Timewaster's Guide Archive
Departments => Books => Topic started by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on October 28, 2003, 07:13:45 PM
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I thought we'd give it a thread
Entropy
Fuzzy
Fell
Saint
Gemm
MoD
HoM
are declared participants.
You have 30 days to write 50,000 words. you may not start early, and you have to finish in the time frame. I don't *think* there's a punishment other than the derision of your friends, but there you go. That's 1,666 and 2/3 of a word each day (though I don't recommend leaving off the last third of the word to be strict, you may forget where you were. That's the rough equivelant of 6.5 pages in 12pt Courier New doublespaced. Doable, but you've got to get it out.
Said novels do not have to be good (in fact, they probably won't be). Nor do you ever have to share your work. You're on your honor. Fell and/or I may or may not work out a way to share them if you like. We'll see about that.
Tip: don't correct glaring mistakes. If the novel turns out to be worth it, 2 months of revisions can fix all that. Just get the plot, banal as it may be, down.
Tip: don't go for style, go for getting the stuff out of you body. Really, like Entropy said, you've got to get the crap out first anyway, it might as well be all at once.
Tip: Seriously, don't be frustrated if it's not good.
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Just thought i would mention:
Me, Gemm and SE are on AIM a lot. SE comes on around 12:30 pm to 3pm GMT, Gemm is on all day and i am on quite often. Grab us if you need ideas.
entropytwg
gemm0987
saintehlers
Feel free to declare the subject of your novella here. Updates and morbid counting down of days are also encouraged.
Finally, good luck and have fun!
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oh, question. Whose midnight are we using? I suggest subjective midnight. IE, since we're spread across a continent and two sides of an ocean, midnight local is when you start and stop.
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Aha, I see someone already made a topic for this.
MoD, I'm willing to bet cold hard cash that your fears of "writing a novel in a month" actually translate as "writing a good novel in a month," and that's completely beside the point. I don't even care if the words you write are coherent or even connected--just give us 50,000 words by November 30 and you're golden.
If I may offer my own advice, as a follow-up to SE's, I'm going to predict that the middle two weeks are going to be the hardest--not because the job will seem too hard to keep up, but because you'll start to really like what you're writing and you'll want to slow down and take more time with it. Don't.
Also, even though you can't start writing until November 1 it seems like a good idea to start planning now.
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I suggest Eastern Time, since thats the only one I know, and live in. And I hate converting.
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That's why I said local. So we all start at our own midnight.
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It's really only fair to use your own midnight, because if you're 2 or 3 hours off Eastern time, your sleeping/waking times will also be off. So you might get cheated of 3 important writing-hours.
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I can only ever finish writing something when I'm under this type of pressure. That said, I have two exams in a week, meaning I don't have time to start writing a lot everyday, since I have study to do.
That said, following the exams, I'm completely free for several months. I'd be therefore interested in participating, but only if a conisderation could be made to start a bit late.
Anyone mind/not mind? Even if people object, it sounds like a good idea, so I think I'll try doing it anyway, as soon as I'm free.
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I have a lot to do in November. Can I start in October and end early?
No. One of the best things about NaNoWriMo is the way it spreads the agony of creation throughout a large community of co-sufferers. For the pain to be properly distributed (and thereby diminished), all participants must be working on the same deadline.
(from the NaNoWriMo site....)
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Ok, in that case I simply can't do it. These exams are rather, err, important, deciding as they do pretty much what I'll be doing for the next three years at least.
I might have my own personal go later, since nothings stopping me. In any case, I'll be interested to see the finished works.
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So this thing starts Nov. 1st? Hmmm...very interesting. I very well may participate. Although I'm going to be typically male and not commit fully right here. But if I do commit then I'll do it. The right way, no cheating.
Ramble ramble ramble!
(Just warming up.)
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Without being specific in any way, I'm trying to decide what I should write about. I have an idea in mind, but it needs more developing; or there's something I tried to write a while back but never really did.
Does anyone who is less of a wimp than me want to post what they're going to write about?
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I can't decide. Images of atlantis, dragons, horror stories and chocolate are dancing in my head. I may just wimp out and do fan-fiction.
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well, i shan't be doing fan fiction, that's for darn sure
The problem is, I have a lot of ideas, and don't necessarily want to sacrifice any of them to NaNoWriMo. the most recent is one about knights, but I have a LOT of material on that that's really good. I'll have to review my ideas and see if there's any I'm willing to sacrifice.
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You could regard it as a extremely rough first draft for an idea.
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Well I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to take my Huguenot d20 Modern campaign and turn it into a novel. Since I know I'll never start it again it'll feel good to actually find out what happens and how it ends. MMMmm, it feels good.
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I posted this on the other thread, but I'll post here too:
Count me in.
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I'm taking Entropy's tack on this, and writing what I consider to be a rough draft of a real book. In my case, it's the fantasy about worthless gods that I've been meaning to write for ages and haven't got around to. In the spirit of the community, I'll give you a brief rundown of the idea:
Remember how in the old greek myths the Titans ruled the world, and then their children (the ones we typically think of as the gods) overthrew them and took over? Well, imagine that carried to an extreme: each generation of gods and demi-gods overthrows the preceding generation, until eventually the world is ruled by the God of Berries and his pantheon of pathetic nobodies. The story takes place during the beginnings of the next revolution, mixed with some intrigue regarding a group of humans that want to wake up the older gods and restore them to power. The hero is a atheist barbarian who, like Sir Carl, just wants to be a bard (unlike Sir Carl, however, he's not prissy and his lute actually IS magic).
So, who else wants to present their idea?
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I had an idea similar to "useless gods" but I was going to use it different: a fallen Bhodisvatta and his temptress, and a "god of the toilet" look for redemption. I think I can do it well, so I think i'm not using it.
Mostly I was thinking of resurrecting my idea for the professional adventurers, seems like a good idea to throw away on something like this. But uh... I dunno. I kinda want something from scratch. So still thinking. Unless there are comments here.
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/me laughs
Yes, Fell, you're probably right. The reason I can't pump out 6.5 pages in an hour is because I feel the need to actually like what I write. So I guess this is me signing myself up for potential ridicule by my colleges. Count me in. And a request that you all help me keep to pure crap.
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Don't worry MoD, I've got that covered.
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/me laughs
Thanks Gemm.
My idea is the story of my favorite rp character. Which means, by definition that it will be crap. ;) I think it would be nice to have her story written though.
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I am officially beginning to panic, since i have all of 2 days to work out what i am goign to write. Since i am working from 8:45am to 8:30 pm tomorrow i will likely think up a lot of ideas then, but i will have forgotten them by the end i am afraid.
Incidentially, going to this (http://ebon.pyorre.net/) site will get you the Everchanging Book of Names, which is an awesome name generator. Better than wasting precious time trying to think up a decent name.
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We are reveling in crap. But we are not, as SE suggests, limited to crap. I really think that, for me anyway, the novel I write in one month is not doomed to eternal crapness. Once it's all out there on the page, the hard part's over and you turn it into a good novel via rewrites and edits. (As one who has finished two novels, I feel that I know whereof I speak.)
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I agree with fell, which is nice. Not often i do that.
It is not like anybody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to stop writing after november 30th.
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yeah, I really did emphasize the crap. But my point is that you have to accept the crap.
Here's my thing:
-50k words in 30 days: it's going to get silly, just because I can't spare the time to avoid silly passages when I get into that.
-revisions are more diffcult than writing. In fact I often re-write from scratch just to avoid it.
-therefore I need something that's at least CLOSE to what I want.
So if I want a serious story for an idea I came up with, I better not use it for this.
I dunno, I still feel like I'm low on ideas. I'm going to dig through the previous idea file.
again.
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I suppose that's the difference--I find revisions to be much easier than writing. That's why getting it all out and taking a look at it will be so beneficial; even if it absolutely sucks, you'll at least gain some ideas of how to do it next time.
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in the last hour or so I've become convinced
I'm going to be writing my Knights novel
but since that's going to end up more than 50k, don't be surprised if it ends with "suddenly, everything blew up."
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Exploding knights! Rock on!
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Hum. So much to say...
First, uh, I've actually got a novel due to TOR by February, so I'm gonna have to bow out of this one. I really can't afford to take a one-month detour. I might do 50k on my current project, but then again, I might not. I have some serious revising to do in the short future.
I don't mind providing some feedback, however. That said--I also don't have time to read seven novels next month, so I'm not promising anything.
Third, how about we have ol' EUOL spout off some creative writing theory for you all? If you're not in a mood to be lectured--or if you've heard me speak on the difference between one-drafters and multi-drafters--you might want to skip to the next post...
Writers come in two major categories. I think I've mentioned this on the board before. Some of us are what are called 'one drafters.' One drafters tend to spend a long time working on a project before actually writing it. When they do write, however, they do very little revision, and the draft generally turns out close to the way they wanted it.
The opposite of this are the "multi-drafters." Multi-drafters tend to start with a blank slate, then work out what they want to say as they write. Their work generally turns out very rough, far from the way they imagined it, and requires serious editing.
These are, of course, extremes. Yet, many people fall squarely into one group or another. Understanding what type of writer you are can help you immensely. In this particular project, the multi-drafters are going to have trouble not going back to their old material and revising it. The one-drafters are going to have trouble getting anywhere at all, since it makes them uncomfortable to not have a framework for the story.
However, this kind of rushed free-write can be useful for either group. You multi-drafters are great at free-writing, and the material you produce will be rough, but could be reworked to become something better. The one-drafters will find that the story they write builds a framework for them, and actually does so quickly.
I guess the point of this is directed at you, SE. There is no such thing as a 'wasted' novel. I suggest picking your BEST idea for this, not your worst. The more work you put into your best idea, the better it will become. If you are a one-drafter, the project will help solidify what you want to do. You'll have to throw the actual writing away and start again, but what you create the second time through will be better. If you're a multi-drafter, you will end up with potential chapters and sections that you can incorporate as you continue to work through the story.
The long and short of it is, folks, that any writing at all is going to helpful to your careers. Don't look at this as throw-away. It might have more relevance than you think.
And Fell, you are hereby re-encouraged to join my Salt Lake writing group. Morag's wife will make you cookies if you do.
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I'm going to produce a one month free write that attempts to cling to a plot. What's it about? Ask me on Saturday. Ask me again on Sunday and you may get a different answer.
I'm a serious one-drafter, and can't imagine caring very much for anything that I haven't had the time to outline, and re-outline, and re-re-outline before I put words on paper in story form.
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I like to improv myself a lot. I find it really challenging and fun.
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well, I had a lot of sarcasm. I admit I'm approaching this with a lot of fear:
Fear of not accomplishing it
Fear of actually coming up with nothing worth considering further
And really, those two are enough fear for me.
Despite what I've said, I do realize that there is lots of good to come from it. But I've been struggling with what idea to use because I want to do something good, but I'm worried about sacrificing something I have a lot of attachment to. So I've been going through my idea file to find something I've come up with that has potential, but I don't love yet.
However, I feel most comfortable with my newest cohesive novel idea, which comes out of reading King Arthur Pendragon (the RPG) and the Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages: 350-950 (of which I really only read the first part, and nothing about Byzantium -- I should feel guilty about that, but I was just trying to learn about the far fringes and outside of Romano-Europe, and there was almost nothing about that in what I *did* read, so ....).
The setting is a fantasy empire, where the Emporer is a sort of King Arthur figure and establishes the Imperial Knights to correct injustices and enforce his progressive laws. The local kings and nobles don't go in for this chivalry smack and so there are lots of conflicts. The plot focuses on (a heretofore unnamed) peasant who troubles his lord and so gets sent to join the Knights to get him out of his lord's hair. He has a lot of personal issues and growing to do, yadda yadda. Low magic setting, but I came up with a lot of cohesive plot and conflict ideas, so it's shaping up fast. I like it a lot, and I'll be working on it starting saturday. It's also one that i don't have to re-write a chapter to claim I actually started in the allotted time period
Now I just want to get started. I'm very anxious to start.
I'll be working the surprise Entropy and I have planned in the mean time to kill the next two days.
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My thought (that I almost forgot) is that I've never really done anything that I think is on the level of this/publishable. So its really just a step in the right direction for me. And if Chemist can get things published about things that only make sense to them, then why, oh why wouldn't I. And so, rub-a-dub-dub thanks for the grub. Amen.
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I heard of this for the first time last year, and it sounds like a great idea, but November is always such a busy time. This year it's school full time, work full time, two callings, a tutoring program through the ward, and being sick, all at once. :P I wonder whether I'm going to make it through the week. And yet, I only have myself to blame.
I am a one-drafter when it comes to nonfiction (magazine articles, academic papers). I prefer not even to look at them again. But I don't outline, at least formally. I just ruminate for a long time, then it all comes out at once in the form I want it to, with few changes after it's done. Probably because I simply don't allow myself enough time. Like Tuesday, when I wrote my 3 pager in an hour, then printed it and headed out the door to turn it in during class. No time to proof.
But when it comes to fiction, I not only ruminate for quite a while (most of my ideas have been on the burner for 2 years or more, during which time I've been reading and traveling for research), but then go through multiple drafts. So maybe I'm a multi-drafter who needs a 10-year turnaround.
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well... it's like having children: There's never a good time
In December you've got Christmas.
January school starts again,
etc etc etc.
When ARE you going to do it? That's the whole point of NaNoWriMo. It's not for people like EUOL who already do it, it's for people like me who know we have the potential and WANT to do it but just haven't gotten it done.
So now we have a to get a draft done at a break neck pace, but it's done in a fun way with lots of support. Not for everyone, no, but a good way. I suppose if you were sadistic, though, you could do several novels-in-a-month each year.
I do multi-drafts. I just don't revise very well. "Blue" is my best story, I think, and it's gone through at least 3 or 4 drafts, and needs one more. I have five other stories written lately (the ones worth changing), and every time I go to revise, my mind blanks and I can't think how to improve it, even though I *know* some serious changes need to be made. I need an editor to point out every change so I can do it. Probably those other 4 stories will also get several more drafts.
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I write papers the same way, Stacer: a one-day binge right before its due, with no planning or rewriting. With fiction I'm a freakish multi-drafter who makes it all up as I go, and then rewrites the ending six or seven times.
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So Fell, me and you, we've got a lot of commonality. Making it up as we go, waiting till the last minute with papers. Mmmm Mmmm mighty fine soup.
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Just a note--writing papers quickly then not caring about them does not make you a one-drafter. The studies I've read (well, been forced to read) always mention that a good percentage of people have a tendancy to think that they're one-drafters because they put papers off until the last moment, then don't bother to revise. This, however, is a completly different thing. Your true nature comes out when you write something that's important to you, something you want to make the best you can. In a one-drafter, the extra time and love manifests itself before the draft is begun, and in a multi-drafter it manifests during the drafting process.
Anyway, I wish you all the best of luck. Don't know if I'll be in touch these next few days--will depend on the internet situation at the hotel, and whether or not I'm willing to pay for it.
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I agree with stacer on non-fic pieces. But non-fic pieces are shorter than novels and so I can fit the whole thing in my head. My problem is that I am a perfectionist. Or, in other words, I'm a multi-drafter who wishes she was a one-drafter (you #*$!@ people). So I tend to revise and go over one scene so often that I drain all ability to continue. This will be very good for me.
And, like Kije, I will try to stay toward some kind of plot, though it does help that I have a solid ending in mind. That should get me through a few sets of 6.5 pages.
I have a question. Can we just use Word's word count to see how far we've gone? Or is there some other method that should be used?
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And, oh, I know everyone's going to be very busy in November with this project, so could we look into that upload place now? That is, if anyone else is interested.
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Oh, I think you shouldn't wish you were anything other than you are, MoD. If you were a one-drafter you be frustrated that it took you so @#&*%! long to get any words on papers at all. And disheartened at the apathy that ensues when projects get put off for too long.
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for word count: whatever way. Word's feature is easiest. NaNoWriMo has a word count feature, but it's not a rule enforcement policy, and I imagine it woks almost the same as Word.
Another way is to write in 12pt Courier New double spaced. That gives you 250 words per page (roughly). A 50,000 word novel would take up 200 pages in this format. But if you don't like looking at it, periodic checking of the word count feature is a better option.
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So, is anyone else going ot post their idea? Or where their free-writing will start?
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Page count would work for me except that heavy dialogue sections (I tend to write a lot of those) would probably throw me off. I'd hate to think I'd finished the assignment and then find out on Dec 1st that I was 1,000 words short.
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I would post an idea, but I'm still not certain. I'm in the middle of a project, but I've have been trouble with it, so this will be a good break.
I've been thinking, surprisingly, about Atlantis. I'm not sure what the plot would be, but I've been reading a lot about it and noticing the distinct similarity between the Atlantis story and the Nephites/Jaredites (a group of isolated people that prospered until they became wicked and were destroyed), leading me to wonder if there is truth to the myth.
I don't know what the heck the plot would be, but it's an idea to play around with.
On the other hand, everything I've been writing for the last two years has been LDS oriented, and maybe it would be fun to try something else for this month.
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Just use word count then. It's almost easier anyway.
I'll try to get hold of a friend about that upload thing.
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My story is going to start with a sentence about tuna fish. I can't actually put it down here because it would spoil the free flow of ideas that are sure to follow (as I would have to wait for a whole day or two to write them down.) But it's definitely about tuna fish. That's where I'm starting. If I commit to starting.
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Atlantis and tuna fish, hrm... Interesting. I'm sensing a cross-over....
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During work i remembered a plot idea i had ages ago. It's about a human who, criton style, gets stranded on an alien world. Only this time, the aliens communicate through telepathy and regard anything that doesn't as an animal. Since they don't use sounds to communicate, any sounds = grunts to them. So English is just grunting as far as they are concerned.
And that's it really. Add in hot chicks, wierd aliens and stars that zoom in until they become suns when you look at them (not sure why, but it would look cool in a game).
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My goal is to write 2,500 words per day which would allow me to be finished in 20 days. I am doing this because my inlaws will be in the MTC in November, and I need to plan to have time to spend with them and for Thanksgiving.
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How would you feel about a status board?
Basically:
Name: MoD Current Word Count: 100 Last Updated: 1 Nov
Competition helps me. The other option is to just use the NaNoWriMo board, however, I'd also like to see our TWG group progress.
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I could keep a status update. But It'd be passive. You send me an email with your new numbers each night/morning, I update you.
I'm not having luck on the file sharing bit. The best way I can think of is for tage to set up a public ftp folder on twg.
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I don't know if we need to have them constantly updated. Not like anybody is going to constantly check them to see what new progress - large chunks of free time will = writing.
I'm contemplating putting up an article now to say what we are doing, and then, at the end, say who finished and what their stories were like. Have the stories become mega-huge hidden articles that are linked to in the second article.
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Entropy- that sounds like a good idea; as long as I can edit it a bit before its posted for the world to read.
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I like the idea of keeping track of stats, actually. I just don't want to work very hard on it.
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First article written and submitted.
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I would look at it. And it would be a nice kudo for me to be able to tell someone when I made my goal. Even if it is only Saint, and he doesn't care. ;)
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Yeah, I'd look at it too. A nice way to derive strength from numbers. (You know, if a bunch of others loons besides myself are doing it then it's easier to keep going.)
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I need help with characterization. Can anyone who is interested please give me their idea of what a lych is? I'm mostly looking for ways that it is gross, but that's rather girly of me and I will accept all discriptions.
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for one thing I either spell it lich or lyche, no point in only going halfway on this. But do as you like.
A lich, to me (influenced by D&D as I am) is a powerful, evil user of magic who has gotten him stuck between life and death in a horrible unlife that he thinks is a good substitute for real immortality. They eventually rot away, but it takes thousands of years.
Of course, I've often toyed with ideas for how to make a "good guy" who is voluntarily undead - usually because it's the only way he can accomplish what he needed to do, but it torments him. (Note: this is not the "friendly ghost" sort of thing, they're usually not undead on purpose).
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My husband played a character like that. He was a holy warrior, who fought and defeated a lych (I like that spelling better, but I'll have to look into folk tales). Unfortunately, there was no place for all of the evil magic/aura to go and he didn't want to leave it there for some other evil to absorb, so he took it on himself (or something, I can't remember). And this made him like a lyche, (eh) but trying to fight for good so that the curse could be removed or something and then he could go to heaven. It was a dark superhero campaign.
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sort of a modified spawn idea. For that to really work, the lyche-dom must be corrupting in some way, making him want to keep the power and tempted to stop seeking redemption.
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I think i am gonna pull out.
1) My own pc is nuked, and i have trouble getting on my dads pc during the weekends and often during the week. That would impair speed dramatically.
2) I have a lot of other things i want to get done. The SE-Entropy secret project, research on the cradle of civilisation and the biblical period. Consumption of mucho chocolate. The usual.
I'd be more than willing to take ganders at anyones stuff, and i will be waiting for yah at the finish line ;)
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Hey, anyone got a laptop they can send Entropy in Scotland?
That's too bad. Maybe you could help us with ideas when we get stuck. I need a cool villian name that sounds classy without being femmy.
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I tried Ebon and used the tolkien dwarf and warhammer dark elf lists. Three possibilities :
Gind
Thalieth
Kariour (sounds arthurian)
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Tuxedo Mask?
JUST KIDDING! That one's already been used.
Sorry to hear it Entropy. You can do it by hand!
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You haven't seen my handwriting.
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Plus, its not a biggie. I can always do it in december or january with jam paladin after all.
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Yeah, that's what I tried too. They either sound to elvish, too dwarvish or too orcish. I'm just going for evil.
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*I* don't have to see your handwriting. You do.
If this works and turns out good enough, I might be willing to do this 3 or 4 times a year. so Maybe I'll join you.
Less than 8 hours till the story of Pexillo (known as Peks to his friends, and Pox to his tormentors) begins. Or maybe he'll have a different name. Probably he will. I hate this. I haven't even started and I'm already conflicted about his name.
Anyone as nervous about this as me?
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Me! Visions of failure dance in my head and all the denial I have at my exposure isn't helping.
I'm going to be at a friend's house for a Halloween party, and I will probably start writing at her house right at midnight. Because starting is the hardest part, right?
Don't worry about his name. If it is okay to you now, it will gain in coolness as you get used to it. That has been my experience anyway.
/me pats Saint on the back
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actually, I've already decided I hate his name
I need a new one, but it has to have a similar sound at the beginning
Because I like the short for Peks
So, we need names for MoD's villain and my hero
Maybe they could be the same name
And everyone has to use that name in their story!
(just kidding)
I'm totally blanking on names right now.I'm staring at my action figures and remembering their names: Ben Reilly, Peter Parker, Frank (there's a classy villain for you!) Remy leBeau, Jean Grey, Cletus Kassidy.... Those do NOT help.
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Of course, I've often toyed with ideas for how to make a "good guy" who is voluntarily undead - usually because it's the only way he can accomplish what he needed to do, but it torments him. (Note: this is not the "friendly ghost" sort of thing, they're usually not undead on purpose).
Have you read Garth Nix's Sabriel-Lirael-Abhorsen trilogy? You might find an interesting take on that. Though not exactly what you're describing, it might give you some ideas, especially the first one, Sabriel.
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well... it's like having children: There's never a good time
...
When ARE you going to do it?
That's exactly what I ask myself from time to time. This last summer was supposed to be my writing summer, and then I decided to take a class after all. I think writing just isn't very high on my priority list right now. Though I'm considering taking next semester off and just working to earn money for school, so it might make for some premium writing time if I take advantage of it. I usually don't, as evidenced by this summer. But that was summer. Who wants to be inside writing when you could be at the beach or out on a bike ride? January in Boston, though? Perfect climate for writing. Preferably in a nice thick sweater. Maybe I'll join Entropy and Jam for their later session.
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oh, it won't work for my story, I was just extrapolating for MoD. I need help with names. I think I have the first 50 pages worked out, already (though I haven't written it, that would be cheating). I just need a character name. Any thoughts?
Pekalt
Pakleff
Pexral
ick.
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Trying putting pek in the middle of the name rather than at the beginning
And I was trying to come up with some more description for a lych outside of "he smelled bad" and "parts of him were falling off."
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So what do you plan to do while your writing and come to a road block? And while writing what activity do you expect to do the most while writing?
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Umm, I'm planning on talking to my husband while in a roadblock, or some of my friends who are not working on this project to help me get some ideas.
Panicking. That's what I expect to do most while writing. And drinking water.
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Izzy, those sound like great ideas.
You crack me up ;D
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Pexandantalus
Peklotle
Pekkat (pronounced pek-cot)
Petrexus
P'Ecsoran
P. Eckers (P. as in Paul or Phil or Poop (yeah, I know you love it))
Pechsydain
P'tek Exornul
Pexallen
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substitute "crapping pants" for talking and "whiskey" for "water" and you've got....
Oh wait, I forgot where I was.
No, YOU KEEP WRITING!
The best thing I EVER heard (and the only valuable thing) Piers Anthony say was about writer's block. You just keep writing. If you can't stay on the plot you start typing your thoughts out, preferably about what you're stuck on. List what your options are for what you can't decide. Brainstorm. Just do it on paper, and do it right there where you were.
example:
... and that's when things got really crazy. ...
...
Ok, why are they crazy? is it because her drunk friends entered? I guess that's a possiblity. What about an old love interest? yeah. the guy I mentioned from college. He was just gonna be a name, but I supposed I could make him a real character. Why is that so crazy though? Maybe he....
and so on....
A helpful way to start is to include a character combination that will be unique and not appear anywhere else in the book. Like %%%%%. Then you can find really fast where your actual sotry ends and the rant begins, which allows you to review it or cut it out really fast.
Chat is actually better than talking, because you can write it out. You just can't afford to stop writing, even if half of it is stuff you'll never keep.
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Especially when it is about the number of words!
And chatting would be great, except that I'm afraid it would distract me. I'm planning on doing most of my work on my computer which is not hooked up to the internet. So that I concentrate on writing. We'll see how it goes though. The cybersilence could become overwhelming.
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Well, the chat thing is going to be very indvidual. It'll help me, I think. I just think it'll be better than talking, because it'll keep you in the process of putting words down. remember, you'll probably throw out 90% of what you write in brain storm, but it keeps you from turning your meditation into 4 hours of Neverwinter Nights (not that I'm speaking from personal experience). and keeps you in a pattern
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4 hours till I can start my book
Not that I'm counting or anything.
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About 3 1/2 hours, but whos counting? :P
Oy, I dunno man. I dunno. I don't know if I can do this.
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Heh, Entropy's article was funny. Although someone should go clean it up.
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Startin' to feel it, eh?
Yeah, so.... my advice is get a little nap in if you plan on starting right at midnight.
Otherwise, do your own thing.
And yeah, I was going ot say, the tags need to be cleaned up, and that page count uh... 2000 is an awful lot of writing.
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Well, I've got some food stuffs in me. So that'll help. I got a nap earlier. As short as I didn't want it to be, it was. Only about 30 minutes. Pizza and wings, and some Mug Root Beer. But for now I'm just gonna talk to people and get some amusement for myself. I dunno.
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5 more hours . . . . anyone else planning on starting at midnight?
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If I'm awake, I think I will.
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less than 2.25 hours left. I'm trying to decide if i can nap, wake up at midnight, adn write, since I work tomorrow (I keep hoping it'll be like tonight was, but I have no illusions that people weren't calling because they were out watching scarry movies or trick-or-treating with their kids). We'll see. I still need to choose that name.
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So I was thinking about the whole deal and all, and realized that I was going to be freewriting 50000 words. And that in order to keep it from turning into a mutant ADHD hummingbird of a story, I'm going to have to consciously hold back plot developments. I don't know how that's going to be.
Oh, and I also refuse to get worked up about this. If it's fun, it'll be fun. If it's a royal pain in the tuckus and I begin to hate it, well...I'll just quit! But only if I really really hate it for about a week. No impulse quitting.
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I've decided that if (if?? ok, when) I get writer's block, I'll write a short story. That will be my punishment for not working on the novel- having to write a whole short story. So at the end of the month I may have a novella, and a couple short stories. That should be fun.
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http://www.kleimo.com/random/name.cfm
That is the link to a random name generator. It takes names from census info, and you can dictate how 'weird' you want the name to be. It's not a bad idea for jogging the mind into a good name every now and then.
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I have to help stupid Mustard move tomorrow, so he and I likely won't get to start until afternoon or evening. I'd start tonight, but it doesn't feel right somehow. Anyway, by my clock here in MST some of you have already started, so good luck!
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I was going to start 7 hours ago, but after one game of Magic with JP I decided I was too tired to start and went to bed at 11pm. Then I didn't sleep well, so if anything, I"m more tired, and I'm going to work. This is an inauspicious start.
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Well, I fell asleep accidentily at 11, and I woke up around 4:30 am. Tried to start, got about 100 words down, then figured I should get a little more sleep and try again later. And here I am, at later ready to go at it.
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yeah, I'm at 200 words or so right now. Since it's coming up on noon, I should have closer to 800, but what ya gonna do?
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ugh. My first scene will need to be re-written. I have an 11 year old contemplating why he teases a girl, listing possibilities like social status jealousy and flirtation.
I guess we'll save that for NaNoReMo. National Novel Revision Month.
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Oh man... I can't do this. What the hell am I thinking. OMG OMG OMG, augh! They're all gonna laugh at me!
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Dude, we laugh at you anyway.
You can do it. I believe you can. Despite my later than hoped for start, and an inordinate amount of mail, I have about half my daily quota. You can do it lambchop!
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How many words a day do we have to do? 1500? I forget. I'm at 600+ and have rekindled my spirits by remember that this is not about quality. This is abour quantity and how much crap you can muster out of yourself before finding that that crap is actually a golden nugget of gold. And damned be it if it isn't! We will survive!
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see, there's the spirit. If you do the same amount every day, you need to do closer to 1700 than 1500. I'm shooting for closer to 2000 a day, which is what you need to do to miss a few days. Anything over that is great, because I'm sure I'll have off days and days I don't have time to sit and think, let alone right.
600 words is a great start, though. Congrats!
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Well right now I'm at 1360. Which means that I have the freaking power. I am He-Man! I'm starting to really feel this thing out, as though everything is just dancing in front of my eyes. (No I'm not tired.... yet.) This is just so freaking awesome. I'm gonna have a novel finished in a month, which is like the biggest thing I've ever done to myself (aside from nothing else). If I finish this I may just be ready to jump off that bridge everyone else is. Woot-to-no-mo Bay! Also, I interviewed Chris Baty, the director of NaNoWriMo this afternoon. And once I get everything put together, would the TWG want it? Since I'm doing it for my school newspaper. Woot woot woot!
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I think that would be cool.
Sounds like you're doing great. Don't stop when you reach a word count, just keep going!
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which is like the biggest thing I've ever done to myself
Er...
done BY myself, i desperately hope.
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Sounds like you guys are going great--1360 words by 1:00 is awesome, Gemm. I'm about to start, so wish me luck.
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speaking of word count, I just passed 1700, and every idiot in the world started calling me. Kill them I'd like. KILL THEM ALL! But at least I got that far.
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Heh, so far I've got about 200 words of novel stuff, and 700 words of a short story that ambushed me last night.
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hahaha!
you should change the story intot he novel, sounds like you're doing better on that.
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Alright, I've gotten the interview finished. So anyone who wants it give me a hollar and I'll send it to you (will need e-mail address). Now I think I'll have to see if I can get some of my English essay finished before I start anymore noveling.
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The Assassin and the Princess: a novel.
Nope, I think I'd run out of story Loooooong before a week was up. Though if I get really really stuck, I might do it out of desperation.
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So what's everyone listening to while they write? Any really good playlists going on?
I'm listening to Massive Attack Right now. Quite nice, actually.
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The princess could be undead. or immortal. Or else the assassin could keep falling. c'mon, work with me here!
I got nuthin on the radio. I'm at work. I'm just hoping more idiots don't call to interrupt me.
Gemm, send it on over, just use the email on my account.
Incidentally, my hero's name is Anpechswyn (ahn-PEK-so-in). Most of the characters so far have pseudo welsh sounding names, with lots of w's and y's. I decided to run with it and give an amalgam of British isles influence. The local landowner is a laird, (Scottish, in origin, i think), etc. I'm liking it so far.
And ok, guys, I need some ideas. I've started talking about something. It's not going to stop me from continuing the story, but I need a reason why I have so many dang orphans in this village. I even felt compelled to acknowledge that very few grown men were left besides the laird and his household. (Ok, they're not orphans, the widows are still around mostly). The plot I had in mind doesn't necessarily involve this, but I guess I need to address it eventually.
So, why did so many men die? I toyed with the idea that they were recruited to the King's army and killed, but I kinda want it to be unique to this very small area.
One thought is a witch of fairy took them. Another is that there was some ritual or deed that the men set out on (maybe even an ordinary task... mining?) that went wrong and got them killed. Whatever it is, it has to be something that is no longer a threat. Or at least an immediate one. There's plenty of vagueness about the plot so I can incorporate it into the main plot if necessary. Any thoughts?
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I haven't started writing yet. What the fun of a thing if you can't tempt fate? I'll probably start when I get home from the show tonight, around 10.
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All right, I finished a prologue and a chapter, rounding out just over 2400 words. I couldn't think of a name for the proprietor of an inn, so I named him Priet. I wonder if I'll follow that naming convention throughout the book. I'm pretty pleased with it, though my planned ending seems much more abrupt than I was intending it to be. My main problem with it is that I can't write barbarian dialogue--everyone I write has an erudite, vaguely british way of speaking, with big words and needlessly convoluted sentence structure, and it's very hard to break out of. I might just leave it that way, though, since the barbarian is supposed to be very different from all the other barbarians anyway.
I don't know what to tell you about your orphans, SE. I'd just say to go with the war idea, but maybe you could say that...um...this village relies on mining as an industry, and one day it collapsed with all the men inside.
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I personally like the mining story best - very tragic, and no one will blame the King so they'll still be loyal. (I assume).
And the assassin isn't trying to kill the princess- he's trying to marry her. His plot is to find an excuse to kill all her other suitors.
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She could have lotsa suitors!
Fell - interesting. How do british talk (type?) differently from you guys?
I like how both saint and fell go in for the british isles influence. We brits rule.
Also : i'm close to drunk. I need a cold shower, stat!
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Dammit, Eric, you've just turned my short story into a novel. I hope you're proud of yourself.
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Also, Chris found the idea of us Time Wasters writing novels a rather funny idea. And I agree, it is rather humorous when you think long and hard about it.
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yay!
i am proud!
Ok guys, here's the plan
I dined with EUOL and Tage tonight, and we are all as gentlemanly as we have ever been (which is, not at all, but tage had an excellent chicken, while EUOL and I had passable chicken fried steak-- the waiter was very good, and we can recomend America's at Union Station in downtown Washington, DC to any of you) ANyway, Tage will probably set up a a file manager for participants (and only participants) of NaNoWriMo to use to share our works in progress.
In the mean time, you can email them to me and I will upload them to a folder on writers-group.org if'n you want. Email me each day with where you're at as far as progress goes, and I'll keep a running account, if you want. if you don't want either, do not reply to this email. You will not be solicited again.
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http://www.writers-group.org/NaNoWriMo/
A little calander I made to show progress.
I will only put your name and word count up there if you send me an email with the information
Also, I will only post your document if you send it to me for that express purpose.
I will be happy to remove old ones, but unless you ask me, every form of the novel you send me will be linked to from the day you sent it to me.
Emailing me your document for posting constitutes permission for me to post your word count (if it's posted, they can click twice and find it anyway).
Edit: Thanks to Gemm for pointing out two major errors: they are now fixed
Is there anything else anyone would like to see on there? percentages, blah blah blah?
Another thing I'm going to add, at the bottom, is "feedback" links for anyone who wants me too. To get a feedback link, just tell me the email at which you want to receive feedback. I can also list IM identifiers if that's what you prefer (though they won't be linked).
Again, it's all voluntary. your info is only posted if you tell me you want it posted.
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I do not know how much I'll get in today. I have an essay for english to finish for tomorrow. And it has been taking every effort of my aforementioned mind to finish.
%'s would be cool. And that whole feedback thing sounds nifty. Now get a move on.
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then email the contact info you have up. Do you want percentages of your progress? or just of how far we should be?
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My progress. And what contact info? Isn't that the same thing as the stuff in my profile?
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I need it spelled out for me. Just send me the email to [email protected] and I'll be happy to include it.
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also, do you want percentage of the final goal, or percentage of daily goal, or both?
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I'm going to go with Final Goal.
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eh, I already did both
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You monkey terd! (Heheh, even that sounds funnier) You think you are so good. What with your 110% giving it your all, doing all that you can do! I'll give you what for! And I will outpace you, probably not today, probably not tomorrow, but one faithful november day I will outpcae you! If its the last thing I dooooo!
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I believe you mean 125.134%. But who's quibbling. I'm going to try and get an hour's writing in now. We'll see how that goes. sundays are very busy for me.
But I have music this time!
I'm listening to LaserLight's "The Instruments of Classical Music: Guitar and Lute"
It's very good, with a nice performance of selections from Joáquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez. If any of you every wanted to be really nice to me, you could buy me a complete recording of said Concierto, and anything else composed by Rodrigo.
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Oo! I think I thought of a way for them to die in battle simply, and in a way that enhances the plot. Nicey. Yay!
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Up to 1811 words today SE. Yep, didn't get to far today, stupid english essay.
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500 words aint so bad. keep working in it.
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Hey Saint? Are we going to see you at the conference in April?
And in response to Kije's comment, I'm stressing about this because I want to convince myself how important this is. I have a habit of talking myself out of things.
I haven't started yet. I did not antcipate being exhausted at midnight (good thing my husband was there to drive). And Saturday a friend of mine was in town that I wanted to visit. We watched fansubs of "Scrapped Princess" which has not yet been released to the US. And it gave me some good ideas of where I want to take my story. Today I need to set up my work space and get to it! I'm anticipating a late night in order to reach my daily goal of 2,500 words (it's so high because of Thanksgiving this month--I've got to get ahead so that I can afford to take a few days off if needed since my inlaws will be here at the MTC, and will be soon leaving for there mission in Mozambic [or however you spell that]).
I was going to start with the end of my story, but decided to do part of the end at the beginning. I'll have to wait and see if it was a good decision.
Is anyone else interested in starting an online writing group to go over our stories, once they are written?
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I've done about 1000 words today, and I'm hoping to get 1100 more by cob. THat'll catch me right up to 5000, leaving me on track for daily performance, and hopefully allowing me to get ahead in the next couple days.
Now,
What conference? General Conference? Probably not. I odn't anticipate ever flying out ot Utah just for General Conference. I feel I get more out of it in the comfort of my own home -- or at least, Idon't feel as guilty when I fall asleep.
ANd we can use writers-group.org for the discussion. I really do want feedback, though I'm going to need to at least proofread this thing before then. ANd I already know at least two scenes need major work. I think I may need work on pacing too, but I don't know if this is the time for that.
MoD, GET TO WORK! *cracks whip*
Getting ahead is always good, even if you don't have a specific reason yet: the unexpected always happens.
That second to last sentence confused me? You're ending at the beginning? Or beginning at the end? what?
Oh, and I'm pretty sure it's Mozambique.
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I behind already! I've only got 2000 words. But it's truning out to be funner/harder than I thought it would be.
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if you want it on the calander, you've got to let me know you wnat it on the calander. I officially assume Gemm does every time he tells me though, because he's communicated nearly as much before.
But I haven't heard back from anyone else.
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With the Conference thing I was referring to GC, but because of your newest title.
I am at work! Oh, you mean on the story. Well, if I had a customer service job and all I had to do was answer phone calls, I'd be further along. But as it is I'm finishing programing an Access database and suffering from my own stupidy.
/me shakes head at herself.
I mean I'm putting a sort of prologue at the beginning that will repeat at the end. In fact it might even be better if the prologue is my character's brother's attempt to defeat the bad guy. Which is what she will do at the end. Hmm, that's a good idea. Thanks Saint.
What I was trying to say before was that I would have a scene at the beginning that is the start of the climax of the novel. But I like "your" idea better. Writing groups are great.
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so, you have NO respect for me? I do more than answer the phone, I'll have you know. I also answer email and letters. SOme of which takes all day. I make time for what's important by ignoring what pays. I suggest you do the same.
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You know, reading over that last post I realized that it is still pretty confusing.
What I'm trying to say is that I was planning to write a prologue where my character is walking up to try and defeat the bad guy. It would end on a cliff hanger like, "she could see the sword move was the double-cross thrust and no one was fast enough to block that move." And that would be the end of the prologue. And then it would be the same scene near the end of the novel, only by then the reader would know that she could block that move, etc. and she would defeat the bad guy.
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/me laughs
It's a very good idea. But I've got three deadlines today. One which is late, and one which will be late in 30 mins.
I do have respect for you. I just don't have the leeway you do.
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Alrighty. I just got home from Our Fantastic Legal System, and it's time to get a-writin'. 2000 words, comin' up.
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SE, when you get on AIM get my current numbers and novel stuff.
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Wow, this topic really took off...
First of all, good work all! Looks like things are going well. Don't worry if you're slow to start; you'll hit the rhythm soon enough.
Entropy: Too bad you dropped out. Also, too bad you live in the UK. I have an extra laptop, after all. I agree that you should do it by hand--I wrote my entire first novel by hand, then typed it into the computer. Many authors still insist that writing by hand, then revising as you type into the computer, is the best way to get polished prose. Also, for this activity, you wouldn't be tempted to revise as much.
Everyone: You know, if you wanted an easier less-SE-intensive way to display your progress, you could always just change your posting sig line. You can change it easily in your profile, and it will change all of your posts to keep a running total.
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Nothing in this world should be less SE intensive. That's a philosophy you can live by.
I intend to stay up tonight, btw, folks. So if you hop on your IMs, you should be able to see me.
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So far, I have one line that I think is ever so clever. I will share:
"You two can argue over the couch. If one of you wants I have a spare bedroom too. "
Heh, it is good, no? One character telling the other two where they can sleep in his apartment.
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I thought it was one character telling the other two where they could argue. Still funny, though.
I'm at 4269 and two rather short chapters. We'll see where this takes me tomorrow.
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wow. I wish I was unemployed and could write like that.
Well, I'm about to give up on my chart, I thought that some people wanted it, but guess not.
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Nooo!
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I thought it was very nifty, SE, and planned to bookmark it if others started using it.
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Yeah, gemm already forbid me from giving up on it. I suppose if at least he and I (and I'm pretty sure MoD will when she gets started) that it's worth it.
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OK, Gemm and I are updated for the end of the day (I'm goign to bed, and Gemm says he won't be doing any more for the next 25 minutes) so we're updated. If anyone wants to send me info, I'll include you in yesterday's stats.
More stats I'm thinking about throwing on there: Daily word count (what you did that day), daily leaders, and over all leaders. Seems like Fell has the potential to finish first if he can do 4k a day. I'm doing around 2k a day unless my day is too packed like yesterday, when I get about half that done.
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Yeah Yeah, all you hardy-boys. Think you're so big. Just you wait. Its always the little guy that pulls out all the stops at just the right moment. Oh Yeah! Kool-Aid!
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/me sets Fell on fire
Okay, good. That should keep him busy long enough for me to catch up. . . .
Almost hit 3k today. And that was about 3.5 hours, so it's looking good as long as I can stay modivated. I hope I don't run out of things to say before my 50,000 words are up.
Thanks for the encouragement EUOL.
Okay, how's everyone else doing?
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No charting for me; too much commitment. And EUOL, I'll be doign more than I like by hand as I won't be taking my laptop to Georgia this weekend.
Oh well. Long plane ride =lots of writing time.
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I've just been busy writing and haven't taken the time to send anything. But doing it in the sig line seems pretty straightforward and easily maintained.
I have a question. I'm too lazy to look it up. When typing out prose, what's the rule for indentation? At the beginning of each paragraph? What if the paragraph is less that one line long? What about dialogue? If someone who knows would like to share I'd appreciate it. That's if you don't mind enabling my laziness.
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I also meant that Saint, if you keep the chart or whatever (I haven't seen it yet) I plan on sending you stuff soon.
But if you don't that's fine too.
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He does keep a chart. It's at http://www.writers-group.org/NaNoWriMo/ (http://www.writers-group.org/NaNoWriMo/)
Saint I emailed you at zoboo. Is that right?
And I think only the day's word count should be in the calendar part. It's getting rather confusing. Then, at the bottom, Put total word count, percent of daily goal and percent of total goal in a table. That's a suggestion, even if it doesn't sound that way.
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I meant 4200 total, not today. That puts me just over my goal of 2000 words per day, not counting Sundays, and it also means that I was set on fire under completely erroneous circumstances.
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I'm sure you deserved it for one reason or another.
Anyway, if you want to count it, I'm up to about 1800 for the month so far. It isn't a new novel, but instead the one I'm currently working on. Still, in the spirit of comradery, I could keep track of my counts for the month.
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a) I like the percentages in the daily thing. That way, if like I did on Sunday, I fall behind to only 85%, then I catch up to 102% on monday, I know I did a REALLY good job on Monday. In other words, like the record of where it was. If more people complain about it, I'll change it though, this is supposed to be helpful
b) EUOL, well, it's not the same, but I guess I don't have any objections to posting your word count. Are you trying to do 50k this month? IE, should i keep track of your percentages?
c) Fell and Kije, want me to post your counts?
d) I need help. I need a reason for Peks to be out afield from any shelter when a snow storm starts. He needs to be far enough that the snow comes up and he loses his way. he could keep working after the snow starts, that would help make sure the snow gets a good enough start. But I can't think of why. Stupid, I know, but give me some help here.
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C) I sent it just now.
D) He was golfing. Fleeing a bear. Walking and talking to himself, and he just lost track of time and walked a bit far. Went to spy on his neighbor's farm and maybe steal a turnip. (I don't know, it would probably help if I read some of your story. I know - it's linked on the chart.)
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I finally checked out the chart - so we send you our word count that we wrote that day, or our new total word count?
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Eh, just send it to him. The little monkey likes to do the work. Don't you monkey. Now, do a funny jig for us. Hahahahah! ;D
And I like it the way it is. Why does everyone always have to change a good thing. Humbugerry.
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Saint: Maybe Pek got wanderlust? He's exploring the grounds around his town and, like the all wise being all teenagers are, decides to push on, despite the warning of a storm. Or, alternately, he's lost something important, and if he waits until after the snow storm, it's only going to be harder to find.
Kije: It looks like it's the total word count for the month.
Gemm: Because I want to see how everyone is doing at a glance, without having to pick through small fonts. Have pity on me and my glasses!
Sorry, Fell.
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Hey, I have glasses too. Without them my vision is at 70/50 (left/right) or something like that. So don't go telling me. I'm on the same level as you. :P
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I have no objection to you posting my word count, SE. I'm a little too busy to have looked at the site, though, so don't expect any feedback soon.
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SE: Yeah, go ahead and post me. I doubt I'll be able to keep up, since I have to worry about planning and revising, but we might as well add my name to the list. I can't be official with NaNoWriMo, since I'm working on a book I started before the month began, but I can post here with you guys.
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Just send me total word count. I'll do any other math involved. It takes me all of 60 seconds a day (ok, more like 4 minutes or so) to update the calander, so it's not a big deal.
I will then keep track of Fell's word counts as he posts.
Likewise EUOL's
I've written 50 words today! Aren't you proud? This is partially because cops are stupid. Detailed rant to come later, probably from home, since Internet access at work has really started to suck.
As far as why he's out there, I was thinking more of a chore, but maybe I could make it his own foolishness. For now he's getting some sort of thatch or something. I kinda want it to be an assignment, in keeping with his character development. Probably the final novel will need another scene of him fooling around. Yeah, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but still... Just another thing for the revision list.
This novel is probably going to be 150k when it's done, I'm thinking. As at 5k, he's still 11 and just barely finishing that year out. It'll probably be 10k before he gets sent away. Then he has to mature, then come back, then resolve a conflict. It's turning out to be much less epic than I expected as well, which isn't necessarily bad, but the way it is. Maybe the sequel will be epic.
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I have to say that I am starting to have a greater appreciation for non-epics. Not that epics are bad, but sometimes it is just nice to watch a character succeed, without the entire world/kingdom requiring him/her to save it.
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I'm thinking that I need more detail on my larger conflict. I'm obviously not going to get to some of the plots, and the personal vengeance/revelation/maturity thing will take at least the 50k. I'll have to see where I am.
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I'm at 6060 words total. I'm glad that I'm staying over my goal, but kind of worried that I write less and less each day. Oh well, things will pick up tomorrow.
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I think that part of that is that if you meet your goal every day, and do it without breaking a sweat, that you start to think it's too easy. it might be worth it to up your goal so you keep working hard to make it. Might keep your word count from dropping.
I'm still having days like today, where it's already 10 and I've only done 430 words, so I need to bust my hump at the very end to meet my 2k/day goal, so I'm not ready to up my goal yet.
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This is difficult for a professional procrastinator like myself. Now that I'm starting to care about the story I'm getting careful with it and that's something that can't happen if I want to finish this in a month. I'm coping, just not very well at the moment.
I'm thinking of using a random event generator every 5000 words or so just to keep me on edge and to keep me from wanting to plan too much.
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OK, first as for the calander: I added Fell's numbers for the 3rd and the 4th, which are the only two reliable counts I had for him. I also added EUOL to the third, having only that word count. Kije was added to the 1-3, since he reported his progression.
I expect that i'll get an updated count from EUOL and MoD for the 4th tomorrow.
Gemm usually reports to me at about 10pm, so that's why he and I get updated so fast
Ok, and for my progress report: I find myself competing against Fell. Much like post count on the message board, I like to stay ahead once I'm there, so I got a lot done today, maintaining my lead (unless Fell decided to write again since his last post). I feel like i'm doing really well, but I figure I can only dwell on the issues of Peks' childhood for a few more days, then I've got to go to his maturation when he's sent away.So far, so good though, most major issues I've had have been resolved (I even worked out why he's stuck in the snow, and this time a half way decent reason... unless you can't go falconing in the cold, in which case I'll have to change stuff around -- someone read up and let me know what they think) I think I've struck a balance between Peks being a jerk to the future love interest and still being a sympathetic character. I think I need another teasing episode, probably before any of the event here, but I need to think about that. I have a couple scenes that need a lot of work, though they communicate what i want, I think, as they are, they're just unrealistic in presentation and awkward. And naturally, I need to do a lot of proofreading.
Sorry for inundating you, but I'm really excited about this, even as I can't keep my eyes open tonight.
So, more tomorrow! Yay! this is fun! I hope you all feel like you're doing well and can reach the 50k word goal! Seems like many of us can reach it! And don't forget, it's not too late to start! You've only lost 4 days, and most of us our counting on flaking on at least that many during the month!
! (sorry, just realized how many I've included there, I blame the children. Yes, definitely the children).
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I'm at 3905 total. That, minus my other total, makes 2059 for the day, I believe.
I'd tell you what I'm working on, but since it's in the middle of the book, it wouldn't make all that much sense. Anyway, good job, everyone.
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*snort*
Like making sense has ever been requirement around here....
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Well, I was going kind of slow anyway, but I have to officially drop out. I talked to Covenant last night, and they're going to put my book on CD. That's cool, but because of audio requirements, I have to cut my book from 63,000 words to 48,000. And I have to do it in three weeks. I think I'm just going to cut every fourth word.
Anyway, no more NaNoWriMo for me.
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Just give your protagonist amnesia for two or three chapters, cut them out, and have his/her sidekick give a two minute recap in the hospital room right after as he/she's recovering.
As if I knew anything about your book. :)
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Yay! I not declare november the "drop out of nanowrimo" month!
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I not declare November either.
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Kije is good at making recommendations about things he doesn't understand. ;D
But I dont' think there's enough interest for it to be drop out month. We have 5 people who are probably going to make it if they keep improving like they are, and then uh... fuzzy who isn't reporting progress. I can only assume that she's doing well too. That means only 25% of the people have dropped out -- one of which was to work on a paying project-- which frankly, considering how difficult a task we're talking about, is pretty impressive.
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Well, I had one of my drop-out days yesterday. Tuesday is usually my TV day, where I watch Gilmore Girls, Charmed, and Judging Amy. And because I'm only able to start writing when I get home from work (after 6:30) I pretty much have to get home, eat dinner, write, submit word count and go to bed. There isn't time for 3 hours of being sidetracked. Luckily, I have a VCR, which I will use next week and there is no rping this week due to the fact that Morag has a test early Friday morning. I think if I am diligent this week I can catch up on Saturday.
EUOL, could I borrow your extra laptop? I'm thinking that a mobile computer unit would allow me to work on the story during lunch and anywhere else I might happen to need to be (say Thanksgiving dinner) and that will help me finish. If not, don't sweat it.
Kije, remember Crap! For it is what NaNoWriMo is all about!
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Yeah, you can borrow it. I'll bring it on Saturday (assuming I remember...) or you can just come pick it up sometime.
The thing is, the battery doesn't work, so you'll have to be able to plug in wherever you go.
HoM: Your book is only 63k? And they want you to drop it below 50? All I can say is 'wow.' Good job keeping it short--my 'short' books are still all over 100k. What are your royalties like on the audio edition, and are they going to release it at the same time as the print one?
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Kije, remember Crap! For it is what NaNoWriMo is all about!
Therefore, by definition, it could not be Scottish, eh?
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Royalties on audio are much better than paperback. Paperback is 6.5-10% and audio is 10-15%.
Yeah it's pretty short. It's headed to typeset tomorrow, but we're guessing it will come in at 256 pages.
I'm not sure when the audio will be released. The book will be out in early march though.
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Thanks EUOL. Having to plug it in is a small price to pay.
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Alas poor Mustard, we knew ye well...but seriously, the two professional authors have no need to apologize about not writing a crappy speed-novel. It's the rest of us dregs that have to apologize for not going fast enough on our crappy speed-novel.
Kije, I think a random event generator is an excellent idea. I'd be more than happy to fill that role, even if only once.
And now the kicker: SE wants to make this a competition, huh? Well, I think that might just spark me out of my diminishing word-count funk and into his FACE! It's on now.
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If it's a competition, can I volunteer to lose ahead of time?
Saint, if I bothered to post my word counts on here, I'd just lie.
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I'm just using a 20 sided die. But if you have any events you think should be on my list of 20, feel free to contribute.
I'm writing a not too wacky sci fi piece, meaning it's on earth and there are no aliens. Not that aliens are inherently wacky, but...I don't know what was going to follow that 'but.' You get the picture.
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hey, you're supposed to have Jury duty so I can get further ahead.
Fine, fine. Well, I guess I'd better start cracking instead of reading old TLE issues.
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HoM: Hey, that's pretty good. I've seen a lot of audio royalties that were more around paperback percentages. 10-15 is pretty darn good, especially since audio editions tend to cost in the mid-to-high 20's.
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Here's my random event generator, in case anyone needs an outside shot of fate in their book at some point.
Just roll a d20.
1. an eighty dollar haircut
2. deja vu
3. a kiss
4. an urge or a craving
5. a thief
6. a foreign language
7. a decorative lawn gnome
8. someone with the flu
9. a shooting star
10. tarot cards
11. the sound of machines
12. a SWAT team
13. new clothes
14. a blonde bombshell
15. a wild or runaway animal
16. a change in the weather
17. flowers
18. a solicitor
19. thrown food
20. obsolete technology
You can use any of these things in a variety of ways, be it intrusive or subtle. If something's anachronistic or out-of-genre then adapt or...pick something else.
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I'm quite pleased - especially since Covenant puts almost all their fiction on tape - it's a second item on the market for only a little extra work.
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Oh, and I'm finding that those of you that I've gotten to know (in person or through the forum) are showing up in what I write.
“Yeah. It’s time for some mindless entertainment.”
“I don’t want to watch TV all day.”
“I was thinking about a movie.”
“Yeah, I could go for that.”
“You got any in mind?”
Lionel thought for a moment. “Um, yeah. There’s that one about King Arthur and all the knights. That one looked pretty good.”
“I don’t think I’ve heard of that one, but it sounds good. I like all that Camelot stuff.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
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Calendar reporting time again:
with Fell not having reported, I'm still in the lead with a solid 20% of my novel written, putting me one full day ahead of the daily goal.
I've updated gemm too. Sounds like MoD, who I've been sharing mutual support with this evening, is still working. I'll wait to hear from the rest of you, and looking at EUOL's signature for updates.
Still having fun, still hoping you're all doing well, even if you don't hit 50k, you'll have a heckuva start! (and it's to bed with me, after yet ANOTHER late night!)
Oh, and Kije, i know it's a distraction from your novel, but genre versions of that list would be COOL, AND something we could turn into random event tables for "winging" a role playing session, so it could be posted as an article.
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Yeah, Kije your list is really cool. I might have to borrow some of it to get me through some tough spots, though Saint has helped me get my hands around that amorphos middle. Made my goal for the day. Time to crash.
*boink*
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That kind of table already has been made by the GM's newsletter, which has done stuff like "100 things to find in a mine" and "100 minor magic items".
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I've seen SE's amorphous middle, and I can't imagine why you'd want to get your hands around it.
I wasn't able to start on my writing today until 10 pm (my only free time during the day was used up by watching Matrix: Revolutions), so I didn't technically finish my writing until 2 in the morning. I count it as being completed on the fifth, though, so mark me up at 8051 words. I should be able to write much more freely tomorrow...I hope.
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I'm up to 7805, though I too wrote late. However, I do that pretty much every day (prime writing time for me is 10pm-2am) so it should even out.
I must say, I'm very interested in the Fell/SE race. From what I've read, you two are the next most likely to break into the field. It will be interesting to see who finishes first, and then to read what you're producing.
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Had not I ran into a proverbial brick wall and had it come down on me I would have had more words. And I will be the most entrepenuerial person you've ever known EUOL. Oh, do not worry, I will take my chances!
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Well, EUOL is obviously the daily leader, with almost 4000 words yesterday, though I'm in second place, since fell got 1989 words while I did 2293. And I still retain my over all lead. Don't worry, I only have delusions of holding that over EUOL beyond the weekend. Even at his current pace, I should be able to hold it tomorrow. Unless I actually pass out from exhaustion.
I should call in sick....
and hey, you just don't want to put your hands on my amorphus middle because you're a guy. It's a sexy amorphus middle that many girls can't avoid putting their hands on. It's a curse, but someone must bear it.
Speaking of amorphus parts though, I'm starting to see what the biggest problem of all will be with this novel -- I have a very clear personal maturity/growing up story, but with that, there's no compellling reason to set it in a fantasy world. I also have a clear supernatural element that keeps coming back having to do with the identity of the protagonist and his father. I don't however, have a strong conflict for this supernatural element. My big worry is that the two plotlines will be resolved completely independently, and that they will appear to be two different stories, with one more or less just thrown in.
Mostly this is because Peks entire childhood, adolescence, and return to make good have been planned, while the larger conflict having to do with the supernatural elements is largely left unexplored. I've been writing what I know, and putting off the rest in order to meet word counts, but that's only gonna last for so long. if anyone takes the time to read my manuscript so far (daily incarnation linked to from http://www.writers-group.org/NaNoWriMo) and has thoughts, let me know. Yeah, I should probably just follow the advice I gave Izzy, but I think I have a less clear result in mind for that. Time to review notes....
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I think I've figured out a way to end my story, on page 10. Everyone dies because a car left unattended ran into area 51 and woke up the Nuclear Alien who blew the world up. And so, everyone was killed, only to become an even smaller part of the galaxy. The End.
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I've decided that my novel will end with the hero killing the royal phillosopher.
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Good. Royal philosophers deserve death.
I was talking about the middle of my story!!! Good grief.
I think I beat Saint on words for the day. However, I am paying for my past bad behavior and he's still way ahead of me in total words.
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/me does the math
Well, yeah, but you didn't write at all the day before. I usually only count the day to day when I figure that out in my head, just because I don't know if you wrote and didn't tell me, or what. But yeah, if you did all that just yesterday, i'm in third and Fell is in fourth. Which means I get the bronze medal and he gets NOTHING! HAHAHAHAHAH!
I've already explained that my ending is going to be "Suddenly, everything blew up," since the novel will be at least another 50k afterwards, but I want to have a "finished" manuscript during November.
Incidentally, The links to manuscripts will come down on Dec 1, for privacy reasons. Then we can workshop by email n' stuff.
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Yes, all of that was written yesterday. As I posted yesterday morning, I totally flaked on Tuesday, and I am now paying for it.
Was Tage going to set something up? Or is writers-group.org it? Just wondering because I'm like that.
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I haven't sent counts bacause I'm embarrassed at how far I am behind. But I've learned something: I can only get about 1200 words down before I get hit with temproary ADD or something. So the last couple of days when I've said to myself, "okay, I'm just gonna ram right thorugh this 'til I'm caught up" I fallen flat on my face after 1200. So now I'm trying to do multiple 1200 word sittings in a day. One early am, one evening, one late night. Something like that. I will definitely send a count today, caught up or not. But so far, the plan is working well.
We'll see about more REGs. They're fun to make.
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Hmm. in high school I wrote a dice-rolling program designed to be used in the Rifts RPG--it could roll characters, monsters, traveling shows (from the vampire book) and, most importantly, random encounters. Maybe I should look into posting that bad boy in case anyone wants a random encounter table. You'd have to do some heavy converting to non-Rifts settings, though, so maybe it wouldn't be worth it.
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Tage mentioned maybe setting soemthing up. w-g.org was meant to be temporary for the file holding aspect, and then the calendar itself could be moved too. We'll see when we can bug him into getting it done.
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SE: I wouldn't cout too much on me pulling ahead of you. I generally don't write much on the weekends, if at all. My strong days tend to be Mondays and Wednesdays. In addition, how much I write in a day depends on how much time I have to spend doing other writing-related things. For instance, today I had to spend an hour or so spell-checking and editing (which I like to do as I progress, so that I don't have to do it all at once at the end.) I am also printing off two copies of ELANTRIS to send to British publishers, which demands a moderate chunk of time.
We'll see what kind of count I get to today, but it won't likely be as spectacular as yesterday's.
As for your plot, I can understand your 'two stories thrown together' worries. I generally come up with stories this way, at least at first. Usually the independent elements fit together eventually, but I've had a couple of stories where they never did. However, if you want to do a maturation story, followed by a supernatural story, that's just fine. Put a break in the center and call the pieces 'Part One' and 'Part Two.' I've several novels do this, and sometimes they even have extended time-gaps between the sections. (Feist's MAGICIAN, Melanie Rawn's DRAGON PRINCE.)
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I never check the Books section, so don't expect me to check this thread much.
I had mentioned something about setting up a little file-storage dealy. However, now that I think about it, the TWG server is already stuffed to the gills. I currently have to sweep through and clear off files weekly to keep under quota. I know that docs don't take that much space, but really, I'm pushing the limit as-is.
Don't places like Yahoo offer little public web folders? Maybe you could set up one of those just for this writing thing.
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That sounds like work. If someone else finds a convenient pw protected folder, that's fine, I'll be happy to go along with it. Otherwise I'm going to stay with what we're doing.
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Does Sprig have room, you think? He's got server space, after all.
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I have infinite space.
Zippy, which holds w-g.org, has something like 200 gigs of storage. I have no quota or space restriction.
Is there a file system that someone would like me to install for this? If so, give me instructions and point me at a download.
I refuse to muck through anything at yahoo unless somone else set it up.
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Huzzah! 10,210 words and counting. I imagine I'll change about 200 of them tomorrow, as I've gotten in the habit of re-writing the last little bit of what I wrote the day before--it helps me get rolling. Still, though, I've gone to 5 digits and feel quite proud of myself. Only 4/5 of teh book left!
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I've done 500 here at work, then got distracted by comics. New comics. NOt very good ones. But new ones. Saving Usagi for last.
I'll beat you yet fell!
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Argh!
I wrote a 500 word scene at work and forgot to send it back to myself at home! I'm a dork!
fortunately, the scene went in earlier than where i had left off, so I can now pick up there and continue. Who rules? Yes, that's right. me.
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Well, I'm reporting that my new method of multiple writing sessions is a success, and I have made very significant progress towards catching up to quota. Yeah!
Another thing I have going for me is that more than half of what I've written (maybe 2/3 or even 3/4) so far has been dialogue. As the plot develops I don't see myself slogging through quite so many quotation marks and it'll get quicker. Double yeah!
Anyways, just checking in.
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well, as I had a pretty pitiful day yesterday, and since no one has reported, yesterday's update will happen later today, while today's will happen tomorrow morning, after which I think I'll be back on schedule
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Well, I'd like to say that yes, I did write yesterday but no, I haven't gotten it typed in yet. I'm going to my roommates house this weekend, so I expect I'll get more done than I've ever gotten done. So give me until monday, then I'll give you my stats SE to post come sunday night.
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Note: I'm happy to post past days if you have specific numbers. Otherwise, I'll just post total counts. Also note: MoD and Kije HAD sent me their stats, but I hadn't checked my email before I posted that. So yeah, we'll get it all caught up by end of the weekend.
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My stats were very pitiful though. I have high hopes for increased productivity with laptop mobility. I'd like to try Kije's method, but it is difficult to accomplish with a full time job. I'm resolved to make it work though!
Some of my low productivity was because I got discouraged over how stupid my bad guy seems. It wasn't until this morning that I remembered how important it is to remember it's going to be crap, but it's going to be finished, so deal.
/me shrugs
I'm hoping tonight goes better.
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My bad guy is awesome. You should read chapter 2 when I get all of it finished. It foreshadows into whats going to happen. I implore you all to read it, it's just so cool.
But yeah, he is awesome. He owns 3 different buildings, one of the 130 stories tall, one 78 stories, with 22 underground, and another building that has not been brought up yet. Although they are called the Tri-pair buildings. Heh.
And he's going to own channel nine soon, since they were doing one of those "tonight at 6" things, and it was going to be of the "bad side" of Ozymandias Incorporated. It's great. I love this character.
Mr. Jones is cool too. He's the dwarf from medival times. With super psionic powers of mindfulness. And there's the goblin that got sucked into "our world." That was a fun scene.
Heh, and the scientists were arguing over whether to use an orange or banana as a test subject. They ended up with the orange. The project name for the almost Stargate-esque portal is Union Star. So much foreshadowing. But now I have to return to the main characters and have them go on through the day. And stuffs.
Coming soon, my mortuary science class gets good use as the heros are sent to visit a funeral home/embalming room one evening. Look forward to the cool words I get to use and define and make with the words!
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My grand total for yesterday was 792. Spent most of my time editing and printing. My new total is in my sig. Thanks for the updates, SE.
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Sounds like a pretty cool story, Gemm. I've been slacking off today and I've only got 600 words so far. I have to meet my goal in the next two hours, so we'll see what I get.
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My official word count (after fusing the two versions I was working with yesterday) was 10855.
Today I have 11434
Which puts me even with Fell for today's count. I expect to get more done than just two hours of work though
However, it's kind of a hazy part. I need to have Peks insult Isbeth enough to make her cry. That's right, I make little girls CRY! (wait... uh...). I also outlined most of the second part, I just need to figure out exactly what sort of mission he goes out on... the one where tragedy begins.
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I downloaded your story yesterday Saint. Never got around to reading it though. I think that on the 15th i shall download all of them, read them, and then write a half way article commenting on who stayed in the contest and how the stories are shaping up.
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I finished today's writing, squeaking over the line with 12,018 words. I'm quite pleaed with how it's shaping up, but I worry that I might not be able to tie it up in 50,000. We'll see. Also, I'll be sure to send SE a copy of the novel tomorrow so he can post what I have on his calendar.
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ok, i had at least 900 words to go, and I was ready for them, but then couldn't decide between two ideas, and I was tired, so i just updated the calendar and went to bed. I'm still in the lead!
I've got ALL the information I've received on that calendar. If soemthing's missing, it's not my fault.
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Today's total: 6,568 words.
Running total: 15,165 words.
Okay, so maybe Fridays are good for me too....
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What'd I tell you? That you'd be ahead by the end of the weekend. That's right. I hates you.....
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Ha. Just trying to keep you on your toes, my friend. Things were going too easily for you. You've got an entire Saturday--let's see what you can do, bucko.
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Well, today I succeeded in cutting about 750 words. That ought to be good for something.
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yeah, well, I spent the first 4 hours of my day getting two oil changes (yes, I'm considerably pissed about that), then going to a birthday dinner for my wife, and then a brief nap. so no, I don't have a full saturday, saturday is probably bad second only to Sundays in terms of how much time i have to write, unless I'm at work.
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Given that my six month old did not sleep more than four consecutive minutes all night, and that I've got appointments all day, today has been shot. I'll have to do 2500 a few days next week to catch up.
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There's still tonight! (when I plan to get it done... as in... right now...
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Well, good luck. 15k's my total for the week; I won't have any time tonight to write, and I don't write on Sundays.
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calendar update: I'm apparently the only one who wrote yesterday, which puts me in the lead.
But I'm think EUOL has the right idea, and I probably won't write anythign I hope to eventually make money on in the future. So today will be personal history and stuff.
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Now would be a cool time to repost the link to the page if you want me to read your story eric, 17 pages of posts is mildly daunting.
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ah, but if you hit reply, than you have the whole history there.
But to make it easy, the calendar is at http://www.writers-group.org/NaNoWriMo
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Oy, well my weekend was something of one of those things people say are a bad thing. Since right now I just want to know how hard I have to hit my head against a wall to make the pounding inside it go away. Anywho, to tell you how much I wrote would be an overstatement. I tried saturday, just sitting there, thinking of how to get this thing going. Then out of no where I'm in bed and it's 10:30 pm. So again, I tried today, but no luck. I've gotten 1, maybe 2 sentences down but nothing. I'm not giving up, but for some reason I just couldn't do anything this weekend. It's probably because I should have been home doing all sorts of things and hanging out with friends, but lucky me gets to stay up here. Fortunately my roommate took me home with him, so that was cool. And so I end with my weekend being completely... um baddened. Now I await the airing of that Family Guy episode I've been looking forward to for the past week or so. It will be good.
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Gemm, have you ever done rushwrites to get you going? You can do it with practically anything as a jumpstarter--it can be a newspaper clipping, a quote, something a news anchor just said, or more random things. I have a book called The Writer's Book of Days, that has a writing prompt for every day of the month. Some of the prompts are really quite silly, and with most you'll end up with something that has nothing to do with your current project, but think of it as a warm-up exercise, like you were a musician or an athlete. If you write a paragraph or two on some random thing (and this is one of those things in which you even write the "um"s and the "I can't think of what to write next"s), it might be enough to get you into writing mode.
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I may have to try that stacer. Friday night was shot because I babysat my nephew and then was in movie watching mode by the time his parents came to pick him up at 8.
Saturdays are very bad, since me likes to watch the toons in the morning and we have rping in the afternoon.
And Sundays I always have big plans, but end up chilling out, which is probably a good thing. Never could manage to do any homework on Sundays either.
I am now so far behing that I am planning on using Kije's method of 1200 words, break, 1200 words, break, until it's time to sleep. A very kind EUOL lent me his laptop, so I can write during lunches now too. I have to catch up!
Speaking of which, my husband has responded to my requests of no more DW4 and WC:FT, at least until the end of Nov, with the decision to write the story of his favorite rp character. Sounds like he's more of a one drafter, so I don't think he will be joining us.
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no warcraft?
That man loves you more than you know.
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/me swings a golf club a la Bob Hope.
Well folks, Thursday I got a whopping total of 575 words done. I haven't typed in sunday's total yet (since I did not write on friday or saturday).
Now, I'm not saying I'm out. I'm not saying I'm giving up. I'm just saying I'm going to go for a different goal. Maybe 25,000. Maybe. I don't know. All I do know is that I'll get as much done as I can.
This John Johnly signing off.
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Wimp!! I'm 1,000 words behind and I'm not giving up yet.
Well, I'm not going to school either, so. . . .
And yes, my husband does love me, though the same could be said about you to your wife ;).
For some reason the violent games (yes, WC & DW4 count as violent to me, won't let anything worse in my house) are making me anxious lately. I'll probably be fine after the stress has passed.
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Now folks, don't feel down if you think you're not going to get 50k. 50k is deliberately a difficult goal. But shoot for it, and see how far you get. Even 25k or 15k in a month is pretty good for most people, and nothing to spit at. It's longer than most novellas published in TLE, and it's a great beginning point for a novel. So, yeah, feel good about yourself even if you only get several thousand.
Yeah, my wife loves me. She's been amazingly tolerant (until the weekend, actually, when she got mad, I'm hoping it's just a phase). We should all acknowledge our spouses (those of us who have them, anyway) and their role in this).
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MoD and Gemm, if you like I can post a few of the writing prompts I have. It might be pretty big for a post if you want them all, but I could email them as Word attachments (these aren't from the book I was talking about, they're from Writer's Digest.com, which emails them to me every month).
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This is the kind of thing we were doing with squibs on w-g.org. We have a mechanic in place to send them, we just never launched it (we wanted to launch the whole site at once). I'll be happy to email the list of them we had. Automatic Writing is cool.
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I think I need help outlining, or giving up on perfect dialogue. In fact things would be better if I would accept the fact that I don't know how to fight, so all of the writing I do about that is going to be crap, but that's the point!!.
I'd appreciate any tips you have for making me sit my butt down and write.
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MoD, I'll be happy to work with you on outlining, msg me when I get home (2.5 hours or so from now). or you can email me here at work ([email protected]).
As for sitting down, it's all discipline. Have your husband hold you to it. Er.. this is going in an unpleasant direction, so I'll make a course correction.
Have someone remind you, keep talking about it to everyone's annoyance so that you're expected to do it. Set up a reward system maybe: no chocolate (or whatever) until you write your 1200 (or whatever), and then you get a nice treat. I don't recommend all awards be food, unless your spouse likes the chubby thing, but also stear clear of buying things (unless you're independently wealthy).
See the thing is, unlike previous times, I'm finding that I actually WANT to be wriitng this. I busted out a bunch of reviews for TWG this morning so I'd stop feeling like I had other obligations (I still have a lot, but that will assuage guilt for a bit). So.. uh... does any of that help?
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Aha! Annoy people, what a good idea. . .wait. Still it's seems to help. At least talking about it during the day, makes me more excited about actually working on it that night.
Yes, that does help. I'm just not sure what, outside of chocolate and new clothes will be inspiring modivation. Maybe I'll pick up some Dove minis. One every 1,200 words (so that works out to about 36 over the course of a month and they are 42 calories a piece--shouldn't be too bad). I'll have to give them to my husband to hide though . . .
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I spent the day installing a floor in my Mom's house, and the evening writing. I think I got over 2500 today, but don't do any official calculations until I can get an official count off my computer at home (this one doesn't have a word count function).
And Gemm, don't give up! If you need help we'll be more than happy to do anything you need to help you break past the writing walls--we'll brainstorm, we'll give ideas, we'll give encouragement, and anything else. Trust me on this--if you get to the end of the month having written 50,000 words, no matter how incoherent or horrible, you'll have acheived something great, and you'll be a stronger man than most people you know. Don't give up!
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well, at only just over 1300 today, my pace is slackening. But Fell comes through and comes awfully darn close to getting ahead. Tomorrow shall be a good day then. I updated my info on the calendar, but obviously I'm gonna need to add Fell tomorrow, and probably moD tonight.
Gemm, really, do it! We all know behind that spatial anomaly you're still a freak, but one that can do some good work! Why do you think we tolerate you?
update: I added MoD to today's, having just received her work.
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1,423 for me.
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Fell, you a big kid in a candy store, I know. Its okay. Everyone needs a little time to feel pleasant with themselves, or someone else. But like the horse's mouth said, I'm not giving up, just going for something different.
I don't see how you(or anyone) could really help me with this though. It just seems silly and such. But far be it for me to tell you what to do. I'll give this "Help" stuff a try.
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Aside from the obvious which none of us are medically qualified to handle, what is it that you need help with? Do you just not know what happens next? Is it sitting your butt down and getting to work?
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Probably that last part. And after a while my wrists and stuff start hurting after all that typing. I have most of how it goes down in my head already. Its just extending it to triple my arms' length to get there.
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sounds like you can use some of those exercises.
I'll start a thread just for that.
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Your gonna make me read aren't you?
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I know that MoD was having some problems with her sword fights and such. This doesn't directly address that, but it gives a very brief history of the sword (enough to help you make some decisions) and where types of sword came from.
http://www.armadilloarmory.com/hxsword.htm
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Thanks Saint. It would seem that my max number of words in any one sitting is 2,500. I tried to write 1,200 words and take a break, but I was afraid that if I did anything truly relaxing that would be it for the night. So the break didn't last long.
Looks like Saturdays are going to have to be my catch up days. I hope my husband and GM doesn't kill me. . . . 'Course it would help if I would write instead of watching cartoons.
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hrm... this is interesting
By the word count feature, I'm at 17.6k
If I do the 12pt Courier New Dbl Space, I have over 23k.
Oh well.
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The courier spacing method is a typsetter's method of counting words. If you think about it, a blank line is the same as a line full of words when you consider book length. Therefore, 'Manuscript Format' makes any blank space worth one letter, and any blank line worth ten words. If you return three times before getting to your chapter heading, that's thirty words (in the typsetter's eyes.)
However, for this, we're worried primarily about words written, not virtual words. So, i'm using the word-count function.
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Yeah, I'm sticking with word count. That gives me 1k so far today. If I can make up my mind over what I'm spending money on with my Amazon gift certificate (I think I have it, I'm gettin Eowyn and Aragorn 6" action figures, a CD, a book that Entropy found for me, and a movie for my dad), then I hope to have an other k done before I go home, at which point I was planning to go to bed, but I just may write some more.
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The floor is done (and looking mighty fine), so it's time to write again. My total after yesterday, by the way, was a devilish 14,666, which is ironic considering that I'm writing about an Inquisitor.
And Gemm, again I urge you not to "change your goa," because in my experience that equates to the same thing as giving up. It starts small--you just move the finish line a bit, so you can get there easier--but then you're not as challenged or excited by your goal and you start to lose interest in it, and since you've already changed it once it becomes very easy to change it again, and again, until you just bag it all and play video games. Trust me, I've been there.
To everyone having doubts, I highly recommend this weeks NaNoWriMo newsletter. It's quite heartening.
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ok, i've got Kije and Fell updated on the calendar as of yesterday now. I'm debating how much more Im going to write. I got 2.5k done at work, and that's consistent with skipping sundays and still finishing 50k before Thanksgiving.
And gemm, what fell said. seriously, commit full throttle. No, don't be disappointed if you don't get 50k, and yes 15k is a great goal. But why the heck would you SHOOT for the silver or bronze medal when the gold medal is hanging right there? You'll get more done, just bust your hump a little. Get out of the comfort zone, and you'll be surprised.
BTW, how'd that squib work out for you?
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It went squibbly for me. And about that gold medal thing. I've never really ever won anything for myself. And I usually ended up never getting a silver or bronze, so even thats supurb to me.
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well, that's kind of the point. People who've never accomplished it or "won" before get to finish something. Move into new territory.
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You know, I've never really enjoyed finishing things. Takes games for instance. I like to play them and everything, but its a rarity for me to ever finish one.
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Well, even after updating the official calendar, I decided to write a few hundred mroe words so i could BREAK THE 20K MARK! Yes, that's right 20,117 is my count now!
I'm celebrating by going to bed.
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Congrats! Mark me up for 2,234. New total is in the sig.
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Well, I was approximately 500 words short of my goal last night. But, after grocery shopping and making dinner, I didn't get to start until 9. Although I did get in a few words before work and during lunch, which is why I got so far.
But at 11:30, I decided that I'd better go to bed, or I would hate myself later, since I would probably be too tired to type. However, I just realized that we have a ward activity tonight! We are bringing canned goods for donation to the food bank, and watching Finding Nemo. Oh no!
And Gemm, the more you say, the more I am convinced that you are giving up. And I am hardily sad.
/me cries
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do you mean "heartily?"
Couldn't you just say "morose?" or soemthing?
And never forget the power of just saying "I am sad. And unhappy."
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Okay, I need some advice. Should I skip lunch, so I can get home earlier and start work on my novel so that I can get in an hour and a half before the movie, or should I take my lunch, type at the library and go home so that I only have 45 mins to type before the ward activity.
I'm going, I'm just trying to figure out if it would be okay to bring EUOL's laptop and type during the movie.
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Hey! I was up until 12 last night, cut me some slack!
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i recommend combining all your time for writing into one block. It works better for me that way. Unless you can do one of your 1200 sprints in 45 minutes, then you can do one on lunch and one after work
and take the laptop
Work until you start getting dirty looks.
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Okay, sounds good. I'm going to shoot for the 1.2k words at lunch. Sometimes I hates work and needs a break, precious. And I think I do work better and faster (it's easier to get my "groove" on) when I spend time writing throughout the day.
And to the activity goes the laptop. That's what I borrowed it for, and a few words while watching a movie is better than no words while watching a movie. :)
Does anyone have any ideas for a good stairwell activity? I need to plan one before the end of the month. I'm thinking apple pies and ice cream. Who would show up to that?
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cookie potluck. and uh... testimony sharing
I was stair well leader for a semester. I think we had one activity.
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Sounds like my visiting teaching.
And cookie potluck is a very good idea. I hope someone brings no bake cookies. Yumm.
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What is a "stairwell leader"? And it's not like I ain't LDS.
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It's a Wymount thing. Basically, they don't have primary or YM/YW to keep people busy, so they had to make up callings. It's roughly equivelant to the FHE group leader job in singles wards.
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Yeah, mostly FHE group leaders, only you only have to have FHE once a month, and it doesn't have to be on Mondays. We're also part of the ward activities committee.
Well, lunch was a success. I wrote approx. 500 words which is not 1,200, but is still a good contribution. I think I enjoy writing earlier in the day more than in the evening, but that might be a suprious conclusion, since I always enjoy lunch, and I don't spend very long on my writing (only about 45 mins). I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday to test this hypothesis, even though Fell will be using the laptop.
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Thanks SE for telling all us uninitiated what those things are. Like YW or a FHE leader. People nowadays sure don't like to take the time to explain themselves nowadays.
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YW= Young Women. The acronym refers to the Young Women organization in the LDS church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints).
FHE = Family Home Evening. Family Home Evenings is designated for Mondays and LDS church leaders encourage all families to set this day aside to spend with family. The event should include a spirtual lesson, and refereshments are just as manditory. Singles wards will often organize FHE "groups" and "group leaders" (often called FHE Mom & Dad) to provide this activity for students who are far from home.
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Stairwell leader.
That has to be the most amusing thing I've heard today.
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Yes, I was not only amused but bemused. Hey Saint, wherever you found these mp3's of old cartoon theme's and stuff remade, they kick the bottom out from underneath me.
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uhh.... what?
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I have written 0 words today.
I blame the children.
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Thanks to a lost day yesterday, I had to write 3500 stinking words today--and did it, coming in with a total of 19,520. If I push myself I can hit the halfway mark by Friday, definitely by Saturday, which is pretty scary considering that I'm not halfway through my story. I guess we'll see--a lot can happen in 5500 words.
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Wapazah! I did it 2,500! Of course this is the stupidest rescue ever because everything is very convinient, but I don't have time to brainstorm when I'm supposed to be churing out words.
I am also starting to feel the need to plan. I figure I can spend the last 5k words or so on the final battle, and I think I'm going to have to skip a big block of time toward the end of my story since she starts out a beginner and has to be a master by the end so that she can beat the bad guy.
I am so exhausted.
Sorry about the word count Saint.
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Mark me down for 1,654.
Heh. Kids are no excuse, SE!
(Which obviously means a whole lot, coming from the guy without any.)
Anyway, you're down by 500 or so now. You'd better have a good day tomorrow!
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MoD: give me a total word count so I can update you.
EUOL: more like 400 ish, but yeah, Intend to bust some hump today.
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Lazy bum. I sent you the file. Can't you run word count on your own?
Current word count: 13,856
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I never received a file. So, no, I can't just run word count on it.
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Hmm, that's different. I'll try sending it again.
Thanks.
Let me know if you get it?
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I will. I'll try to check my personal email a little later today. I don't often see it at work and I don't have FTP access here, so it won't be uploaded till tonight.
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I'm up to 22,248, which was almost 2700 today. I really need a break, so it's time for some games.
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I feel like whinning about people with more free time than me, but it is rather pointless.
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2,971 for me tonight, which puts me up to 23,537. We're getting close to half way, folks. (Or, at least, some of us are.)
So, how's that hump-bustin' going, SE? I'm done for the day. Are you going to have enough to pull ahead?
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I've had this bizarre exhaustion all day. For that, I did 1200 before I left work, but then I came home and talked to a mortgage broker for 90 minutes or so. Wondering how much more I'll do tonight. This little section moves so much more slowly than before. Maybe I'll skip ahead to a later point, though I hate doing that.
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ok, i only did 1600 today, but since I'm so tired, i need that more.
I'll beat you in the next few days. I'm only a few hundred behind. I can make it up.
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Well kids, the deed is done. The bastardization of my novel is complete. What once was 65,329 words is now 47,985. 27% of the book tossed in the trash.
Oh well. Who needs art when you have money, right?
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I'll agree with that, since currently I have neither art nor money.
Unless you count my crayon drawings.
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you can always draw art ON your money...
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Yes, but you have to have money first.
I had a fight with a friend, and felt terrible about it for about 15 min, and then I talked to Saint instead of writing. So I'm in the dog house, again.
The break was nice, and tomorrow will be better!
Yeah.
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Well, good job HoM--as one who has to perpetually cut down his work, I know how hard that must have been.
So, are you going to do NaNoWriMo now that you're done editing? You can catch up--I have faith in you.
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I'm already 150 pages into a book - I'll start posting my daily word count though.
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What was the number of words you cut? We'll start with that number so it looks less shameful when you only have a couple thousand :D
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I cut 17,344.
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You're practically caught up, then.
And now it's nearly 6, and I finally get the chance to start writing. Bad news, since I was hoping to hit the halfway point today (which would be nearly 2800 words).
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I'm officially still aiming for 4000 today, to make up some of my loss earlier this week. I'm at 600 and haven't left work, so maybe I can do it.
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4K, eh? That's quite the goal. Good luck!
Fell, you can do 2.8. Just start your characters talking...
And HoM--yeah, I think starting you off at 17k is fair. Goodness knows, I find cutting words far harder than adding them.
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It's a more easily reachable goal if you can ACCESS THE EMAIL ACCOUNT THAT YOU SENT IT TO SO YOU COULD WORK ON IT AT HOME!!!!!!!
AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
EDIT:
Heh, just as I his save, my little "you've got email" icon appears in my system tray, and my email arrived. I can get back to work! Yay!
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I was able to do 3200 before I stopped--not by dialogue but, of all things, traveling. I wanted to finish the scene, but it's going to be a long one. (And it's going to have some fighting in it! Yay!)
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Fighting, yep. I really need to hurry this scene along and get to the fighting. I did 3,000 words in one sitting tonight! I am pumped!
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*Yawn*
Mark me down for 2,260. I'm goin' to bed.
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Fell, was that exactly 3200? or can I have a final post count for the day?
I wrote mroe than EUOL, but not nearly my goal. I'm feeling discouraged because I'm not writing as fast, but except for my day of nothing on Wednesday, I'm still above daily minimum, so I'll finish. I just wanted to be done before Tgiving.
So I'm going to try and write ALL DAY today. and I discovered one other thing. I missed my scripture study twice this week, and maybe that has something to do with it. So I've already done that, and I'll probably finish my lesson during a break later. Here's to a productive saturday.
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So will these be availible on the site?
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probably not, this is just the support thread. I plan to make serious publication attempts, and therefore won't be making it available online
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Jeffe, if you ask really nice, I might let you read my short story about Santa Claus being a vampire.
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btw, I've added HoM to the calendar and caught up on all other details I have, excetp for Fell's word count, which I'm not sure is exact.
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My total as of last night was 25,444. It looks like today has gone the same way last saturday did--no chance at all to write anything. I'll have to keep pushing myself during the weekdays, I guess.
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That's good to hear. That measn that officially i'm 36 words ahead of you as of this moment. And catching up to EUOL. So by 4 I'll be back in the lead. And if I can keep writing all day like I plan, I'll be a couple thousand in the lead!
I don't htink I'll hit my 7k for the weekend goal, but I'll do pretty good. Feels good to be in a groove again.
I'll update you a little later today, posting and chatting don't hurt my groove, but updating the calendar for some reason does.
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I can't seem to get into my groove, which is regretable, but I will keep pounding at my keyboard. I figured out that if I write 7 pages, I will make my goal of 4k for today.
Currently, 8.8k words behind and struggling to regain the progress I made earlier this week.
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Well, I'm done for the week--Saturdays aren't good for me, either. Here's to saying farewell to my tenuous lead...
Anyway, good job, all. I must say, this is going better than I thought it would.
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Well, yhe good news for Fell & EUOL is that their firday wordcounts were above the daily goal for saturday. however, they both are under Sundays, so, for taking Sunday off opn principle, they'll need to work extra hard on monday.
the good news for me is that i'm (almost exactly) at 26k already, and i expect at least 1k more (possibly 2!)which gets me ahead for the weekend, though still less than i want.
I hope that I don't sound like I'm bragging, but I'm competitive (though I try to hide it if I expect to lose). And more to the point: I've not been this dedicated to writing and been so consistant... EVER. So I'm really excited and just want to share. I still think that everyone has a shot.
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Okay, I got 1476 last night. I should do better today - I already have 1074.
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SE--Personally, I don't mind the competitiveness. It's all in the name of the greater good, for (hopefully) it will keep everyone writing.
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ok, I'll do the math on that. If you have a quick way to do your total word count since your start date, that's easiest. Otherwise, exact wod count for the day is great.
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Total written yesterday and today: 3781
Total cut: 17,344
Grand total: 21,125
Rootbeers drunk while writing: 1
Grape sodas: 2
Number of chick flicks watched between writing sessions: 1
Number of chick flicks featuring Colin Firth wearing leather pants and playing air guitar: also 1
Making lists instead of writing: Priceless
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well, I got much less done than I expected
I blame the children
Also, an irrational agreement to go to Roy Rogers and get their milkshakes (the strawberry ones have real strawberry bits in 'em, these are GOOD!) and then an interruption to pay some pesky bills on Saturday so we wouldn't a) be done on Sunday or b) fall overdue
And then Red Alert beckoned because I was frustrated over having my groove interrupted. ("Beware the groove!")
So while I'm back in the lead, I'm in the same boat as everyone else: I need to bust some hump on monday to be ahead of the goal. I also need to recalculate my daily minimum to finish before Thanksgiving. (it is now 2,650 each day to finish the day before Turkey day)
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You're not in the same boat as me!
/me sighs
I only got a little over 1,200 words on Saturday and none on Sunday. I'm not giving up though! I will continue to type! I think Thursdays and Fridays (which have historically been very bad writing days) will become, eat out and go straight to the library. I should be around people who are feverishly working on papers or projects or studying, rather than my husband who is killing Chinese or Dark Elves, or slaughtering solitaire. Strangely, this rampent distruction does not modivate me to work. I am hoping that going to the library works/helps.
My biggest problem is that I struggle through these difficult scenes rather than following my original intention of stringing loosely connected words together.
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I did something horrible to my neck this morning (maybe the shower was too hot? I don't know) and now I can barely type this message, let alone an entire book. My wife offered to take dictation, which is the true sign of love, but I don't know how that will work. For now, just assume that I'm dead today and (with any luck) will be alive again tomorrow, and way behind.
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instead of dictation, ask for neck massages. I would demand my wife do it the entire time I write if I could (I suffer from chronic neck/headaches from what I believe are tight muscles), but she wouldn't understand chatting or checking on msg boards while I do it. She understands I still do it, but she won't massage while I mess around like that.
Anyway, work has been insane. I was hoping to get 1k done here, but it's been mad crazy. Lots of mail, lots of calls, so I've gotten maybe 300. Lunch also made me angry, but that's a different rant.
Late night, hopefully I'll still get it all.
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You know I can't understand why neck massages and back rubs haven't been written into modern wedding vows yet....
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I haven't written one single word in five days, and guess what? I'm still not giving up! Hahahahahaha </maniacal laughter>
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I've done about 1200 today, but I'm reachign a point where lots of cool stuff happens, so it should be more. I'm going to shower in a minute, then see if I can write more, or if I'm just too tired.
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OK, well, i've written 2700 words SINCE work, but since I'd written 2-300 words there, and forgot to send the document back home, I don't have an exact count. Just ~3000. I updated the calendar with what I have since work though, so I'll update that again when I can do final count.
Hope the rest of you had a productive day too!
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2452 for me.
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instead of dictation, ask for neck massages. I would demand my wife do it the entire time I write if I could (I suffer from chronic neck/headaches from what I believe are tight muscles), but she wouldn't understand chatting or checking on msg boards while I do it. She understands I still do it, but she won't massage while I mess around like that.
In other words, you don't want me to pop up on screen, considering how foul mouthed i am? :P
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actually, Gemm is worse with language than you are. I just explain to her that you're just Scottish.
The fact that Gemm is just a freak doesn't seem to soothe her.
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How touching. Thanks SE.
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I decided to revolt yesterday and read a book with my husband instead. It is a very good book, but this morning I feel kind of guilty, so back to work. Thanks to EUOL's laptop, I have been able to get some done during lunch, which helps, but not nearly enough. I am very behind, and I don't see a whole lot of time to catch up.
Like Kije, I too am not giving up!!
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skip work. heh, wish I could seriously tell you how to find time, but other than giving up work, I don't know. Surrendering sociality, esp on weekends, might help though.
My final word count last night was actually 29171 once I re-inserted what I wrote at work. Yeah, I'm breakin 30k today. yeeeeee!
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skip work. heh, wish I could seriously tell you how to find time, but other than giving up work, I don't know.
You know, it does kind of help when writing IS work....
Seriously, though, I think you're doing fine, MoD. You may want to schedule a day during thanksgiving as a 'writing day.' I'll bet that if you really tried, you could do 5-10k in an all-day stint.
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Just watch out.
For me, at least, ANY interruption ruins the all-day stint, as evidence by my complete failure to write anything last saturday night despite feeling good about what I was doing and where I was going. I went and got my mind off it. I can't wait till I'm doing this full time and I can dedicate 8 hours a day (or more!) to uninterruptable writing.
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Well, I too missed yesterday, but I got 3316 today. Grand total: 24441.
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I did all of 42 words today. so uh... it pretty much sucked. I'll try to get a strong start in the morning though. it's getting harder to maintain pace. And today was a downer. I didn't write so much, but at least I didn't AVOID writing. So I don't feel bad about it. I just need to make up the time.
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I had slim chance to write yesterday, after losing monday altogether, and got up to 27,859. That's respectable for one day (about 2400 words) but it's not going to help me catch up.
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2976 today. 27417 total.
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That neck problem I mentioned has turned out to be viral, which is a bummer. I got about 2000 worsd today, no official total count.
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I decided to take a break. Which is probably a good idea in that it will allow me to get ready for stairwell activity for this month, etc. I realize that taking a break would kill all my chances of finishing this month, which is sad.
On the upside this has turned me on to writing again!! It's exciting to have another purpose to life outside of work. So I'm really glad I decided to do this.
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The thing is: don't let it stop you. I'm having a tough time getting back up. I need my second wind. Even if you don't hit 50k, which well, you still have a CHANCE for, keep working on writing!
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I will. I intend to start writing again next week, and maybe even spend all Friday (a day off!) writing.
I'm going to relook at this story though. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere, so I'd like to spend some more time on an outline. I didn't before because I was trying to stick to the crap for crap's sake motto, and I didn't really have any spare time. I have learned a very valuable lesson though: I have to write in long spurts of stupidness. If I try to write well, I never get past the first scene.
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That's the mantra of many a professional writer, MoD: crappy first drafts. You have to allow them so that all your ideas are at least down, then you can step back, evaluate, plan a little more, fix things, etc.
I'm proud of all you guys. Good job! Way to go! And all those other encouraging things your teacher used to write on your paper, preferably with a Strawberry Shortcake scratch-n-sniff sticker. You're doing a lot, whether or not you make it to 50K.
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That reminds me of the 94.9 ZHT commercials from my freshman year. "And now we take you to a 94.9 ZHT pep rally, 'We suck! We suck!'"
But you're right stacer. I just didn't really push myself to finish before. I'd get bored and do something else. Now, out of school with no papers to write or literature to read, I've got time.
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you put Strawberry Shortcake on my paper and I'll bite your hand off
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/me slaps a Strawberry Shortcake sticker on Saint's forehead.
/me runs away, giggling madly
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/me writes a death scene for Natira.
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/me approves of the death scene
Here. Have a Cabbage Patch sticker too.
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even though she's killed by a little boy holding a butter knife and can't get out of it because she doesn't know how to defend herself, so she dies crying?
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Well, I got a big old fat zero yesterday because the battery on my laptop was dead. Hopefully today will be better.
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I did about 300 wednesday, 1k yesterday. Which still leaves me in the lead, but man, what a poor week for all of us. C'mon folks, lets kick some but today.
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That's the mantra of many a professional writer, MoD: crappy first drafts.
Samuel Beckett kept a note above his desk to encourage him to keep writing. It said: "Fail. Fail again. Fail better."
Good advice for any writer.
Anyway, sorry, I haven't been posting my wordcounts this week. I'll do better, I promise. I'm at 29,804 right now. (Stupid FFX-2...)
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Writing is proving a little more difficult these last couple of days. I'm finding I have to do research to make sure I'm not talking nonsense when I take my characters into the moons of Jupiter.
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Well, after a fantastic two days, my total is up to 37,841.
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I'll update that calendar eventually. Maybe even sometime today. I just feel like crap right now, so when I get motivated, I want to reserve that for writing. Game Day pre-empting my usually prodcuctive saturday, and yesterday being sunday.
Looks like it will be immensely difficult to finish BEFORE Thanksgiving. *shakes fist* But I've still got an excellent shot at Nov 30
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Not great yesterday. I did 1098. New total: 38939.
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hey you, I just barely finished updating that.
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Sorry. I'll just add the 1098 to my total today, and pretend like I did really good.
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Fell. Thanksgiving is almost here. Where should I drop off EUOL's laptop for you?
EUOL, your $15 is in the laptop case. I stuck it in the small pocket in the row of three pockets in the laptop section. I hope you can find it. I also hope Fell doesn't steal it.
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Now that you told me where it is, how can I not steal it?
You can drop the laptop off at my house or at EUOL's, or I'd be happy to come pick it up. You can find my number on Route Y, so give me a call.
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By the way, my total last night was 37,069. This last week will be a crunch, but the story's on track and I should be able to finish on time.
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/me slaps forehead
That's the last time I trust 10 most recent topics. Oops
K. I'll try and remember to call you tonight.
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36,044 for me. However, watch out--tomorrow's going to be prime writing time. I should get a good 5k or so done.
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Fell, you're number is not posted on Route Y. I think it has something to do with their new system.
My email address is dreamon27x at yahoo dot com.
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40,127 by the end of Tuesday. I'll email you, MoD.
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I got 1800 done last night. I think I can still do this. Just 17000 more to go, in 4 days. I can do it. I can do it!
It no longer hurts to move, though the bronchitis and the coughing and the crusty nose and the snot flow is still all there, so I feel like I can sit at the computer again. I hope to get a lot done, right after I do some calendar updating. and calm that crying baby.
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44,212 for Wednesday. Assuming MoD shows up with that laptop, I'll be able to finish by Saturday at the latest.
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:P
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ack! I shan't beat you then! wait
If i finish at all, I have a chance. Since I won't be doing it on Sunday anyway. It's been hard to work on it today, for a plethora of reasons but I'm on it now, I think.
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You know, you'd think they would have picked a month with thirty-one days...
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Or 28, just out of spite.
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Okay, well, yesterday I didn't *quite* get 5k, but close enough. 46,02. New Total: 40,646. Less than 10k in three days--very doable.
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I would like to say I have a shot at a lot more tonight... but ... triptophin... kicking... in... super powers... not.... holding up....
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You mustn't give up, SE! You were ahead for so long. Now you're going to let Fell stomp you?
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I wrote a few hundred more last night, but then went to bed.
I'm not officially giving up. I just don't think 2 days is enough time to get in 16k words.
And it wasn't Fell that stomped me, it was Bronchitis.
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Well, I will point out that my official record for a one-day writing stint is a little over 15k. Granted, I was finishing a novel at the time and I didn't have much else to do, but it is possible.
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well, i'm trying. Though I've let TTT: extended edition distract me a little
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I did just over 4k today. Best day I've had at all month. Which makes me feel both excited and upset
I wasted most of the 4 hours i was watching TTT today. If I had written like i have been for the last 2 or so, that would have nearly doubled my word count for today.
which would leave me VERY much in the runing for completion.
But more to the point: tomorrow I have things going on, whereas today I had a distinct LACK of things. However, my pace in the last little bit has shown me that I only need 9 more working hours, IF I stay focused. Which means, even with the schedule, I still have a shot at finishing 50k in Nov. I will stay up all night tomorrow if I have to.
I'm not out yet, still a little hesitant about my chances, but no, don't count me out.
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I'm up to 46,2something. Check my sig. One day to go!
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btw, now is the time for all good Time Wasters to come to the aid of their Saint and be online all day to lend me support. I could use it!
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Things are going good. Despite being hte only parental supervision in the house, I've managed to do 1100 words so far this morning. I'm very pleased.
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Wow, Saint, that's pretty good. You must have had an early morning.
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actually, that was done in a litle over an hour. It's actually a slower pace than I was hoping for, but better than expected. Here's hoping the rest of the day goes that way.
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I got about 4800 yesterday, and about 1100 more this morning. I'm too lazy to add it all up right now, though.
By the way, I picked up the typeset for my book on Friday - man, there is something so infinitely cool about seeing my words with a Library of Congress number next to them. Awesome stuff.
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So far, I've written about 4100 words today. Not fast enough, but if it picks up after the kids go to bed like yesterday, that will be nicey nicey. I just may make it. It's already my best day yet, beating out yesterday, which was my second best.
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What about everyone else? Kije, Fell, MoD? Where are you guys in your writing? Come on! We've only got a couple of days left.
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Ok, well, had an old high school friend pop into town (Karen says "hi" Jeffe), but I'm still at 6400 for today, and gonna write for two or three more hours, see where I am at that point.
I'm tempted to write tomorrow anyway. EUOL, your thoughts on this?
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I'm back! Sorry to leave you all hanging, but I had to take a trip to hell (i.e. Wyoming) for Thanksgiving, and I didn't have Internet access.
I did have EUOL's laptop, however, and I was able to write over 6000 words--the ability to ignore one's relatives is a great incentive. I'm officially over the 50,000 mark (full count forthcoming), but I have one more chapter to go before the book itself is over. I should have it done by tonight.
Huzzah!
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grrr... i jealously concede defeat to Fell. I'll get you next year though.
On more interesting news (that is, news about ME) I have still not hit 50k. However, I did write over 9,300 words TODAY to reach 47063.
I'm not sure if I should be happy or upset. If I hadn't watched TTT yesterday, I very well may have gotten another 3k words in. But on the other hand, who knew I could kick so much butt?
I'm probably goign to try to write tomorrow, though I have a lesson to teach which I have not prepared. Which is why I'm stopping now, in the middle of a scene I can get a good 1k mroe out of. I'm going to be too tired to do anything tomorrow if i don't go now.
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The book is finished, and my final count is 52,819. For those keeping track at home that's 104 pages (single spaced), 1839 paragraphs, 4426 lines, and 239,738 characters, of which 50,942 are spaces.
I'm rather pleased with the way it turned out, and the ending, though weird, is still one of the my strongest endings ever--I'm notoriously bad about endings. I'm anxious to do some workshopping and writing grouping on this, so if anyone's interested let me know. The title, by the way, is Krag the Unbeliever. Though I'm not sure I like that--I'm also notoriously bad about titles.
And SE, I'm amazed that you did 9300 words in one day--congratulations. If you're less than 3000 away from finishing, just go ahead and do it tomorrow. I would.
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I had an aha! moment
THe reason I don't write on Sunday is because I hope to do it professionally, possibly with THIS volume, which puts it too much into the Sabbath violation. But it was deeply disappointing to me that I wasn't going to finish.
So how did I reconcile that?
I read about Fell's strong ending. There's no way mine is ending in 50k words, which is why I originally planned an "suddenly, everything blew up" ending so it would LOOK complete, even if the ending did need to be expanded by 70k words or more.
So then it hit me. Things could start blowing up RIGHT NOW! The last 3k words i need could just be silly stuff. this gives me the leeway to finish the 50k, and even END it. but it also will be stuff I'll never use, so it's not working on the "to be published" set of material, so I don't feel bad about the Sabbath day (it's not work, it's relaxation.
So over the last 1000 works, poor Peks has transformed into a dragon. Over the next 2k, he will be slain, maybe. Maybe saved. who knows. It's an ending, it actually fits in better than I'd planned, but it's not my book. I get the self confidence AND the obedience. Yay!
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You do realize that if this ending ever gets published, maybe in an annotated edition or something long after you're a famous author, you're going straight to hell?
Anyway, congrats. And don't forget to get on the official site and have your manuscript validated--it takes about five seconds.
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Oh, there are a hundred things i'll go to hell for before that. Not the least of which is for a shopping trip, to the hell gift shop
anyway, only 1643 left by Words count. was the official site's count higher or lower than Word's for you?
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I don't think you have anything to worry about, SE. Remember spirit of the law, not letter. (All you others can sit back and laugh at us silly Mormons for a moment while we quibble over theology.)
A famous concert pianist should not be encouraged to not play a piece in church simply because playing the piano is his 'profession.' I don't write on Sunday because writing dominates my life--I feel that if I were allow myself to write, I would let that writing keep me from doing the things I should be doing. I know myself, and I'm always looking for an excuse to write. By sectioning off one day as a day I have to focus on other things, I keep balance in my life.
Theologically, I don't think there is anything wrong with writing on Sunday--assuming you've done what you're supposed to do. Besides, keeping yourself from working on something you 'might' oneday sell is far different than working on something you've already sold.
By the way, I'm officially over 50k too. Congrats, Fell! So, you're going to start coming to my writing group, right?
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50064
I know, I still feel like I do though. Writing for money, is a no no for me on sundays. The 3k I spun out today however, is utter crap. Really. I even put in a hard page break so you could see where I was no longer trying
when I continue work in a week or so, those 3k are being deleted immediately.
But I win! Yay!
Everyone give me final word counts, I'll update the calendar a little later today. going to dinner soon though.
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ok, wel, i've got all the posts I can. HoM wont' give me final numbers, so he's not on the last week, and other than that I think ti was just EUOL, Fell, and me giving any sort fo report. How did the rest of you do?
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I will up speak on the downed speak that I haven't spoken in of late. I knew I was going to get no where with this this month, and for reasons I see fit. But any chance I had I would write down in my little notebook of DOOM. So by the by and by, I got somewhere, and thats all the wares I wanted to get to. And if you've a problem with that take it up with my legal council/voice #246. And congrats to you that finished.
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Alas alas alas, I did not make it. I got sick mid-month, and then family arrived on the 23rd and left this morning. I should have known, but oh well. I ended with about 100 words shy of 30K, which is 6x longer than anything I have ever written before. I'm going to finish it, because it's turning out to be a nice study for something I want to take seriously later on.
I'm also interested in reading other people's stuff and commenting if they so desire. And eventually (if anyone should care to) have others read what I did.
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so...
when we doing it again?
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Give it about 365 days or so SE.
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Failure! Miserable, miserable failure!
46,543. If it wasn't for my stupid family party last night, I might have done it. Curses!
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If it wasn't for your stupid turkey, the party last night would have been over in time.
(Actually, the turkey was excellent--just 3 hours late.)
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Pardon me Fell, there was a typo in the previous post:
I said "my stupid family party."
I meant: "my stupid family's party." Specifically you.
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I flaked, I'm ashamed to admit. But I got really discouraged and stopped trying as it became more and more obvious that I would have to do 4k words everyday (including Saturdays) in order to make the goal. I also got sick of my story which teaches me two things. 1: That despite being a multi-drafter I still need an outline before I start, and 2: That I need to pick stories that are not tangled up in some sort of emotional spat I happen to be in the middle of. I'm starting a completely new novel, with an original idea (albeit an old idea of mine), and one that I am more likely to stay interested in.
EUOL, Morag mentioned that you might have some room in your writing group for another person?
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MoD: Sorry you didn't make it. What was your final word count? As for the writing group, yes, we do have another slot. We've offered it to Fell, but I'm not sure if he's interested or not. If he passes, then I wouldn't object to your coming. However, I can't speak for the entire group--I'd have to ask them.
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Despite the constant badgering by EUOL and Morag, I simply don't have the time or the will to go to SLC every saturday night for a writing group. If we can work out something in Provo or online then hooray, but the slot in the SLC group remains open.
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16.4k. Very dismal indeed. However, despite that I still maintain that it was a very good thing to do.
Go ahead and ask them EUOL, though I'm not going to be offended if they say no. I should ask my husband too and find out what he thinks.
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There's a place on the NaNo message board where you can post your novel description in 25 words or less. This is by far my favorite:
Goth guy falls for the angel of death, moves into a haunted house, finds out he’s the one haunting it. Everybody dies, including the rabbit.