#you’ve won NaNoWriMo!

[delicatefury]

Does anyone know what the NaNo alternative is? I know it exists but I can’t remember off the top of my head.

Anyway, I’m done supporting NaNo. Gotta log in and see if I have anything posted there. Hate for my writing to be used for AI training.

So it looks like NaNoWriMo are happy to have AI as part of their community. Miss me with that bullshit. Generative artificial intelligence is an active threat to creativity and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in creative fields.

Please signal boost this so writers can make an informed choice about whether to continue to take part in such a community.

[nanowrimo]

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: How to Write a Novel in 30 Days

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Adiba Jaigirdar is here to share her advice on how to set yourself up for noveling success:

Welcome to the very first week of NaNoWriMo! I’ve done NaNoWriMo for (almost) every year since 2008. I’ve won some, I’ve lost some, but I’ve learned a lot along the way. In fact, I apply a lot of the tactics I learned in NaNoWriMo to all my writing. When I wrote my second book, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, I ended up with a first draft of 74,000 words written in 30 days. That wasn’t something I would have thought possible in 2008 when I was slogging through my very first 50,000-word novel. That’s why I’m here today to share with you a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up through my writing journey, in the hopes that they serve you and your novel this November: 

1. Accountability 

One of the most difficult parts of writing a novel is that it requires so much self-discipline. It’s not like a job you show up to where your boss is holding you accountable for how many words you’ve written. Only you are ultimately responsible for how much you get done—which is why it’s easy to get demotivated and give up. So, you need to figure out ways in which you can be accountable for your novel this month.

You’ll be glad to hear that you’ve already taken the first step in doing this: you’ve pledged to do NaNoWriMo. You’re here, ready to write. But you can go a step further: ask your friends and family to hold you accountable by checking in on your progress during the month. If you have friends who are doing NaNoWriMo that’s even better; you can hold each other accountable. If you’re on social media, you can share updates every day and be accountable to your followers. There are a lot of ways to do it; so figure out what kind of accountability works best for you! 

2. Planning 

Planning a novel is definitely not for everyone. This is coming from someone who has pantsed many books! Planning can look different for different people. If you are a true-blue plotter, you might have your entire novel planned from beginning to end, with comprehensive chapter outlines. But if you’re not someone who plots out your entire novel before you’ve written a single word, planning is still important.

This planning can look like a rough outline of your book or finishing your writing day and jotting down a few quick ideas of what to write when you come back to writing the next day, or it can be leaving yourself voice memos as ideas spark when you’re nowhere near your novel. Going into every new day of writing without any idea of what the blank page will hold is very, very daunting, which is why planning ahead can be just the motivation that you need to fulfill your word count goal for the day. 

3. Figure out what works for you 

I have published four books so far and I’ve written many more. The process of writing each of these books has been very different. I drafted one in three months, one in 30 days, one was completely plotted with a rigorous outline, while one was plotted with a flexible outline, and two were completely pantsed. What I’ve learned about myself is that to make a book work, sometimes I have to try something different.

The only thing NaNoWriMo requires of you is to write those 50,000 words. How you go about it depends on you. You don’t have to write every single day if that doesn’t work for you. You can write at the same time every day, or a different time every day depending on what sparks your creativity. You don’t have to participate in writing sprints if writing with a countdown doesn’t help you focus. The point is that now’s your time to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. You might be surprised by what methods you swear will never work for you but ends up helping you over that finish line. 

4. Have fun!

This is easier said than done, but try to enjoy writing your novel. Especially when it feels difficult. When I wrote 74,000 words in 30 days, it felt like a breeze because I was having a lot of fun with my book. Try to remember what makes you excited about your novel and go back to that when it’s tough. If writing is what you love, find the joy of it and nurture it throughout this month. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to keep writing.

Adiba Jaigirdar is the award-winning, critically-acclaimed and bestselling author of The Henna Wars, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, A Million to One, and The Dos and Donuts of Love. A Bangladeshi/Irish writer and former teacher, she has an MA in Postcolonial Studies and a BA in English and History. She is the winner of the YA book prize 2022, the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2021, and was a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary awards. When not writing, she is probably ranting about the ills of colonialism, playing video games, or expanding her overflowing lipstick collection.

[urbanxfantasy]

Turning NaNoWriMo Prep questions into a meme: 51 Questions You’ve (Probably) Never Asked About Your Characters

1. What does your character do when they think no one’s looking?

2. What’s the one thing your character would save in a fire (beyond the necessities)?

3. Who’s on speed dial?

4. Your character gets turned down for their dream job. What’s their second choice?

5. What would they tell their ten-year-old self?

6. Where would they want to go on a first date?

7. What’s the best advice they’ve ever received?

8. What’s the worst advice they’ve ever received?

9. What’s one physical detail they’d change about themselves?

10. When was the last time they were held? By who?

11. What’s their favorite thing about their favorite season?

12. Their wallet gets stolen. What do they do?

13. Prioritize: Love, money, power, knowledge?

14. What’s something nobody knows about them?

15. What’s in their fridge?

16. What (creature, object, substance) are they most disgusted by?

17. What’s their second worst habit?

18. What are the victory conditions for their life?

19. In the end, your character fails to save the day. Assuming they survive, what do they do?

20. Your character is charged with a crime they didn’t commit. What do they do?

21. Your character is charged with a crime they did commit. What was the crime?

22. How would you describe your character’s life in one sentence?

23. What important statistic would they want displayed above them?

24. What’s the first thing they would buy if they won the lottery?

25. What profession do they most respect?

26. What childhood injustice did they never get over?

27. How would they handle having a panic attack?

28. Your character is burdened with an inconvenient superpower. What is it?

29. If they died and could come back as any person, animal, or object, what would they be?

30. What’s the best meal they’ve ever had?

31. Where would they stand at a dinner party?

32. Who would they invite to the dinner party?

33. What makes a perfect day for your character?

34. If given the opportunity, would they want to know how and when they died?

35. What’s the one thing they’ve always wanted to do? Why haven’t they done it yet?

36. What do they tend to joke about?

37. What’s off limits?

38. Whose wedding would they cross the world to attend? Whose funeral?

39. What impossible choice did they make that turned out to be the right one? The wrong one?

40. Your character has someone to hype them up. What would they say to get everyone excited about your character?

41. What recurring dream does your character have?

42. What is the meaning of life to your character?

43. If your character wrote a NaNo novel, would they be a planner, pantser, or plantser?

44. What book does your character pretend to have read?

45. Someone takes undeserved credit for your character’s work. What do they do?

46. What controversial belief or view does your character hold? Why? Do they hide it?

47. Your character is at a theme park. Where do they go first?

48. What’s your character’s favorite name?

49. What’s the biggest compliment they’d give themselves?

50. How does your character feel about bugs?

51. If your character could hit a reset button on their life, would they?

[thebreakfastgenie]

8, 12, 19!

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

There are a lot I haven't tried because they're too involved or underdeveloped, but the only one I'd say I haven't been brave enough to try is the Jean Valjean/Javert porn. Instead of jumping off the bridge, Javert goes to Valjean's house, and Valjean answers the door, and he slowly raises his hands as if offering himself up for arrest, and they have super electric eye contact, and then Javert kisses him and pushes his hands back down. And then Valjean pulls him inside and they fuck. Javert bottoms but there are also blowjobs first. I've had this in my mind for like ten years. This is the year I start writing smut, so...

12. Will you change anything about the way you edit or rewrite this year?

I would like to actually write a draft and edit instead of trying to rewrite as I go. Basically trying to banish some bad perfectionist habits. We'll see how well it works.

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

I would consider it! I'd have to be in the right place to do it. I entered a short story contest run by a local bookstore when I was in ninth grade and I won. I'd love to do something like that again.

[saving-word-crawls]

Parkrun Word Crawl

By: lizzieiswriting

I’ve been missing parkrun (a free, weekly, and timed running event kind of the NaNoWriMo of the running world) and have a few long days of writing ahead. Rather than spend hours searching for the perfect crawl, I created my own. (Not that it’s perfect, I’ll update it once I’ve tried it.) It’s a crawl with lots of long slabs of just writing, since it’s how I work best.

Just as parkrun is 5km (pronounced 5-k), I’m hoping that this crawl will get you to 5k words. However because parkrun is for everyone, there’s a shorter crawl ~2.5k (Junior parkrun) and a longer crawl 5k+ (extended parkrun).

It’s a bright Saturday morning, the sun is shining and the air is crisp. You’re just about ready to run.

If you’ve turned up early to parkrun, you’re in luck.

Join the Run Director as they lead you in some warm-up exercises. Join in for as many as you want. Lunges 50-headed hydra Run on the spot 30 seconds of writing Arms round in circles Write to nearest 100 (total word count) Star jumps Write to nearest 55 (total word count)

It’s time for the weekly milestones. Find a number generator app (Google works fine) and for each milestone shirt, write words the milestone number x random number between 0 and 3 (e.g. 10x1=10, 50*0=0) 10 (celebrate the kids) 50 (an entire year of running!) 100 (it’s pretty much a habit now) 250 (this takes forever to reach, well done) 500 (still pretty mythical, more than a decade of running)

Don’t forget the volunteers, write 250 words to celebrate their hard work. ~~ Some more people have just joined in, ready for the start.

“On your marks, get set, go!”

Over the first 500 metres, the crowd will start to thin out. Push start on your timer and sprint 500 words. >15 minutes You’re just beginning (or maybe just walking today), aim for about 2.5k. ≤ 7 minutes You’re on the fast track, aiming for more than 5k. 7–15 minutes You’re about average, the middle of the pack. Prepare for 5k. Also note your WPM for later.

You’re settling into a rhythm. Your next goal is reach almost half-way to your goal (since the start of the run). (i.e. 1.2k, 2.4k or 3k) If you run with friends join NaNoWordSprints over on twitter. Otherwise hit play on your favourite writing track. [My personal favourite is Silence is Golden by Notach R. de Keys.]

You’re almost half-way. High-five the volunteers and enjoy their musical pep-up, write for the duration of this song.

The distance between the third and fourth km is always the longest, settle in to write 1000 words. You have … 40 minutes Junior parkrun 30 minutes parkrun 20 minutes extended parkrun

You’re nearly at the end, and everyone else is starting to flag. You start to overtake people. Compete in a word war until you win . 5 minutes Junior parkrun 10 minutes parkrun 15 minutes extended parkrun

It’s time for the final sprint, you can see the finish line. But first look at your watch and your word count. Add up all the words you’ve written since you began writing and sprint to your goal (2.5k, 5k or 5k+). Time how long it takes. Already at your goal? Good job! Go back and help a friend. Complete a 1k30min.

You’ve finished! Well done! Calculate your WPM in that final sprint and compare it to your first 500. If it was smaller, go for a run to cool down. Write another 500 words. If it was larger, stop catch your breath. You can’t run another step.

Congratulations! You’ve won! Enjoy the cake that someone brought along to celebrate a milestone.

[periodically-puzzled]

1, 4, 13, 23, 42 [silence is golden (webbing is silver)], 73

1. do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

Both. I always know where I’m trying to end up but I never know how to get there. A lot of the time I’ll have an outline, but I’m Gen-Z, which means I can’t read maps.

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

An original novel, working title Deadline, about the end of the world and the people living in it. It’s been rotating around in my head since I was a kid and I only ever write snippets of it. I know exactly why I haven’t written it yet - it’s because I’m still young enough that I crave immediate feedback and instant gratification. Original novel writing does not give me that. So I write serialized chapters and short stories for characters that come with a built-in audience, and I host them online as soon as they’re readable. That’s how you get eyes on your work overnight, and right now that’s what I want.

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

One time I won NaNoWriMo without trying and I’m still pretty proud of that. Also horrified. I’m glad I’m not a nineteen-year-old NEET anymore and I don’t have the time to write fifty thousand words in three weeks by accident.

23. how do you deal with writers block?

Drabbles.

42. describe the aesthetic of silence is golden (webbing is silver) in 5 words.

…Shouldn’t have given them Twitter.

I was so excited to try a SMAU kind of story and then as soon as I get my idea up and running the goddamned Berlin Wall of social media comes crashing down, and now I’ve felt the need to restructure some things and make it less Twitter-flavored than it was going to be. So I honestly don’t know what it’s gonna look like going forward. I’m excited, though. Next year I plan on getting back into it in earnest and figuring out where it takes me.

73. how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

Oh, very much like a movie. In the dystopia where I’m a professional writer, I’m writing screenplays and not novels, because I can see the scenes play out with stage direction and cinnamon tography and everything. Half the time I’m writing prose, I straight-up feel like I’m novelizing a movie and things are getting lost in translation.

[subtletruamadumping]

A Pitch Black Room, A Velvet Ribbon, A Secret Box

______________________________________________________________

This was my first year doing NaNoWriMo. It started as a writing prompt (the title is literally just the prompt) and it's a collection of short stories from many different peoples' perspectives linked by various objects. I won this year but never looked back at it. In fact, I am kind of embarrassed by it but I try to remind myself I was literally a child. Instead of being broken up into chapters, it's broken into characters.

Written in November 2016

______________________________________________________________

Part 1, Quinn

The velvet ribbon had safely been stored in a secret box. The five dollars might have dug into the savings, but Quinn knew that it was perfect. He needed to have it. Especially for what he was going to do. He also knew Madeleine would notice it if he left it out. So, he kept it hidden in a box that was always on the little table he used to eat on. He paced back and forth in his small apartment, rehearsing his speech in his head. He had been thinking about this night for months. He had wanted to do it sooner, but he simply couldn’t afford it. He couldn’t now, but he also couldn’t possibly wait any longer. He was being eaten from the inside out. It was impossible to keep it from spilling out.

The sad fact was that Quinn was broke. He worked two full-time jobs and lived paycheck to paycheck. The cost of living itself was high, but his parents had been stuck in a rut, too. Ever since his father had been sent to the hospital with a stroke, they were having problems getting back on their feet. Much of Quinn’s money went to help them, along with his nine other siblings. He didn’t mind giving back to them at all. He knew it was his job to help people. Good people help other people. He was only sorry he didn’t have enough to get Madeleine something beside a velvet ribbon. But she would forgive him. She understood. Besides, he could eventually get the money together. She wouldn’t have to wait that long.

He was nervous, to say the least. Though he had played it out multiple times in his mind, he was still worried something unexpected would happen. Something he couldn’t account for. Something that would ruin everything. He sighed and went over to the table. He pulled the box closer to him, then opened the lid to reinspect the contents.

The ribbon was a deep purple and made of soft velvet. It matched her eyes. Madeleine had the rarest eyes in the entire world; violet. She had violet eyes. Quinn couldn’t help but feel this added enormously to her uniqueness, despite the fact that she claimed they were blue and just looked violet. He didn’t care, though. They were beautiful to him; the official color of them wouldn’t change that. He knew point-of-fact that Madeleine was the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. The fact that she had stayed with him for so long frankly boggled his mind. Though he would do anything for her, he knew she could always find someone in a better situation. The thought of her apparent overlooking of his financial situation gave him even more courage for tonight.

He jumped and quickly put the ribbon back in the box when there was a knock on the door. He hurried over and opened the door, revealing the love of his life. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on, are you ready or what?” Madeleine asked with fake annoyance, but he could see the smile underneath.

“Hang on, I’ve just got to grab something real quick.” He replied, turning back into the apartment. He speedily snatched up the box and tucked it carefully under his arm, then rejoined her at the door.

“What’s that for?” She asked as he carefully locked the door and dropped the key into his pocket.

“Nothing.” He said, but a sideways glance at her gave him away. Sher crossed her arms at him.

“It is not nothing. Come on, tell me what you’ve got, Mr. O'Connell.”

“Patience is a virtue.”

“So is honesty.”

“You’ll find out later!” He laughed, holding out his arm for her “My goodness, aren’t you nosey.” She stuck her tongue out at him, but took his arm.

“I’m not nosey, I’m curious.” She replied as they started down the stairs.

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“Clichés killed the Quinn.” He laughed.

“And you’re far too curious for your own good, anyway.” He said “You can’t see what’s in the box until after dinner.”

“That box has been on your table since you’ve had it.”

“The table or the box?”

“Probably both.”

“Jokes on you, I got the box first. It couldn’t have been on the table the entire time I’ve had it.”

“My point is, Mr. O'Connell,” She said, rolling her eyes “I even seen the inside of that box, so I know there’s nothing in it. Unless, of course, you got something new.”

“Far too curious for your own good.” He repeated in a scolding voice “You're not looking in the box until after dinner.”

“Alright, fine,” She sighed “keep your secrets, for now. I’ll get it out of you, eventually.”

“After dinner.” He laughed.

“Fine! Fine!” She cried, laughing a little herself “Speaking of which, what do you have planned for tonight?”

“Dillon’s come in to town today.” Quinn said “We’re all going to Mom and Dad’s house for dinner, but I thought you and I could take a relaxing walk through the gardens downtown afterwards.”

“Hmm, will Dillion be joining us on this relaxing walk of yours?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t planning on it.”

“So, you mean romantic, not relaxing.”

“I meant what I said and I said what I meant.”

“Oh, now you’re quoting Dr. Seuss?”

“Sometimes the best way to say something is to use someone else’s words.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s called plagiarism.”

“Not if I properly cite my sources.” They both laughed as they started down the street towards the house Quinn grew up in.

~*~

“It’s been so great seeing you again, Madeleine.” Dillon said. The meal was just finishing up and the group had turned to conversation; an appetite that had not been settled over the course of the meal.

“Yes, really.” Mrs. O'Connell said, reaching across the table to grasp her hand “You are such a blessing, my dear child.”

“Nonsense, I’m only human.” Madeleine said gently, patting the old lady's hand “It really is a shame that the other’s aren’t here, though.”

“Well, you know kids. They all went off and made a life of their own.” Mrs. O'Connell said “They all needed to leave the nest at some point.” Quinn wasn’t really paying too much attention to the conversation. He had left the box underneath where he had hung his coat by the door. He hadn’t told his parents about what he was going to do, but he had told Dillon. He and Dillon had been very close growing up and that hadn’t changed when he moved away. Dillon had advised him to wait until he had more money, but, when Quinn explained he couldn’t wait anymore, he agreed that now was better than never. Quinn still didn’t know if this was the reason for his spontaneous visit, though, and he hadn’t gotten any time alone with him to ask.

Quinn returned conversation politely, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew it was rude, but he really wanted dinner to be over already. His stomach was doing somersaults. He felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t do it soon. Really soon. He rested his chin on the palm of his hand as he leaned against the table, anxiously waiting for the chance to leave. Madeleine probably wouldn’t want to leave so soon. I was a hard choice; pulling Madeleine out of a time when she enjoyed herself to keep himself from boiling over or waiting until she was finished and possibly faint. He decided to wait. He also decided to be patient, but that wasn’t really working out for him.

“Quinn, you’re awfully distracted.” Madeleine said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” He said, sheepishly.

“Come on, what’s on your mind?” She asked “You’ve hardly said two words all dinner.”

“Nothing.” He said passively, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek “I’m just going to step outside for some fresh air.” He rose from the table and made his way to the door. He stepped out into the cool night air and took a deep breath. He looked out on the street, trying to calm himself back down. There was no way Madeleine wasn’t going to be expecting something, now. Though, she probably still couldn’t guess what. He took another deep breath again and looked up into the heavens. He fancied the stars to be shining brighter tonight than normal. He could make out the few constellations and asterisms that didn’t get eaten by the city lights underneath them. They were there, winking down at him and happy that there was no moon tonight to further swallow up their little lights. He heard the door open behind him and turned to see Dillon now on the front step with him. He stood next to Quinn for a bit, just taking in the night air. Finally, he sighed.

“Madeleine wants to know what’s eating you.” He informed his brother.

“I’ll be telling her in bit.” Quinn said, giving him a sideways smile “She’s just super impatient, sometimes.”

“Yeah, well, you won’t last much longer in the state of mind this has put you in.” Dillon said, crossing his arms “You can leave early, you know. Mom and Dad would forgive you.”

“Yeah, but Madeleine wouldn’t like it.”

“I think she’s forgive you, too. But not until afterwards.”

“That’s what I hope, at least.”

“Come on, Quinn. You’re overthinking this. Like usual.”

“What if I’m not?”

“Trust me, you are.” Dillon said flatly “It’s not going to turn out badly and that’s all there is to it. You and Madeleine have know each other for years. I wouldn’t actually be surprised if she saw this coming.”

“You make it seem like it’ll all be so easy.”

“Quinn, the facts that you're thinking about this so much and couldn’t wait to do it seem like more proof that it will turn out for the good.” Quinn didn’t answer. Instead, he looked up at the stars again. Nothing, not even his brother’s kind words, could really prepare him for what was ahead. His mind was flooded with a mixture of feelings, both good and bad. There were so many things he had to be anxious about, so many ways this could go wrong. At the same time, though, he really and truly wanted this more than anything he had ever wanted in his entire life. Which was probably why he was so anxious about it. Both of them turned around when the door opened again.

“Hey, just coming to check on you two.” Madeleine said, closing the door behind her “Is there an epidemic of over thoughtfulness running rampant amongst the O’Connell brothers?”

“I told you you were over thinking things.” Dillon said, elbowing Quinn playfully “Why’d you have to pass it on to me?” Quinn laughed a little himself and nudged his brother back.

“Since you’re so impatient to get out of here,” Madeleine said, rolling her eyes “I’m fine with leaving a little earlier than usual than normal. I’m sure your parents will be, too.”

“Told you.” Dillon hissed.

“Let’s say goodbye, then.” Quinn said “Then, we’ll go on that relaxing walk I was telling you about earlier.”

“Relaxing or ro--” Madeleine starter, but Quinn cut her off with a kiss.

“It won’t be either if we don’t get going.” He said.

“Alright, alright!” She laughed “I’m game if it means I’ll finally be able to see what’s inside that secret box of yours.” Dillon raised an eyebrow at Quinn as he followed Madeleine into the house. They said a quick set of goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. O’Connell, then to Dillon, who gave Quinn an encouraging wink. Soon, he and Madeleine went out the door again. Quinn had the box tucked up under one arm and was leading Madeleine with the other.

They decided to take their walk through a park, drifting underneath a group of trees and lampposts. There was a slight breeze, making the two of them pull their coats tighter around themselves. They talked lazily as they wandered, Quinn fidgeting with the box every now and then. Finally, he drew up his courage.

“Here, let’s rest for a second.” He said, leading her over to a bench.

“Oo, do I get to see what’s inside the box, now?” She asked, sitting.

“In a minute,” He said “I want to tell you something, first.”

“Is it good news or bad news?”

“Good, I hope.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s either--”

“Please, Madeleine,” Quinn interrupted “this is important.” She furriowed his brow.

“Quinn,” She asked nervously “what’s wrong?”

“Well, that’s just is.” He said “There’s nothing wrong. At least, not when I’m with you.”

“Quinn--” Madeleine blushed.

“Just listen,” He interrupted again “I love you. I love you more than anything in the entire world. You’re beautiful, kind, you’re … perfect.”

“No one’s perfect, Quinn.” She laughed.

“You’re perfect for me.” Quinn argued back “You mean the entire world, and more, to me. There’s so much I could tell you. So much you’ve done for me. Which is why this is so important.” He took a deep breath and brought forward the box. Madeleine looked down at it, then looked back up at him.

“It’s a little big for a ring, isn’t it?” She said, giving him a sideways smile.

“I’m not very good at hiding these things, am I?” He laughed, dropping on one knee in front of her “Was it the speech?”

“Quinn, you didn’t really go out and buy a ring, right?” She asked, suddenly concerned “I know you don’t have that kind of money--”

“Not yet,” He agreed, opening the box “but I didn’t want to ask empty handed.” Madeleine gasped at the sight of the beautiful ribbon.

“Quinn, you shouldn’t have--”

“Miss Ellington,” He interrupted for the last time “will you become my Mrs. O’Connell? Will you marry me?” She gently took the ribbon out of the box and tied it in her hair.

“I will.” She said, leaning forward to kiss him.

[quinnheartfiction]

So happy to announce my NaNoWriMo project, A Shot at Love.

Miranda Priestly is no stranger to people hating her. However, when threatening mail begins to turn up at her home, she decides to take precautions and hire a bodyguard.

In walks Andy Sachs, who is less than happy to see Miranda, as the two women realise this isn’t their first meeting.

It’s based on a prompt that I originally posted on IG @lesbianwritingprompts (run by myself and @sterenheart):

You spent a weekend with her five years ago. You didn’t even give her your real name. It was the best time you’ve ever had with someone. The two of you instantly clicked; in every way.

You weren’t one for relationships. The thought of what could be between you both excited and terrified you. Unfortunately, the fear won. You left, rather than letting yourself get caught up with her.

Now, your life is very different. You’ve built an empire from the ground up. You’re also receiving threats; not only to your work address but now to your home. You hire a bodyguard, unsure how else to protect yourself.

In she walks. You instantly recognise her. You think about her every day. What could have been. Perhaps now, you can both find out.

[theferricfox]

[A/N: okay. It's disclaimer time. This is my first full-length fanfiction in...maybe a decade. I used to write, fanfic and otherwise, a lot. I've won NaNoWriMo a couple of times. But in recent years my writing has...mostly stopped. In the last few months, I've been writing a little again, here and there, with a focus on my little series of short stories Adventures of Arla.

Also yes, today I reveal my deep, dark secret (ha): I ship Eruri. I also self-ship Erwin and Levi individually. All I'm saying is if you squeeze me between these two and leave me there the rest of my life, I'll be a happy lady.

So, if you got excited to read that I wrote fanfic and then upset that I ship Eruri and that's what this is about...well, I'm sorry. Maybe I'll have something for you next time.]

LASSITUDE

Content warnings: hurt/comfort, PTSD, Phantom Limb Syndrome

-----------------------------

Darkness. That is the only thing that Erwin’s brain registers as he bolts awake. 

He’s had the same nightmare again; the one he’s had almost every night for the last two months: his arm, searing as muscles tore within the jaws of a Titan, the mind-numbing ache as he sliced away the arm, the grip of the tourniquet he haphazardly tied.

His arm aches. Erwin reaches towards his right forearm, his fingers meeting empty air. He curses under his breath and fingers the scar at the end of the stump. He feels the white-hot heat of the Titan’s teeth again and he hisses as a wave of nausea rolls over him.

He pushes himself out of bed, stumbling across the wooden floor. He barely makes it to the toilet, sinking down heavily on his knees in front of it just as his dinner flies from his mouth. He grips the edge of the bowl tightly with his hand, cursing between each body-shaking retch. Even when his stomach is painfully empty, he feels it pulsing, making him dry heave until bile trickles from his lips. He kneels here, cycling between spitting and heaving for untold minutes until at last, there is nothing left other than the rancid taste of acid on his tongue. Erwin sits back, the wood of the sink cabinet pressing into his bare back. He lets the sensation ground him as he rubs away the moisture that has gathered on his lashes.

Anything has to be better than this.

Erwin’s musing is interrupted by lantern light edging into the world behind his eyelids, and he looks up to see Levi, clothed only in his boxers, looking at him. Levi’s eyes are darker than usual, a frown etched deeply into his face as he regards Erwin. They stare at each other in silence, only Erwin’s ragged breathing echoing into the air between them.

Levi leans forward into the room and flushes the toilet, then wordlessly offers his hand to Erwin, helping him to stand and walking him to the bed.

Erwin sits down heavily, hanging his head low as he struggles to pull his mind back up from the depths. 

“Here,” Levi says, thrusting a glass of water in front of him.

“Thanks, Levi.” Erwin moves to grab the glass with his right hand. Tense silence edges in as he curses himself for forgetting, yet again, and he reaches to grip the glass with his left hand. The water soothes the burn in his throat even as he feels his stomach start to churn again.

“You’ve gotten thinner,” Levi observes quietly, his voice piercing into the darkness as he sits down.

Erwin does not offer a response beyond a grunt as he continues to sip the water. He doesn’t know how to tell Levi that he’s barely gotten any meaningful sleep since the day he lost his arm. For all his skill with words, he can’t possibly explain that what little food he doesn’t throw back up sits heavily in his guts and leaves the metallic sting of blood in his mouth.

“How long?” Levi asks. His voice is dark, leaning on the edge of something Erwin can’t place.

Erwin doesn’t answer. He sets the glass on the floor and rubs his aching stump. Silence creeps back in between them from the corners of the room.

“I’ll tell you how long.” Levi’s voice is angry, hurt, and tired of waiting for capitulation. Erwin turns to look at him, startled by the sudden emotion. 

He is met by a fist to his jaw, pushing him backwards onto the bed. Levi stands, looming over him like death.

“Two months, asshole.” Levi’s voice becomes acidic, seeming to drip into the welt forming on Erwin’s jaw. “Two months you’ve been waking up and puking your guts out, and you haven’t said a word.”

These last words are barbs, stabbing into Erwin’s heart. He pauses, then hauls himself back up. He raises his gaze, but finds it impossible to meet the icy stare holding him in place. He opts to look to the window, watching the clouds press across the halo of the moon.

“You knew this whole time.” A statement, not a question.

“Idiot.” Levi sighs, sitting down next to him. He leans into Erwin’s shoulder, snaking his slender fingers between those on his remaining hand. “Of course I knew. I’m a light sleeper; I wake up every time you get out of bed.”

Erwin feels his chest tighten again, and he squeezes the hand wrapped in his own. He doesn’t know what to say – should he apologize or beg for solace?

“My arm hurts,” Erwin manages through gritted teeth. This admission, the acknowledgement of weakness, feels almost as painful as his arm. Even to say it to his most trusted friend feels like announcing it in front of the whole regiment. Shame pricks at the back of his neck.

Levi’s hand moves up, across Erwin’s chest and to the scars on his stump. The touch of Levi’s fingers, at once refreshingly cool and electrified, make Erwin flinch, a quiet hiss pressing through his lips. Instead of withdrawing, Levi presses against the scarring, rubbing with calloused fingertips.

“Should we see the doctor again?” Levi asks thoughtfully. “Make sure there’s no infection or something?”

Erwin pretends to consider this; he already knows it won’t do any good. He feels sweat beading on his brow as the pain surges again and he contracts in on himself, as though making himself smaller will push the pain away. 

“Erwin, if it hurts that bad, then we should—”

“It’s not what’s left that hurts, it’s what’s gone,” Erwin blurts, looking at Levi with eyes made wild.

This makes Levi pause, his eyes widen with this revelation. The surprise doesn’t last, though. He quickly re-furrows his brow into a deep frown as he deftly maneuvers himself onto Erwin’s lap, legs wrapped around his hips to settle on the bed behind. The swiftness of the movement makes Erwin gasp slightly, and when he looks up into Levi’s steely gaze, he finds love, sadness, and concern.

“What do you mean?” Levi wraps his arms around Erwin’s neck and allows his fingers to trace absent patterns on the skin of his back. “How can something you don’t… something that isn’t there… hurt?”

“I don’t know, Levi.” Erwin reaches his arm to hold Levi’s hip, moving his thumb in small circles. “I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like I can feel the pins and needles of it falling asleep if I lay on it too long. I can feel the pain of the Titan’s jaw on my bone as though it’s happening right now.” Erwin raises the stump of his right arm as Levi watches, a mix of curiosity and horror on his face. “If I concentrate hard enough, I can feel my fingers brush through your hair.”

He lets the stump drop, along with his gaze. Silence squeezes back in between them for untold minutes, both men considering their next words.

“Every night, ever since I lost my arm, I’ve had nightmares, Levi.” Levi’s fingers freeze on his back and Erwin hears the breath stutter from him as though he’d been punched square in the gut. “Every night, that Titan comes for me. Every night, I feel its jaws close on my arm, shattering bone, tearing flesh—”

“Erwin—” Levi starts, but he’s ignored. Erwin feels himself spiraling again.

“I keep reliving the moment where my body hits the ground. Even now, I’m still surprised by how quickly I reacted. Cutting my arm off seemed…so simple. The paring blades really are a marvel – they went right through the bone like it was paper—”

“Erwin, please—”

“I remember tying that tourniquet, but I still don’t know where I took the cloth from. In my dreams, I pull it from somewhere in my chest, like I’m unraveling my own life’s thread.

“Every night, I wake up and the pain lingers, and all I smell is my own blood and I can’t stop the naus—”

“Erwin, STOP!” Levi takes Erwin’s head in his hands and faces his blue eyes back up to meet his own.

Erwin sees Levi, truly sees him for the first time that night, and he notices the tiny tears lingering on the edges of steely eyes. He sees fear, not just Levi’s, but his own, and his stomach churns again. He swallows the lump of bile building in the back of his throat.

“Stop.” Levi pulls Erwin’s head into his chest, one arm hanging absently down his back as the other guides slender fingers through blonde hair.

Erwin sighs deeply, feeling his anxiety start to ebb with each beat of Levi’s heart drumming in his ear. He wonders if he could stay here forever, adrift in the smell of citrus, oak, and black tea that he has come to recognize as Levi’s unique scent. 

“I’m sorry,” Erwin whispers. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Levi says nothing as he sits pensive, threading his fingers through Erwin’s hair. He would never admit it out loud, but he loves the feeling of Erwin’s hair, like fine strands of golden silk caressing the callouses on his fingers. He could sift through these locks for the rest of his life and never wonder if there was something else in the world for him.

“I don’t understand it,” Levi says at last. He closes his eyes and tries to imagine Erwin’s missing arm wrapped around him, but the finality of its absence is too difficult to overcome. “I don’t know why you can still feel your arm there. I don’t know why it hurts.”

Levi pauses. He’s not sure how to say what’s bubbling in the back of his mind. 

“Just know that you don’t have to deal with it alone.” It’s the only thing he can settle on that makes sense. It’s the only thing that doesn’t feel like a worthless platitude.

“Thank you, Levi,” Erwin says, and his voice is warm with gratitude. The ache in his arm starts to fade, and he sighs with small relief.

They let time pass them by, wrapped in each other. Erwin wonders distantly if he ever really has to leave this spot; asks himself if the solace he has been begging the world far was always right here, in Levi’s arms. 

“Let’s get you back to bed,” Levi whispers as he leans slightly to press his lips to Erwin’s hair. He feels himself starting to drift back to sleep as he inhales the scent of soap and the musk of Erwin’s aftershave.

“I want to stay like this a little longer,” Erwin protests.

“Erwin, I’m dozing off here and you need sleep,” Levi says, his voice tinged with annoyance that he only sort of means. 

Erwin sighs and straightens himself, letting go of Levi’s hip so they can climb back into bed. To Erwin’s surprise, Levi does something he’s never done before; he holds arms out as though wanting to embrace. Erwin is too shocked by the gesture to register what’s being asked of him.

“Come here, dumbass,” Levi says as a blush grows onto his cheeks.

Erwin almost laughs as he shimmies down on the bed so that he can rest his head in Levi’s arms. His own remaining arm wraps around Levi’s waist. A deep, contented sigh escapes him as he feels fingers dancing delicately on the skin of his back. Wrapped in Levi’s scent and his body, Erwin falls back to sleep quickly, faster than he has in these last two months.

When the morning sun trickles in from the window, Erwin wakes to find he’s still wrapped tightly in Levi’s arms, right where he wants to be.

[duckprintspress]

How can I write quickly?

I (hi, I’m @unforth) have been asked frequently over the years how I write a lot quickly. I’m a pretty fast writer - for example, I wrote the 5600 words of my May Trope Mayhem fill from yesterday in under 2.5 hours. 

First, a little of my personal history for context. I’ve always written, starting from when I was able to string letters into (very poorly spelled) words and (horrible un-grammatical) sentences. When I started trying my hand at serious, professional-level fiction writing, I joined a community called novel_in_90, which was founded by the author Elizabeth Bear. The purpose of novel_in_90 was “to be NaNoWriMo but more realistic.” Instead of 50,000 words in 31 days, it was 67,500 words in 90 days, or 750 words a day. I participated in multiple rounds of novel_in_90 starting in mid-2005, and in 2007 I completed my first (godawful) novel. When I started, even writing a couple hundred words of day took me forever, but it got easier with time. 

During those same years, I also got a job that required I do professional writing on a deadline: I was a grant writer, and I only got paid when the grants won. That often meant working fast under high pressure, culminating in the weekend I wrote and edited an entire 40 pages grant that was due on Monday. I think, if I hadn’t had a solid foundation of “regular daily plodding writing,” I’d not have been able to marathon when the moment came...and it came because I had to, not because I wanted to. However, I learned a valuable lesson: I could. Subsequently, I found that, when I had the time and space and was rested enough to use my brain, I could bust out a huge amount. Like, I wrote an entire 150,000 word novel in 17 days.

My personal record is about 200,000 words in one month (it was the month I wrote that novel; I wasn’t tracking when I did that so I don’t know exactly), 25,000 words in a day, and I’ve topped out around 3,000 words an hour. I do know people who can do more...but not many.

Not everyone will be able to do this. Flat out, I MUST preface the rest of this post by saying that. Some people will find that writing fast fits their brain, and for others, it just won’t, and that’s okay. Fast doesn’t equal better, and it isn’t inherently “good” to write fast. Furthermore, even for those who can write fast, not everyone will find the same strategies helpful. I can share what works for me. Try out one item, some items, or all of these - if writing faster is something you want to be able to do, which it certainly never has to be. Use what works for you, and discard the rest.

Sit in your chair, put your fingers on your keyboard or touch screen, and write. You can’t write 1,000 words in half an hour until you write one word, however long that one word takes. I know saying this is obvious, but I’ve been asked “how can I write fast” by people who struggle to write at all...fast can’t be your priority until you’ve got a foundation of just writing. (Honestly...fast should never be your priority, but it might be helpful to you regardless, which can make it worth learning.)

Start small. Set an achievable goal, and make yourself meet that goal (daily, weekly, whatever) come hell or high water, no matter how long it takes you. Keep the goal small at first; you’re not trying to torture yourself, you’re trying to build a skill. If you set the goal high enough that you consistently fail, you’re not teaching yourself anything. And, if you find the goal IS too high...lower it. There’s no shame in working within your limits. Think of it like starting a new work out regimen: you wouldn’t try to run a 10k at a record time if you can’t run a mile slow. Treat your fingers and your brain the same way you’d treat your legs and joints. Give them time to grow, learn, and improve before you try to push yourself.

Trying to write daily is worthwhile if you want to work on your writing speed, because you’ll be forced to try to fit it in as you’re able - that might be ten minutes in your morning, or an hour in your evening, and it might vary from day to day, but making it daily means you have to fit it in somewhere.

Building skills takes time and isn’t easy. For some people, it will come easier than for others, and even when you’re fast, going from “I can write words fast” to “I can write damn good words fast” takes practice and dedication and accepting constructive criticism - speed alone will never be worth more than writing well.

Having a community can help. Ya’ll will check in on each other, cheer each other on, remind each other that missing a day or a goal isn’t the end of the world, and keep each other’s spirits up. If you don’t know other writerly folks online, I recommend Weekend Writing Marathon ( @weekendwritingmarathon ) as a good place to start (I used to be a mod there). Once you’re trying to work up to larger word counts in a day, remember that even writing fast will take minutes or hours. You can’t write 2,500 words in an hour if you don’t set an hour aside. Make sure you’re giving yourself the room and time you need to succeed.

You will probably never be able to do high, rapid word counts every day, every week, every month. The best runners in the world don’t run marathons every day. Set realistic long term goals.

Work on projects where you have a clear idea of where you’re going. I’m not saying “pantsers” can’t write fast, because of course they can, but if you want to write fast, and well, and coherently, to create a first draft that’s in pretty good shape, you’ll do better if you have a good sense of what you’re trying to accomplish with your story. That doesn’t mean you need to do all your world building up front, or have a complete outline (I never have either). All you really need is what happens next. I tend to plan projects - and write them - one full scene at a time, with only a vague idea what’s going to come after. (I’m personally a “plantser,” and the strategies in this post will likely be most effective to other plantsers.)

Visualize ahead of time what you’d like to write...but don’t get too attached to what you visualize. When I go to bed, I plan the next scene I’m going to compose, often to the least detail. I then forget all of it overnight, at least all the specifics, and I’m left with a general sense and shape of what’s to come. You’ll never be able to replicate the “perfect” dialog you pre-conceive, so give up on trying to. Instead, play through the scene and think about the emotional beats you want to hit and plot points you want to forward. If you keep that in mind, you’ll be able to get the words out faster than if you’re agonizing over every word or regretting the “oh-so-great” idea that you’ve since forgotten. 

Practice different work styles. If writing every day doesn’t work for you, try instead saying, “this is my writing day each week,” and aim for a lot that specific day, and write little or nothing other days. Try writing at different times of day and on different days, fitting it into your schedule. If you’re beating yourself up for not writing when you “should,” it’ll be that much harder to succeed, so instead, as I said for point 2 - set a reasonable goal that fits your life and working style, fitting it around your other responsibilities, and push yourself within that framework, instead of trying to shoehorn into a style that you “think you should” use to succeed. 

Track your word counts, and take notes on how much you did and what project you were working on. If you’re also experimenting with different times of day and different days, make sure you note that too. I personally use a simple Excel sheet (well, Google Sheets, now) - column one is the date, column 2 is “starting word count,” column 3 is “ending word count,” column 4 is “=column 3 - column 2”, column 5 is notes. Pay attention to when you succeed at writing faster, and when you don’t, and consider what factors might have played into your success...and then try to replicate those factors next time you’re doing a sprint. Control as many variables as you can while you’re “training.”

If you find social media distracting, trying getting a web browser extension that prevents you from connecting to websites for a set period of time.

If you find you tend to dither before starting, I find it helpful to run through everything that I might do to procrastinate (check my social media! grab a snack! make some tea! set up my playlist! check my social media again! finish making the tea! check my social media for what I swear will be the last time!), and when I’m done, it’s like, well, I’ve done all those things, I’ve got no choice left, time to write, no excuses left.

If you find you struggle with picking up a WIP, try leaving off in the middle of a sentence at the end of a session, one where you know exactly how it ends - or, leave off mid-paragraph, or when you are positive you know what happens next (and I mean literally next, as in the very next sentence.) It’s much easier to “pick back up” when your first words are super clear. (Do not do this if you think there’s any chance you’ll forget or end up in a situation where you won’t return to your WIP for months!) 

If you find you struggle to maintain continuity across multiple writing sessions, try rereading what you wrote the previous day before you proceed. Resist the urge to edit it!

Avoid stopping when you get stuck, even to do research. Don’t know a fact? Add a comment to your manuscript flagging the relevant text, “LOOK THIS UP LATER.” Can’t think of a word? Put in something you can use the “find” function on easily (I personally use “XX” since there are no words that have a double x in them) and so you can come back later, search for your chosen placeholder, and fill in the blanks. Not sure how a scene ends but know the next scene? Jump ahead.

That said, if you really don’t know what happens next, you don’t do yourself any favors by pressing on. As I’ve said previously, speed alone should never be your writing object. It’s better to slow down, consider your plot, figure out where you’re going, and then write, than to just plow ahead - or at least, that’s better if you want a manuscript you’ll actually be able to use for something at a later point. If you’re truly just practicing, you can also say “screw it, who needs coherence?” and keep going. I’d personally never have finished my first novel if I’d spent a lot of time worrying about making the pieces fit together and yeah, it’s a mess, but it’s a mess I wrote instead of a mess I got stuck on and never completed.

Don’t move the finish line. If you’ve set the goal of 500 words a day, don’t beat yourself up if you get 550 because you think you think you could have done more. If you say you’ll write five days a week, don’t get mad because you DID have time the sixth day but chose to use it on something else. If you make yourself feel like shit when you succeed, what’ll happen when you fail? And when you’re comfortable and really think you’re ready, change the goal - reassess every month, say, and up your goals. While working for speed, trying upping your word count goal without changing the amount of time you allot for working.

Your need to adhere to the above suggestions will change over time. Once, I always had an outline; now I often don’t need one. Once, I wouldn’t let myself stop even to use a thesaurus; now, I find I can look up words without breaking my flow or significantly slowing myself down. This is not an “all or nothing” prospect, nor is it a “do things the same way forever once you’ve found one (1) thing that works” prospect - you’ll experiment, and find strategies that work for you, and then at some point, your needs will change, and you’ll experiment more, and find new strategies that work for you, on and on, as your skills grow. 

To reiterate: writing fast should never be your objective in and of itself! Greater writing speed will come with practice and as a general side effect of improving your craft. Simply being able to write fast is useless; being able to write fast and well will enable you to get more of your ideas out there, so if that’s something you’d like to accomplish, focus on building your general skills and training yourself to be able to use those skills rapidly and in tandem with each other to produce decent writing, in a first draft, at a decent speed.

Once you try, you may find none of this works for you! That’s okay. That’s good! You tried, which means you learned something about yourself and your own writing style, and that too will help you to improve. Keep experimenting, keep learning, and find what does work for you - and accept that no two writers will ever be the same, and one of those differences will be writing speed. Some writers will never write fast, and that’s doesn’t make them any less awesome or valid. And some writers will always write fast, and that doesn’t make them inherently awesome or valid. Only with a suite of skills that suit your individual life, personality, work style, writing capabilities, goals, etc., will you succeed as a writer (for various, personalized definitions of the word “success”); speed is only one of those potential skills, and not one that’s particularly important in my opinion...yet I still get asked about it fairly often, so here we are, these are my suggestions

Go forth, and write some words! <3

[soopersara]

🎊🎉 NaNoWriMo 2021: Day 30! 🎉🎊

1825 words written today 91590 words written total (goal: 50000 words)

Okay, so I didn’t quite finish Chapter 79, I didn’t get through ANY of the editing I planned to do in November, and I’m not done with Book 1 of Ice & Smoke yet. But I got close to double my word count goal, wrote 16 complete chapters (which means that I now have 25 unposted chapters totalling nearly 140k words), got right up to the end of the fic, recorded 8 podfic chapters, and won every badge on the NaNo site! Look at this beauty: 

I’m going to be working on podfic editing (and possibly drafting a few oneshots) over the next few days to give my brain a bit of a break/change, then start working on getting Chapter 54 of I&S edited beginning on Saturday, and get back into drafting the final bits of I&S next Monday! Enjoy the last sneak peek I have to share with you!

Sneak Peek: Beware spoilery material below the cut!

*

Zuko shook his head slightly. "They weren't--aren't my friends."

"You were with these guys for three years and you didn't make friends with any of them?" Sokka asked, sitting back again.

Zuko shook his head again, chin resting on his thumbs with the rest of his fingers extended upward, almost pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not--I'm not good with people."

Sokka glanced at Katara, then at Yue, then back at Zuko. He sighed, let his head hang for a moment, then looked up again. "I'm probably going to regret saying this, but--you're really not the worst. Like--we've definitely met loads of people who are worse. You know. Real assholes who don't even try to act decent. And don't get me wrong, you suck at meeting people, but once you've been around for a while and the first impression wears off--"

Katara frowned. "Sokka."

"Yeah?"

"You can probably stop there. You left helpfulness behind in the first sentence."

Yue nodded, giving Sokka a small, fond smile. "It was a very nice thought, Sokka. But she's right."

Zuko just looked confusedly at Sokka. "How is it that I'm the one who's never had a friend before?"

"Hey!" Sokka reached across and whacked Zuko's arm. "I'm charming as hell. I've got charm coming out of--" he paused, gesturing broadly at his entire body. "--all the orifices. I'm like a charm lantern or something."

"If you keep talking about your orifices, I'm going to find one of your dirty socks to shove in your talking orifice," Katara said. "I don't care how tired I am. I don't want to listen to that."

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah, but you're my sister. You're stuck with me no matter what I decide to talk about."

[avengerofyourheart]

A Book?!?! I sure hope so. 😅

I’ve been pretty quiet on here as far as writing because alllll my energy has been going to a certain project.

I’m editing my first book! 🎉🙏🏻

Yup! 🥳 Some might remember my mentioning how in November 2019 I accomplished (aka “won”) National Novel Writing Month(NaNoWriMo) by writing 50,000 words in 30 days. Actually it was in 24 days cause I had to get it done before work tried to kill me with pies but whatever. 🙃 Anyway, I spent some time editing after the fact but didn’t really have specific goal or direction

Until the end of last year. (2020 🗑🔥)

Lost story short? I’m not working right now so with some encouragement I decided to use this time to edit and eventually self-publish my first novel! Ahhh!

Yeah. It’s exciting and terrifying.

And yes, I will share more moving forward but I’ve still got some editing and rewrites to do.

For context, the chart on the right is each chapter marked as I edited it cause it’s just more fun to color in a square once you’ve done it. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ On the left is my original goal of word count increase, which I will most definitely surpass. Pretty cool. Not sure where I will land on word count but I’m still obsessed with this story. 18 chapters edited so far! Ah! 🤓 I hid the details for now but I’ll let you know soon enough. 😉

You here in the tumblr fan fic community are some of the first people to know about this book (🤞🏻) because you’ve been so incredibly supportive and amazing to a budding writer like myself. I appreciate every single one of you who have read my stories, commented, messaged, liked, and interacted with me in any way and reading the words of others fueled me as well. I’ve loved this community and still love having this corner of the internet to fangirl about anything I want. You’re alll the best and having you here has meant the world.

I adore you all. I’ll keep you updated. Wish me luck and good vibes if you can spare a bit. 🙏🏻

Love you!

Anika

[nanowrimo]

NaNo Interview: 2023 Camp Designer Elizabeth Goss

Camp NaNoWriMo is almost here! You’ve probably already seen the beautiful papercut inspired designs in our shop. Today, we’ve interviewed our graphic design Elizabeth Goss about her project!

Q: Your design for Camp this year is unique: it's our first time working with a papercut artist! Can you tell us a little about your history with papercut, and how you got started in this art form?

In college, I had to create a cut paper animation inspired by the work of Lotte Reiniger. I fell in love with the process of papercutting. I’ve gone through several style changes over the years, but I’ve been cutting paper since that project.

Q: What was the trickiest element of the process for you? What was the most fun?

I really enjoyed this whole process. It was wonderful to have so much creative freedom. The trickiest part was wanting to turn all my sketches into final art! That’s pretty unusual. I may try to finish a few pieces over the summer, just for myself.

Q: NaNoWriMo is all about challenging ourselves to take on the sometimes painstaking work of writing and editing. What parallels do you see between noveling and papercutting?

I think there are some powerful parallels between writing a novel and papercutting. Whether you’re working with words or paper, it takes tremendous patience and persistence to create a finished work that matches the vision in your head. I also think both processes require a little audacity. It takes courage to bring something into existence and even greater daring to share that precious creation with strangers.

Q: If your papercut practice was a sandwich, what kind of sandwich would it be?

Oh, what a fun question! If my papercutting were a sandwich, it would be a grilled cheese—simple ingredients, endless creative possibilities. Papercutting is a wonderfully accessible art form. It doesn't require specialized or expensive tools, just paper and something to cut with, yet you can create an enormous variety of work. I love a classic grilled cheese sandwich, but I appreciate that, if the mood takes me, I can throw in some caramelized onions or pesto and enjoy something totally different and delicious. Papercutting is the same way. It offers endless variations and styles to explore.

Elizabeth Goss is an illustrator, author, and papercutter based in the Pacific Northwest. Her first picture book My Way West: Real Kids Traveling the Oregon and California Trails (West Margin Press, 2021) won the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People. Her new picture book, All About Nothing (Charlesbridge, 2023) is a collaboration with decorated children’s author Elizabeth Rusch and celebrates all the positives of negative space.

[featherymalignancy]

Calling all my Lovelies: Help me pick out of a working title for my original WIP ♥️ 💫

IF YOU LOVE ME PLEASE READ TO THE END ♥️ 🍾 🤩

So as I prepare for NaNoWriMo, I am trying to find a good working title for my urban fantasy/angelic lore novel I’ve been working on, and I need y’all’s input on what I’ve come up with so far!

So first, a quick? synopsis: 

BEFORE: Samael, seal of perfection and perfect in beauty (Ezekiel 28:12), ruled at the right hand of Melek Taus, Lord of All. Samael served as the commander of the Watchers, the elite cadre of seven seraphim who upheld law and order in Heaven. However, as Melek Taus’s reign grew more tyrannical and Their tastes more cruel, the seeds of dissent began taking root in Samael’s heart. 

When Melek Taus announced plans to breed a race purely for angelic sport, Samael was spurred to action. Gathering their supporters, Samael waged a war to halt the creation of the newly-named “Mortal” race and win the rule of the Heavens away from Melek Taus. Betrayed by some of those closest to them, Samael’s rebellion failed, and as punishment Melek Taus banished them from Paradise and gave Samael the task of punishing the mortals--who Samael had sacrificed so much to spare from the pain of existence--when the mortals committed evil.

Quickly bored with this game in which They’d trapped Samael, Melek Taus suggested another to Samael instead: wagers against human souls. Samael, who had the freedom to roam both the underworld and the mortal realm, would tempt humans to commit foul acts. If they won and the mortal succumbed, Samael would win their way a little closer to the pearly gates. Back and forth betting on the power of human goodness, Melek Taus and Samael played their game for centuries to increasingly high stakes (I mean...Hilter, anyone??) And so it went for millennia...

NOW: Jake Meada is a lost soul. Plagued by depression and personal tragedy, we first meet him on a crowded bridge in Belgium, preparing to kill himself by jumping. However, he’s halted by an “apparition” of his late mother, and when he seeks to follow her and get answers, he runs into a mysterious stranger instead, an intoxicatingly beautiful woman who calls herself “Sam”. Difficult as it is for Jake to believe, Sam reveals herself** to be the fallen angel Samael, and insists she needs Jake’s help to break Melek Taus’s chains on the fate of mortal kind. She reveals she’s placed a wager on Jake’s soul, and soon the other Watchers, now lead by the cold and pedantic Mikha’il, will soon come in an attempt to protect Melek Taus’s power at any cost, including that of the human race. 

As Jake tries to come to grips with the cosmic role he’s been thrust into, he also begin to wonder if he can trust Sam at all. After all, the devil doesn’t come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns; (s)he comes dressed as everything you’ve ever wished for...

**if you’re wondering about gender identity and pronouns as it relates to the angels in particular, I can assure you it’s addressed. I won’t get into the specifics in this post, but basically—gender is a construct (I mean we all know this anyways. Also fuck you JK Rowling 🙃🖕🏼🙃🖕🏼🙃🖕🏼)

oKAY SO. 

If you read my fics you know that I love titles which are literary allusions.. For instance, Like a Lonely House and Tender Jar are both allusions to Pablo Neruda poems.

“so I wait for you like a lonely house till you will see me again and live in me. Till then my windows ache.” Pablo Neruda, Sonnet LXV

“Like a jar you housed the infinite tenderness, and the infinite oblivion shattered you like a jar.“ Pablo Neruda, The Song of Despair

SO FOR MY WIP, I REALLY WANT A BIBLICAL ALLUSION AS MY TITLE. 

Originally I thought to borrow from the Lord’s Prayer, and I was calling the WIP Thy Kingdom Come, as in “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

HOWEVER...

It started to feel a bit on the nose, a feeling which was seemingly confirmed when I stumbled across another angelic WIP with nearly the same title, making me gag and then realize, “ugh that is basic AF, I need to step my game up.”

SO

I have come up with some titles based on bible quotes, I would love for people to weigh in on which you like (or don’t)

Lay Low The Nations 

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations.” 

Isaiah 14:12

The Beast That Cometh

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them“

-Revelation 11:7

Know Not the Hour

“Heaven and earth shall pass away...But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father“

-Matthew 24:35-36

Every Eye Shall See or And The Earth Shall Wail

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail.”

-Revelation 1:7

Please let me know what you think about the titles (or the story in general)

LOVE YOU ALL, as always, your support means the WORLD to me ♥️ ♥️

[elenajohansenauthor]

Pre-NaNoWriMo Asks

Hey, NaNo 2020 participants! Get hyped for your project by begging your followers to ask you these questions:

Have you decided on a project yet?

Are you “cheating” in any way?

Have you done any prep work?

Are you including any tropes or narrative elements you’ve never tried writing before?

What single trope best describes your story idea so far?

Are you setting a non-standard goal, anything beside the traditional 50K word count?

Are you starting a brand-new project or using NaNo to rewrite/re-imagine an older one?

Have you ever done NaNo or Camp NaNo before?

Have you ever won a NaNo event before?

Will anyone else get to read your NaNo project, either during the writing process, or afterward?

Are you tackling this event with any friends or a writing group?

On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about your idea?

On a scale of 1-10, how likely do you think it is that you will “win,” whatever your goal is?

One a scale of 1-10, how impatient are you to get started?

If you’re a past participant or winner, do you have any advice to share?

[saving-word-crawls]

RPDR Season 5 Word Crawl

By: work_of_art

Rules:

This crawl has 14 stops for each episode RuPaul’s Drag Race S5. The format of an episode is a mini challenge and a main challenge. If you do not win the main challenge, you have to lip sync for your life by doing a song sprint. If you fail the lip sync you return to the beginning of the crawl. 

Levels

BABY QUEEN: Pick a contestant, but only her advantages will apply to you and none of her penalties.

BAR QUEEN: Don’t pick a contestant and do the crawl without any extra advantages or penalties.

DRAG MOTHER: Pick a contestant and receive bonus advantages and penalties.

ALL STAR: Pick a contestant with a rival. In addition to taking both your queen’s advantages and penalties, do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1 when her rival wins an episode. You get an advantage when her rival’s in the bottom.

ROLASKATOX: Play as Alaska, Roxxxy or Detox at All Stars difficulty with the additional twist that if someone else in Rolaskatox wins an episode you get an advantage and when they are in the bottom you lose an advantage.

Contestants

Read through to meet the queens and get the skinny on the advantages and penalties they have.

JINKX — The sleeper hit! You’re an underdog who no one saw coming, but don’t let it bother you: it’s all water off a duck’s back. Your rival is Roxxxy.

BABY QUEEN: do-over/pass x2, immunity x1, safe from elimination x1.

DRAG MOTHER: in the bottom x1, chance to win do-over/pass x1.

ALL STAR: do-over/pass x1, Fifty Headed Hydras 1 x2.

ALASKA — Hieeee! You’re here and you’re itching to prove yourself. Funny, fierce, talented, and one third of Rolaskatox.

BABY QUEEN and DRAG MOTHER: pass on specific challenge x1, do-over/pass x7, safe from elimination x2.

ROLASKATOX: do-over/pass x4, lose do-over/pass x3.

ROXXXY — Your novel isn’t the only thing that’s thick ‘n juicy. You’re an iconic diva who changed the lip sync game and one third of Rolaskatox. Your rival is Jinkx.

BABY QUEEN: do-over/pass x2, immunity x1, safe from elimination x2.

DRAG MOTHER: in the bottom x1, bonus do-over/pass x1.

ALL STAR: do-over/pass x1, Fifty Headed Hydras 1 x3.

ROLASKATOX: do-over/pass x4, lose do-over/pass x2.

DETOX — So many things fit inside your novel. Whether your look is neon or monochrome, you are a trendsetter who will influence novelists of the future. The final third of Rolaskatox.

BABY QUEEN: do-over/pass x4, safe from elimination x2, immunity x1.

DRAG MOTHER: in the bottom x2.

ROLASKATOX: do-overs/passes x5, lose do-over/pass x1.

COCO — The diva has arrived! You have won NaNoWriMo before and you will do it again. Your rival is Alyssa.

BABY QUEEN: do-over/pass x2, safe from elimination x1.

DRAG MOTHER: is in the bottom x3.

ALL STAR: do-over/pass x2, Fifty Headed Hydra 1 x1.

ALYSSA — What is Alyssa’s secret? The world may never know what you’re sitting on if you don’t finish this novel, so get up in this NaNoWriMo gig! Your rival is Coco, but don’t get bitter, just get better.

BABY QUEEN: safe from elimination x1, immunity x1, do-over/pass x1.

DRAG MOTHER: is in the bottom x3 episodes, Fifty Headed Hydra 1 x1, change to win immunity x1.

ALL STAR: do-over/pass x2, Fifty Headed Hydras 1 x1.

Episode 1

Everyone arrives and then… the face crack of the century: in walks Coco Montrese.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALYSSA, do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1! If you succeed, then you have managed to stay composed and receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl.

After you’ve had a chance to settle in, you find out that the first mini challenge is a photoshoot where you can show off your gorgeous entrance look … in a tank … underwater. Hold your breath and:

Sprint for 1 minute without using the back key.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you can give up and have a pass to skip this challenge.

DETOX, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who successfully complete this challenge also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

For the main challenge, you have to make a dress that brings out Hollywood realness and glamor out of materials found in a dumpster dive. Now I’m not saying your first draft is garbage, mama, but:

Write 3% of your current word count.

(If this is too challenging, write 800 words instead.)

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ROXXXY, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 2.

ALL STARS playing:

JINKX, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

DETOX or ALASKA, celebrate your sister’s win and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who succeed in the main challenge are safe from elimination and receive immunity from lip syncing in Episode 2. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 2.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who lose the main challenge, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus and write 100 words.

You may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 2.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 2

Hopefully you won’t be doing a lot of lip syncing in this crawl, but it’s no harm in practicing. For the mini challenge:

Sprint “Peanut Butter” by RuPaul 1.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥100 words receive a coveted do-over or pass.

For the main challenge:

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

JINKX, ALYSSA, or ROXXY, write 1000 words in 45 minutes.

ALASKA, COCO, or DETOX, write 800 words in 30 minutes.

BAR QUEENS, pick any of the above challenges.

ALL QUEENS who win the main challenge are safe from elimination and receive immunity from lip syncing in Episode 3. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 3.

ALL QUEENS who lose the main challenge, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Only Girl (In the World)” by Rihanna 120 words.

You may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 3.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 3

For the mini challenge you’ll have to work together with another WriMo.

Visit the Take a prompt, leave a prompt thread and write for ten minutes on the prompt you took.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥250 words will also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

Moving on to the main challenge:

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA or JINKX, host a 20 minute sprint.

DETOX, write 500 words that includes the word of the day on Dictionary.com. You win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 4.

ROXXXY write to the nearest 1000 words (or the next, if that is <500 words).

ALYSSA or COCO write to a word count that is a palindrome, since you two were pals once.

BAR QUEENS:

Pick any of the challenges above.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

ROXXXY or ALASKA, celebrate your sister’s win and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥500 words are safe from elimination and receive immunity from lip syncing in the Episode 4. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 4.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who write <500 words, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “When I Grow Up” by The Pussycat Dolls and write 120 words.

You may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 4.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 4

If music be the food of fabulous word counts, play on. For the mini challenge:

Do a song sprint to your song of choice that is 4+ minutes long.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

JINKX or COCO you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥150 words also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

In the main challenge, you will play parts in a ballet based on of RuPaul’s life:

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you play young RuPaul. Write 1960 words for Mama Ru’s birth year.

JINKX, you play Ru at 21. Write 2100 words

ALYSSA, you play bad Ru, locked in a constant struggle with Good Ru. Think about your main character’s inner turmoil while you sprint for 60 minutes. You win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 5.

DETOX, you play ‘90s RuPaul. Write 900 words.

ROXXXY, you play modern RuPaul. Write 2023 words.

BABY QUEENS & DRAG MOTHERS playing:

COCO, you play bad Ru, locked in a constant struggle with Good Ru. Think about your main character’s inner turmoil while you sprint for 60 minutes.

ALL STARS playing:

COCO, your challenge is the same as the one above. When you’re finished it, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

BAR QUEENS:

Pick any of the above challenges.

ALL QUEENS who succeed in the main challenge are safe from elimination and receive immunity from lip syncing in Episode 5. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 5.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who lose the main challenege, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Oops!.. I Did It Again” by Britney Spears and write 135 words.

You may use one do-over.

If you win, shantay you stay. Go to Episode 5.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 5

For the mini challenge, you will write something inspired by another iconic story. Who wore it better?

Write 300 words in 10 minutes inspired by any piece of media of your choice.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, DETOX or ROXXXY, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

ALASKA, DETOX or ROXXXY, have another do-over or pass to celebrate your shared win with your sisters.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥300 also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

For the main challenge, remember: good writers borrow, great writers steal. It’s time for the Snatch Game, where you show us your best author impersonations.

Write 1000 words in 60 minutes in the style of a writer of your choice.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

JINKX, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 6.

ALL STARS playing:

ROXXXY, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥1000 words are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. It’s time to separate the princesses from the queens: if you have already won non-specific immunity it can still be used in future episodes where you land in the bottom, but there will no longer be immunity for the next episode given for main challenge wins going forward. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 6.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who write <1000 words, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Take Me Home” by Cher and write 100 words.

You may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 6.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 6

For the mini challenge, you have to work in the dark.

Change your text color to the same color as your background and 5 minutes.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

DETOX, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS with <50% typos also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

The main challenge this episode is to to stretch your lyrical muscles.

Write the next 100 words of your project in verse.

Use any poetic form or songwriting structure that you like. Don’t worry about this looking weird in a novel—that’s a problem for the sucker writing the next draft to think about.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

COCO, I’m sorry my dear, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only.

ALL STARS playing:

ALYSSA, sneer as your rival is in the bottom, and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing, if you succeed in the main challenge you are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 7.

ALL QUEENS who lose the main challenge, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “I’m So Excited” by The Pointer Sisters and write 120 words.

If you’re only here because you play COCO, you have a do-over to use if you lose and you may use one more do-over if you lose again.

Others may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 7.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 7

In the grand tradition of Paris is Burning, this episode’s mini challenge is the reading challenge, which means the library is open. Put on your reading glasses and:

Write 150 words in 5 minutes that expose a character’s flaws.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write 150+ words also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

Keeping the critical theme going, the main challenge is the roast challenge. So let’s get it a-cookin’!

Write 1000 words in 60 minutes that criticizes your main character.

BABY QUEENS & DRAG MOTHERS playing:

COCO, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 8.

DRAG MOTHERS playing:

ALYSSA, I’m sorry my dear, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over* to use for this lip sync only.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ROXXXY, I’m sorry my dear, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only.

ALL STARS playing:

JINKX, sneer as your rival is in the bottom, and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALYSSA, I’m sorry my dear, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only. But before you do, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

COCO, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination, receive a coveted do-over or pass and sneer as your rival is in the bottom and receive an additional do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 8.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

DETOX or ALASKA, in your shock to see your sister in the bottom, lose a do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing who write ≥1000 words are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 8.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who write <1000 words, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith and write 120 words.

ROXXXY, whip your hair back and forth and take a do-over or pass in recognition of your contributions to the culture.

ALL QUEENS, there are no eliminations this episode. You are safe to slay another day—go to Episode 8.

Episode 8

For the mini challenge:

Do a Three Digit Challenge.

For the main challenge:

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, write 2000 words that either features the color red in a significant way, OR is utterly filthy. Interpretation of what filth is in this context is entirely up to you. You win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 9.

BABY QUEENS playing:

ALYSSA, write 500 words that includes a secret, OR set your text to the same color as your background in your word processor and keep your writing secret from even yourself.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALYSSA, your challenge is the same as above, however I’m sorry my dear, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only.

BABY QUEENS & DRAG MOTHERS playing:

COCO, write 1000 words based on a prompt you found in the Pet photos as Writing Prompts thread.

ALL STARS playing:

COCO, your challenge is the same as above. Once you have done it, sneer as your rival is in the bottom and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

DETOX, write 750 words from the POV of a woman, OR in which a woman is important.

JINKX, write 1500 words from the POV of an unreliable narrator. Convince yourself!

ROXXXY, write 600 words about some juicy gossip.

BAR QUEENS:

Pick any of the challenges above.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

DETOX or ROXXXY, celebrate your sister’s win and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing who complete the challenge successfully are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 9.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who lose the main challenge, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to sync for your life!

Sprint to “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ on But the Rent” by Gwen Guthrie and write 180 words.

If you’re only here because you play ALYSSA, you have a do-over to use if you lose and you may use one more do-over if you lose a second time.

Others may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 9.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 9

For the mini challenge, you have to create a fake sob story that will produce real tears.

Write 300 heartbreaking words in 10 minutes.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

DETOX or ALYSSA, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥300 words also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

For the main challenge, you will star in a faux telenovela.

Write 1500 drama filled words in 90 minutes OR write a 1000 word scene that ends in a plot twist.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

JINKX, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 10.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALYSSA or COCO, I’m sorry my dears, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use in this lip sync only. You receive no advantages from your rival being in the bottom.

ROXXXY, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing who meet or exceeded the word count goal are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 10.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who lose the main challenge, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Cold Hearted” by Paula Abdul and write 130 words.

If you’re only here because you play ALYSSA, you have a do-over to use if you lose and you may use one more do-over if you lose again.

If you’re only here because you play COCO, you have a do-over to use if you lose and you may use another do-over if you lose again. If you lose a third time, you may use one more do-over.

Others may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 10.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 10

In the mini challenge, you’ll work as hard as you in NaNo boot camp. Writing may not be a contact sport, but that doesn’t mean it won’t make you sweat!

Do a Fifty Headed Hydra. 1

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who successfully write 500 words in 5 minutes receive immunity to use at any point in the crawl. You’ve earned it!

For the main challenge:

Write a character interview with your main character both before and after the events of the novel. How have they changed? What’s still the same?

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ROXXXY, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 11.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

DETOX or COCO, I’m sorry my dears, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only.

ALL STARS playing:

ALYSSA, sneer as your rival is in the bottom, and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

JINKX, seethe as your rival does well and do a Fifty Headed Hydra 1.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

DETOX or ALASKA, celebrate your sister’s win and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ROXXXY or ALASKA, in your shock to see your sister in the bottom, lose a do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing, who succeed are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 11.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who don’t succeed, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “(It Takes) Two to Make It Right” by Seduction and write 150 words.

If you are only here because you play COCO, you have a do-over to use if you lose, and you may use one more do-over if you lose again.

If you are only here because you play DETOX, you have a do-over to use if you lose, and you may use a do-over if you lose again. If you lose a third time, you may use one more do-over.

Others may use one do-over.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 11.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 11

In the mini challenge, you’ll create a puppet avatar of one of your characters and put on a short skit with them. Everybody loves puppets!

Write 200 words in 6 minutes where a character is being imitated OR manipulated.

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you win the mini challenge on any attempt and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS who write ≥200 words also receive a coveted do-over or pass.

For the main challenge, we’re having a ball, darling! This challenge has three parts for your three Sugar Ball looks.

Super Duper Sweet 16

Write 1600 words.

Sugar Mama—Executive Realness

Write 51% of your best word count so far.

Candy Couture

Write ([the number of words you wrote for Super Duper Sweet 16] + [ the number of words you wrote for Sugar Mama—Executive Realness]) * 1.5

BABY QUEENS, DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

ALASKA, you win this episode on any attempt. You are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 12.

DRAG MOTHERS & ALL STARS playing:

DETOX or JINKX, I’m sorry my dears, but you are up for elimination. You may skip this challenge without using up a pass and go straight to the lip sync or use a do-over on the main challenge and be safe on a second success. You may also use immunity or a pass to avoid lip syncing. If you attempt the lip sync, you get a do-over to use for this lip sync only.

ALL STARS playing:

ROXXXY, sneer as your rival is in the bottom, and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ROLASKATOX queens playing:

DETOX or ROXXXY, celebrate your sister’s win and receive a coveted do-over or pass.

ROXXXY or ALASKA, in your shock to see your sister in the bottom, you lose a do-over or pass.

ALL QUEENS not automatically lip syncing who meet the minimum word counts for the Sugar Ball challenges are safe from elimination and receive a coveted do-over or pass. You may now untuck backstage and go to Episode 12.

ALL QUEENS without an automatic win who lose the main challenge, as well as any queens automatically in the bottom, if you don’t have an advantage to play …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “Malambo No. 1” by Yma Sumac and write 100 words.

If you’re only here because you play DETOX, you have a do-over to use if you lose, and you may also use one more do-over if you lose again.

If you’re only here because you play JINKX, you have a do-over to use if you lose, and you may also use a do-over if you lose again. If you lose a third time, you may use one more do-over. If you win on your first attempt, or by ≥50 words on a subsequent attempt, you win a do-over or pass. I have a feeling that you’re going places, kid.

Others may use one do-over if they lose.

Win? Shantay you stay. Go to Episode 12.

Lose? Sashay away. Go back to the start.

→ Keep up to three unused advantages for your next attempt.

Episode 12

There is no mini challenge this episode, so:

Sprint for 30 minutes.

And after that …

The time has come for you to lip sync for your life!

Sprint to “The Beginning” by RuPaul.

ALL PLAYERS, go to Episode 13.

Episode 13

Let’s take a look back on the highlights, low-lights, and previously unseen challenges as we race toward the climactic crowning of NaNoWriMo’s Next Novelist Superstar.

Re-take your favorite mini challenge/the mini challenge you did the worst at/try a mini challenge you passed on earlier.

And then:

Re-take your favorite main challenge/the main challenge you did the worst at/try a main challenge you passed on earlier.

ALL PLAYERS, go to Episode 14.

Episode 14

You’re a winner, baby! I hereby crown you NaNoWriMo’s Next Novelist Superstar. Now prance, my queen!

Post your word count in the thread below and say how you got on.