I'm not a writer and every time I've done this in the past I've stopped after only a couple thousand words. I'm going to attempt it again this year but this time I'll use Google docs to write it. I do fuckall at work every day so instead of reading a book for 5-7 hours a day I'll see about trying to write for that much time.
I've done no planning at all, just gonna make shit up as I go. I sat down twice to at least come up with a general idea but I couldn't even concentrate for long enough to do that. Oh well! :bz
So I signed up to do this yesterday and have not done much planning, my housemates are both doing it though so I should be suitably motivated. Getting a little nervous!
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MaclayInsquequo Totus Es UnusHere and ThereRegistered Userregular
Been thinking of giving this a shot, at least unofficially. I even have an idea I liked up until today when I started seeing striking similarities between key elements and Pullman's Dark Materials.
Hopefully it won't end up so similar that I'm put off of it. It's really just the classic Stranger in a Strange Land, Girl tries to find Missing Family Member type of thing.
I haven't actually even looked at the half of a novel I did last year
it was your standard interstellar commando badass tries to save world while husband develops art career type thing
you know
standard shit
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ObiFettUse the ForceAs You WishRegistered Userregular
edited October 2013
I got my barebones outline done for the first book of the Sci-Fi Fantasy Epic I've had in my head for years now. I'm hoping to flesh it out a bit more with the time I have until the 1st.
I am so excited and soooo nervous to actually get the story down for it. Tentatively titled: The Watchers.
I am a notorious perfectionist and its the reason I haven't gotten more than three chapters into it before. This time though, I haven't told my wife or friends that I am doing this so they won't ask to read it. And knowing that no one is going to read this is just what I need to not care about the eventual crappy quality.
well, the basics of it. I still need a few more details.
The gist of it is:
Late-20s early-30s assistant Professor of ______ History with a kid on the way is dragged on an adventure by his, mostly absentee but still loving father, who has been basically Indiana Jones his entirely life which is why he was never home. Nothing super fancy or intricate, just a fun adventure story about a son and a father and finding time for what is important in your life.
well, the basics of it. I still need a few more details.
The gist of it is:
Late-20s early-30s assistant Professor of ______ History with a kid on the way is dragged on an adventure by his, mostly absentee but still loving father, who has been basically Indiana Jones his entirely life which is why he was never home. Nothing super fancy or intricate, just a fun adventure story about a son and a father and finding time for what is important in your life.
obviously the answer to your fill in the blank is 'eldritch'
I know the ending, I know the kind of beats I want them to go through, but I don't know what to make the actual adventure about.
I don't want it to be straight up "Yo this is Raiders of the Lost Ark" but I want a similar tone
eldritch horrors
Man I dunno if I want it to have magic at all!
I was thinking more of a grounded race for a precious artifact to keep it from going on the black market.
My dad's been going through some hardcore medical stuff this year so I really want the focus to be on the father/son relationship and I feel like throwing in some magic and stuff could detract from it.
I know the ending, I know the kind of beats I want them to go through, but I don't know what to make the actual adventure about.
I don't want it to be straight up "Yo this is Raiders of the Lost Ark" but I want a similar tone
eldritch horrors
Man I dunno if I want it to have magic at all!
I was thinking more of a grounded race for a precious artifact to keep it from going on the black market.
My dad's been going through some hardcore medical stuff this year so I really want the focus to be on the father/son relationship and I feel like throwing in some magic and stuff could detract from it.
prague, 1601. the holy roman emperor Rudolf II is the wealthiest and most credulous man in christendom. an irish mercenary, James Talbot, and a polish mystic, Boleslaus Czernichóvus, come up with an elaborate and fraudulent scheme to set themselves up as court magicians. everything goes flawlessly, their deception is not discovered and nobody gets burnt at the stake. also there is a cassowary
in 2011 I tried doing this; got to about 35k words with The Book Suppository, a sordid science fiction tale about the ability to absorb the knowledge contained in books instantaneously through a moderately-sized suppository.
My wife has talked me into trying this this year, mostly because last year she had no peers to share her travails with while she tried it. So we're both going to attempt this together.
That wife person he is referring to is me. Hello!
I attempted nano2011, wrote 6,500 words in the first week and then stopped. I had super fun though and really wanted to try it again. But last year I happened to give birth on October 26 so I thought that maybe I should just pay attention to, you know, raising my progeny and whatnot.
I have written a PhD which was about 200,000 words, so I know what it is to sit down and just write every day even if you are not feeling it. And I have about two thirds of an outline for this year, which is pretty great compared to the first time I tried nano. So why do I still feel this intense dread?
I was really, really disciplined, and often exceeded my daily goal by a few hundred words, and I still barely scraped 50k by the deadline
it's rough, make no mistake
but you can do it
also I think I'm probably going to be spending most of my day at work tomorrow writing character trees and scene outlines before actually starting my script, although I have enough to do the first 25 pages or so without much issue
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
edited October 2013
I have 13.5 hours to think of a badass opening line.
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
All right. I have 13.5 hours to think of an opening line that is an entire paragraph long, contains no less than 5 unpronouncable fantasy words, and has three adverbs or adjectives for every word or noun.
All right. I have 13.5 hours to think of an opening line that is an entire paragraph long, contains no less than 5 unpronouncable fantasy words, and has three adverbs or adjectives for every word or noun.
perfect
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
The weather beaten trail wound ahead into the dust racked climes of the baren land which dominates large portions of the Norgolian empire. Age worn hoof prints smothered by the sifting sands of time shone dully against the dust splattered crust of earth. The tireless sun cast its parching rays of incandescense from overhead, half way through its daily revolution. Small rodents scampered about, occupying themselves in the daily accomplishments of their dismal lives. Dust sprayed over three heaving mounts in blinding clouds, while they bore the burdonsome cargoes of their struggling overseers.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
(Not mine, I can only dream of being that bad.)
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Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Oh wow. Where is that from?
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
"Prepare to embrace your creators in the stygian haunts of hell, barbarian", gasped the first soldier.
"Only after you have kissed the fleeting stead of death, wretch!" returned Grignr.
A sweeping blade of flashing steel riveted from the massive barbarians hide enameled shield as his rippling right arm thrust forth, sending a steel shod blade to the hilt into the soldiers vital organs. The disemboweled mercenary crumpled from his saddle and sank to the clouded sward, sprinkling the parched dust with crimson droplets of escaping life fluid.
The enthused barbarian swilveled about, his shock of fiery red hair tossing robustly in the humid air currents as he faced the attack of the defeated soldier's fellow in arms.
"Damn you, barbarian" Shrieked the soldier as he observed his comrade in death.
Posts
Metaphor.
today I finalize my structure, tomorrow is all character work
and then we will see how much chunks of greatness come out of my vomit draft
Deep Breath.
I've done no planning at all, just gonna make shit up as I go. I sat down twice to at least come up with a general idea but I couldn't even concentrate for long enough to do that. Oh well! :bz
Even though in my head, it's a tv show. Which is only really a problem if I let it be.
Hopefully it won't end up so similar that I'm put off of it. It's really just the classic Stranger in a Strange Land, Girl tries to find Missing Family Member type of thing.
it was your standard interstellar commando badass tries to save world while husband develops art career type thing
you know
standard shit
I am so excited and soooo nervous to actually get the story down for it. Tentatively titled: The Watchers.
I am a notorious perfectionist and its the reason I haven't gotten more than three chapters into it before. This time though, I haven't told my wife or friends that I am doing this so they won't ask to read it. And knowing that no one is going to read this is just what I need to not care about the eventual crappy quality.
well, the basics of it. I still need a few more details.
The gist of it is:
Late-20s early-30s assistant Professor of ______ History with a kid on the way is dragged on an adventure by his, mostly absentee but still loving father, who has been basically Indiana Jones his entirely life which is why he was never home. Nothing super fancy or intricate, just a fun adventure story about a son and a father and finding time for what is important in your life.
obviously the answer to your fill in the blank is 'eldritch'
surely that will influence the kind of history whatshisname is a professor of
also where am i supposed to find time to do this in between all my breeding pokemon and creeding assassins
I know the ending, I know the kind of beats I want them to go through, but I don't know what to make the actual adventure about.
I don't want it to be straight up "Yo this is Raiders of the Lost Ark" but I want a similar tone
eldritch horrors
I was thinking more of a grounded race for a precious artifact to keep it from going on the black market.
My dad's been going through some hardcore medical stuff this year so I really want the focus to be on the father/son relationship and I feel like throwing in some magic and stuff could detract from it.
eldritch father/relationship
nah man I'm just playin' do what you feel
your dad doing okay?
He's getting treatment for his cancer but it is kind of a lot of cancer
He's 68 and has smoked since he was a kid and is a functioning alcoholic who owns bars so it ain't really surprising in the least but it still sucks.
I guess that kind of goes against it being National Novel Writing Month, huh?
dog I'm using it to write a script
the way I see it if you're writing every day for a month then you're doing the work
@Blankzilla glad he's doing okayish, really pulling for you
I have a couple friends in the area who are wanting to do this. On the fence about participating myself. But best of luck to those who do.
is it like a lara croft style history adventure
are they uncovering terrible secrets from the past
because i mean, there's a lot of history you could choose from, just veer away from the crusades and you're fine
The Basilisk Merchants
prague, 1601. the holy roman emperor Rudolf II is the wealthiest and most credulous man in christendom. an irish mercenary, James Talbot, and a polish mystic, Boleslaus Czernichóvus, come up with an elaborate and fraudulent scheme to set themselves up as court magicians. everything goes flawlessly, their deception is not discovered and nobody gets burnt at the stake. also there is a cassowary
this year, I'll be doing Man Digs Hole
it's going to be about a man who digs a hole
I attempted nano2011, wrote 6,500 words in the first week and then stopped. I had super fun though and really wanted to try it again. But last year I happened to give birth on October 26 so I thought that maybe I should just pay attention to, you know, raising my progeny and whatnot.
I have written a PhD which was about 200,000 words, so I know what it is to sit down and just write every day even if you are not feeling it. And I have about two thirds of an outline for this year, which is pretty great compared to the first time I tried nano. So why do I still feel this intense dread?
it's rough, make no mistake
but you can do it
also I think I'm probably going to be spending most of my day at work tomorrow writing character trees and scene outlines before actually starting my script, although I have enough to do the first 25 pages or so without much issue
I am going to go mad.
allow me to share the best anti-procrastination tool I have ever been given
ahem
write badly, smof
write as badly as you can
you better make that line the worst line you can think of, dammit
on no account should you attempt to make your first sentence pleasing in and of itself
just think of the first thing your audience is going to need to know and set it down on paper
perfect