#and aim for like 15k-20k words

[theloveinc]

i really do hope i write more this next year

[altruistic-meme]

588 words in the first 20 min 🫡 taking a break before we get back to it

so i need 1600 words by tonight ;;;; oh boy;;;; wish me luck

[jounosparticles]

i have not updated on the suegiku slow burn ive written in a while sorry!!! but here’s an update now

i was initially going to release them by a chapter-to-chapter basis but figured i’d do it all (or a huge chunk of it) at once since i keep going and changing small things from the beginning to flow if better. so i’m sorry to those i said i was going to have the first chapter out a Long time ago. i added a lot since.

i’m somewhere between 14k-15k words right now. aiming for it to only be like 20k-25k words. which isn’t huge but i don’t want to fill it with samey padding either

i had to add an original character as a villain plot device however i didn’t keep him around too long so i Hope that isn’t a dealbreaker. he’s just there to give us our setting and reason to be in said setting

annnddd uhhh. i’m worried it’s going to sound too padded out the way i’m writing it now. im hoping the future pacing doesn’t feel off after it’s fully written outside of a framework. if not i’ll have to adjust.

but the framework Is complete and i know how i want it to end so the writing process shouldn’t be too much longer. don’t expect something top tier but i’m hoping it isn’t too bad. i’ll update again as i write when it’s done.

i’m not a hugely experienced writer so it’s a bit of a challenge (but fun regardless!!).

[duhragonball]

Nanwum Schemin'

I finished my August writing challenge tonight, and I'm pleased to say that I managed to hit 20,000 words and that's actually enough to cover this year's Christmas special. I tried this last year, but I only wrote 15k in September, and Red Christmas ended up being 32k long, so I wound up writing more than half of it in December anyway. This time, I took that into account, which is why I used August instead. I figured if Blue Christmas ran long, I'd be able to use September to finish it off, but it looks like I managed to fit the entire plot in 20k, so that's satisfying. I need a little more to finish the ending, and there's some stuff I'll want to add and take out, but overall, I have a working first draft that I can have ready for AO3 without much trouble.

I still have to figure out what the hell Yellow Christmas will be about. I saved that one for last, since yellow is the Luffa color, but I think I've used up all the good fanfic AU tropes by now, so I'm gonna have to get creative. But that's a problem for 2024, and I'm here to talk about the fall of 2023.

Concerning the Apocrypha Liveblog, I plan on wrapping up some loose ends in September. Super Dragon Ball Heroes episode 50 came out last week, so I can write about how the Aeos arc (we won!). I also want to knock out the DBS movies, and I think the DBS Manga will probably be done with their Super Hero adaptation, so I'm penciling that in as well. Whatever's left over I can deal with in October or later.

November is NanoWriMo season, and this will be my 7th entry in the event. I don't count my ill-fated attempt in 2003, since I never logged it with the website, and I had no idea what I was doing and flamed out by the second or third day. But I've been doing these since 2017 and I've been racking up wins ever since. I'm feeling confident at the moment, so I'm going to try to set some goals for myself, which I'll put under the cut.

Looking back at my past runs, I've had some good years and some difficult ones where I didn't reach the 50k goal until Day 29 or 30. I always find it more satisfying to finish early if I can. My preference is to have things wrapped up by Day 20, so I can write more stuff in the overrun, or start editing and posting, or just slack off for the next ten days. It's always enjoyable, so I think I need to make this a priority.

For a number of years, my objective was to boost word count and reach certain milestones in the Luffa storyline, but I passed one million words last year, and this year I've nearly finished the Xenoverse 1 adaptation, so things are a little different. I think I can afford to think about how to improve productivity, rather than how to hit certain plot points. So we'll aim for that.

Currently, my earliest win date is Day 17, which I pulled off back in 2021. So I'm going to try to hit 50k on or before Day 16. Here's how.

This month, I learned I can get more done by breaking up my large word goals in to 500 word chunks. To finish by Day 16, I'll need to average about 3000 words a day, which is something I've always struggled to do consistently, but now, I think I can make that work. The idea is to devote six hours across a day, where I write 500 words in each of those hours. It really seemed to help me out this month, so it's time to see if that technique can push me further.

One other thing I want to try is to break my personal record for one-day writing totals. Currently, that stands at 7023 words. So I've chosen three days where I can attempt to do that. I'd like to do more than jut hit 7024, though. 9001 would be pretty sweet for the meme value, but it sounds really daunting.

The important thing here is that I give myself permission to fail. If I can't maintain 3k per day, that's fine, because even falling short of that goal still makes good progress. If I can't make it to 7k or beyond, that's fine too, because wherever I land, it's still a lot of progress. And if I'm not done by Day 16 it's fine, because I'll have two weeks left.

But I think I can do this. The rewards would be sweet. AEW Full Gear is on the 18th, and it'd be pretty great to just have a lazy Saturday where I watch that instead of writing. NJPW will probably run their World Tag League shows between November 15 and December 15, so I'd have the whole second half of November freed up. And mostly, I like the precedent it would set if I could consistently land 3k in six hours or less. I feel like that's something I need to prove to myself.

If this is going to work, I need to do some solid plotting in October so I'm ready. I do reasonably well with "they fight" as a prompt, but if I have a list of spots and story beats to work with, that would cut down on the indecision that usually holds me back.

[littlespoonevan]

Also 31, 32 and 48❤️

thank you!! 🥰

31. What’s your ideal fic length to write?

ohh i wish i was better at writing longer stuff but i do think 20k is always a solid word count i tend to aim for!

32. What’s your ideal fic length to read?

bc i usually read before bed i do have quite an affinity for fics between 5 and 15k. it's just the perfect amount to get you some good plot while delving right into the feelings of it all but you can still read it in like 15-45 mins!!! they're so good 😍

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

the last fic i read was Color Him Father, Color Him Love by @elvensorceress and i absolutely recommend it!! it was lovely :')

[winterandwords]

Hello! I don't know if you mean fatigue (general) or fatigue (if you over-exert yourself slightly even one time you will end up in a massive crash that lasts for weeks or months with the potential to lower your baseline long-term), so I'm going to go with the second one because that's what I have experience of.

First of all, seriously think about whether your want or need to write 50k words. I'm a sucker for goals and deadlines so I find it super hard to look at a 50k goal and think "Yeah, but I'm aiming for 15k or 20k", but sometimes that's the way to go if you can talk your brain into being cool with it.

If you want to have the satisfying complete graph at the end but 50k words isn't realistic, maybe try assigning 2 or 3 (or whatever) real words that you write to every nano word that you count. So if you write 100 words, you'd record it as 200 or 300 on the site.

Or set a certain number of actual words and then assign the other nano words to a different metric, like time spent working on the project. For example, 20k of the 50k nano words could be for actual words, but the other 30k words could be assigned to a 1k word credit for every day you do anything on the project. It doesn't have to be writing. Sharing an excerpt on Tumblr, looking for reference photos for your settings or characters, or daydreaming about future scenes if all you're able to do that day is lie in a dark room, would all count.

As far as you're able to, get yourself organised and set up for nano before it starts. When I've done nano before, I've spent August, September and October preparing so all I had to do in November was put words on a screen. I know people do preptober for this purpose, but if you feel like two months, or even longer, of prep time would help you, make use of that time.

In terms of actual thing-doing, I find it useful to set a timer and then plan a rest (proper rest, horizontal, eyes closed) before and after each writing session. I don't always stick with the timer exactly, like I'll finish early if I reach the end of a scene or keep going for another five minutes if I really want to complete a chapter, but having a rough guide along with scheduled rest (and actually sticking to the schedule for rest) helps.

Prioritise comfort in every way you can. The comfiest seat (or bed). Your comfiest clothes. Whatever supports or braces or compression garments etc you use to help manage pain. Lots of drinks and snacks within reach so you can dedicate your writing energy to writing instead of having to get up and move around during a session.

If you take pain meds or any meds or supplements to help manage your energy, try scheduling your writing around when those will be at peak effectiveness if you're able to and you won't end up accidentally over-doing it. As far as possible, aim to write at the time of day when you know your energy levels tend to be higher and your symptom load tends to be lower.

If your symptoms and energy levels fluctuate, try to factor that in instead of assuming you'll be able to write a certain amount every day or on specific days. Also don't rely on definitely being able to increase the amount of time and energy you spend on writing as the month goes on, and conversely don't assume you'll definitely be able to manage a higher daily goal at the beginning if there's any risk at all of overdoing it in the first few days and burning out. Having a loose weekly goal instead of a daily goal can help with this.

If you live with other people and you're able to ask for a bit of extra support with your usual responsibilities for the month, do it. If there's anything you can do to make life more accessible, even just short-term, do that too. If you want to make your writing a priority for a month, remember you're allowed to. Being creative when you're disabled can be really challenging and it's easy to feel like you don't deserve to prioritise it. But you do!

This got really long. I hope it helps 💜

anyone with disabilities have tips for how to do nanowrimo comfortably? changing the parameters or anything like that? my relevant issues are mostly chronic pain and fatigue. ty in advance! ❤️

[sitp-recs]

Got any recs with some Weasley love ? I feel like there’s not enough good character fics for Weasleys. Preferably Ginny or Ron, but really any of them would be great!

Hi anon! Unfortunately I haven’t read many Drarry fics that explore the Weasleys in depth, but I think you might enjoy these with A+ Ron. I also did a Ginny friendly reclist a few days ago, if you feel like checking it :)

Ron Does Dinner by @dracogotgame (2018, G, 700 words)

Ron is a great cook and an even better friend.

Doer of Good Deeds by Lomonaaeren (2013, T, 6k)

Ron certainly knows how to recognize obsession when he sees it, thanks to feeling some of the same with Hermione. And he would rather that Harry's obsession with Draco Malfoy end sooner rather than later.

Surviving the Horde by @fleetofshippyships (2017, T, 7k)

Draco has managed to avoid Christmas at the Burrow for ten years, but not this year.

Party of Two by fireflavored (2012, E, 13k)

Drinking, sex, and a total misreading of the concept of fuck buddies.

All Roads Lead Home by dracogotgame (2015, G, 15k)

Draco is strong-armed into spending the first Christmas after the War with the Weasleys. And Harry Potter.

The Courting by the Pureblood Who Only Has Five Milligrams of Romantic Intelligence and Thinks He’s Real Smooth by @cibeewastaken (2020, T, 19k) - Molly & Draco sweetness!

Draco could grab Potter and shove him into a stall before proceeding to suck his soul out of his dick, but secretly, deep down, in the part of Draco that he will never admit to anyone, he is (everyone pauses to shudder) a romantic. Potter is not someone Draco wants a one-off with. Potter is — Draco’s beloved!

you've got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018, M, 20k)

When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.

Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon by @drarrytrash (2020, E, 36k)

According to Harry’s personal narrative regarding the incident, he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy for purely self-destructive reasons, or out of convenience, or by some unlucky accident.

Bonus:

Aim For My Heart by @tackytigerfic (2021, M, 3.4k) - Harry/Ron/Draco

Harry's in love, Ron's in control, and Draco just wants a nice lunch. They say three's a crowd, but Harry doesn't always agree. Not when he gets to be in the middle, anyway.

A Conversation Long Overdue by @fleetofshippyships (2019, M, 6.5k) - Ron/Draco

After Ron forgets to take his presents with him to the Burrow on Christmas Day, Draco braves a snowstorm to deliver them.

[coveredinbees]

i wanted to answer your twitter poll in detail - i don't mind long chapter of 10-15k words. sometimes you need that in order to move the story along and it's amazing.

but 20k, 30k, or more? it feels like i need to set aside hours, to prep for it almost. i wouldn't not read a chapter cause it's long but i'd go into it with some trepidation. i just can't imagine how there was no way to turn a 40k chapter into smaller ones. also, i personally prefer 5 x 10k updates in a month for example than a single 50k update in that month.

i just want to make it clear that i adore and appreciate fic authors and these preferences don't in any way mean i dislike the fics or wouldn't read them. they're logistical preferences. any author can do whatever they want, i am in awe of their talents and the fact that they freely give us their time and effort and talent

That's a good way of looking at it, thank you! So 10k to 15k is the absolute max I should be aiming for?

For those who don't follow me on Twitter, (you're not missing anything), the poll is here:

Basically, this whole poll came from a conversation I was having with another author - at the time, they were getting anxious because their latest chapter was nearing the 10k mark. My school of thought has always been that if a fic is well-written, a chapter can never be too long.

But then it occurred to me that, (like so many times in life), I was just assuming that my point of view was the norm. So I threw it out to the hive mind. Are people looking at my 10k chapters and secretly thinking, "This bitch"?

So far, the poll indicates yes, but only one person.

Thank you for your help, nonny! You get a Jonny nugget for your efforts. ❤️

[leinco]

For Onryō, the first demo I put out was about 15k words. But that quickly needed a rewrite which brought it up to 20k. But I know that some writers have shorter or longer demos. In my own view, what matters more isn't the length, but the content that you put out. So long as you feel it is enough to show as a "demo", it is likely going to be perfectly fine. However, I'd still aim for at least 10,000 words before putting out a demo, so that the amount of content that is able to be given feedback isn't rather barebones. So, in my own recommendation, I wouldn't put out just a few scenes, I would wait until you have a complete chapter, or prologue, or whatever you're aiming for. This update schedule works for me, rather than sticking to a timeline. Worry not about timeframes, because you will frequently be disappointed. Put out an update when an update is complete, not earlier. Time waits for no one, don't bother trying to beat it.

Good luck with your IF :) XX

just a little question

So currently I'm writing an IF story, and my current demo is around 4000 words (3000 on the main path, and 1000 on a side path). Is there any amount of words you guys generally aim for before publishing a demo? I will probably expand to at least the end of the first major scene (which will likely add about another 1000-2000) but beyond that I'm not sure if it would be large enough to really feel worthy of publishing the demo for

I'm new to IF writing, and I would like some opinions. Any help is much appreciated!

[stoppingby]

Any Reylo fic recs?

i’ve actually wanted to do a big fic rec for a while, so this is the perfect opportunity! 

i’ve gathered a list of classic tropes and tried to pick one or two favorites for each! this is by no means a comprehensive list, and if you guys like this, i would be happy to do another edition later on! these are all mostly fluffy as that’s what i usually prefer, but as with most reylo fics there is a lot of explicit content, so please mind the ratings!

without further ado, i present...

stoppingby’s first reylo fic rec: tropey favorites!

Arranged marriage? And Closer Still Is Never Enough - lovefrompluto (15K, E). sweet, tender & caring prince ben. rey is special, and he knows that. reminds me why i love fanfic - watching them fall in love a million different ways.

Best friends-to-lovers? i’ve been in love with you for ages (and i can’t seem to get it right) - akosmia (10K, T). when who you want is right under your nose, and not only can they give you everything you want, they want to. ben cares for rey without hope or agenda. 

Bleed Me Dry, I Don’t Mind - AttackoftheDarkCurses (12K, E). best friends to lovers from two perspectives. a little growing up together, a little university AU. they slip into love without even realizing.

Canonverse? chase all your cares away - LovesBitca8 (4K, E). ben defects to the resistance. rey loves his smile and is determined to get one out of him. 

Coffee shop? maybe i just wanna be yours - akosmia (13K, T). ben compulsively offers favors to rey’s friends. in return, they meddle. it’s a 5+1 (i am obsessed with those as you will come to find out).

Emotional hurt/comfort? thrilled by the still of your hand - akosmia (9K, T). canondivergent. ben is touch starved after… everything. rey helps. i cried multiple times, and i loved it.

Serotonin and Dopamine - pontmercy44 (28K, E). this is so unique. very realistic in the way that it shows the work that goes into a relationship. i won’t give away too much, but mental heath issues are integral to the plot, so be forewarned. 

Enemies-to-lovers? Left Handed Kisses - Ever-so-reylo (18K, E). a reylo classic. assistant district attorney vs criminal defense lawyer. hatefucking turns into something more.

Epistolary (including forms of communication)? Hanging on the Telephone - jeeno2 (11K, E). rey gets a sext from a wrong number. sure, she should ignore it and move on. but where’s the fun in that?

our love was meant to be (my love came back to me)  - BensCalligraphySet (3K, T). in this life, ben finds letters in a bottle from someone who seemed to know him in a previous one. the galaxy gives them another chance. 

Fake dating? Let Me Dream, Let Me Stay - Melusine11 (38K, E). rey backs herself into a lie and asks her coworker kylo to pretend to be her boyfriend at rose and finn’s wedding. they roadtrip, they share a bed, they eat at a punny restaurant. so much fun!

Roommates? Closer to Fine - jeeno2 (15K, E). pregnant rey needs a roommate and moves in with medical student ben. there’s a lot to be scared about, but they’re not alone. 

Someone You Love(d) - AttackoftheDarkCurses (39K, E). rey and prince!ben are college roommates. they end up spending break together with leia, han, breha, and padme. they claim to hate each other and misunderstandings ensue. so many tropes i can’t even list them. 

Flower shop/tattoo parlor? alderaan places - nymja (5K, T). a classic take on a classic trope. it’s valentine’s day!

Friends with benefits? Making Love Out of Nothing At All - LoveofEscapism (4K, E). ben will do anything rey asks. so hot, but full of emotion. 

Two to Tango - crossingwinter (6K, E). i love this one. absolutely nails the heart wrenching emotion of knowing you’ve made a mistake in the moment before you fix it.

Funny? First Order IT, Can I Get Your User ID? - krossartist (14K, T). witty banter and childish name calling with a small touch of hurt/comfort. adorable!

Harry Potter AU? the water smells like you - shruggyben (3K, G). every ship needs an HP ‘verse amortentia fic! feat. professor leia organa.

High school? The Buddy List - violethoure666 (23K, E). since reading it a few weeks ago, this has quickly become one of my favorites! if you miss the aughts this one's for you! AIM messenger drives the story. 

Medieval/Royalty? Tangled, but Unbroken - AttackoftheDarkCurses (20K, M). growing up together, star-crossed lovers, alderaanian hair braiding - what more could you want? my fave tag on this: uncle luke is a reylo.

Neighbors? Flux & Solder - angharabbit (23K, E). another one of my all time favorites. new neighbors ben and rey help each other with trauma. feels like a rainy day from the thunder through the rainbow. make sure you read the tags before reading this incredible work!

Office romance? Minus 1 - Ever-so-reylo (5K, E). rey sends a text to the wrong office IM number. rey doesn’t know who she’s texting, but friendship and… more develops.

keep calm and let HR handle it - hi_raeth (11K, T). another 5+1! ben is the CEO and rey is the HR director. coworkers to confidantes to lovers. super sweet.

Oneshot? spring will come again - prncesselene (8K, M). over the course of a year, rey’s life changes completely as she renovates padme amidala’s old greenhouse. 

Only one bed? under thy own life’s key - galvanator (23K, E). sexy with great emotional depth, but it’s the sequel trilogy gang that makes this stand out in the trope! makes me wish we got a post-TROS everyone-lives sitcom.

Romcom-inspired? if you’re ready comic get it - violethoure666 (28K, E). if You’ve Got Mail was with tumblr mutuals and a comic book store. 

We Never Met - KyloTrashForever (3K, E). that scene in When Harry Met Sally where the older couple talks about meeting in the elevator. what happens when two people who are constantly just missing each other finally meet?

Slow burn? My Heart Always Belonged To You - JGoose13 (52K, E). Persuasion AU! reylo + jane austen = magic. 

Soulmates? wholly to be a fool - bigfootsflannel (9K, T). when your soulmate confesses their love, their words appear on your arm. ben makes a drunken confession.

Stuck/stranded together? a place to go - delia-pavorum (52K, E). rey and ben go looking for solitude in luke’s cabin. they don’t get off on the best foot before getting snowed in. sickfic (which i think there is far too little of in reylo fanfic)! beautiful and warm.

University/college? Sociology of Sexuality - Celia_and (4K, E). ben is that just-playing-devil’s-advocate kid in class that we all have to put up with. y’all this is so hot. if this happened in my real life, i think i would never recover.

Work-in-progress? flesh stays no farther reason - galvanator (20K, E). i drop EVERYTHING when this updates! ben and rey are from completely different circumstances, but that doesn’t stop a hookup from turning into something more. i feel like this fic gets their dynamic so right, and i am anxiously awaiting the conclusion in two chapters!

My comfort fic? bloom (you fill my lungs with sweetness, you fill my head with you) - akosmia (12K, T). i’ve read this again and again and i don’t plan on stopping. blind bestselling author ben solo needs a scribe. rey gets the job. there is cooking, there is domesticity, there are overwhelming emotions. my go-to. 

as i’ve said before, akosmia (@kylorensx) is my all time favorite fanfic author. the fact that we are mutuals blows my mind daily. please please go read all of her stuff. you won’t regret it!

[mlnovaoff]

HEYY! 👉👈 Do you have requests open? if yes... May you write what you like about your writing, adding in conclusion "I LOVE MY WORKS!!" , with the hashtag #linkedanon

Aksjcjdnfogjrn I didn't realize you were doing this for writers too. Ummmm.....what do I like about my writing? It's difficult to do this, but Squido once told me it isn't arrogant to like your own stuff so I've been really trying to talk positively about my writing even since then. Okay. So. Here we go.

I love that I can make people feel such vast emotions with my writing from dying of laughter to incoherent screeching to sobbing. When I see peoples reactions I just know I succeeded in doing what I was trying to do.

I love my ability to weave a story. Most of my fics came from very small ideas or a single line of dialogue. I've let my characters drive the stories and sometimes their actions even shock myself. Thanks to that, my small ideas have bloomed into such amazing narratives.

Anon, if you've ever been around the discord you've probably heard me crying over my word counts. I never fail to go over my intended cut off point. Chapter 12 of Their Melody was supposed to be no more than 15k. Chapter 13 wasn't supposed to go over 20k. Chapter 2 of Let Me Speak No More was supposed to stay under 4k. I was aiming for 3k with this first chapter of Red Eyes too. I cry about it because it amazes me. Words just keep coming.

I love how I'm able to portray internal and emotional struggles. I love my accidental foreshadowing and backwards foreshadowing. I love that I'm the only one who knows what's happening next in all my fics and I love how there will be twists and turns that will catch people off guard when they finally read it.

Anon, you made me have to think right when I first woke up but thank you. I really do love my works, I'm so proud of them all. Keep spreading the self love linkedanon, I didn't realize how much I needed this until now ❤❤❤

[angst-in-space]

july ‘21 writing progress

words written: 40k

most words written in a day: 2648

least words written in a day: 131

current yearly total: 161.5k 

projects worked on:

- ya sci-fi novel - renga practice kissing fic - sylvix dreamscape fic - sierra bday fic - jessie bday fic - sk8tts zine piece - outlining wenzhou fic

works published in july:

“you’re a dream (i’m never waking up)” chapter 4

july goals:

- write 40k for camp nano goal - write at least first 20k of my novel - write at least 20k of fanfic - finish sierra’s (very late) bday fic - start narumitsu commission - finish/submit sk8tts piece - publish chs 4 and 5 of sylvix dreamscape fic - finish draft of ch 6 of sylvix dreamscape fic - finish draft of renga fic, maybe publish by end of month ?? - work on matchablossom fic if i have time

august goals:

- write ~15k of my novel - write at least 10k of fanfic - finish sierra bday fic - finish jessie bday fic - start narumitsu commission - publish ch 5 of sylvix dreamscape fic - finish draft of ch 6 of sylvix dreamscape fic - finish draft of renga fic - work on matchablossom fic if time?? - start wenzhou fic if time??  

notes:

so, july was.....wild. i went a bit bananas and wrote 40k over the course of the month––which on the one hand was cool, especially because it pushed me to make progress on a bunch of things! but... to be honest i kinda feel like i burned myself out, so i’m gonna try to reel myself back a little during august (even though i still have like, a zillion things to finish lol).

probably the most exciting part of my july writing journey was that i started writing my ya sci-fi novel! and, as i hoped, i got the first 20k of the first draft done, so i’m really thrilled about that. i still have a long way to go with it, of course, but... this honestly feels like a huge step for me. i’ve been like absolutely terrified to write original fiction and haven’t even attempted it in like 5 years, so it feels really good to be starting on that journey again! 

related to that, i also applied to a writing residency that would like really boost this project forward if i were to get it (ha...) which is like the first time i’ve applied myself to anything with my original writing in.....many many years lol. not getting my hopes up super high cuz i think it’s pretty competitive, but i’m just proud of myself for putting myself out there, since it’s been such a long time! (and also, if everyone could send good energy out into the universe for me... 🙏)

outside of that, i got a good chunk of fic writing done as well... i didn’t finish as many things as i’d hoped, but i still worked on a number of things and am close to finishing a few of them. :) in terms of what i did finish, i edited/published ch 4 of the sylvix dreamscape fic, and completed/submitted my piece for sk8 through the seasons zine (preorders open on aug 7th btw!!) which i ended up being really happy with so YAAAY.

going to continue working on my novel this month, since i’m hoping to at least get a first draft finished by the end of the year SO i’m aiming to write roughly 15k of it per month (maybe more than that during november if i’m lagging behind on it....we’ll see lol). 

besides that... i’m trying to prioritize finishing my bday fics for sierra and jessie since they are both late *cries*, and also starting the narumitsu commission bc that is also exceedingly late *cries some more*. but also really hoping to finish a draft of the renga fic since i only have like one scene of it left. also, i aim to publish ch 5 of sylvix dreamscape fic this month and hopefully finish a draft of ch 6 as well! 

there’s also a couple of “maybe if i have time” things, i.e. i’d like to get back to writing my matchablossom fic if possible since i’ve barely touched it the past couple months. :(( oh yeah and...well, if it’s not already clear, i’ve developed severe word of honor/wenzhou brain rot so...naturally i’ve planned out an entire fic for them that i have somehow restrained myself from writing yet. but, i may be tempted to at least start that if i finish a couple other things on my list, haha.

so uh YEP!!! being my usual self i’m like “yeah i’m gonna like slow down this month” *gives myself like 12 different projects to work on* but hey i mean at least i’m having fun and writing things i enjoy so :))) YEAH i have a lot of things coming up and i’m excited!! hope everyone has a good month! 

[ars0nism]

Tips for teen writers doing NaNoWriMo for the first time, from a teen on their 4th year

Aim low. I don't mean to discourage you, but there's a big chance you're not getting that 50k. Especially your first time. My first time, I gave up after 5k. I was 12 and a terrible underwriter, but that's not the point. Instead of looking to get to 50k, aim for 10k. 15k. 20k if you write. Build it up over the years. My aim this year is 20k because I got to 15k last year.

Figure out if you're a planner or a pantser. I know it's too late to plan now, but trust me. I'm not a planner. Sure, I need a prompt and character, but if I have to plan the plot, I lose interest and writing becomes a chore. Some people like indepth planning. Others prefer a couple pointers of what the plot is supposed to be. Figure out what fits you best!

Priorities! Always needs > word count. Do you want to hit your 1667 for the day but you need to eat? Unless it's really close, for fuck's sake, please eat. It's okay. Your WIP will be there when you get back.

As for school... You have to choose. I choose to let my grades slip a bit, study less during november, but I'm bad at decisions. The best would be if you can balance school and NaNo, but if you can't, you have to decide whether you can afford to miss out on schoolwork.

If you get stressed, quit. I know, I know, you work better under pressure. Me too. It's still not worth it. Trust me. If doing school work and NaNo stresses you out, don't do NaNo. You can always join camp NaNoWriMo, which is a different event hosted by NaNoWriMo where you set your own goals.

Don't feel obligated to do it. There is always next year. It's not like you can't challenge yourself to write certain amounts outside of NaNoWriMo. I do it every year because it's become tradition for me, but I already tend to write a lot between classes, so doing NaNo isn't that different.

It's not going to be good. NaNoWriMo is about word count, not quality. When you look back at what you've written, look back to figure out what to do next. Don't try to fix that. You can do it next month.

It's okay if you don't write a novel. Last year I just saw how much I could write in 1 month, after giving up on my novel WIP. Every word I added to my 90 seperate projects, I counted towards my final word count. This year I'm writing oneshots.

Fanfiction is allowed!! It's literally a tag for your project on the website!!!

Don't feel obligated to share your journey. If you feel more comfortable blocking out social media and not entering on the website, it's okay.

Do not watch YouTube videos on how to write better. Just don't. As I said before, NaNoWriMo is quantity over quality. You can edit your shit with professional tips later.

The most important thing? Have fun. You're a teen. Writing is not your job. You don't have to be done by the end of the month. If you're doing this, obviously you want to write. You enjoy writing. So enjoy this. Take it as training if you want. Just never forget to enjoy the process.

Good luck to everyone doing NaNoWriMo this year. Whether it's your first or your tenth year, whether you're 12 or 47, you can do this!

[alarawriting]

Joining WIP Project

I mean, I have so many WIPs, and for most of them it’s completely impossible to imagine that I’d finish within a month; these are long-range, multi-chapter WIPs. But I do have a few that could conceivably be done within a month:

Superkitty: Based on the OC I came up with when I was 4 years old and played around with until I was 12 or so. This is a children’s book, aimed at 6 - 10 years olds, about a superhero princess kitten. No, I didn’t focus group that, it’s what I came up with when I was a kid. :-) Natalie Kitty learns on her 10th birthday that her mother is the Queen-in-Exile of Kittyland, the homeland of Cats, which was overrun by the Dogs from Dogyard right around the time she and her twin sister were born, and that she is the Crown Princess. Natalie isn’t sure why she deserves to be Crown Princess when her sister is smarter and prettier, but her sister Lara doesn’t want to be a Queen someday; she wants to be a scientist. Because Natalie’s best friend is a Dog, named Arthur, she is upset with her father’s anger at Dogs, and does some research to learn that Dogyard was once a peaceful democracy but was conquered internally by a dictator called the Alpha Dog, who then led Dogyard to conquer Kittyland. Arthur’s parents are also refugees, dissidents against the Alpha Dog. So Natalie swears to fight the Alpha Dog someday and free Dogyard and Kittyland, but how can she do anything when she’s just a kitten? Then her sister reveals she’s built a machine that can give Cats superpowers, but warns Natalie that it’s really not done, not thoroughly tested, and dangerous to use. Of course, Natalie uses it anyway, and becomes Superkitty, a super-powered Cat who trains to someday fight the Alpha Dog by fighting crime in her home city, now. With the help of her mad scientist sister Lara, her voice-of-reason friend Arthur, and her little brother TJ, Natalie will protect the city, while keeping it a secret from her parents that she’s using the powers she promised them she wouldn’t use.

Judgement Day: Churchill’s Black Dog: The last time I participated in a WIP writing event, I wrote about half of this. “Churchill’s Black Dog” takes place in my Star Trek AU “Judgement Day”, where Q’s side lost the civil war in Voyager and the winners locked humanity into their solar system. This story deals with Jean-Luc Picard, suddenly transported back to LaBarre with thousands of other humans, who has to take control and try to create order and governance in a world suddenly burdened by three trillion human beings, while dealing with his anguish over what seems to be Q’s betrayal... until he learns the truth, which is that it’s Q’s enemies doing this, and Q is most likely dead. Heavily implied P/Q that’s never consummated or acknowledged at a point where both of them are alive, so this is a romantic tragedy while also being a political triumph (more or less), since Picard succeeds in helping to build a world order in intolerable conditions, while a task force he helped to gather together work to find a way to break the barrier the Q put around the solar system and free humanity again.

Bellflower: A retelling of Rapunzel in which the witch isn’t evil and has good reasons for taking the child -- the magical flowers that the child’s mother ate granted the child inhumanly powerful strength, and only a powerful mage could survive caring for a baby who can rip a person’s limbs off with a tug.

Marc Snowfrolic and the Quest for Biscuits: Part of this was posted here on Tumblr previously. Marc Snowfrolic is a citizen of Rema, a town of reverse werewolves, where the people are wolves most of the time and human under the full moon. Right now he is a wolf, but he wants a biscuit, and no one in town has opposable thumbs to bake one. So he goes to the mayor for help, and then things start getting ridiculous.

The Lair of Cat and Dragon: Also partly posted here on tumblr. Betsy is kidnapped by a dragon who is hoarding cats and has previously kidnapped cows to feed the cats milk; Betsy is supposed to be a milkmaid. Terrified cows trapped in a cave without light, grass or good water do not produce milk. Betsy has her work cut out for her getting the dragon to cooperate in getting the things the cats, cows and herself will need to survive.

The Little Red Hen: A retelling of the folk tale from the perspective that if everyone works together doing different jobs for the community’s survival, it’s kind of shitty for one person to decide that their job is the most important and if no one helps them with it they should keep what they make for themselves. Written as a kind of refutation of libertarian ideology.

Superkitty is at 9700 words and is expected to get to 15K at least if not 20K to have a completed first draft. (It’s intended for professional publication and the guidelines are that such books should be around 15K, so if it gets much larger than that I’ll have to cut a lot on the second draft.)

Churchill’s Black Dog is at 13K words and probably needs to at least double, if not triple, to finish.

Bellflower is at 3K, probably needs to double and half, so 7.5K and that means 4.5K more.

Marc Snowfrolic: 1.6K and probably needs to be at least 5K.

The Lair of Cat and Dragon: 5K. Might need to double.

The Little Red Hen: 2.2K, probably needs to double.

To get them all done would be around 47K, which works out to be 31 days at 1500 a day... so it’s possible, though unlikely.

[honeyhan-123]

Hey! Just wanted to drop by and say that your writing challenge is so amazing and inspiring! Oh and those are a lot of words for such a short time, so I aspire your motivation 100%. Just wondering, are you writing for a fanfiction or something else? (:

Awww you’re so kind!! I’m going to be completely honest, I’m kind of surprised at just how productive I’ve been. At the beginning, while I was aiming for 20k I feared that might be unrealistic and I was like I would be happy if I managed to write even 15k over the two weeks so seeing just how far I’ve come is kind of crazy.

Everything that I’ve been working on has been fanfic and the main reason that I haven’t been posting the finished one-shots and such is just that my regular life is kinda of hectic (right now uni is on a two week break) and I don’t get all that much time to write, so I’m building up a little stach of fics I can post when I’m having a bad week.

I’m so glad that you’ve found this challenge inspiring, I know a lot of fellow authors are finding it hard to write during these trying times and I’m just trying to spread some positivity around in the community. Thank you so much for your ask, you have no idea how much it means that you think it’s an inspiration 🥺🥰💕🥰💕