#winter nanowrimo

[crowandmoonwriting]

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Hey everyone! It's our own little NaNoWriMo, starting Dec. 1!

Did you not have time to participate in NaNoWriMo last month, but you still want the experience? Join Winter NaNoWrimo! Set your own writing goals or join us in our goal of 20,000 words!

Feel free to tag me and use the tag #winternano2023

If you want to join us on my discord server, let me know and I can send you an invite. Hang out in the Writer's Cafe VC or the Writing Chat text channel to talk, brainstorm, do some write-alongs, or whatever else you'd like to do to get some writing done

Happy Winter!

[mysticstarlightduck]

Character Aesthetic Playlist - Cailean Telkerly (Enchanted Illusions)

"There was little he could not steal or cheat. No lock was too intricate, no deception too delicate. The law had never once caught up to his schemes. But he could not run from his past, and it was catching up fast."

I'm A Wanted Man - Royal Deluxe

It's Alright - Mother Mother

Teenagers - My Chemical Romance

Honeybee - The Head and The Heart

Angel with a Shotgun - The Cab

Burn the House Down - AJR

Give and Take - Poor Man's Poison

Runnin - Adam Lambert

Icarus - Bastille

Black Bouquet - Joseph Feinstein

A Million Dreams - The Greatest Showman (cover)

Ain't No Rest For The Wicked - Cage the Elephant

Glitter and Gold - Barns and Courtney

My Petersburg - Anastasia

Born to Die - Lana Del Rey

Tourner Dans Le Vide - Indila

Winter Nano 2023 @crowandmoonwriting

[mood2you]

editing December

Day 1

2.5k words retyped

[lunewell]

Yes, the NaNoWriMo situation sucks, but honestly, it’s also kind of relieving in a way? I crunched a lot for NaNoWriMo last year, especially as it fell right in the midst of my exam season, and NaNoWriMo fucking themselves over tremendously has made me realise that it would probably be much more practical for me to move the dates around, and extend the time I allow myself.

Personally, from here on forth, I’m doing Writing Winter every year, which would be 2 months to finish the first draft of a larger writing project, starting January and ending February. This not only gives me one extra months worth of time to write without crunching, but also gives me more flexibility in what I choose to write rather than an arbitrary goal to meet, and something to do in the cold, quiet void that is Northern European winter.

If you’re a writer whose struggled with NaNoWriMo stress and crunch in the past — be that because of mental health issues, bad scheduling, unexpected obstacles, feeling pressure, or simply life getting in the way — feel free to join me for Writing Winter, or find your own designated time that works for you, and a little community around it (:!

[lavendershowcase]

The Queer Winter Writing Challenge November 1-January 31

Lavender Showcase would like to add one more writing challenge in the mix for NaNoWriMo alternatives.

Mark five boxes in a row either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically! Send in your finished cards (maybe with a description of your wip if you want), and I will post them here!

This is intended to be worked on between the beginning of November and the end of January and be complementary to other writing challenges that you may be participating in (or done on it's own!) It is also aimed at LGBT writers as that is who this blog is for, but anyone can participate!

Each box serves as a task or goal for healthy writing habits. As you write through these upcoming months, mark your accomplishments on this card and try completing a box here and there as an exercise.

One of the goals of this challenge is to learn what helps your long-term writing habits and health: does exercise help you think better? Does a clean room ease anxiety? Are you keeping up with your needs?

There are also opportunities for you to read or watch LGBT books and movies. If you need any help finding recommendations on what to read or watch, please send in an ask! If I can't find something for you--maybe someone else can!

Feedback through September and October is welcome!

And needless to say: absolutely no AI is permitted in this challenge!

(And if you're not in the northern hemisphere and it's about to be spring and summer--you can cross off "winter" and write "spring/summer.")

Full text of the boxes under this cut:

Read a classic LGBT novel

Make yourself a warm drink

Write in a new location than you normally do

Write with pen and paper for an entire day

Hit 100% of your writing goal

Reach out to a writer friend and ask about their project

Hit 25% of your writing goal

Read a contemporary LGBT novel

Outline your entire project

Journal about writing for a week straight

Write 3,000 words in one day

Journal about the day’s weather

Send your wip to a friend

Write for 10 minutes with no distractions

Read a LGBT biography/memoir

Read a wip on Lavender Showcase

Write character outlines for your main characters

Write for an hour with no distractions

Watch a classic LGBT film

Write 500 words in one day

Write for 30 minutes with no distractions

Clean your bedroom

Hit 50% of your writing goal

Write 1,000 words in one day

Work out for 30 minutes

[hezzabeth]

Everyone who lived on Baker Street had come out from the fog to eat Nanni’s dinner. This made perfect sense; Nanni was one of the few people in the park who knew how to cook meals using ingredients and an oven.

When the park was still open, Revati's home was a coffee shop called the “Mad Hatter Teaparty.” The walls were painted in eye-watering clashing shades of neon pink and green. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling were all giant velvet top hats. The booths were giant flower teacups with tiny chairs and tables inside.

"Was there some sort of drug in the pineapple?" Revati heard Brigadeiro ask. Revati just ignored him and instead walked past each of the booths, collecting tributes; nobody ate Nanni’s for free.

The Paprikas sat in the blue and gold teacup, their neon orange hair clashing with the paint. The Paprikas were two brothers and their sister who had found themselves trapped in the park as children. Their parents had been vaporized by a towel-warming rack. Now they were in their mid-twenties and worked for Revati as hired muscle for free dinners.

"Who's the new guy? He's actually clean and good-looking," the youngest brother Brie asked Revati. "His name is Brigadeiro Bun; he's an off-world tourist who stupidly went to the wasteland," Revati said. "I was trying to find crystal roses," Brigadeiro smiled helpfully.

"Bridgadeiro huh? So your parents were Goup worshippers then?" The sister, Juniper, asked curiously. Revati vaguely knew that Goupism was a popular religion on other colonies. Over a thousand years ago, there was once a woman who apparently traveled the earth gathering the best health practices needed to be “happy.” "A white woman, and she stole most of her ideas from our eastern religions," Amma, who was a staunch atheist, had snapped with annoyance when Revati asked her to explain the Paprika siblings' religion. Still, despite her thievery, at some point, she had become a god. They firmly believed in things such as “psychic vampires” and “color-balancing therapy.” They also all had peculiar food-related names, mainly because the goddess had named her daughter Apple.

"Yes, they were. They insisted on coming here for a Wellness Day holiday," the eldest brother, Croquette, growled. "I miss mama's Wellness Day Avocado and chocolate cookies," Juniper sighed sadly. "It's not the same, but here I have a couple of factory-made ones in my pocket," Brigadeiro said, crawling into the booth. The Paprika siblings gasped with astonishment as he pulled a packet of cookies wrapped in gold paper out of his jumpsuit's gigantic pocket. "They got a bit crushed when I was kidnapped, but they're still good," he said, opening the package and placing it on the table. The Paprika siblings stared at the cookies, their mouths slack with shock. Croquette slowly shook his head, completely snatched the package, and began to serve the crushed crumbs amongst his siblings. "You need to keep this one forever," Juniper said firmly, and Revati just shook her head, moving onto the next table.

The next table consisted of the elderly Gupta couple. "You adopted another kid? If you want more water for him, we want more dried apples," Mrs. Gupta said, a small scowl on her wizened face. It was Mr. Gupta who had figured out how to gather and purify water from the atmosphere. It was Mrs. Gupta who managed and recorded all the water they collected, rolling it out like a tyrannical dictator. "Fine, one extra package of dried apples per week," Revati said before swishing grandly onwards.

Amma was sitting in the pink cup, her new partner Dusk Brisbane. Dusk Brisbane was a teacher from Titan, who, along with their students on a field trip, found themselves stuck in the park. Like all people from Titan, Dusk had inherited the ability to rapidly change biological genders. Titan had also inherited a name that meant a time of day and a gender. Dusk’s remaining students were sitting with Dityaa on a large cat-shaped sofa. When the invasion began, there were twenty-three of them. Now there were only five nineteen-year-olds left. Dityaa was holding court over all of them, sitting on a couch shaped like a giant grinning beast. "Your sister said you had an interesting night," Amma remarked as Revati sat down next to her. Nanni had laid out a plate of aloo mushroom curry. Revati picked up a piece of hardtack and dipped it into the sauce, refusing to talk. "So you're not even going to bother telling your side of the story?" Amma asked as Revati swallowed. Nanni always moaned that her cooking was so much better before the war. Years ago, Nanni worked in the city as a professional meal prepper for wealthy families that wanted to eat real organic food.

Nanni was proud of her ability to create one hundred percent sand-free meals using the most exotic ingredients. Nanni would bemoan to everyone that her meals were now a mess, that her spices were too basic, and that she never had enough salt. Revati, however, who had never tried anything else, thought her food was delicious. "I'm hungry! Besides, what's the point in telling my side? I'm sure Dityaa's story was more enthralling," Revati replied. "Every story needs both sides and the truth," Dusk remarked. As they spoke, their features shifted from a feminine middle-aged woman's face to a man's face with a beard. "You're not my creative writing teacher, and you're not my parent," Revati pointed out.

Revati knew deep down she didn’t dislike Dusk; Dusk was a perfectly decent person. Not to mention Amma had been so lonely until Dusk offered to help her teach the feral children a year ago. Still, it was a lot to get used to.

“True, but your mother did ask you a question, and I think she deserves an answer," Dusk replied in that same mild diplomatic voice. Revati deliberately ate another mouthful of curry before wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her dress. "Dityaa got attacked by some lady at the ball; the chutiya had A.I. eye implants! They must have switched on somehow," Revati explained. "Mind your mouth, Revati! There will be no swearing at the dinner table," Amma scolded her. "Her implants switched on? That's so odd; one of my students had AI tastebuds, but they stopped working the second we walked into the park," Dusk remarked, their face shifting back into a woman's as they glanced at one of their students. The student in question, Basil Paris, was sitting next to Dityaa, licking their hand. Dusk was right; in order to create true "historical authenticity," the park was surrounded by massive mirrors. The volcanic Martian glass blocked the "AI" life stream. "And what did you do?" Amma asked in a quiet, nervous voice. "I threw a glass of vodka at her face, and her eyes fried up," Revati replied.

"Can you take the children's sign language lesson tomorrow morning? I need to check the mirrors around the walls," Amma said to Dusk.

"Of course," Dusk replied, and Revati rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to do anything, Amma! I'm the elected leader of Baker Street! This is my job," Revati said firmly.

"You're only seventeen!" Amma protested.

"Almost everyone voted for me! Well, apart from Mrs. Gupta, who voted for herself," Revati said, and mother sighed.

"Fine! But you're not going to leave well after the sun rises, and you're not taking Cora and Laila! You can take Vivienne and Jay Jr.," Mother replied firmly.

Nine minutes past midnight.

Revati's eyes snapped open in the blue-glowing darkness. Slowly, she sat up, taking in the familiar shapes of the kitchen's walk-in freezer. Dityaa was sleeping next to her on the souvenir pillows Amma had sewn together into a makeshift bed. In the corner, the feral children slept together in a nest made of old soft toys. Nanni was snoring on one of the plastic shelves that had long ago stored ice cream. Amma insisted on them all sleeping behind the massive metal doors. To anyone who lived near any other planet, it would have been freezing, but Martians had evolved to withstand the cold.

Revati stood up and glanced down at Dityaa. Dityaa had worn her new dress to bed, ignoring the stains. The blood on her dress looked shiny black, her face shadowy blue. She looked just like Princess Savitri in the family book of fairy tales. Revati, on the other hand, had changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a long-sleeved men's shirt three sizes too big. The red fabric hung to her knees, and the words "Olde Landon Halloweenfest 3544" had been printed across the front. Revati picked up her blanket, draping it around her shoulders. Sleep wasn't going to return any time soon. Revati reached underneath her part of the mattress until she found the stories.

Outside the metal doors, Revati could hear distant voices, and carefully she slid the door open. Amma and Dusk were sitting together on the cat-shaped couch, murmuring to each other over tea.

"I don't see how they could know..." Amma began, and then she trailed off, spotting Revati.

"Insomnia again?" She asked gently, and Revati nodded, walking past the two of them.

"If you're going up to the greenhouse, be quiet; I made a bed for the boy up there," Mother replied.

"Really, Amma? You couldn't give him a bed?" Revati asked, opening the front door.

"He would freeze in the fridge, and he said he liked plants," Mother replied.

Outside, the fog was still shifting, and Revati moved ten spaces to the right.

"Evening, boss," Juniper's voice called, and she suddenly appeared holding a jar filled with glowing mushrooms.

"Any problems?" Revati asked.

"Nope, it's been a pretty quiet night!" Juniper said.

"Good, make sure your brother takes over your shift! We don't want you fainting from sleep deprivation again," Revati replied.

[vivitalks]

It's more than just the worn sofa cushions and matching silverware sets. Any asshole can paint their clapboard baby blue and retrofit a gas cooktop into the kitchen, just like any asshole can stash a go bag beneath hardwood floors — having stuff doesn't make a home. Not that Bucky has any way to know that, having always had fewer personal belongings than fingers on both hands. But he suspects that if the Wilson family found themselves transplanted into Bucky's Brooklyn shithole, that dump would become a home quicker than blinking.

post-tfatws family feels with bucky & the wilsons

[aromanticduck]

No bald option thanks to the limitations of Tumblr polls and the Gregorian calendar. If you don't write, either vote for what you think makes the most sense, or come back later to see the results.

Basically, if we made NaNoWriMo 2: No AI Boogaloo, when would you want it to be?

[rriavian]

I knew I’d be busy the last two evenings of Nano so I’ve been getting the word count done as soon as it hits midnight. So I have now officially completed the challenge with the final logged word count at around 51k.

There’s about 1.5k I haven’t logged yet because it’s not been added to the fic, but aside from editing and any further additions it’s finished :)

[nightshadesmusings]

Poem in text form under the cut

The First Snowfall

The evening is cold, the Sun has set I sit at my desk and surf the internet I glance out the window and am taken aback The Sun is gone, yet the sky remains lilac. In the blink of an eye, I realize I know The sky is so bright from the white of the snow!

Small crystalline bits that spiral and fall The wind comes and hits, disturbing it all It sucks up the sound and reflects all the light It flutters around, making dusk out of night The air is alive with tiny white flecks Winter’s revive washing away Summer’s regrets With the first snowfall.

[crowandmoonwriting]

Winter NaNo: Day One

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

It has begun!

My word count for today: 1242

WIP: On Crimson Wings

[mysticstarlightduck]

WIP INTRO: Enchanted Illusions

Tag - # wip enchanted illusions

Genres

victorian fantasy, adventure, mystery, gothic fantasy

Status

Work In Progress

Themes

justice, love, coming of age, truth, conspiracy, prejudice, unexpected friendship. perseverance, corruption of power, change, individual vs society, kindness, mythology

Synopsis

The violent war between humans and mythical creatures is over, it has been for over a century, and human society has adjusted to welcome those they shunned for so long. Magic is no longer outlawed, and the world has thrived and progressed over the years, coming into a golden age like none seen before. But beneath the surface, all is not what it seems - as their world grew, so did the inequality within it. Though peace has been achieved, in the bustling grim streets and daily lives of the capital city, the war remains - silent and changed to exist under the gaze of all, but it is there, seeping through the cracks of a barely resolved conflict, mixing with growing prejudice. And from those cracks, rose those who would see this budding, frail balance between nations crumble. Beneath their city's perfect surface, a cruel secret society aims to undo all that has been achieved, fueling the populace's prejudice for one another and slowly taking control of the city's political landscape, looking to profit from the start of another conflict, despite the unending efforts the land's diplomats. To prevent this underground scheme from causing another war between humans and myths, it is now up to a group of city-bound misfits caught in the crossfires to investigate a centuries-old conspiracy and defeat the well-hidden Hemlock Society, hopefully in time to maintain their land's hard-earned peace.

With their city trapped in a careful political dance between good and evil, can these misfits defeat the shadows of their own past when it comes knocking down their door?

I will be participating in event, Winter Nano with this WIP!

@crowandmoonwriting

[ghostblazewrites]

Children of the Forest Intro

BASIC

genre: fantasy, adventure,

status: finished first draft, editing

key themes: found family, exploration, fantasy, nature, mythology, magical realism, siblings, childhood friends, nostalgia, parasites, at this point i'm just listing things in my book i'll stop

𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼

STORY

Two boys are born in a willow tree inside a forest brimming with magic. They become obsessed with uncovering the secrets of this forest, exploring and researching the wilderness along with their childhood friends. When the forest suddenly vanishes and then reappears in struggling condition, the boys are left wondering what happened to their home, and if they can save it.

CHARACTERS

Theo Winter (he/him)

Impulsive, always-smiling, and just a tad bit reckless. He's the class clown, never one to take things seriously and it backfires. a lot. Theo's just having fun ok? Not his fault the god of the forest decided his body would be perfect as its puppet!

age: 17

quote: “I highly doubt any of what you said is gonna be a problem,” Theo said distractedly, then grabbed onto Kian’s backpack urgently as another thought struck him. He was always active, and always filled with energy. Kian didn’t think he ever saw Theo without a grin on his face or his blue bandanna off his head.

quick facts

he's trans (ftm)

adhd king

playboy (don't worry, he learns very quickly this isn't good)

inspired by oliver queen and lance mcclain

heart of the forest

Kian Winter (he/him)

Intelligent, oblivious, and always locked in his own world, he's always operating at 100% and extremely determined/stubborn. the inventor of the group, his tech assists his research on the forest.

age: 17

quote: John’s veins bulged from his neck, his eyes slitted. He turned slowly to look at him and his voice was low. “You’re dead.” “I’m very much alive. It’s Mothsong who is dead. I think.” Kian rushed to pick up his robotic insect’s limp body from inside the mess. “I’m sure I can fix this–”

quick facts

autism king

inspired by zane (ninjago) and gansey from the raven boys!!

always wearing his goggles and his jacket with a million pockets in them- with almost any gadget you can think of

gayyy

always known as the younger brother of theo even though they're technically twins and no one knows who's older

brains of the forest

Rue Ezeani (she/her)

Quiet, sarcastic, and always willing to stand up for what she believes is right, she's a punk who got kicked out of her home, and she's brutally protective of her friends. also, flowers grow on her quite a lot.

age: 16

quote: “Poverly, you don’t know shit about me,” Rue growled, taking a step towards them. “I’ve been to this forest longer than you, it’s more important to me than you’ll ever know. Of course I was working to get it back.”

quick facts

has freckles

trans lesbian

first friend kian and theo made

inspired by blue sargent (wow who could've guessed) and killer frost

eyes of the forest

can play electric guitar

i love her

Becca Hill (she/her)

Smart, cold, and competent, she is known as the 'normal' one of the group, although she has her issues, don't worry. Gets skeptical and annoyed easily, but connects with nature and animals very well. Natural-born leader.

age: 17

quote: “Oh my god, you guys can’t just break ceilings and destroy classrooms. Do you have any idea how much those cost?” Becca pressed her lips together, concerned.

quick facts

'token straight friend' (sure...)

inspired by laurel lance and pip fitz amobi!!

has a pet dog, turtle, and bird

complicated relationship with theo

ears of the forest

Cove Poverly (they/them)

If you thought Theo was impulsive, think again. They're a fighter, with a short temper and witty humour. Chews gum, tobacco, straw, lollipops...they like to keep busy. Mastered the 90's + 2020 aesthetic at the same time? A reaaal southern kid.

age: 16

quote: “Trouble in hetero relationships. Can't relate," Cove casually chewed on a piece of gum. They brushed past Theo, picked up a twig, and began drawing something on a nearby rock.

quick facts

heterochromia! (one eye is blue, one eye is hazel)

inspired by... tbh i have no idea where cove came from they just popped up

very blunt/no filter

nonbinary

m e n

likes arguing with rue (affectionately, they hate each other)

fists of the forest

Amora (she/her)

Mysterious, sassy and flirtatious imp, lives deep within the forest and a master of manipulation. Is she truly evil? Who knows? Some hate her, some love her, but no one trusts her.

age: ?

quote: Amora grinned, her eyes a deep mauve in this lighting. “No games, Thorny. I’m just here to help you save the forest. It’s my job.” She stretched the last part, singing it with a tilt of her head.

quick facts

wears a red cloak

inspired by darcy wu and parisa kamali

seduces like half of the characters

she has elfish ears

twig horns and long black nails

also has ties to a god/spirit...

Miiba (it/its)

no picrew for this mf but basically this is the god of the forest, it's a big pain in the ass for our main characters because there's...occasional possessions and flora growing everywhere on their clothes/body. it has questionable morals due to being immortal and its sole purpose is to preserve the forest. it doesn't have a corporeal form, instead bouncing its consciousness around any creature/living thing in the forest (plants, trees, animals)

AESTHETIC

FACTS

𖡼 i wrote this entire book during nanowrimo!! i won, but i added 13k after november so it's only 63k right now, but i am editing to make it longer. it took me two months to finish draft 1

𖡼 i came up with the idea during summer of 2022, based on a playlist that a close friend gave me - they said boom, make a story, and i did!!

𖡼 the story is set in the fictional town of pinevale, canada, and i do not have a name for the forest yet (i should probably get on that so it's less vague when i talk about the forest

𖡼 it's third person and the POV switches between kian, theo, rue and miiba, and amora for like one pov (i'll probably make it more consistent in the 2nd draft)

LINKS

spotify playlist

pinboard

𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼 𖤣 𖥧 𓋼 𓍊 𖡼 𖤣 𖥧 𖡼 𓋼

if you want to know more, please tell me! this took SO LONG but i loved doing it. i'll probably do it for my other wips!!

[sparrownimbus2000]

27. Winter Joy

It’s cold and it’s cold and it’s cold. I have the blues and it’s cold. It’s the time of year where darkness comes suddenly, overpoweringly, menacingly. Days are grey and they blend into nights and you just want to hibernate but you can’t. You’re solely responsible, you see. For others. Their education. Their morals. Their diets. Their exercise. Their mental health. All on your shoulders. So you…

[lynlee494]

Bucky Barnes’s family is indebted to Alexander Pierce, a powerful man who has preyed on him and those like his family for decades. There were only a few years of service left to pay his debt, but recently Pierce's brute Rumlow had been escalating in his violence. Fearing the inevitable and with no where to actually go Pierce can’t reach, Bucky had begun to accept his fate.

Then Bucky’s luck turns when a persistent advertisement for an insanely affordable apartment in Bed-Stuy interrupts his browsing at a bakery, the shop close enough to pick up the free wi-fi from the Avenger’s Tower.

Maybe there is a chance.

****

Clint Barton has a surprise new tenant that he is pretty damn sure there had been no application for. Likely Jarvis’s idea, the AI sparing some processing to help manage Clint’s apartment. Avenging and being a landlord took a toll.

Not a problem except the top floor – Clint’s floor – had been left empty save him for safety reasons. Which meant the only vacancy was right next door. And it turns out the new guy is hot. And maybe kinda in trouble. Which is so his type.

So many ways this can go bad, and Clint is sure he'll find all of them.

[foxgloveinspace]

Happy November!

Time to listen to gothic country music and dream about being a wind burned cowboy with his cowboy lover, crossing a big plain, and looking longingly at him while he rides on his horse ahead of you. You watch his gloved hands, and you know how calloused and rough they are, and yet how soft and tender they are as they cup your face when he kisses you at the camp fires you make at night.