wasn't supposed to, and I just wanted to see classic Castle goodness. Surprisingly, one of the last episodes I've seen was a dramatic one, and wow! Amazing! The way they shot it was perfect. So I know Castle can do great dramatic episodes, I just don't want that to be dragging over several episodes at a time. Castle, at its heart, is comedy first. Maybe that's just me.
Also, Once Upon a Time has been so much fun. I forget the name of the actor playing Rumplestiltskin - and am too lazy to check right now - but he is fantastic! Creepy, and mysterious, and a little crazy, just awesome. And it's been a lot of fun seeing new character unveiled, and getting fairy tale backstories. I'm not sure how it will last more than one season, but that's something to worry about later. Right now it's fun just watching things unfold.
And now that I've talked more about TV than writing, I'm jumping into the next chapter. I would love to finish three today, but I'll be happy with two. I've been stewing on them all week!
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaNoWriMo. Show all posts
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
NaNoWriMo Update!
So, I've fallen a little behind with my NaNo word count. It happened on Friday that we went out and ended up meeting up with some friends, and then continuing the small party in our apartment (and by party, I mean we bought a bunch of candy to chow down on and played Mario Kart). It was a very fun time, but it meant I didn't write a single word.
To make matter worse, Saturday was a "down day." You know the type - where every word you write is the worst word in the whole world, and every sentence is terrible, and why did I ever think anyone would find my idea interesting? So I wrote what I could because not only was I behind on NaNo but I also had a chapter due to my writing buddy the next day. Then I played some Final Fantasy X-2.
But Sunday, wow, did I make up for it. I wrote almost 5,000 words, which I think is pretty good, considering the most I normally write a day (during NaNo) is 2,000. And now I'm still a little behind, but it's no longer by an overwhelming amount.
For all of you participating in NaNo, I hope you're still on schedule! And if you're not, well, maybe you'll have a Sunday like I did.
One thing I did do on Saturday was start drawing very silly pictures of my characters. They're very silly, rough pictures, and I gathered them all together so you can see them below. If I ever make any more detailed ones, I'll post them too. (I am not an artist, by the way, but I do find silly drawings like this fun, helpful, and relaxing)
Do you ever draw your characters? Let me know!
To make matter worse, Saturday was a "down day." You know the type - where every word you write is the worst word in the whole world, and every sentence is terrible, and why did I ever think anyone would find my idea interesting? So I wrote what I could because not only was I behind on NaNo but I also had a chapter due to my writing buddy the next day. Then I played some Final Fantasy X-2.
But Sunday, wow, did I make up for it. I wrote almost 5,000 words, which I think is pretty good, considering the most I normally write a day (during NaNo) is 2,000. And now I'm still a little behind, but it's no longer by an overwhelming amount.
For all of you participating in NaNo, I hope you're still on schedule! And if you're not, well, maybe you'll have a Sunday like I did.
One thing I did do on Saturday was start drawing very silly pictures of my characters. They're very silly, rough pictures, and I gathered them all together so you can see them below. If I ever make any more detailed ones, I'll post them too. (I am not an artist, by the way, but I do find silly drawings like this fun, helpful, and relaxing)
Do you ever draw your characters? Let me know!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
NaNoWriMo Update!
Well it's Day 2 of this year's NaNoWriMo!
I'm happy to say that I'm on schedule. I've come up with my own little system to see me through this challenge. Basically, I split the work into three, 600 word parts for each day. After I reach 600 words I take a little break - watch an episode of my latest Korean Drama Boys Over Flowers, or play some Final Fantasy X-2 (so many things about this game that are just wrong, but I love the leveling system), or read from the latest book I'm tackling (focused on Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman).
I am surprised to find that I'm jumping around a lot more than I expected to, and not in what story I'm writing. I initially planned to use NaNoWriMo to speed up how I was writing my next major book, Knight, start mapping a completely different type of book, a YA post-apocalyptic piece tentatively titled The Wandering Shadow, and work on a short story idea. I figured I'd probably use each section to work on each project, but instead I've mostly been devoting it to Knight.
However, I've been jumping around Knight, writing snippets of scenes for later chapter, or even later books (Knight is the first book in a three of four book series). Just before starting this post I wrote the last scene for book three. Luckily, between yesterday and today I've also worked on the next two chapters that I need to actually write, so I'm not that worried. It's just I've been working hard at keeping myself focused on the first book of my series. In high school and undergrad I remember starting so many books that were going to be the first of an epic series. I'd burn myself out trying to juggle so many ideas. It wasn't until I sat down to write The Eternal Queen, a stand-alone novel, that I finally completed a book and not a short story.
Do you ever find yourself doing that?
But it is my dream to write a few series, starting with Mist Walkers, of which Knight is Book One. I want to see how I grow characters when they have several books to experience things and struggle through the ups and downs of living in a world surrounded by a suffocating fog concealing Monsters and Dragons. And treasures, if you know where to look, as Gaspar would say.
To everyone participating in NaNoWriMo, how are you doing? Are you on schedule? Don't worry if you're not, you have time to make up for a slow start, and most of all, it's all about having fun and writing.
I'm happy to say that I'm on schedule. I've come up with my own little system to see me through this challenge. Basically, I split the work into three, 600 word parts for each day. After I reach 600 words I take a little break - watch an episode of my latest Korean Drama Boys Over Flowers, or play some Final Fantasy X-2 (so many things about this game that are just wrong, but I love the leveling system), or read from the latest book I'm tackling (focused on Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman).
I am surprised to find that I'm jumping around a lot more than I expected to, and not in what story I'm writing. I initially planned to use NaNoWriMo to speed up how I was writing my next major book, Knight, start mapping a completely different type of book, a YA post-apocalyptic piece tentatively titled The Wandering Shadow, and work on a short story idea. I figured I'd probably use each section to work on each project, but instead I've mostly been devoting it to Knight.
However, I've been jumping around Knight, writing snippets of scenes for later chapter, or even later books (Knight is the first book in a three of four book series). Just before starting this post I wrote the last scene for book three. Luckily, between yesterday and today I've also worked on the next two chapters that I need to actually write, so I'm not that worried. It's just I've been working hard at keeping myself focused on the first book of my series. In high school and undergrad I remember starting so many books that were going to be the first of an epic series. I'd burn myself out trying to juggle so many ideas. It wasn't until I sat down to write The Eternal Queen, a stand-alone novel, that I finally completed a book and not a short story.
Do you ever find yourself doing that?
But it is my dream to write a few series, starting with Mist Walkers, of which Knight is Book One. I want to see how I grow characters when they have several books to experience things and struggle through the ups and downs of living in a world surrounded by a suffocating fog concealing Monsters and Dragons. And treasures, if you know where to look, as Gaspar would say.
To everyone participating in NaNoWriMo, how are you doing? Are you on schedule? Don't worry if you're not, you have time to make up for a slow start, and most of all, it's all about having fun and writing.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
National Novel Writing Month
We're so close to November, and you know what that means - National Novel Writing Month.
I've tried to participate in NaNoWriMo several times, and I failed several time. It was always one thing or another - November is a busy month, especially when you're in undergrad. However, in 2009 I competed with two writing buddies and we all finished! It was actually perfect timing, since I had been stewing on the Eternal Queen for half a year (at that time I was calling it The Red Queen), had just graduated from school into unemployment, and just moved to Chicago. So it was a great time for fresh starts.
Naturally, I've been editing the Eternal Queen off and on since, finally finishing edits (well, you never really finish edits) and now I'm querying. But, this year I think I'm going to try NaNoWriMo again for my new book, Knight: Book One in the Mist Walkers series. Or I'll try it just to have a guaranteed word count per day to shoot for, haha.
I've got at least one writing buddy already lined up to compete as well, and a wonderful support group of friends and family. And a boyfriend who will shake his head disapprovingly if I try to weasel my way out my word counts, -_-. Nothing like the threat of a STARE OF DOOM to keep your fingers on the keyboard.
To anyone thinking of participating, good luck! And, if NaNoWriMo ever finishes the writing buddies feature, I'll post my sn on the right sidebar (at the very top) and you should add me! I've literally found that writing becomes a lot more fun and productive when you've got a writing buddy to toss ideas with and to act as a cheerleader.
I've tried to participate in NaNoWriMo several times, and I failed several time. It was always one thing or another - November is a busy month, especially when you're in undergrad. However, in 2009 I competed with two writing buddies and we all finished! It was actually perfect timing, since I had been stewing on the Eternal Queen for half a year (at that time I was calling it The Red Queen), had just graduated from school into unemployment, and just moved to Chicago. So it was a great time for fresh starts.
Naturally, I've been editing the Eternal Queen off and on since, finally finishing edits (well, you never really finish edits) and now I'm querying. But, this year I think I'm going to try NaNoWriMo again for my new book, Knight: Book One in the Mist Walkers series. Or I'll try it just to have a guaranteed word count per day to shoot for, haha.
I've got at least one writing buddy already lined up to compete as well, and a wonderful support group of friends and family. And a boyfriend who will shake his head disapprovingly if I try to weasel my way out my word counts, -_-. Nothing like the threat of a STARE OF DOOM to keep your fingers on the keyboard.
To anyone thinking of participating, good luck! And, if NaNoWriMo ever finishes the writing buddies feature, I'll post my sn on the right sidebar (at the very top) and you should add me! I've literally found that writing becomes a lot more fun and productive when you've got a writing buddy to toss ideas with and to act as a cheerleader.
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