Finished the second draft. Ended up around 130k words. Now to edit this 14.5k word chapter down to a reasonable size for submission to a competition...
Last year, I finally decided I was going to do this because I needed to start writing again. So I signed up. And wrote 0 words. This year, my humble goal is just to get 1000 words. Once I get started, I know I'll get somewhere (probably the full 5000), but I can't manage to even think of a starting point. I guess I have 13 days to come up with something, eh? haha
As I do in every writing thread in SE++ I'm going to remind everybody that the Writing Block IRC room exists. I just go to it through mibbit.com or you can use whatever downloaded program you want that does IRC stuff.
The server they need to connect to is: irc.slashnet.org
Then join the room: #thewritersblock
We don't always talk about writing, but if people ask questions we usually provide responses and in November we are pretty good about organizing writing sprints and actually talking about writing.
FishmanPut your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain.Registered Userregular
edited October 2013
I think I have my ... tale. I'm not confident enough to name it a 'novel', yet. But I think I have a situation, and some characters, that I can muddy through finding something to say for a good while.
I'm going sci-fi; at least I'm on familiar ground there. I guess it would be considered perhaps close to Firefly, although I'd hesitate to call that the inspiration. I feel more "space age-of-sail" than "space western", with a streak of influences I intend to garnish over the top. Hopefully I can just keep rotating between attempting to channel Raymond Chandler, Philip K. Dick, and Robert Louis Stevenson* for long enough to carry me to the end. I just wanted something pulpy and throwaway where at any moment I can drop in Chandler's law to keep me moving towards the end.
I'm trepidatious, but itching to begin. What do I do now? What preperation haven't I done? It's all a mystery to me; I suspect I'll be tripping over myself for all the prep I haven't done once I'm underway.
I guess I should actually sign up at the offial website or whatever; you know, I didn't even know that there was a blog or sign up at all before this thread. I just thought people went out and did it. So much to discover!
That's unbelievably cool. Your new name is cool guy. Let's have sex.
+3
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
edited October 2013
I need to work out my plot. I keep getting wrapped up in worldbuilding.
Just spent the last hour or so working out the exact dates and notable events in some wars between countries that don't even exist any more when my story takes place.
Also @Fishman that story idea sounds fantastic and I hope I get to read it some day
A professor walking around his campus, waiting for an event to start in which he meets an old lover, looks back on what he considers to be the most important semester of his college career, where he determined his lifelong dream and desire.
My story is about a theme park where rich people go to hunt poor people. Rich folks have modern weaponry and poor people have to make do with what they have. The object isn't really to kill everyone but to take over their keep, but not everyone is merciful. A third element is introduced and attacks both sides, and if they win they'll go beyond the walls of the theme park and attack everyone.
DS: 2667 5365 3193 | 2DS: 2852-8590-3716
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
It's mainly the shaman and the soldier, I know I want them in there because I think they'd be fun characters to write, but I haven't figured out yet how to give them plots that tie in with the other three.
I'll probably just end up using some magical macguffin, I'd rather not but it makes things easier.
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Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
It's mainly the shaman and the soldier, I know I want them in there because I think they'd be fun characters to write, but I haven't figured out yet how to give them plots that tie in with the other three.
I'll probably just end up using some magical macguffin, I'd rather not but it makes things easier.
ahem
scholar and retired soldier are investigating [insert legend] and stumble upon a mythical beast that only appears every X centuries and inadvertently cause it to flee, screwing up the monster hunter's hunt, creating the hunter's vendetta. Because the beast flees without landing at a temple like it's supposed to or something, it is a portent of a grander, more ominous legend that threatens existence, which the shaman tells them about when he seeks them out and starts ranting and raving that he has to help them fulfill this legend in a way that's beneficial to the land, as his god demands. This Ominous Legend becomes known to the magical and political elite within the capital city, and a group of conspirators feel it is the opportunity/necessary to depose the Queen (maybe the legend hinges on some prophecy about who's ruling or revolution) and induct the queen's political adviser (who is the brother of the scholar) into their schemes, but through his covert machinations triggers the suspicion of those loyal to the queen who hire an assassin to off him, but the assassin actually wants revenge on the queen's family because the assassin is a long-overthrown royal family's heir and also the the monster hunter IS the queen, btw, she just goes plainclothes padme-style when she's hunting BOOM connected
basically just think really hard about the movie Crash and you, too, can black out and write a plot synopsis like that one
They missed Vinland. How they wound up in India, nobody knows, but this band of vikings was Valhalla-bound no longer. Cast aside by their gods of lightning and frost, they followed their new buddhist teachings and found themselves incarnated forever.
Well, until 1982, when the youngest of their band found that his compatriots were being snuffed out, permanently. Emerging from a throng of groupies and a cloud of smoke, the drummer for hit metal group Hammerblow must face literal demons from his past, with his eternal fate at stake. And maybe the fate of the world.
AntimatterDevo Was RightGates of SteelRegistered Userregular
I'm going to do this for the first time ever this year because I can't make myself write any of the ideas I've come up with so I'm going to try 50,000 words of something new
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
It's mainly the shaman and the soldier, I know I want them in there because I think they'd be fun characters to write, but I haven't figured out yet how to give them plots that tie in with the other three.
I'll probably just end up using some magical macguffin, I'd rather not but it makes things easier.
ahem
scholar and retired soldier are investigating [insert legend] and stumble upon a mythical beast that only appears every X centuries and inadvertently cause it to flee, screwing up the monster hunter's hunt, creating the hunter's vendetta. Because the beast flees without landing at a temple like it's supposed to or something, it is a portent of a grander, more ominous legend that threatens existence, which the shaman tells them about when he seeks them out and starts ranting and raving that he has to help them fulfill this legend in a way that's beneficial to the land, as his god demands. This Ominous Legend becomes known to the magical and political elite within the capital city, and a group of conspirators feel it is the opportunity/necessary to depose the Queen (maybe the legend hinges on some prophecy about who's ruling or revolution) and induct the queen's political adviser (who is the brother of the scholar) into their schemes, but through his covert machinations triggers the suspicion of those loyal to the queen who hire an assassin to off him, but the assassin actually wants revenge on the queen's family because the assassin is a long-overthrown royal family's heir and also the the monster hunter IS the queen, btw, she just goes plainclothes padme-style when she's hunting BOOM connected
basically just think really hard about the movie Crash and you, too, can black out and write a plot synopsis like that one
You're a wizard. This is... nothing like the story I was thinking about. But I may pillage it for ideas anyway.
Every year I say I'm going to take part in this, as it starts around the same time my uni semester ends, give or take a week (that I then need to catch up on).
However, I'm always so burnt out from writing papers all semester that I get massive writers block and just play video games all November.
Maybe this time will be different?
Ehh who am I kidding.
Morblitz on
3DS Pokemon Y Friend Code: 0645 5780 8920
Please shoot me a PM if you add me so I know to add you back.
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Zonugal(He/Him) The Holiday ArmadilloI'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered Userregular
I think I may try this for the first time.
I got ideas that need to be written.
Real shitty ideas...
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
have any of you thrown your hat into the proverbial ring for 30 Covers 30 Days? I did it just to challenge myself to actually write a plot synopsis for this thing and stuff.
I'm feeling better about getting this thing out of my head and into words this time around. The first draft of this book was like... almost all world building, so I feel a bit more confident that I have an actual story this time out.
The thread is ridiculously huge now but I think it's still a good exercise.
Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
I don't know what my story's about yet. I have 5 characters I know I want to feature, but I haven't worked out what connects them all.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
It's mainly the shaman and the soldier, I know I want them in there because I think they'd be fun characters to write, but I haven't figured out yet how to give them plots that tie in with the other three.
I'll probably just end up using some magical macguffin, I'd rather not but it makes things easier.
ahem
scholar and retired soldier are investigating [insert legend] and stumble upon a mythical beast that only appears every X centuries and inadvertently cause it to flee, screwing up the monster hunter's hunt, creating the hunter's vendetta. Because the beast flees without landing at a temple like it's supposed to or something, it is a portent of a grander, more ominous legend that threatens existence, which the shaman tells them about when he seeks them out and starts ranting and raving that he has to help them fulfill this legend in a way that's beneficial to the land, as his god demands. This Ominous Legend becomes known to the magical and political elite within the capital city, and a group of conspirators feel it is the opportunity/necessary to depose the Queen (maybe the legend hinges on some prophecy about who's ruling or revolution) and induct the queen's political adviser (who is the brother of the scholar) into their schemes, but through his covert machinations triggers the suspicion of those loyal to the queen who hire an assassin to off him, but the assassin actually wants revenge on the queen's family because the assassin is a long-overthrown royal family's heir and also the the monster hunter IS the queen, btw, she just goes plainclothes padme-style when she's hunting BOOM connected
basically just think really hard about the movie Crash and you, too, can black out and write a plot synopsis like that one
You're a wizard. This is... nothing like the story I was thinking about. But I may pillage it for ideas anyway.
Haha, I wouldn't think so. But maybe it can spark something!
I admit there's a bit of self-interest at work, too, seeing as I haven't been thinking enough about what I'm gonna do and need to get the juices juicing. I usually spend way too much time trying to perfect a story's premise, and if I'm gonna do nano it seems as good a time as any to try and get out of my head and just write some cool people doing stuff that makes coherent sense.
also I know that after reading Hullis' back-of-the-book blurb up there I'm not gonna like any of my premises nearly as much for a while
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
"When an RCMP bus convoy transporting superpowered criminals and new recruits across post-apocalytic Canada is attacked by monsters and stranded in the northern wilderness, a young recruit tries to stay alive, and protect his new comrades. But will he succeed with the monster still out there, the supercriminals still in custody, and winter fast approaching?"
I wish I'd seen this thread sooner, I could have avoided taking up space in the Dear Abbymatter thread with my nonsense a few days ago.
I'm working on various short stories right now, mostly born out of a post from that thread.
Hopefully the NaNoWri month can help me focus and keep me on schedule. 50k words across multiple short stories is also acceptable even though it's not a novel, correct?
I haven't been able to really get past the plotting phase in longer than I care to admit, so I'm somewhat excited to actually have typed something and hope to be able to keep that excitement and continue it to completion.
Lars on
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Theodore Flooseveltproud parent of eight beautiful girls and shalmelodorne (which is currently being ruled by a woman (awesome role model for my daughters)) #dornedadRegistered Userregular
so far, my notes read: write a mystery?
I feel it is thematically appropriate that I know nothing more
Posts
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
The server they need to connect to is: irc.slashnet.org
Then join the room: #thewritersblock
We don't always talk about writing, but if people ask questions we usually provide responses and in November we are pretty good about organizing writing sprints and actually talking about writing.
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
I'm going sci-fi; at least I'm on familiar ground there. I guess it would be considered perhaps close to Firefly, although I'd hesitate to call that the inspiration. I feel more "space age-of-sail" than "space western", with a streak of influences I intend to garnish over the top. Hopefully I can just keep rotating between attempting to channel Raymond Chandler, Philip K. Dick, and Robert Louis Stevenson* for long enough to carry me to the end. I just wanted something pulpy and throwaway where at any moment I can drop in Chandler's law to keep me moving towards the end.
I'm trepidatious, but itching to begin. What do I do now? What preperation haven't I done? It's all a mystery to me; I suspect I'll be tripping over myself for all the prep I haven't done once I'm underway.
I guess I should actually sign up at the offial website or whatever; you know, I didn't even know that there was a blog or sign up at all before this thread. I just thought people went out and did it. So much to discover!
*:Probably quite badly
Just spent the last hour or so working out the exact dates and notable events in some wars between countries that don't even exist any more when my story takes place.
Also @Fishman that story idea sounds fantastic and I hope I get to read it some day
A professor walking around his campus, waiting for an event to start in which he meets an old lover, looks back on what he considers to be the most important semester of his college career, where he determined his lifelong dream and desire.
That's probably a dumb way to try and plan a book but oh well.
Got an assassin out for revenge, a monster hunter with a vendetta plotting revolution, a scholar and retired soldier investigating legends for the army, a shaman who's either on a mission for the gods or insane, and a political adviser engaged in conspiracy.
It's... probably not going to make much sense.
We're not writing novels, though. We'll be writing short stories, and just belting them out until we hit the goal. Or past that, even.
Well, you could play it a few different ways. Did you want to bounce ideas around?
The page by page turn over is slower, but so much more rewarding to go back and read through.
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
High school worked for Brick
middle school... I feel like there's only so much you could believably do with that
I'd like to read it though!
It's mainly the shaman and the soldier, I know I want them in there because I think they'd be fun characters to write, but I haven't figured out yet how to give them plots that tie in with the other three.
I'll probably just end up using some magical macguffin, I'd rather not but it makes things easier.
ahem
scholar and retired soldier are investigating [insert legend] and stumble upon a mythical beast that only appears every X centuries and inadvertently cause it to flee, screwing up the monster hunter's hunt, creating the hunter's vendetta. Because the beast flees without landing at a temple like it's supposed to or something, it is a portent of a grander, more ominous legend that threatens existence, which the shaman tells them about when he seeks them out and starts ranting and raving that he has to help them fulfill this legend in a way that's beneficial to the land, as his god demands. This Ominous Legend becomes known to the magical and political elite within the capital city, and a group of conspirators feel it is the opportunity/necessary to depose the Queen (maybe the legend hinges on some prophecy about who's ruling or revolution) and induct the queen's political adviser (who is the brother of the scholar) into their schemes, but through his covert machinations triggers the suspicion of those loyal to the queen who hire an assassin to off him, but the assassin actually wants revenge on the queen's family because the assassin is a long-overthrown royal family's heir and also the the monster hunter IS the queen, btw, she just goes plainclothes padme-style when she's hunting BOOM connected
basically just think really hard about the movie Crash and you, too, can black out and write a plot synopsis like that one
Brick is amazing. Funnily not what inspired me, though.
I'm thinking of a middle-grade fiction level/length, so that might help with the limited application/believability. Here goes nothing!
Goal this weekend: get a rough outline going.
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
They missed Vinland. How they wound up in India, nobody knows, but this band of vikings was Valhalla-bound no longer. Cast aside by their gods of lightning and frost, they followed their new buddhist teachings and found themselves incarnated forever.
Well, until 1982, when the youngest of their band found that his compatriots were being snuffed out, permanently. Emerging from a throng of groupies and a cloud of smoke, the drummer for hit metal group Hammerblow must face literal demons from his past, with his eternal fate at stake. And maybe the fate of the world.
{Twitter, Everybody's doing it. }{Writing and Story Blog}
Because I really should be writing more anyway.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
I've gotten past the 50k every single year that I've tried. All in the same universe that I've created and all with most of the same characters.
But this year I've got a full time job, going to the gym 3-4 times a week and I've really only got until the 21st to finish up.
last year I hit 50k by the 15th, but I was completely unemployed.
Can I do this?
Should I do this?
Democrats Abroad! || Vote From Abroad
You're a wizard. This is... nothing like the story I was thinking about. But I may pillage it for ideas anyway.
However, I'm always so burnt out from writing papers all semester that I get massive writers block and just play video games all November.
Maybe this time will be different?
Ehh who am I kidding.
Please shoot me a PM if you add me so I know to add you back.
I got ideas that need to be written.
Real shitty ideas...
Hey, The Dresden Files began with Butcher trying to push out the most cliched story he could, and accidentally stumbled onto something special.
have any of you thrown your hat into the proverbial ring for 30 Covers 30 Days? I did it just to challenge myself to actually write a plot synopsis for this thing and stuff.
http://nanowrimo.org/forum_comments/3425053
I'm feeling better about getting this thing out of my head and into words this time around. The first draft of this book was like... almost all world building, so I feel a bit more confident that I have an actual story this time out.
The thread is ridiculously huge now but I think it's still a good exercise.
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Haha, I wouldn't think so. But maybe it can spark something!
I admit there's a bit of self-interest at work, too, seeing as I haven't been thinking enough about what I'm gonna do and need to get the juices juicing. I usually spend way too much time trying to perfect a story's premise, and if I'm gonna do nano it seems as good a time as any to try and get out of my head and just write some cool people doing stuff that makes coherent sense.
also I know that after reading Hullis' back-of-the-book blurb up there I'm not gonna like any of my premises nearly as much for a while
A woman returns to the house where she murdered her husband. His ghost is waiting for her.
A young wizard addicted to secrets travels north to find a terrible old woman who sits, unmoving, on a glacier.
May try to do all three of those
I really want the girl-goes-to-underworld-for-dog book. Now. I want to read it now.
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
I would read THE SHIT out of this
But I am more accustomed to non-fiction essays or research papers, and haven't written fiction in a really long time so...
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING GOES WELL!
I'm working on various short stories right now, mostly born out of a post from that thread.
Hopefully the NaNoWri month can help me focus and keep me on schedule. 50k words across multiple short stories is also acceptable even though it's not a novel, correct?
I haven't been able to really get past the plotting phase in longer than I care to admit, so I'm somewhat excited to actually have typed something and hope to be able to keep that excitement and continue it to completion.
I feel it is thematically appropriate that I know nothing more