#roadtrip to nano

[bluberimufim]

NaNo has me acting derranged. I was writing during a roadtrip today. Like, on my phone, in a car.

[hufuf]

Do you think you could draw Hakase, sakamoto, nano, yuuko, mio and mai all going on a roadtrip

That's an interesting idea but would take a lot of time to draw.

I might draw in the future if I have more spare time

[tanzania2023]

17 Juliol: Llac Manyara

Aviam, això va així:

Jambo: Hola

Asante: Gràcies

Karibu: Benvinguts / de res

Raca Raca: depressa

Pole Pole: A poc a poc

Tafadhali: Si us plau

Habari za asubuhi: Bon dia

Usiku mwema: Bona nit

Hakuna Matata: cap problema

Avui després d'esmorzar hem fet el checkout del Olerai Lodge i ja hem tingut problemes per pagar. La Visa no l'acceptava la màquina i hem de pagar amb dòlars. I aquí tenim el problema: bitllets petits? No. Bitllets una mica trencats o arrugats? No. Bitllets d'abans del 2009? No. I així hem anat passant l'estona, triant els bitllets un per un fins que als senyors els agradin.

Un cop passat el tràngol, enfilem cap a Napuru Waterfalls. La carretera surt desde la principal i té tants sotracs que sembla el Shambala. Passem pel mig de poblats amb carrers estrets, avançant un munt de nens uniformats que van al cole. La carretera es cada cop més verda, més selvàtica i més elevada.

Arribem a una esplanada on ahir hi havia l'arribada d'una maratón i encara queden restes de la carrera.

Hi ha una guixeta on una noia amb un entusiasme zero ens cobra 10 dòlars per cap.

Havent pagat, tres xavals apareixen per fer-nos de guies i ens acompanyen per un camí verd, humit i preciós. Sembla un bosc del Pirineu però amb plantes selvàtiques.

El camí rellisca i fa molta baixada, no es fàcil. Es molt dret i complicat, però aviat arribem a baix de tot on corre un riuet de muntanya preciós. Anem caminant pel riu, sortejant pedres, rocs i l'aigua. Els guies ens ajuden.

I, una estona després, arribem al final del camí: un salt d'aigua molt alt envoltat de verd i roca. Es preciós i ha valgut la pena venir.

A la tornada ja som amics de tota la vida amb els guies, que son molt bons nanos. Un es Massai i va descalç.

Un cop al cotxe de nou, anem a l'oficina de Roadtrips a recollir l'entrada al Serengeti, que ens costa gairebé 2000 dòlars pels 4, el guía i el cotxe, per 3 dies.

Dinem a una pizzería i enfilem cap el Llac Manyara, al Maramboi Tented Lodge

A mig camí ens trobem un mercat rollo encants dels Massai i li demanem al xòfer de parar. Es un mercat impressionant, no hem vist mai res així. Ple de Massais vestits de forma tradicional venent de tot: taronges, patates, cebes, llavors, sabates, roba, radios, i fins i tot cabres. En serio, hi havia un camió ple de cabres i els Massais feien cua per comprar-ne.

Hem fet fotos però no els hi agradava gaire i fins i tot una noia ens ha renyat.

Ha estat molt impactant i autèntic

Seguim cap al Lodge i en arribar ja ens hem trobat jirafes, impalas, monos babuins, ñus, i més bitxos.

El Lodge es espectacular, a prop del llac. Ens reben amb un suc boníssim i anem a veure la posta de sol a la piscina, des d'on truquem a l'Arnau.

Les habitacions són tendes i no tant impressionants

Només entrar ens surt un porc senglar (Pumba) de sota l'habitació, que marxa espantat.

Sopem a la terrassa del Lodge amb espelmes.

[thoughmymindcouldthink]

Compilation and General Update

I've spend the evening reorganizing/archiving a lot of this blog, and I've noticed I talk around a lot of ideas rather than explaining them.

First on the docket, I revamped the organization system to be more streamlined and easier to use (at least for me, hopefully for visitors as well). Secondly, I archived a lotta (most) projects that I'm not really reserving brain space for at the moment. They're all in varying states of archived-ness in my brain, but they're all squished into one folder for blog purposes.

I'll continue to use this blog for resources, inspiration, challenges, and the like, but I have also picked out the Big Projects throughout the years to organize them better.

Current Projects

Handholding through Hell: the translation of a current dnd campaign into more traditional prose storytelling. Five party members wake up in a hell-like demi-plane with no knowledge of how they got there. On their hunt for a way back home, they discover that their pasts have followed them (or brought them?) here.

All or Nothing: Widofjord Uni AU, loosely based on the novel Coffee Cake. Heavy focus on Fjord, who needs to save his slipping grades to keep his athletic scholarship for rowing. Secondary focus on Caleb, who's recovering from some very intense drama in his ridiculously competitive academic program by working at the local cat cafe. Caleb offers to tutor Fjord and they begin to explore a romance. A semi-magic USA university AU in which Mollymauk deals fake IDs, Artagan’s a disillusioned ex-grad student, and Yasha gets to major in gardening.

BeauYasha Kidfic: Inspired by domestic beauyasha in the m9 epilogue, a vague idea of a future fic in which they help fjord overturn the orphanage that harmed him and end up with a half-orc kid of their own. got spooked when a lot of the after talk was quite similar to this idea and put it down.

Archived Original Projects

Vampire Apocalypse: Steampunk Lady Pirates: Hollywood fell to a vampire underground, and one young woman spearheads a resistance of sky pirates, all to get her sister back.

Antonita, the Spanish Contrabandista: A rewrite/update/retelling of an 1850s novella of a female pirate and her adventures with a Texan navy captain and his wife.

Outlander & Urchin: A traditional western fantasy story about two orphans who help each other survive while a magical war wages across the land. Reunited as adults, they realize their lives may be bigger than they thought.

Golden Gay Bridge (aka Gone): technically my undergrad thesis & 2016 nano project. A young woman loses her mother to cancer and goes on a roadtrip to find her elusive biological father and unearth half of herself.

Archived Fanfiction Projects

Rockstar AU: Louis is a rockstar; Harry is the label's new popstar. The two are forced to tour together for publicity. Liam is management, Niall is Harry's bestie, Zayn is Louis's bestie. Harry/Louis enemies to besties main plot, Ziall + Louam subplots.

Playboy AU: Harry runs an escort business; Louis and Niall are bunnies, Zayn and Liam are bartenders (Ziall + Louam)

Uni+ AU: Niall and Zayn fall in love at University, but their futures conspire against them – until they meet again. Essentially a uni!AU + a second chance trope.

Proposal AU: a ziall retelling of The Proposal (2009). That's it. That's the project. ALT: Cutting Edge AU (similar premise).

B99/1D crossover: Requested by bestie in like... 2015. An AU in which the 1d boys are Brooklyn police officers. Will likely not touch this one again.

[ifonlyitweregay]

the FINAL camp nano update + stats!!

day 28-30: i was on a roadtrip this weekend, so i just managed to hit my 15 minutes a day goal. still, i kept making good progress on the loretto chapel CNF piece line edits, finished up edits on the fastitocalon poem, and worked very briefly on the fall out boy essay. AND THAT’S A WRAP ON CAMP!

to recap: my goal was to write for at least 15 minutes every day this month, which i did! (with the exception of one day where i had a bad migraine, which i’m not counting)

STATS!

i don’t usually keep track of word counts/etc, i prefer time-based tracking, but i do like seeing how much i work i do on each of my projects since i hop between different things so frequently. 

for the purpose of stats, i group individual small-scale projects (individual poems, essays, etc) together under a larger genre heading (“poetry,” “essays,” etc), and i track larger projects like novels separately from each other. i also usually work on multiple projects each day, so all the days won’t add up to 30.

with that, here are my stats for camp:

the rest of the month!

[nanowrimo]

Road Trip to NaNo: The Power of Myth

November is coming. To get ready, we’re taking a road trip to visit Wrimos from around the world, and hear about how their regions can inspire your writing. Today, Wales Municipal Liaison Katie Price talks about Celtic mythology, and how myths can help you give texture to stories:

Bordered by England to the east and by sea in all other directions, this small, yet breathtaking country boasts home to a population of 3 million. Famous for its rugged coastlines, rolling hills, valleys, and majestic mountains, artists of all forms are never short of inspiration for their crafts when they gaze upon the vibrant country of Wales.

Apart from its beautiful landscapes, Wales is also famous for its many myths and legends. Each handed down over the centuries from their Celtic ancestors.

From pilgrims and knights in King Arthur’s court to giants, lake maidens, fairy folk, and dragons, Wales is steeped in fantastical lore. 

Shared throughout the ages as proverbs and songs, in addition to thrilling spoken and written stories, these myths have shaped the way Wales has grown and many towns gained their names through onomastic lore (lore which explains place names). Along with this, Wales is one of only two countries in the world to have the mythical dragon on its national flag.

In a country surrounded by mythology, and awe-inspiring scenery, it is no wonder that creative writers and novelists (especially those who participate in NaNoWriMo) tend to choose ‘Fantasy’ as their genre of choice.

I am one such novelist.

Growing up around all this mythology, it didn’t take long for my malleable young mind to become fascinated by fantasy and conjure up magical stories of my own, drawing on those familiar myths and legends as inspiration for my own writing. In fact, the novel I began writing five years ago and will be continuing for NaNoWriMo 2019 is a retelling of the Welsh changeling child myth.

Welsh mythology and lore certainly played a significant role in my journey as a writer and, no doubt, in the journeys of many other writers throughout the ages. 

Even if your writing style or genre of choice is the furthest thing from ‘fantasy’, myths can still play an important role in the development of your characters and the worlds they reside in.

Myths exist in every culture and country across the world. No matter where you are, there is always some story that a local might relate to you as warning or clarification as to certain events, locations, or names. 

They are traditional, usually ancient, stories involving supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes used to explain aspects of the natural world, show the psychology, customs, or ideals of a society, and sometimes, to explain the unexplainable.

If you are truly committed to your craft and to delving deeper into the worlds and minds of your characters, try using myths to do this. Let them add historical meaning and cultural background to your characters and the locations in your novel.

Whether you choose to write fantasy, historical fiction, romance, or any other genre of book, the fact remains that myths shape communities and countries as well as individual’s beliefs, attitudes, fears, and superstitions.

Explore what myths may have shaped the past and attitudes of your characters. Delving into their minds in this way will help you get a better insight into why they act or feel a particular way.

If you’re up for a challenge, try writing a myth to explain:

Why the sun rises

Why it snows

Why leaves change color

Why the moon changes shape

Why people are different colors; or

To explain the changing tides

If all else fails, a recollection and recounting of a myth from their past is a good way to keep the momentum flowing during NaNo and add a neat little chunk of words to your word count.

Katie Price is a first-year CO-ML for the Wales region and active participant of NaNoWriMo since 2012. After a 5 year career in Business Admin and Finance, she left the business world behind to raise a family and is now a devoted mother to her 2-year-old daughter and 3-year-old autistic son. When she can find the time she enjoys writing Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and YA Romance.

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from felizfeliz on Flickr.

[drowsy-quill]

It’s March 31st! Meaning tomorrow starts camp Nano! I’ve been attempting every Nano event for the past ~3 years so Isolation and decaying mental state be damned! So here is a (re)introduction to my project!

Sam & Fern’s Epic Fantasy Roadtrip

Goal: +10K in 30 days (~333 words a day!)

Synopsis:

Fern loves magic, her hobbies and dreams center around it, and if you look closely enough, you can see the magic she brings into her own world. 

Sam is magic, her world is full of it, and she is the second most powerful mage in her realm. And with magic, there is always a price. Sam's price is a prophecy, but she won't let a little doomsday get in the way of a fun summer vacation. \

Honestly, what's one to do when they come face to face with their destiny? Load up a friend's van with mixtapes and junk food and drive to California, obviously!

Aka- a queer YA urban fantasy about two girls who go on a road trip to stop the apocalypse!

You can find the WIP Page here! 

Taglist Under the cut! Let me know if you want to be added/removed!

@sunlight-and-starskies​ @kaosys​ @marewriteblr​ @halfbloodlycan​ @shadescrawls​ @smokedcapybara​

[transannabeth]

anyone have any suggestions for good songs to listen to on a road trip during the apocalypse? 

[wernerherzogs]

“He’s bone tired so it’s easy to get into bed but it’s not easy to fall asleep once he’s there. True to his fears, Louis shivers. He curls up on his side, tucks his knees as far as they’ll go into his chest. The mattress feels thin and poky, full of springs that might be as old as he is, and it makes noises every time he moves.

“Hey,” Harry says, six inches from his face.

Louis’ eyes fly open and he shrieks.

“Sorry, I should’ve knocked,” Harry says, getting up from his knees where he’d been couching by the side of the bed. He climbs right onto the mattress, picks the edge of the blanket out from underneath Louis’ body, and crawls into it. Louis can only watch in the dim haze of the hotel room, dumbfounded. The only light is from the moon coming through the cheap curtain, and a smoke alarm over the door.

“What the fuck were you going to knock on?” Louis says, finally. Yep, Harry has — Harry’s just crawled right into his bed. Harry, who isn’t wearing a shirt at all, who’s as hot as a furnace, who is bare skin and tallness, rounded shoulders and too much jaw, and a giant grin glowing a little bit creepily off the light from the window. Harry has crawled into his bed and Louis has already shrieked once but he could probably find it in his heart to conjure up another.

“You tell me, what’s your door, Lou? You’re cold,” Harry whispers.”

____

Alien Roadtrip!

[antique-symbolism]

During October I'm going to outline both Magnolia, Stay True (the sapphic skeptic/medium 1920s romance y'all were unexpectedly really into) and A Brief Family History of the Magical Mundane (formerly CCGCCL, the college kids on a magical roadtrip story which I need to completely reconceptualize)

THEN I'll decide which one I want to write for November, perhaps even on Day One of NaNo.

[bigcats-birds-and-books]

October 4-7. In Which Oklahoma Weather Has No Chill.

[ineffably-good]

Thinking about writing tonight, as I sit here on day 23 of preptober, getting ready for Nanowrimo 2022. Shhh, don’t tell, I’ve already started writing even though that’s cheating, and I’m nearly 9k words into the first draft.

But what I keep thinking about is how DIFFERENT the process of working my way into *this* book feels from the last book, or the one before it. Last year in nano, I wrote a YA contemporary novel called The Afterlife and Other Problems. I planned a little, but my life was extremely chaotic right then and I mostly just dove in, writing huge swaths of it in this gigantic, fun, heady rush. I couldn’t have told you much about the characters, their backstories, or even the overall story arc until I discovered it during the writing process. It took a LOT of work in revision and edits (thank God for my editor) to make it into a polished final product because of this.

But this time, the biggest change is that it’s all It’s emerging from my head very slowly — much less last year’s manic rush and more a slow, steady trickle with a whole lot of forethought and planning. I write a few hundred words every time I sit down, and I’ve filled half a notebook with planning. For the first time, I feel like I know *so* much about these characters, and I have the strangest sense of being in control of my story instead of the other way around. Everything feels so much more deliberate. Like I know what I’m trying to achieve, and like I have a very different set of tools this time around.

It’s still a batshit crazy, wacky concept, this book, because that is pretty much what I like to write — let’s just say there’s a demon and a comet and a game of intergalactic croquet that’s gone quite wrong with dire consequences for planet Earth — but I’m excited by the depths it already feels like it contains and the undercurrents I can sense in the things I’m planning.

I honestly don’t know if this book will turn out to be good or not, but it’s exciting to see how I’ve grown since I wrote the last one. I write for a lot of reasons, but one of those reasons has *always* been that I loveloveLOVE the craft of writing so incredibly much, the feel of creating something, of carefully putting words together. Of growth.

I may never get published, but these last couple years writing the three novel-length volumes of Faeted, rewriting part one into a book which did not well and has been shelved (but which I have a FANTASTIC idea for rewriting into something more sellable and will be tackling this winter), writing The Afterlife and Other Problems (which is currently out being read by four agents on request), and now drafting The Last Roadtrip have been probably the most fun I’ve ever had on a writing front.

[psijay]

LOOKING FOR BETA READERS FOR VENOM (SYMBROCK) FANFIC

Now that NaNo’s over it’s time for EDITING.

The fic in question is currently 33k words, 8 chapters, NSFW in the last chapter, so this is an 18+ only situation. Canon-typical violence, original villain character. Slow-ish burn roadtrip fic, full of spoilers for Let There Be Carnage.

It’s been years since I wrote fanfic, and this is the first time I’ve written one long enough to be worth beta-ing, so I have no idea what I’m doing here. Where do you even go to find beta readers? idk, so I’m starting here lol. Message me if you’re interested, here or on discord (Psijay#3756)!

Summary under the cut if you’re interested :3

Reach For You

Working summary:

After narrowly surviving their encounter with Carnage, Eddie and Venom are fugitives, fleeing the country. During their mad dash to the Mexican border, they have to sort through old issues, and face new ones as they pop up.

Safety is only 500 miles away, but the road is blocked by many arguments, inconveniences, one particularly motivated government agent, some nasty weather, and (most terrifyingly) emotional intimacy. Ready to hit the road?

[alessandriana]

Don't know if you're still working on it, but: your stabbing JC agenda is a balm on my soul! I don't think I will ever get enough of Jiang Cheng whump. Thank you! (Also roadtrip!!! What happens in Sunshot Campaign, stays in Sunshot Campaign. Feeds into my hc that Sandu Shengshou kissed with both of his siblings' future spouses.)

😊 I'm definitely still working on it! It has admittedly been on the backburner the last few days just because I kept running into issues where one scene was refusing to land right, and while I think I've figured out the solution (with some help from @tauremornalome), it necessitated going alllll the way back to the beginning for some critical edits, and... I got tired of staring at the same stuff I've been staring at since August and had to go work on something else for a bit, lol. But! in the meantime I've been working on the zhancheng roadtrip fic, and it's looking much cleaner and less nano-y than before. (Now if I can just get the actual smut part of that written...)

[ifonlyitweregay]

camp nano days 13-15!

day 13: today was a super haphazard writing day; i worked on a lot of different things. i made a lot of progress on expanding the essay that’s due tuesday (i’m not sure if i ever said what it was about? 3 lessons from my first year of submitting to literary magazines). i also continued the revision on my loretto chapel poem, in the process of which i figured out it is not actually a poem--i think it’s a CNF piece. so the fact that i’ve been trying to write it as the wrong genre has probably had a bit to do with the problems i’ve been having, lol. then i added a little under 100 words to this flash fiction piece i’ve been having issues revising. it’s a surreal piece about a food revolt in a supermarket, kind of, but also a bit cosmic horror ? then i started first drafting another poem (this one is actually a poem) about questioning being ace. 

i probably would have kept going, but i had other things i had to do. 

day 14: i’m on a roadtrip this weekend, so really not doing too much writing, just the 15 mins a day i want to do for my camp goal. today i worked on a couple CNF pieces before bed. i was super tired and my brain was total mush, but i managed to generate some new material for the CNF piece about my period and keep chipping away at revisions on the loretto chapel piece. 

day 15: put 15 more minutes into expanding the essay that’s due tuesday. 

the month’s progress so far.

[nanowrimo]

Road Trip to NaNo: The Benefits of Attending Write-Ins

November is coming. To get ready, we’re taking a road trip to visit Wrimos from around the world, and hear about how their regions can inspire your writing. Today, Christchurch, New Zealand Municipal Liaisons Judy L. Mohr and Emmy-Lou James talk about their region’s history of write-ins and face-to-face interaction:

Christchurch, New Zealand has a strong writing community, with a long writing legacy to help back us up. But part of the reason that we are so strong is that everywhere you go, there are write-ins and discussion groups for writers. 

Writing is a solitary activity for the majority of people. Many of us write in complete isolation, cut off from the real world around us, sinking our entire existence into our make-believe worlds. And to get the writing done, we tend to sacrifice our socializing times. As much as writing is solitary, we can’t do it alone. This is where write-ins come into their own—particularly during NaNoWriMo.

So, what are the benefits? 

1. Write-ins are where you can meet other writers.

Sometimes, the issue with meeting like-minded people is the struggle of where to look. The solution is not always obvious. 

For us, the MLs of Christchurch, we both started by joining a local writing group. Then suddenly we found another… and another… and another. Once we discovered the community, all the groups were suddenly there for us to connect with. Sure, each group might be milled with writers who write different genres, and many of us will be at different stages of our own writing journey’s, but that’s what makes these groups so magical.

During NaNoWriMo, many regions hold multiple write-ins. In Christchurch, we aim to hold multiple write-ins during the week. Writers need to connect with other writers, and write-ins are the perfect place to make those connections. 

2. Write-ins give you the opportunity to learn from other writers.

Write-ins are often filled with writers from every neck of the woods, each with their own knowledge and experiences. In connecting with other local writers, you are given the chance to learn. Whether it is about the writing craft, editing, editors, querying, writing synopses, or where the best writing conferences are held, the lists are endless.

And don’t think that just because you might be new to writing that you don’t have knowledge to share. Perhaps you’re a whiz on the computer, able to code up a stunning spreadsheet to help keep track of word counts. Or maybe you know something about taking a stunning photo with your cellphone camera. Or maybe you know your way around social media, and are able to help another understand what a hashtag.

Whatever your skills, your knowledge will be valued by the writing community.

3. Accountability partners come in all forms.

How often do you write a chapter, put it down, then come back to it the next day and think, I’ll read it before I carry on today, only to find yourself spending a day editing rather than writing? Are you guilty of it? Because I know we are!

.

Write-ins are the perfect place to find accountability partners—that one person who will become your personal Jiminy Cricket, the angel on your shoulder who’s your cheerleader, urging you on even when the inner critic and self-doubting monster are chewing at your ear. An accountability partner is a writer who knows the pitfalls of writing and can talk you through the hard times in just the same way, you can talk them. 

Because you’ve been there—together.

4. Participating in activities can help you work past writer’s block and other writing issues. 

Meeting at local write-ins can give the opportunity to have open conversations about problems with writing. It could be writer’s block or a plot issue. Perhaps a character isn’t working. 

The simple ability to be able to tease out your ideas can lead to the best stories. 

5. It is important to be able to share your achievements and celebrate with others.

How do you celebrate your achievements? A glass of wine? An evening with a book and no interruptions? Do you take a night off and binge watch that Netflix series you’ve been holding off on? 

So many of us forget to celebrate the little wins, overlooking our achievements.

By sharing your NaNoWriMo journey with other writers, you get to celebrate those achievements together. It might be simply hitting that word count, finishing a section of the book that you’ve been working on, or finishing that manuscript. Whatever it is, celebrating together with other writers is fun, and encourages other writers following the same journey as you to continue on too. 

6. Sometimes, it’s good to change things up. 

Writing in the same place day in day out can get kinda dull, and sometimes becomes a block for creativity. Write-ins during NaNoWriMo should be in public spaces, and that in itself can be the best writing fodder. By taking yourself away from your desk, or the four walls that you call home, you’re putting yourself in a different space, and that can prove invaluable for many writers. 

And people watching is important for writers too.

Attend a Write-In this NaNoWriMo!

If you’ve never attended a write-in, why not make it your NaNoWriMo goal this year? Find out where your local write-ins are, or look into hosting your own. Writer friends are worth their weight in gold, so why miss out?

The MLs for Christchurch, New Zealand are Judy L Mohr (above) and Emmy-Lou James (below).

Judy L Mohr is a writer of thrillers, fantasy, science fiction, and nonfiction. She is also a freelance editor with Black Wolf Editorial Services (https://blackwolfeditorial.com), working on projects from writers around the world.

Emmy-Lou James loves anything romance. So much so, she writes contemporary romance stories based in small towns with holiday themes.

Together, they’re one hell of a ML team, coordinating various writing events throughout their region all year round.

You can find out more about Judy’s personal projects on her personal blog or on Twitter (@JudyLMohr). Find out more about Emmy-Lou’s writing on her Twitter (@EmmyLou_James).

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from Beverly Yuen Thompson on Flickr.