#i was really excited about doing nanowrimo this year because i have so many ideas but im do tired and busy i dont have the time to write and

[badass-sunshine]

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[nanowrimo]

50k is Overrated: NaNoWriMo from a Disabled Author's Perspective

While it’s great to reach 50,000 words, it should not be a measure of success! Being a successful writer can be different for everyone, especially if you’re disabled. NaNo participant Quinn Clark talks about their experiences participating in NaNo as a disabled writer and writing tips to keep in mind.

NaNoWriMo is the gold standard for adrenaline fueled productivity. Oh, the allure of telling all your friends you wrote 50,000 words in a month! No wonder we all get so excited each year.

But what happens when you have a disability which conflicts with the caffeine-bingeing, late-night-sprint lifestyle so associated with NaNo?

Here’s the secret: NaNoWriMo isn’t really about the 50k. It’s about progress — whatever that looks like to you. The path to 50k is just the most well-known version of NaNoWriMo: it’s less a hard-and-fast rule, and more a landmark to guide your writing journey.

I’m an author, and I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo every year for twelve years. I also have a disability called Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). CPTSD affects me in a variety of ways: dissociation, panic attacks, and a medley of unpredictable physical symptoms which make my day-to-day life difficult to navigate. As is true for countless disabled and/or neurodivergent writers, no matter how much I want to do everything at once, some days my functioning is reduced and I need time for rest, support, and recovery.

So, what does my NaNoWriMo success rate look like? Well, I’ve ‘won’ NaNoWriMo (hit the 50k words within November) seven times out of those twelve attempts, with a cumulative word count of 446,760 words.

“Oh, that’s terrible!” some of you may cry. “How have you lost so many times?”

“Man, I wish I could write that much,” others might lament. “How have you done NaNo every year for so long?”

I’ve had both of these responses from different writers before, and that fact reveals something important. Your writing process is a unique and personal thing, and it won’t always be compatible with other people’s standards. Here’s a question:

Does the 1k someone writes for one NaNoWriMo matter less than the 50k they wrote for another?

Of course not. Everyday, we wake up to our social media feeds glutted with success stories and the pervasive idea that burnout is the path to success. This notion is incompatible with disability and neurodiversity, and is therefore inaccessible. While this style of breakneck working is great for meeting your short-term goals, it is awful for consistent, meaningful progress — and even more so for your well-being. Forcing yourself to write when you’re fatigued, nauseous, exhausted, dissociated and/or depressed is a sure-fire way to associate writing with punishment, rather than joy and weirdness and creativity. Yes, many of us enjoy writing when we’re feeling bad as a form of escapism — but foregoing self-care in the name of hitting arbitrary word targets is unhealthy, and is not in the spirit of NaNoWriMo. No matter how many words you make yourself write, if you are suffering to get them down, your writing will suffer alongside you.

…So how do we win?

Don’t worry — it’s not all doom and gloom. You deserve to take care of yourself, whether you’re writing or not. Here are some tips for making NaNoWriMo a disability-friendly experience:

1. Listen to your body and brain now, not later.

Many of us are guilty of this (I’m looking at you, fellow neurodivergent writers!): pushing past the need to eat, or drink, or use the bathroom because you ‘need’ to hit today’s target. Perhaps you’re deep in hyperfocus, or are feeling guilty for taking yesterday off because you couldn’t get out of bed. That’s okay — don’t beat yourself up! Remember to treat accountability for your needs the same way you treat accountability for your writing. Listen to what your brain and body are trying to tell you: NaNoWriMo, or any similar project, is not more important than your well-being. Take that nap, grab that snack, and spend the day bundled in bed if you need to. A burnt-out writer will just start to hate the writing process. I promise you start responding to your own needs, your desire to write will gradually return. After all, writers find it impossible to stay away from the craft!

2. Commiserate with others.

There is great power in sharing your experiences. For years I kept quiet about my mental health struggles, thinking that if people knew about my condition, I wouldn’t be seen as a ‘real’ writer. But something magical happened the first time I spoke to a friend about my disability affecting my writing: they felt able to open up too. Being honest about your bad days in a way which is comfortable for you is a magnificent vulnerability. You humanise yourself in the eyes of others, and in turn are humbled by the strength of your fellow writers. Regardless of diagnosis, label or background, the human desire to be understood and validated is incredibly valuable. You may find that talking helps make your writing journey a good bit lighter.

3. Allow yourself to fail.

‘Failure’is an acidic word to writers — but it doesn’t need to be. You are not a failure because you didn’t reach a goal. You are not a failure because you changed plans. You are not a failure because you are sick, or tired, or working on a different schedule. All those NaNos I did where I didn’t hit the 50k are still so important: one sentence, one word, one idea is still better than nothing at all. You don’t need to plot every missed deadline or ‘unproductive’ work day against a graph of your own self-worth. Be proud of your achievements, and look to the next challenge — whatever that may be.

Good luck to you all on your writing journeys! And the next time you start down that self-flagellating hate-spiral for needing a couple hours off, remember: You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t write as an empty writer.

Quinn Clark is an award-winning author, poet and researcher from the North East of England. A fan of unfiction, folklore and etymology, Quinn weaves narratives of trauma with fantastical characters to provide an insight into the misunderstood experiences of disability.Quinn has a children's colouring book commissioned by Ladybird Books due for publication next year, and is working on their ACE-funded debut novel: the science fiction-fantasy romp Out of Your Depth, following an exhausted scientist who gains the ability to transform into an octopus. You can learn more about their work on their website (https://quinnclark.co.uk), or over on their Twitter (@adashofseaglass). They also have an essay in Kat Brown's upcoming Unbound publication, 'No One Talks About This Stuff'. Photo by Keren Fedida on Unsplash

[everythingwritingg]

Nanowrimo Tips

@everything.writing on IG

I really can’t believe Nanowrimo is fast approaching. 2023 has gone by so fast and we’re more than 75% of the way done with the year. October is coming to a close and November is approaching. Now is the season for pies, turkeys, and of course, NaNoWriMo. Whether this is your first time or you’ve done every one of them since they began, here is a list of tips to help you have a pleasant Nano experience.

First, what is NaNoWriMo? Whenever I post anything about Nano, I always get a bunch of questions asking what it is. It stands for National Novel Writing Month and happens every November. Writers challenge themselves and each other to write 50,000 words a month, which equates to 1667 words a day. You can go to Nanowrimo.org to participate.

Choose a story idea you’re excited about. A lot of people find themselves quitting their projects because they lose interest. While it might be hard to predict how you’ll feel about a project down the line, try to choose an idea you’re interested in, such as in your favorite genre. If you’re trying to continue an existing project, make sure you love it!

Break the monthly goal into weekly and daily goals. Thinking about writing 50K words is daunting and can make you tempted to procrastinate, so split it up into chunks of days and weeks. You can choose to write 1667 words every single day (I’ve done that), but it might benefit you to have some flexibility. One thing I find helpful is weekly goals such as 12K words a week so maybe you can write more words on weekends when you’re less busy. And remember that November is a whole month, so maybe you’re a little busier wrapping up some work deadlines at the beginning of the month, but then you go on Thanksgiving break. Or maybe you’re busier around the end of the month due to visiting family so you’ll write more in early November.

Be prepared by doing PrepTober. While you definitely don’t need to get every single detail down on paper, you should at least have an idea of your beginning, middle, and ending. This will make you more efficient since you’ll reduce the time you need to think. It can also make the process way less stressful.

Focus on getting the first draft done. Don’t edit as you go, because it’ll take more time. Instead, focus on getting the words down. You can edit later, but you can’t edit if you have nothing written. This might be hard to stomach for perfectionists, but you can absolutely edit in December.

Hold yourself accountable. Some people like having writing buddies to share progress, while others like to post their progress on social media. Whatever works for you and keeps you motivated. If you’re self-motivated, you can also keep a journal of how many words you wrote a day.

Work in places that promote productivity. This looks different for everyone. Some like to listen to music, others like writing in silence. Whether you prefer writing at a desk or on the couch, this is all up to personal preference. What normally makes you more productive?

Don’t stress too much. If writing 50K words is too much for you to handle, you can set your goal lower like 20 or 30K. November is a hectic month for some people, with work, school, and family. Unless you’re a full-time writer, you likely have some responsibilities more important than writing. It’s ok to put writing on the backburner if it’s affecting your ability to get some of them done or negatively impacting your mental health.

If you’re participating in Nano this year, I wish you the best of luck. If you’re not, then I wish you luck with your writing and life goals this month. Don’t hesitate to comment if you have questions, and I hope you enjoyed!

[writer-haley-e]

I saw some other people doing a WIP questionnaire and I decided to join in and do it. No one tagged me to do this, I’m just doing it cause I want to.

I’m answering for my NaNoWriMo WIP (camp nanowrimo’s tomorrow! Anyone else participating?) which is a post-apocalyptic tragic fantasy where magic was released into the world causing mass death across the world. The MC, Nia, takes in a small horde of children and struggles to keep them fed and cared for while they’re also dealing with a magical world they know nothing about.

Now onto the questions:

1. What was the first part of your WIP that you created?

I first created the ending, which I can’t say without spoiling the story. But it’s a tragedy, and I thought of the ending that makes it a tragedy before any of the characters or worldbuilding or plot.

2. If your WIP was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I have no idea, but it’s probably be something gentle-ish that reflects the more wholesome/lighthearted bits of the story.

3. Who are your favorite characters you’ve made? Why?

I really like the main characters brother, Andy, who in draft two will be getting his own POV! I know so much more about his character than what’s currently written into the story and I love him so much haha. He’s the kind of guy who always has snacks on him, though you probably won’t notice until he starts eating them. He’s got a girlfriend and baby daughter who he’s so sweet with and I will definitely be showing more of their relationship when I add in his POV to the story. Hes an extrovert who loves to make friends with as many people as he can, and is very ambitious. He does what he can to help others, and despite some of the things he does in the story and before it, he’s a pretty good guy.

I also love two of the child characters that the main character is taking care of, too. I didn’t portray them exactly how I liked in the first draft and will be fixing that in the rewrite. I love who I’m intending them to be haha. Theyre five year old twins, named Anna and Adam, and they’re pretty much always seen beside each other. Most likely because of anxiety after losing all the rest of their family outside their older sister. Anna ends up getting a power that impacts the whole end of the story and I feel bad for the weight she has to carry.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fanbase for your story?

I’m not really sure about specific media’s, but people who enjoy the genres fantasy and tragedy would enjoy it, as well as post-apocalypse fans.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your WIP?

Sticking to it to finish the first draft probably. I’m so close and I’m not letting myself put it on hiatus, especially because I really want to read the finished product. I enjoy reading my writing, but I have such a hard time finishing anything. I’m maybe 20k words away from finishing this first draft and I will get it done during camp Nanowrimo! Hopefully, at least.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

There are a handful of chickens and goats, but they’re not very interesting. Just another source of food for the characters. There are mythical creatures, who may not count as animals but are pretty cool! Not to the characters, though. The mythical creatures are just more things to fear and struggle to live alongside.

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Walking or cars, typically. It hasn’t been so long since most of the world died and the gas is still usable, so they make use of it.

8. What part of your WIP are you working on rn?

I’m about two scenes away from act 3! Probably about 20k from the end and I’m excited to get it written! It’s the part I’ve been looking forward to writing since the beginning stages of planning.

9. What aspects of your WIP do you think will draw people in?

Probably the focus on non-romantic relationships. There’s some found family as well as reconnecting with biological family and friendships and all that. The main character does not have a love story, it’s not a romance. But the connections with the other characters are very important and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I do.

10. What are your hopes for your WIP?

I hope to get it published one day, and have some kind of audience reading it. I genuinely think it will be an amazing story once finished, and I just want a few other people to think so too.

[screadingchallenge]

Behind the Keyboard Volume 35

Behind the Keyboard is a series of interviews with different Schitt’s Creek fanfic authors. The series will last as long as there is interest (from authors) and capacity (from me). If you are an author from the Schitt’s Creek fandom who would like to participate, send a DM to this account.  

Each author was given ten questions. The first five questions are the same for every author, the last five will vary.

If you'd like to do an interview, let me know!

Let’s meet our next author:

@apothecarose / ApothecaRose

How many fics have you written? 

39 (17 of which are ficlets all under 1k as part of my Idiots in love series)

When did you publish your first fic on AO3? 

January 11, 2022

Describe your writing process from “Oh, I have an idea” to pushing publish on AO3. 

It’s pretty chaotic, most of the time. I’ll usually open a doc and write a sentence or two describing my idea to come back to when I have a chance, or I’ll just start writing immediately. I rarely outline anything, although I’ve improved slightly in my planning, which doesn’t really say all that much. I usually yell at a friend or two about the idea and if it’s fairly short I tend to just read it through quickly to try to catch mistakes and publish, or if it’s longer/something particularly meaningful I’ll have someone beta it and maybe make a few changes. So what I’m saying is that I don’t really have much of a process, and it can go from getting an idea, writing a short fic and posting it all in 30 minutes to spending months working on something, brainstorming with a friend and having a couple people giving me feedback before posting, it really depends on the story (and sometimes my mood). I’m working on trying to spend more time planning and editing, but I tend to be impatient.

Tell me about your most recent fic? What do you love about it? Is there anything you think you could have done better? 

My most recent fic is this car is cursed which is an example of a quick idea that was written without feedback or beta. I actually wrote it at 11pm after struggling to hit my NaNoWriMo goal. In a perfect world, I would have spent more time on it, and I would have liked to add a scene after the first scene with Patrick and David still getting their date night in some way, despite not having Patrick’s car, and I would have spent actual time editing it, but my impatience won out. I have other, bigger projects that I’m working on and this was more of a quick distraction before getting back to my bigger projects - which right now is my nano fic and a fake boyfriends AU that I’m very excited about, but I’m taking my time with it.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about publishing their fic for the first time?

Be kind to yourself and try not to take the number of kudos and comments to heart. Keep writing, as long as you want to, because the more your write, the more you will improve. Reach out to other writers and readers that you trust to give you feedback and/or just cheer you on, the support I’ve received from this fandom has been amazing and as a fandom I think we are all happy to accept new writers, so don’t be afraid to share your ideas!

What’s a fic (by any author) you love that you don’t think enough people know about?

Uoma Morto Che Cammina by SochaintheStein - this is such a unique idea with a well thought out universe and it’s so perfectly executed! If you hate Sebastien (and who doesn’t?) I’ll just say this fic is very satisfying!

Would you rather write smut or crack?

Oh, definitely crack - writing smut gives me so much anxiety! Not to say that I haven’t, or won’t write more smut in the future.

If you could say one thing to your fellow fic writers, what would it be?

Thank you for giving us so many wonderful stories, and for being so accepting of us newer writers that came in to the fandom after the show had already ended. I can’t even express how much joy you have all given me, and inspired me to start writing again after about fifteen years, which is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. 

Do you write for any other fandoms? Which ones?

Nothing else has quite captured my heart the way these characters have, it’s the only fandom I write for at the moment. 

Tell me about a story that you wish you could write but that you’re not quite ready to tackle.

Oh, there’s so many things I wish I could write! I definitely wish I could write something with lots of twists and turns and brilliant connections that all come together in the end. I have a couple WIPs on hold because I even though I loved the ideasd when I started writing, but I can’t quite figure out how to make everything come together. Hopefully one day I’ll be ready to revisit them!

[arionawrites]

Happy STS! Tell me about a wip idea that you want to write, but haven't gotten around to starting yet?

omg happy sts!! i haven’t gotten an sts ask before so this is very exciting!!!

there’s a wip idea that i actually tried to make my nanowrimo project like four years in a row but just wasn’t able to commit to or really form or create ?? like for some reason any attempt i made just didn’t work but i still love the idea so much that i’m hoping to try again at some point!

it’s gonna be called the CJ series, because the main protagonist is named Carina Jeane. she’s a seventeen year old living with neglectful parents, with older siblings that have a large age gap from her and moved out when she was little.

the premise behind the wip is this: a group of criminals, some who know each other and some who are complete strangers, end up developing powers at the same time that carina does, only carina’s are far more powerful and destructive and have a very direct connection to her emotional state. i want the book to basically have these criminals have no choice but to come together because there’s no one else they can rely on, and then somehow they find out about carina and essentially adopt her. i want it to be a trilogy but the struggles i keep running into are:

how do they get their powers? does it need to be established how they got them or can it just be a mystery?

who/what is the antagonist?

how do they find each other and eventually find carina? what is it other than their powers that draws them together?

how many people should it be? i originally cale up with eight characters but it felt like too much and i’ve repurposed some of those characters for my rip rotten (lucky, avery and phoebe) because they felt more fittimg in that story, but i don’t know how many characters would be fitting for the CJ series

if i did make it a trilogy, what would the overall arc be?

and more. it feels very daunting but i’ve written so many concept scenes and i want to make it a proper wip eventually so hopefully!! eventually!!

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

5, 8, 9, (DO 19 WITH ME), 20, 24 for fic ask!

SO MANY, hi Marielle, I love when you send me half the ask list /gen <33

5: Which WIP is first on your list to complete this year? Will you share a snippet?

Uuuuuuh since we’ve been rolling dice to decide what we’re doing, who knows! But, most likely my arch nemesis, the drunk miscommunication fic, “take me where the music ain’t too loud”. Sure, I’ll share a snippet. Hope you like pain

8: Is there a story in your mental vault that you’ve never been brave enough to try writing? Is this the year? Can you tell us about it?

I don’t think I have anything in my head that I intentionally haven’t shared! I’m an open book, I really don’t hide much, and that goes with my writing too. I’ve even mentioned off hand a couple of ideas requiring the MCD tag. I guess, if anything, I’d love to bring back my monster hunter Nancy/werewolf Robin AU. It popped into my head shortly before I found DITM and then I got intimidated because I LOVE DITM and it was so well written and incredible and I didn’t want to accidentally rip you off, especially given that big reveal I mentioned in DMs being the same LMAO. I’d like to bring it back, change some plot points to make it more unique, I think. I’m still working out the new version, so not much to tell, but obviously tension and angst aplenty.

9: Short term goals… what do you hope to complete this week or in January?

so are you with me? chapter 3 is in the works, as is there in the garden chapter 2. I’m hoping to finally finish the previously mentioned drunk miscommunication fic. If I work hard enough, maybe, just maybe, I’ll even FINALLY finish run away (crying to your soul). We’ll see how long it drags out lol

19: Would you consider non-fandom writing events like NaNoWriMo or writing contests?

Yes absolutely! I was so determined to do NaNoWriMo this past year, actually, and only couldn’t because school kicked my ASS. I have some original stories floating around, so maybe I’ll do NaNo this year and actually get past day one. I’ve never actually tried a writing contest (outside of one time in middle school) and short form outside of fanfic isn’t usually my thing, but I’m down to try it!

20: Any plans to work on original fiction this year?

YES ABSOLUTELY. I have two novels planned, one of which I’ve even started working on! I’m very very excited about both. Gay people in space fighting aliens and corrupt governments that takes itself too seriously, and a really silly, stupid, Twilight level bad werewolf romance with a side of paranormal investigation.

24: By the end of this year, you want your fandom to think of you as “that author who __________.”

Wrote too much about fucking werewolves. /hj, I just love werewolves. Idk, really. I write for fun, mostly. I just hope people enjoy them :) If I end up with a popular fic, cool! If not, also cool!

[arijensineink]

What It Means To Win NaNoWriMo + Writing Burnout - Desk Check #2 (221204)

The good news: I won NaNoWriMo at 50.5k words!

The not as good news: I’ve got a mild case of writing burnout.

Pushing myself through November was well worth it. I worked on several different projects, enjoyed writing sprints, and accomplished my primary goal: completing 10 blog post drafts for the inaugural series of Fighting For Writing!

The Importance of Resting Your Writing Muscle After NaNoWriMo

The concept of Ikigai has been on my mind recently. I’ve known mine was writing for some time, but never had the confidence to act on it until now.

Ikigai is a Japanese word and concept that to follow your life’s greatest passion.

As I’ve spent more and more time with my Ikigai, I’ve come to learn a lot about me and my writing practice. One thing I’d never considered is that you can still get burnt out doing what you love.

So now that NaNoWriMo is complete, I’m taking a few days to fill the well.

How I’m Fighting For Writing This Week

I’m honestly, truly, really excited for this first blog series.

I wrote these articles with beginner to intermediate level writers in mind. Writers who have established their love for writing, but are struggling to develop a life-integrated writing practice.

I see a lot of complaints on Tumblr, Medium, and the bloggosphere about writing tips fatigue. Writers are completely sick of arbitrary writing advice. We are looking for real ideas they can use as springboards to develop their practice.

While writing this series, I kept this at the front of my mind.

Here’s a sampling of what I’m so looking forward to covering in these posts:

Developing a writing practice vs hobby

How to ditch “inspiration” and create a muse formula

How to write consistently, rather than every day

Ideas on dealing with family who refuse to support your writing

Stranger Tales

Not much progress on my fiction this week, but plenty of brainstorming and musing. To remedy my burnout, I plan to write a few casual blog posts, work on my collaboration project, and hopefully play with some flash fiction.

Soon I need to get refocused on my main WIP, The Wolfena. That will be easier once I’ve got the FFW series edited and ready to post.

I Write Hard So My Cat Can Have A Better Life

Despite the burnout, I still want to write. Ideas are flowing and I’m trying not to give in to that fear that there will never be enough time to write everything I want to write. I just need to take it easy for a couple of days.

The idea of syncing my workflow with the moon’s phases recently came back into my life. There is much we can gain from flowing with our own rhythms, and nature’s.

Slow living has recently made me question the value of speed.

Is faster always better?

Is winning always necessary?

NaNoWriMo had me reframe my view of winning many years ago. I didn’t win NaNoWriMo because I wrote 50k. I won because I wrote at all, made new friends, and accomplished a major goal.

You can accomplish so much when you start defining yourself and following your Ikigai.

Choices of the Week

Food + Drinks

Walnuts + dried cranberries, Rooibos tea, boba.

Songs + Performances

“Wild Flower” by RM

“Illusion” + “Utopia” by Ateez

“HALA HALA” performance by Ateez

“10,000 Hours” acapella by Jungkook

Reading

Mostly slice of life, food for thought, and blogging Medium articles this week. My TBR is piling up!

Muses

The season changing from fall to winter

San from Ateez (this man’s facial structure is of the gods)

Wood-stove fires + old world living

•°. *࿐

To read this story on my blog, click here.

If you’re not signed up for Common Ink, here’s the linky-link.

Thanks for joining me in this desk check. Comments, claps, and follows are deeply appreciated. Happy writing!

Borahae, much love, be well!

-Ari

[kcscribbler]

I meant to send questions earlier but I saw the post in the morning on my phone and was too lazy to memorize all of the emojis I wanted to ask, whoops.

ANYWAY, please brag about yourself with 🥕! And to share the encouragement you gave teenage me many years ago, how about 🍩? Or maybe just something fun with 🍔. Feel free to do any or all of them, if you want! :D

Full Ask List Here

🍔What's a headcanon that hasn't made it into a published fic yet?

Oh, this is a fun one. So I created a minor OC for my Loki AU. Mostly because plot device (needed to show what Hunters grew into if they're not really hunting variants anymore), but also I wanted to show that post-S2, the TVA agents get names if they want, instead of numbers.

But I headcanon that she was the gal in the elevator during this scene:

Obviously this character's dressed as an analyst, not a hunter, but it's what I had in mind while writing her.

More questions under the cut!

🥕What's your favorite fic you've written, and why?

It's been well over a decade, but I still love However Improbable, my crossover between ST:TOS and ACD Sherlock Holmes.

It was my first NaNoWriMo experience, and why I chose to do a difficult/rare crossover back then I have no idea. But it was so much fun, and I like to think I did both universes and the plot justice.

Of my more recent fics, I am proud of Coda in E Major. It definitely wasn't as well-received as my other TOS oneshots for some reason, but it was personally cathartic for me, so I'm happy with it.

🍩What advice would you give to aspiring fic writers?

I wouldn't say I'm necessarily qualified to advise anyone, given how the fanfic world was a totally different place back then, lol. But I think the biggest three pieces of advice I'd have are:

Find your people. In retrospect, I have zero idea why the talented folks in the early-aughts Sherlock Holmes fandom tolerated my over-eager cringe, but they did, and were super kind about it. I built a network at that time that was critical to my development as a writer. Read, comment, DM, interact.

TLDR: Don't lurk, when you're first starting out. If you do, it'll build a habit of lurking, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it's not going to benefit you in those formative years.

2. Write something everyday. Whether it's a page or a word. If you are excited about it, or if you're dreading it. If you love it, or if you hate it. If your characters won't talk to each other, start writing in great detail about how you're going to chuck the computer out the window entirely if they don't. If the words aren't coming, start making vocabulary lists or writing down headcanons. Write something, however silly or small.

Don't be afraid to write things that'll never see the light of day, because all of it helps you develop into a writer, not just someone who likes to write.

3. When writing, stop in the middle of a sentence, not the end of a scene. It's an old trick, but a useful one. Finishing a scene makes it more difficult to start again; stopping mid-sentence will help your brain jump back into things when you next return.

Thanks so much for the asks and your lovely words! <3

[mrbexwrites]

Find That Word Tag Game

I was tagged by @sarahlizziewrites and have to find the following words:

settle, wiggle, stone, years, firm, sleeves, framing, guests

Some trigger warnings for abuse, violence, death and trafficking.

And, so, behold snippets containing those words below-

Settle- From Memento Mori Part I: Morgana is bonding with a ghost of a murdered woman, who was trafficked and sold into sex slavery. Ylena is opening up about the Loverboy Method of how she was trafficked by her ‘boyfriend,’ Vasily. Morgana has reluctantly agreed to help her solve her own murder.

“Sounds boring,” Ylena looked at her nails. “Anyway, Vasily and his friends were talking about moving to the UK, and how much money they were going to make there. He was always away on business, which seemed really exotic. He was always flying away somewhere. He was going to settle down and live in London, and grow his business from there.There were way more opportunities in the West and the UK was the best. So I practised my English, watched the BBC and got ready to come here.I told him that he couldn’t leave me behind.”

Wiggle- From Memento Mori Part III: In the almost 100k in these novellas, I’ve not used ‘wiggle’ once, only ‘wiggled’, so you’ll have to excuse a slight deviation from the rules! We’ve jumped in time, and Morgana has (spoilers) caught up with Vasily and *finally* managed to keep her promise to Ylena. Her non-binary sibling, Avery (Codenamed ‘The Bacchanal’) is planning a ‘small’ party to celebrate.

The elevator doors opened, and Arty rushed to meet me. 

I knelt and scooped the excited ball of fur into my arms. 

“Hey, little dude,” he licked my face and almost wiggled out of my arms. “It’s good to see you too. Uh...what the hell?” 

“Deathkins!” Avery waved at me from the snug they were curled up on. They toasted me with a daiquiri. “Congrats on conquering your evil little human trafficker. Don’t mind the Help. They’re just helping me set up for a little soirée I’m planning to celebrate our success.” 

“A little soirée?” I let Arty down, and he scampered off. “Ave…”

“I promise...just friends and family, and a few people.”

“How many?” 

“A few….honest! Cross my heart!”

“What is your definition of ‘a few’?” I had learned that Avery’s ideas of numbers and mine very much differed wildly. To me, ‘a few’ was no more than ten people.

Stone- From Memento Mori Part II: I’m not even sorry, folk! Yes, I’m not normally this chaotic, and regretting my decision to do these in the order of the words as they were given in the game, and not chronologically in the story itself. It’s been one of those days, and you’re just going to have to accept that I’ve deviated from my actual personality. Matisse is a Millenium Citizen, like Morgana, but with healing powers. This is just a snippet from a filler scene to a) build the character a littler, but also, to help me hit that sweet, sweet 50K NaNoWriMo word count, baby!

I made my way back to the store room that was my makeshift bedroom, kicking a small stone with my shoe. Not looking where I was going, I bumped into Matisse. He sported a black eye, and a cut across his nose. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine in an hour or so,” he pulled the bloodied bandage away from his nose, a blood clot falling away from his nostril. “Nothing that I can’t handle.” 

“You don’t look okay,” I peered up at him, the worry must have been etched clearly on my face, as he waved me off. 

“Yesterday took a lot out of me,” the bandage went back to his nose, stemming the bleeding. “I just need something to eat . Time heals all wounds,” he chuckled to himself. “At least it does for me.” 

I handed him my half-eaten cereal bar from Clay. 

Years- From Memento Mori Part IV: Last year’s NaNoWriMo attempt that I wrote whist battling a kidney infection and enjoying the codeine that the NHS prescribed me. Needless to say, it needs a lot of work and some tough-love editing/major re-writes. It’s a darling that refuses to die, mainly because I was trying to write a happily-ever-after-fluff peice, which is essentially fanfic for myself.  This is some context for a couple of new ghosts that Morgana has ‘acquired’ on her journey to New Mexico and the made-up town that I invented to base some story events there!

August had tried to arrest Jeremiah, after he’d fled Arizona, having held up a bank, stealing two hundred dollars of cash, and several rings and necklaces off of the ladies who were in with their husbands, and according to him, some stolen kisses were also exchanged. He’d double crossed his own gang to ensure he got away with the money, and crossed into New Mexico, not realising that August Washington, the son of a freed slave, was hot on his heels. 

They’d gotten into a firefight, each man taking six bullets to the torso. Jeremiah had taken a bullet to the neck, ending his short life; he had been twenty four years old when he bled out on the sand not far from where Halo Rock had been founded.

Firm- Back to Memento Mori Part I: (I’m not even sorry any more guys!) Morgana is getting deeper into her investigation into Ylena’s murder, and her own police work is starting to intersect with the detectives’ from Police Scotland, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Morgana has an excuse to see West a bit more (bow chicka wow wow!)

West led me over to his desk, and offered me a seat. I sat clutching my bag to my chest. He had dark circles under his eyes, and dark stubble was taking over his face, and his sandy hair was ruffled. His shirt was crumpled, as if he’d been asleep in it. 

“It’s been a long night,” he sat his coffee down and sat back against his chair. “Got assigned to a suspicious fire in Drumchapel.”

“The NCA safehouse?” 

“I would ask how you know about that, but having seen your starring role in the Skeptikz video, consider me a firm believer in your skills.” 

“You’ve watched it?” I groaned. 

“Tell him to deal with my case,” Ylena demanded, perching on the desk with her arms crossed. 

“After meeting you the other day, I wanted to see why Samuels recommended you. I mean, we all know about you, but it’s just been stuff from the papers. But the guv, she trusts you, so there had to be more than just what the press say.  So, it was good timing when I searched for you online, and the newest video for those guys was the first hit.” 

“I thought you looked familiar,” Cammie called from his desk. “Ghost Girl! You sure gave that guy the heebie jeebies!” 

Sleeves- From Part II: Okay, so I’m going to try to stick with some semblance of chronological order now. This is me trying to give some world-building/Lore for the Millennium Citizens. I like the idea of not having to explain everything (Like Robin Hobb and the Elderlings- they just are) but that said, in-world context is necessary, especially when you accidentally form a plot along that one bloody thing you didn’t want to focus on.

I thought of the Aon, lurking somewhere deep in the Beyond, its blue eyes hunting for me. 

“The old gods,” Rizwan chuckled and shook his head. “They weren’t omnipotent, all-knowing beings. They were fallible. They were human. They weren’t separate from their people. Sure, they might live in a high mountain, but if someone was brave enough, they could climb up and steal from them.”

“Like Prometheus,” I picked up and studied the clothes that Aisha had brought me. She had leant me one of her dresses; black with red flowers embroidered on the sleeves and hem. I pulled it on over my head. 

Framing-From Searching for Starlight, my attempt at Sci-Fi. A small snippet from a party, that’s about to become a bloody coup attempt.

A band with musical instruments that were foreign, yet familiar, started to play. Everyone’s attention turned to the small stage, and Rashmi saw Sekhmet’s lips twitch into a smile. 

Asase, her dark, curled hair framing her features like a halo stood before the microphone. Her voluptuous figure was shown off by the purple sequinned dress she wore, a high slit up the side gave away a hint of skin, that had it gone any higher, would have been scandalous. 

Waiting for the music to reach its crescendo, Asase started to sing, her voice low and husky, making Rashmi’s arms tingle. Whatever spell Sekhmet had cast on the room was broken, and all eyes turned to the singer, transfixed. 

Guests-Further on in the scene from Searching for Starlight.  Rashmi has been trying to avoid Riassa, but now the Councillor has managed to get her in her sights!

“Perhaps, then, you would care for some company,” a tall woman, over seven feet tall stood next to her table. She wore a high collared dress that ran all the way to her feet. It was cinched at her waist, and her head was covered in a semi-circular hat that reminded Rashmi of a crescent moon. The woman didn’t wait for an invitation, but pulled out the seat Kai had vacated and sat next to her. 

“Bright One,” the woman bowed her head slightly, and Rashmi felt her stomach sink. She had never met the Luminarian Councillor, but Riassa’s reputation was well known to her. “I hope you had a chance to read what I passed onto you. It is such a shame that Corporal Alonic was taken away and placed on a cruiser headed for Harbourage. Due to his redeployment, he wasn’t able to pass on your response about meeting.”

“I’m afraid that I’ve been busy,” Rashmi tried to keep her voice even. 

“Yes, you have been so very busy lately, being asked to crew the Windjammer with Switchpace and her crew of odd-balls. But yet, here you are, without an escort, and in public for the galaxy to see. Why do you think that is?”

“Because my commanding officer was awarded a medal, and invited me along. And a contingent from my home world are here as guests of the Assembly?”

“Oh! That is darling!” Riassa laughed, a soft tinkling sound that reminded Rashmi of chimes in the wind. “No, my dear. You’re out in public, because you’re not that special, and no longer worth hiding away.”

I'm going to tag @thecatsgrave, @lindira @angelicminds, @thelemoncannibal and anyone else who wants to join in!

Your words are: Steer, ghost, scarf, protect, flaunt, slight, fingers, cackle

[everythingwritingg]

I really can’t believe Nanowrimo is fast approaching. 2022 has gone by so fast and we’re more than 75% of the way done with the year. October is coming to a close and November is approaching. Now is the season for pies, turkeys, and of course, NaNoWriMo. Whether this is your first time or you’ve done every one of them since they began, here is a list of tips to help you have a pleasant Nano experience.

First, what is NaNoWriMo? Whenever I post anything about Nano, I always get a bunch of questions asking what it is. It stands for National Novel Writing Month and happens every November. Writers challenge themselves and each other to write 50,000 words a month, which equates to 1667 words a day. You can go to Nanowrimo.org to participate.

Choose a story idea you’re excited about. A lot of people find themselves quitting their projects because they lose interest. While it might be hard to predict how you’ll feel about a project down the line, try to choose an idea you’re interested in, such as in your favorite genre. If you’re trying to continue an existing project, make sure you love it!

Break the monthly goal into weekly and daily goals. Thinking about writing 50K words is daunting and can make you tempted to procrastinate, so split it up into chunks of days and weeks. You can choose to write 1667 words every single day (I’ve done that), but it might benefit you to have some flexibility. One thing I find helpful is weekly goals such as 12K words a week so maybe you can write more words on weekends when you’re less busy. And remember that November is a whole month, so maybe you’re a little busier wrapping up some work deadlines at the beginning of the month, but then you go on Thanksgiving break. Or maybe you’re busier around the end of the month due to visiting family so you’ll write more in early November.

Be prepared by doing PrepTober. While you definitely don’t need to get every single detail down on paper, you should at least have an idea of your beginning, middle, and ending. This will make you more efficient since you’ll reduce the time you need to think. It can also make the process way less stressful.

Focus on getting the first draft done. Don’t edit as you go, because it’ll take more time. Instead, focus on getting the words down. You can edit later, but you can’t edit if you have nothing written. This might be hard to stomach for perfectionists, but you can absolutely edit in December.

Hold yourself accountable. Some people like having writing buddies to share progress, while others like to post their progress on social media. Whatever works for you and keeps you motivated. If you’re self-motivated, you can also keep a journal of how many words you wrote a day.

Work in places that promote productivity. This looks different for everyone. Some like to listen to music, others like writing in silence. Whether you prefer writing at a desk or on the couch, this is all up to personal preference. What normally makes you more productive?

Don’t stress too much. If writing 50K words is too much for you to handle, you can set your goal lower like 20 or 30K. November is a hectic month for some people, with work, school, and family. Unless you’re a full-time writer, you likely have some responsibilities more important than writing. It’s ok to put writing on the backburner if it’s affecting your ability to get some of them done or negatively impacting your mental health.

If you’re participating in Nano this year, I wish you the best of luck. If you’re not, then I wish you luck with your writing and life goals this month. Don’t hesitate to comment if you have questions, and I hope you enjoyed!

[eternalglitch]

Okay, first off- thank you so much for responding eeee!! I literally got so excited when I saw this last night! Second! I was reading your writing tips [and now I’m gonna try and enter NaNoWriMo this coming November] but I would still love a little help :D 

I was hoping I could maybe hear more about how you got people’s attention / what your main reading resources are that developed your amazing writing; and how you were able to partner with other writers for the first time?? Like, how did those interactions transition to trusting relationships? :>

I’ve been a fanfic writer since I was 11, and I started looking into being an original writer this last year. I’ve admired the fanfic writing community since I was 11, but I’ve never tried reaching out, until now.

So this really meant the world to me that you responded :> :) :D

I have so many ideas, but I have a really hard time with writing more than one beginning-or-end chapter. 

So I had thought, maybe learning how you got to where you are, would show me the way. 

-Thank you for listening to me ramble. lol. 

Good luck with NaNoWriMo! It's going to be quite the trip, but hopefully it'll be fun as a whole. Be sure to sign up on the official website!

As for how to get attention... honestly it's a mix of skill and luck. It's hard to coach anyone how to do that because it's all about having the ability to write something good while ALSO landing in a spot where people are able to actually get a chance to see your work. I posted lfls when the fanfic scene of Rise of the TMNT was very small; it was one of the few plot-driven longer fics of the time, so it was easy for people to notice it. And once it was noticed and talked about in that smaller circle of fans, as the fandom's size exploded it was already easy to find for newcomers that wanted to try reading Rise fics so it was just yanked up there with that wave. I couldn't recreate that situation if I tried. But if you get your storytelling ability up to a certain standard, I think you'll at least find some people out there that will be excited to read your work. I can't promise it would be in fandom famous amounts, but you never know! Hopefully the luck aspect will happen for you, too.

Most of the chances I've had at teaming up with other writers and artists was because my work was already known. I've been approached multiple times because people who I admired noticed me following them on social media and since they liked my own work or even just knew of my reputation, wanted to become friends (and vice versa!). And I find that that's actually a really good way to make friends, if you happen to be in that situation! We both are intimidated by each other for a good three days and then two weeks later I'm making fun of them for being short on Twitter (I'm sorry Pen, True, and Andy lol). It's easier for me to take that step into connecting with people I admire when I kind of know they are also a bit scared of me in the same way, haha. Any other times I've met people is by becoming friends in larger fandom discord servers, which is also a great way. Just be careful and follow the standard online safety rules.

For resources, I just read a lot as a kid. Like a book every two days. I also was active writing online, of course, and read fanfics a lot. And then I also majored in Creative Writing in college. Personally I think actual classes help some, but the best thing was actually posting my work and seeing what kind of reception it got and judging how to push that even farther from there. I would also see what kind of language I liked or disliked from a wide variety of fics and books, including the classic ones I read during high school. I have a scathing hatred of Faulkner and took NOTES on how to avoid his style lol.

After that... I think you're mostly getting at that you want a road map of my little journey, so sure! Here's some highlights.

As a kid, I spent most afternoons at a friend's house. We would staple paper together and make little comics. Mine were mostly bad Warrior Cats fanfiction.

2009-2012 I was active on a virtual pet website called Chicken Smoothie (yes that's the name. What About It) with an active forum area. There was a lot of little roleplays I joined there, and often contests to adopt character designs would include a writing section. The friends I made there and whatnot really started me on creating characters and trying to write more often. I even started my own original story there based on some of the pet designs.

2012(?) I posted my first official fanfic online. It was called I Must Be Dreaming and has since been deleted from everywhere except my old personal files. It was about a main character being brainwashed into joining the villains in an old anime series (sound familiar?)

2013 I posted and finished a fanfic called Shadows of Pride for Fullmetal Alchemist. It was seven chapters and 27k words in total. The main thing I learned from this one was how to plan a story out and complete it. This was also the first year I entered NaNoWriMo for an original 50k novel called Wide Awake.

2015 was the Undertale period for me. I got up to top 10 ranked Undertale fanfics on fanfic.net, and finished a full longer story- Over and Over, which was around 64k. I also wrote some shorter ones, but that was the only one of note. After that year, I transferred to ao3 as my home base for fanfic.

2017 beat NaNoWriMo again with another 50k original story titled Lights Out.

2018/19 I worked on a My Hero Academia fanfic called Way Out of Character. I never finished this one, but I absolutely learned more about manipulating how I utilized POV in my writing.

2020 I started Like Father Like Son.

[gallagherwitt]

NaNoWriMo and Publication.

NaNoWriMo is almost upon us, and with it comes another annual tradition: Newbie writers looking into publication options. There's nothing wrong with this! If you have stars in your eyes about being a published author and about kicking off your career with this year's NaNo, but in the back of your mind you're thinking "it's just a pipe dream," I've got news for you: it's quite possible! NaNoWriMo 2008 pretty much kicked off my writing career, so... yeah. You can absolutely do it! There are a bajillion books and articles out there about the craft, about the work that goes into going from dream to publication, etc. There's plenty of stuff about how you need to actually finish and edit your book before publication enters the equation. I'm not going to rehash all that here. Instead, let's talk about things you should really, really know before you move toward publication. Because y'all... this industry is a fickle one, and it can be a brutal one. I want to share some things I've learned over the course of 14 years so that perhaps you can avoid some of the heartache and headache that I went through. In other words, here's an incomplete list of stuff I learned the hard way so you don't have to. 1. THERE IS NO ONE WAY TO PUBLISH.  Getting an agent and going the Big 5 route is valid. Self-publishing is valid. Small publishers are valid. I've done all three. Don't let anyone tell you that you MUST go (or avoid) a specific route, or that one "doesn't count.". By the same token, don't let anyone tell you that all publishers are created equal or that what works for one style/genre will work for another. More on that later. 2. READ AND UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT. Ask questions if you don't understand. If a publisher gets testy because you ask for clarification, that is an enormous red flag. If they get testy when you ask them to modify the contract to be clearer, that is also an enormous red flag. If they are willing to (or threaten to) yank your contract because you won't sign it immediately or because you want it modified for clarity, that's a whole field of red flags. If they tell you the contract cannot be changed at all -- not just terms, but adjusting wording so both parties are satisfied that everything is clear -- there isn't enough fabric in the world to make a red flag that big. You get the idea. Many authors (myself included) recommend hiring a lawyer familiar with publishing to review your contract before you sign it. You can also approach a literary agent with a contract in hand, and they can handle negotiations for you. Don't get so excited over receiving a contract that you sign away the rights to your firstborn. Ask, ask, ask. 3. PUBLISHING YOUR BOOK IS A BUSINESS TRANSACTION, NOT "GIVING YOU A CHANCE." They are publishing your book so they make money. Yes, it feels great, and you should absolutely be proud of it, but don't lose sight of the reality of the relationship, which is a company packaging and selling your product for profit. Protect your intellectual property. Negotiate the contract so it's fair to both of you. Don't let your happiness over being published lure you into entering a business agreement that will screw you. 4. MONEY FLOWS FROM PUBLISHER TO AUTHOR. If you have to pay the publisher to publish your book, it's a vanity press, which is  a nice way of saying it's a predatory scam that takes advantage of people who don't understand publishing but want to see their book in print. Publishers purchase your publishing rights from you, and then they pay to edit/cover/market/package the book, and take a cut of the royalties before paying you. If they're asking you to pay for these things AND they're taking a cut of royalties, you're quite likely getting scammed out of both your IP and your money. There are exceptions to this -- usually for very small projects, niche subjects, etc. -- but these are quite rare.  Err on the side of assuming that pay-to-play is a scam. 5. SELF-PUBLISHING IS NOT THE SAME AS VANITY PUBLISHING. Self-publishers hire editors, cover artists, etc., but we a) retain ALL rights to our books and b) don't actually pay someone upfront to publish. Places like Amazon and Draft2Digital do take a cut of royalties in exchange for distribution, but we don't pay a fee like you would with a vanity project. 6. YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN MAKE MONEY (INCLUDING EARNING A LIVING) FROM WRITING. The reason I say this is not to encourage you to quit your day job or to paint some picture that all writers are swimming in money. Quite simply, it's because I see SO MANY young authors fall victim to the mentality of "I'm not going to make money off it anyway, so I'm not going to worry about this publisher's crappy royalties, trash marketing, upfront fees, etc." No. NO. *spritz spritz* BAD AUTHOR! NO!  It's okay if you're writing for fun and if money isn't your priority. Just don't get into the mindset that because you don't care about the money, you ALSO don't care if a shady publisher screws you. There is nothing greedy about protecting yourself and your interests. Even if your book only ever earns one dollar, that's YOUR dollar. 7. IT IS BETTER TO BE UNPUBLISHED THAN BADLY PUBLISHED. Publishers are not created equal. There are plenty out there with terrible editing and worse accounting, and I promise you, signing with them is a Faustian bargain: it might seem fabulous in the beginning, but the Devil will eventually come to collect, and it'll suck. Ask me how I know. 8. TALK TO AUTHORS BEFORE SIGNING WITH THEIR PUBLISHER. No one knows a publisher like its authors. And don't just talk to the newest authors -- the honeymoon phase is real, and when those rose-colored glasses come off, it can be ugly. Also, publishers can and do change over time, often not for the better. I've given rave reviews about publishers who eventually prompted me to retain a lawyer. Talk to their older authors, including both those who published maybe one or two books early on and those who've done ongoing work for the same house.  Most of us are eager to share industry professionals we're happy to work with, and are equally eager to warn others away when necessary. 9. JUDGE A PUBLISHER BY ITS BOOK COVERS. Book covers are marketing devices, and they are critically important. Look at what a publisher puts on their books, and decide if it's up to snuff. How does it compare to similar genres? How attractive is it? How easy is it to read the title? Is the quality consistent throughout the publisher's catalogue? Would you be happy with that style and quality on your book?  If the answer is no, move along. Because it's seriously heartbreaking to have a cover you don't like, especially when it's also a cover that READERS don't like. I have two books that had numerous reviews with "ignore the hideous cover and buy the book!" Cover art makes a BIG difference. Count on it. 10. SELF-PUBLISHING IS VALID. There are myriad reasons why people choose to go different routes, and I won't go into them all here, but many people like to turn up their noses at self-publishing as if it's on par with vanity presses. There was a time when that was true, but these days, many authors are going indie to retain control of their rights, to avoid getting financially screwed, etc. It's a perfectly valid way to publish your book. 11. IF YOUR BOOK DOESN'T GET PUBLISHED OR DOESN'T SELL WELL, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE. Revise it and try again. Write another one. Many of us wrote multiple books before we were published, and it's often even more books after that before something takes off. If your first published book doesn't sell well, you will not vanish into obscurity, doomed to never see another word in print. In fact, if your fifth book takes off, you'll have a nice backlist already there for your new fans to find. Don't give up. 12. IF YOU DO GET SCREWED BY A PUBLISHER, YOUR WRITING DREAMS ARE RUINED. Nah, you're good, fam. It's a hard thing to go through, and it's discouraging as all hell, but unless there's some clause in your contract forbidding you from writing or publishing anywhere else ever again (and even the shadiest of shady publishers of shadiness won't usually try that), you can dust yourself off and do it again. You wrote something. You stubborned your way from a blinking cursor to a finished book, and you saw that book all the way to print. You can absolutely do it again. Don't give up. (Also don't sign a contract that prevents you from writing/publishing elsewhere.) 13. SERIOUSLY, DON'T GIVE UP. Persistence -- hell, straight up stubbornness -- is a virtue in this business. Rejection is a thing. Bad reviews are a thing. Perfectly good publishers turning stupid is a thing. Publishers close, books fail, trends die. It's not an easy business, but it's worth it. Don't give up. You'll get there. 14. OTHER AUTHORS ARE YOUR COMMUNITY, NOT YOUR COMPETITION.  Yes, we compete to a degree, but we're really all on the same team. A rising tide lifts all boats and all that. Join groups. Ask questions. Doesn't matter if you're published yet. Every veteran author was unpublished once, and many of us have been through things we would be THRILLED to help you avoid. Plus, I mean, we're writers. Someone else who wants to talk about writing? PULL UP A CHAIR, YO. 15. YOU'VE GOT THIS. Writing and publishing are tough, but don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. Those of us who are published don't have some special X factor or magic ability that you lack. The only thing that separates us from you is that you're not here YET. We had unfinished manuscripts once too. We were unpublished. "But I'm not Stephen King!" And there was a time when no one knew who Stephen King was. He had to put in the work. I had to put in the work. You have to put in the work. There's no guarantee of degrees of success, but if your goal is to write and publish a book... put in the work. We did this, and so will you. Put your butt in the chair. Put your fingers on the keyboard. Put your words on the page. And when you're ready to break into publishing, there's a whole community of us who will happily help guide you. GO FORTH AND NANO!

[n7punk]

NaNoWriMo rundown 2021

I officially finished the first draft of my novel this morning, so I thought I’d do a little rundown!

Now, keep in mind this is only a first draft. NaNoWriMo usually involves little to no editing or refining. I kept notes as I went of some things I wanted to fix, though I did edit a little as I went this year (AKA if I wasn’t feeling a scene, I deleted it and started over, losing it from my word count, which isn’t how I think most people do NaNoWriMo). It isn’t how I have done NaNoWriMo previously, but I also have only finished NaNo with a novel that I ever wanted to share with anybody or even touch again once, and in hindsight that novel was terrible.

My plan this year is to step back from my novel for like a month, writing a long fanfiction instead, and then take another break from fic to do my second draft/revision. I’m planning to continue alternating between (roughly) a month spent on fanfiction and then a month spent on an original project for next year. I will revise this novel until I’m happy with it and then switch to working on a new one (I have several ideas saved up) and do the same revision/switching between original stuff and fanfiction process with it as well.

Okay, as far as my NaNo experience went, I started off in kind of a rough place. For the first two days of November I was still working on my last fanfiction from October, WDtFD. October was also my most productive word count month this year (because I was really motivated with my projects and wanted to get them both done before November) and it meant that I started NaNoWriMo kind of burnt out. I spent the first several days behind and making minimal progress. Eventually I realized that I hated the opening I’d written, even if I liked the concept, so it was extremely difficult to write anything following it.

I bit the bullet and rewrote it even though deleting words when I was already behind was the last thing I wanted to do. This ended up being a great decision, because I was able to start getting into my novel finally. On the first weekend of NaNo, the GWIC was held and my word count skyrocketed (the first giant 7k spike on my graph below). My word count still stayed very variable throughout the month (and, as usual, any productive day had to be followed by a valley as my chronic pain flared), but I stayed above the goal line for the rest of the month after that.

Daily word count graph (and NaNo calling me out):

And my total graph:

(You can clearly see where the GWIC was with that big bump early on. I only heard about it halfway through the third day, so I was only there for the last day & a half)

As far as my draft goes, I’m pretty happy with it! I don’t love it like I do some of my other works, but I think it’s a fun little romantic romp. It is character-driven, not plot/conflict-focused, so I think it’s kind of a nice fluff piece revolving around the queer experience (or, one of them, there is no singular experience). It definitely needs revision, but I want to step back from it so I can edit it with fresh eyes, and I want to write something more dramatic now, so I’m going to switch to a different project for a bit. I tend to have this pattern of working on a “simpler” project (something set in the modern world without a dark/dramatic plot) and a “complicated” one (one set in its own universe or with a big complex plot), so now I’m on the complicated swing after this simple project.

I was actually supposed to do a different novel entirely for NaNo. I switched at the last second because my last project was one of those “complicated” ones with many plot threads and I just wanted to do something light. The novel I ended up doing I was also excited for, but it didn’t have the worldbuilding/planning that the first one did, so I ended up flying by the seat of my pants for the entire month, which I think shows in the draft. I’m going to work on introducing more structure when I revise it, but I’m honestly glad I switched because it gives me more time to worldbuild the novel that I was planning on. It needs a lot of depth and I’m excited for when I do write it. In fact, I’ve kind of been bit by the bug for it again and might spend the rest of November working on it before I focus on fanfiction again. We’ll see. I miss my girls too and want to write them again as well.

Anyway, that has pretty much been my NaNo! As always, I adore NaNoWriMo and this was actually my fifth full novel that I’ve written over the course of one. I’ve skipped some years or written fanfiction instead, but I participated in my first NaNoWriMo in 2012. I’ve won every year I’ve tried to write a story for it, although one year I tried to write a DND campaign and quit like a week in when I realized I wasn’t interested in it and my outline for a campaign was very bare-bones and wasn’t going to ever match a NaNo word count. I then stopped doing NaNo for a few years, only resuming last year, but I’m glad that I’m back to it because the community around it really feels amazing.

[maguayans]

AYE’S YEAR OF WRITING

Hi, Hello! I hope you’re doing well and having a great day/night. This is my entry for our little writer activity. The year had been a mesh and mess of many things. But reading and writing and being here made it better. But I have to admit, I struggled with the writing part.

Buckle up.

GENERAL WORD COUNT: 67, 870

Red Complex. A take on the Legend of the Red Strings of Fate and the idea/mythology of soulmates. | Of course, I’ll have to start with this one. I have to be honest, I almost dropped this. As in, stop writing it, forget it ever existed, and move on. It had been more than a year since I posted this on the orange app and I’m kind of bummed that I only managed to write a few chapters. But it turned out, it was just a bad writing week. And I was exhausted and sleep-deprived. 

On a more positive note, I concluded Part I of the story—12 Chapters (including the Prologue and an Interlude.) The path to the Epilogue is clear. More or less. However, I still think it’s a mess, but you know, it’s my mess. 

Don’t Fall Asleep. An attempt to rationalize nightmares, sleep paralysis, and dark apparitions. | I rewrote this one thrice. The third time was more to my liking so I continued from there. Progress was slow but I like how it’s going so far. It’s fun too. I really like writing paranormal scenes inspired by my own experiences. :)

The Morose Cat. A take on The Myth of the Cat God. | When I’m not writing for Red Complex or Don’t Fall Asleep, I shift to this little Cat WIP. I’m excited to share more next year. I’ve been collecting more cat videos and references. Sometimes I read articles and cat facts—it’s less fun than watching videos, I admit, but I have to. Hahaha. Also, I started looking into cute café menus that would fit Happy Paws Café in the story. It’s not important to the narrative, but a fun worldbuilding detail.

Once, I posted about how DFA and TMC are somewhat on a word count race. Don’t Fall Asleep won. 

Don’t Listen. A Don’t Fall Asleep spin-off novella. | I introduced this once. I even posted main character introductions, but I bailed. If you haven’t seen it, that’s good. I wrote a whole chapter but I’m still contemplating if I should continue or not.

Maharlika. The organization tasked to keep the peace and order between humans and the otherworldly are about to face its ruin; featuring lower Philippine Mythology. | The urge to write was too strong to ignore so I end up with more than a thousand words. I really love the opening scene, it makes me feel like I’m just stating a fact due to the real-life reference.

In connection to this WIP and the series, I also managed to share five worldbuilding posts. And, uh, explored more of its universe by…making more stories unrelated to the main series. :)

February Shorts. A short story collection based on the February Prompts List by creativepromptsforwriting. | It’s not posted anywhere at the moment because I took it down. While it felt satisfying during February, it needed revision. The concepts were really cool though, so I hope to repost it some other time.

Dark Corners. A short horror story collection. This was my July Camp NaNoWriMo Project. | I reached my 5k word count goal, but I never opened the file after that. :)

A Glade of Lights.  A short story submitted for Writersnet April Event; featuring Philippine Mythology. | I managed to post before the deadline. I’m pretty proud of this one.

Fair Waters. A short story about a mermaid princess. | I had the idea after taking a nap. I might have dreamt it, not sure. :)

Like I said, writing had been a (fun) struggle but I feel contented that I reached that general word count. It’s more than what I wrote last year, I think. In short, I’ve been productive. *pops confetti*

Although for some time, it felt like I didn’t make any progress at all. I realized that maybe it’s because I go through long writing streaks and take longer breaks right after. It would take me weeks or months before I get in the mood or be inspired to continue writing. Tried to force it a few times—I know I shouldn’t—and regretted it.

The huge gap between my writing sessions made me feel like I didn’t do anything at all. I’d like to change that next year.

WORKS IN PROGRESS: +12

It’s a curse, I tell you. At times when I’m not in the mood to write for any of my main WIPs and I’m mostly doing nothing else, an idea would pop up and I end up plotting and drafting and worldbuilding; looking up names, photo inspirations, reading old books, and more. 

The new additions are heavily influenced by Philippine folklore and mythology, some expanding the world of Elementalia, others completely unrelated. Here are some of my favorites:

Adarna (or White Talons). A retelling of the classic Filipino epic corrido, Ibong Adarna. This retelling follows three main characters (or four.) It’s going to be fun and dark. And more about the bird.

Sticks and Giant Bones. MC is a descendant of a special squad of Maharlika, chosen by the gods to battle against evil witches back in the day. Their ancient title might be useless now, but MC continues to be vigilant and diligent with her training. She believes the witches are coming back. Inexplicable recurring earthquakes confirm her suspicions. I dare to incorporate a martial art I know nothing about and one of my favorite folk stories in this little WIP. 

Light and Shadows. A very ambitious duology (or a standalone.) Light and Darkness Juxtaposition. Good and Evil. Shamans and Witches. Should they follow their fate? Or make their own destiny? Will love truly conquer? Stay tuned, my notes are everywhere with this one—three notebooks with no markers. :)

Got a long list of works in progress, they tell you I’m insane.

WORLDBUILDING

What about worldbuilding, you ask? Well, I just really love it. When I started writing years ago, I didn’t care for it. I merely write following a concept and a plot. But since I got here, then read about it, I just fell in love with it. The worldbuilding for Elementalia Chronicles, especially.

If you’ve seen me rambling about Engkantos and Aswangs and Tikbalangs and floating balls of fire, witches and shamans, you might be familiar with Elementalia Diaries. Some time ago, I requested content from books on Philippine Mythology and Folklore. When I started reading and taking notes, I shared some fun good finds here. I still have a long way to go, but I enjoyed it very much. I even immersed myself too much I forgot to do school works at one point. Hahaha.

My only intention was to create the world of the series, but in the end, I made a few more WIPs. As I said, it’s a curse.

WRITER ACTIVITIES

Chazzawrites Challenge and the Underwing Challenge. I’m not sure if the community had done similar activities in the past but we should definitely do it more. I enjoyed them very much. Kudos to chazzawrites and jaxwolffwrites for organizing them. You guys are awesome for doing so.<3

It was a good opportunity to talk about my stories. I was elated to find out other writers found them interesting too. I also met most of my mutuals through the activities and got to read their WIPs as well.

Here are links to my posts: Chazzawrites Challenge | Underwing Challenge

Of course, there are also tag games. I don’t post much when I get tagged, but do continue to tag me if you’d like. I like reading them. And I visit some writeblrs included in the taglist. :D

BOOKS & READING

While reading provides entertainment and wondrous escapism, it is also a tool for me to widen my vocabulary and learn more about writing through the artistry of other writers. English isn’t my first language so it’s very important.

I’ve read fifteen books this year. That’s not a lot compared to avid readers out there, but I have a very valid reason: Books are expensive and while there’s the e-book alternative, I just refuse to do that—unless the books are only available in that format. Also, I must smell the book before reading it (or when I want to); hold it in my hand, look at the pretty cover. It’s a routine I do not intend to diminish. Ever.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I also started reading English classics, I’ve only read two shorts but it’s a start.

INITIAL PLANS FOR 2022

This list feels and sounds unattainable because school will definitely take most of my time next semester. But I’d like to— 

Resume chapter updates for Red Complex. Like I mentioned, I finished Part I—big yeay!—I could finally update regularly…for about four chapters.

Reintroduce Don’t Fall Asleep. Yes. For the third time. I’ve been thinking about it and revised the synopsis I already posted. I might also start posting full chapters.

Reintroduce Maharlika. I posted the first introduction when I was still setting up, but I revised it some time ago and it’s better. Excited to post it.

Introduce The Morose Cat.

Rewrite Drei.

Outline Where the Poet Went to Die.

Map out Adarna and Light and Shadow’s worldbuilding.

Visit my Filipino WIPS. They’re already collecting dusts somewhere.

Read more books.

Thank you so much for reading! Enjoy the rest of the holidays and stay safe. Let’s hope to have a better year next. And more writing and reading and writeblr-ing. Hahaha.

If you have more time to spare, visit #ayearofwriting and see what other writers have been up to this year.

[ineffably-good]

Writing life, updates

I haven't updated on the trials and tribulations of the writing life in quite a while, so I figured I'd ramble on a bit here. Here's what is going on.

I've laid to rest, for now, querying the reworked version of my fanfic Faeted. It got a resounding series of rejections from agents, and over time I've come to understand why it just wasn't publishable in its current form. I intend to rework it some day and have a pretty good idea about it, but it seems like a LOT of work, like SO much, so I've tabled it for now.

In 2021, I wrote a young adult novel called The Afterlife and Other Problems, and I'm currently querying that after many, many, MANY reworks and edits and a bout with the world's best editor who was worth every penny. This book, I think, might be the one to break me into publishing, although so far it's been a long, hard road. I'm at 45 rejections, but two full requests and one partial, so three actual, real live literary agents are reading my manuscript. That's very exciting. And 45 rejections is nothing - I won't consider shelving this one until I get to at least 100, and maybe not even then, because I am really excited about the last round of rewrites and I think this is the book. So that's fun!

I recently found out that The Afterlife is up for a prize in a new novelist contest I entered at a writers guild! I'm a finalist in the young adult category and will find out at the end of this month if I won. That was a nice pick me up after months of rejection letters. (pic below)

I haven't really written fanfics in a while cuz of *waves hands at all of the above.* The last thing I wrote was a prompt series about Freddie the snake back in March of this year (read it here if you're interested!) I started some OMFD stories and didn't finish them. I do plan to come back to it, both GO and OMFD, and I miss it, but I've been distracted with other things... Still getting lots of kudos and comments on things I've written and love all of you readers very much. I'll see if I can work something out for this fall... I like to write a GO story for Christmas, for sure, although I missed this last season due to some horrible depression (now largely resolved).

I'm trying to outline something for this year's Nanowrimo, because I really want to draft something else! Having a hard time landing on something, though.

I guess that's the news. Writing continues to be such a huge part of my life, but it's quieter and lonelier when you're focusing on offline writing instead of fanfic. How're the words going for everyone else?