(no subject)

[peloquin3.livejournal.com]

I'm trying not to use words that make me sound like I'm trying to be smart.

Does anyone think it would be out of place for me to use the word Brobdingnagian?

(no subject)

[peloquin3.livejournal.com]

I'm trying not to use words that make me sound like I'm trying to be smart.

Does anyone think it would be out of place for me to use the word Brobdingnagian?

Calling it a Nanonight

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

I find it funny that when I get sleepy, my characters start to ramble...

18,170 / 50,000 (36.0%)

Calling it a Nanonight

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

I find it funny that when I get sleepy, my characters start to ramble...

18,170 / 50,000 (36.0%)

Humor, and some of my favorite offscreen methods.

[azurelunatic]

In which the Lunatic waxes lyrical about how she tells offscreen funny moments, and why.

Humor, and some of my favorite offscreen methods.

[azurelunatic]

In which the Lunatic waxes lyrical about how she tells offscreen funny moments, and why.

*twitchtwitchtwitch*

[twiddlethumb.livejournal.com]

I'm here to do a short panic manic moment.

During the weekend, I did a fair amount of writing to make up for starting a week late. Then I ended up going out the whole of Monday, getting a much needed hair cut on Tuesday and being persuaded to go out again on Wednesday. @_@ I'm never going to finish this especially considering that I have to be done by the 21st November since I'm leaving on a holiday after that! WARGH!! I'm behind schedule! I'm a bad, bad girl!
*keels over*

I just did a lot of quick writing... My head feels a bit wonky but at least, I've passed the 10, 000 words mark. Ugh... Why, oh why, am I doing this to myself??

End of whinging!
Question! Are you guys letting someone beta your work now as you write, or are you waiting till after November?

12,596 / 50,000 (25.0%)

*twitchtwitchtwitch*

[twiddlethumb.livejournal.com]

I'm here to do a short panic manic moment.

During the weekend, I did a fair amount of writing to make up for starting a week late. Then I ended up going out the whole of Monday, getting a much needed hair cut on Tuesday and being persuaded to go out again on Wednesday. @_@ I'm never going to finish this especially considering that I have to be done by the 21st November since I'm leaving on a holiday after that! WARGH!! I'm behind schedule! I'm a bad, bad girl!
*keels over*

I just did a lot of quick writing... My head feels a bit wonky but at least, I've passed the 10, 000 words mark. Ugh... Why, oh why, am I doing this to myself??

End of whinging!
Question! Are you guys letting someone beta your work now as you write, or are you waiting till after November?

12,596 / 50,000 (25.0%)

Wheeeee!

[notfudge.livejournal.com]

My all nighter is finished!
Thank you thank you to everyone who wished me luck...

From this:

12,284 / 50,000 (24.0%)

To this:

16,291 / 50,000 (32.0%)

In one night!
I am riding *high* on adrenaline right now.
I think it has something to do with finishing my 4,000 in time to go and watch the dawn…
My novel is being posted at nephnie.
Part one of tonight’s enterprise is already up, the second half will be coming with I finish posting this!!

Wheeeee!

[notfudge.livejournal.com]

My all nighter is finished!
Thank you thank you to everyone who wished me luck...

From this:

12,284 / 50,000 (24.0%)

To this:

16,291 / 50,000 (32.0%)

In one night!
I am riding *high* on adrenaline right now.
I think it has something to do with finishing my 4,000 in time to go and watch the dawn…
My novel is being posted at nephnie.
Part one of tonight’s enterprise is already up, the second half will be coming with I finish posting this!!

update..

[zedda.livejournal.com]

Current mood:	anxious
Current music:	What music shes watching TV

another sleepless night!
hi everyone on the verge of a nervous breakdown i think, I am off into Norwich to take part in a lab (for writers,poets) etc.. and will have to stop namo writing for a few days... dunno if i can do it. the ruddy thing is addictive.. sitting here and writing nonstop suits me..... oh.. blisters on my hands..

33,198 / 50,000 (66.0%)

update..

[zedda.livejournal.com]

Current mood:	anxious
Current music:	What music shes watching TV

another sleepless night!
hi everyone on the verge of a nervous breakdown i think, I am off into Norwich to take part in a lab (for writers,poets) etc.. and will have to stop namo writing for a few days... dunno if i can do it. the ruddy thing is addictive.. sitting here and writing nonstop suits me..... oh.. blisters on my hands..

33,198 / 50,000 (66.0%)

Week 2 Encouragement

[twistedraisin.livejournal.com]

So how are you doing on your word count? If you have written 16,670 words or more, you're doing well - right on target for winning NaNo 2004.

If you are below that, it has come to my attention that a gentle push or delicate persuasion may be needed to help out. Unfortunately, these things, 'gentle', 'delicate', and 'tactful' generally escape me.

My question is, if you have fewer than 16,670 words, why the hell are you reading this post? Really, people! If you have fewer words than that, you should be staring at your notebook, typewriter, or word processing program and really forcing it out.

Oh, I know, I know... "But I'm stuck!" or "I've hit a wall" or "I was too busy eating so I wouldn't starve to death like those poor kids in Africa." Well let me tell you something, dear reader. If you are reading this, you are about as likely to starve as a mosquito is likely to visit the moon of its own volition.

"But the week two wall is right in my face!" people say. "I simply can not overcome the fact that my MC has fallen deeply in love with her talking pet tarantula! She was supposed to be zombie slaying mistress of the Light!"

Folks, unfortunately, as the saying goes, shit happens. Stop your bitching and write! So what if the psychopathic ex-neighbor has suddenly become the love interest of your MC's daughter - this brings about whole new realms of conflict for your characters to explore!

I have even less sympathy (if such a negative sympathy level is possible) for those of you who go out on to the internet and write up long, rambling e-mails and forum posts about the fact that you have hit a massive spell of writer's block and you are stuck at eight thousand one hundred thirty four and a half words. Do you know what you could have done with the five hundred word mini-essay you just wrote on writer's block? You could have written five-hundred words about why your character never writes anything!

Yes, of course it may not make sense - but as they say in the movie industry, "we'll fix it in editing."

In conclusion, you committed, on your honor, to do your best to complete NaNo this month. In my mind, that means, if you fail perhaps you should commit ritual suicide to preserve the honor of the rest of your family.

So write, people! For the love of all that is NaNo.... WRITE!

Week 2 Encouragement

[twistedraisin.livejournal.com]

So how are you doing on your word count? If you have written 16,670 words or more, you're doing well - right on target for winning NaNo 2004.

If you are below that, it has come to my attention that a gentle push or delicate persuasion may be needed to help out. Unfortunately, these things, 'gentle', 'delicate', and 'tactful' generally escape me.

My question is, if you have fewer than 16,670 words, why the hell are you reading this post? Really, people! If you have fewer words than that, you should be staring at your notebook, typewriter, or word processing program and really forcing it out.

Oh, I know, I know... "But I'm stuck!" or "I've hit a wall" or "I was too busy eating so I wouldn't starve to death like those poor kids in Africa." Well let me tell you something, dear reader. If you are reading this, you are about as likely to starve as a mosquito is likely to visit the moon of its own volition.

"But the week two wall is right in my face!" people say. "I simply can not overcome the fact that my MC has fallen deeply in love with her talking pet tarantula! She was supposed to be zombie slaying mistress of the Light!"

Folks, unfortunately, as the saying goes, shit happens. Stop your bitching and write! So what if the psychopathic ex-neighbor has suddenly become the love interest of your MC's daughter - this brings about whole new realms of conflict for your characters to explore!

I have even less sympathy (if such a negative sympathy level is possible) for those of you who go out on to the internet and write up long, rambling e-mails and forum posts about the fact that you have hit a massive spell of writer's block and you are stuck at eight thousand one hundred thirty four and a half words. Do you know what you could have done with the five hundred word mini-essay you just wrote on writer's block? You could have written five-hundred words about why your character never writes anything!

Yes, of course it may not make sense - but as they say in the movie industry, "we'll fix it in editing."

In conclusion, you committed, on your honor, to do your best to complete NaNo this month. In my mind, that means, if you fail perhaps you should commit ritual suicide to preserve the honor of the rest of your family.

So write, people! For the love of all that is NaNo.... WRITE!

I need some inspiration and help

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

Hey there, everyone; I'm a professional journalist for a small circulation paper in the Twin Cities. I really want to succeed in NaNoWriMo but it's getting harder and harder to both finish chapters, develop plot, and fact-check/interview/write all my normal articles (about 3-4 each week). I knew this would be hard, but I never knew that it would be this mind-bogglingly stressful.

Being a writer -of any sort- already, is making this hard.

Now, for the next three days, I have HUGELY busy nights and days, where I've been tapped to help my mother clean out her house as well as I have a lecture to attend tonight about which I need to write an article on how the tobbacco industry has been targeting young gay men in recent years to refresh their waning customer-base.

AAARRRGH!

Please, people, I need some encouragement and something to make me feel a bit hopeful about all this.

I'm very stressed and could really use the knowledge that I can succeed. Heck, I don't even know if what I've written already has been any good!

<sigh>

Please help...

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)

I need some inspiration and help

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

Hey there, everyone; I'm a professional journalist for a small circulation paper in the Twin Cities. I really want to succeed in NaNoWriMo but it's getting harder and harder to both finish chapters, develop plot, and fact-check/interview/write all my normal articles (about 3-4 each week). I knew this would be hard, but I never knew that it would be this mind-bogglingly stressful.

Being a writer -of any sort- already, is making this hard.

Now, for the next three days, I have HUGELY busy nights and days, where I've been tapped to help my mother clean out her house as well as I have a lecture to attend tonight about which I need to write an article on how the tobbacco industry has been targeting young gay men in recent years to refresh their waning customer-base.

AAARRRGH!

Please, people, I need some encouragement and something to make me feel a bit hopeful about all this.

I'm very stressed and could really use the knowledge that I can succeed. Heck, I don't even know if what I've written already has been any good!

<sigh>

Please help...

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)

sorry for the interruption

[negative-slant.livejournal.com]

if anyone has a few seconds to spare from their nanowrimo project, I have a few quick questions

In your opinion, what are the best online literary journals, and why. Which have the highest standards? which are of the highest quality?
Which have the largest circulations?
Which have been around the longest, and seem the most likely to endure?
Which journals are just your favorites, for their tone, community, or some quality you can't quite explain?
thanks


x-posted

Boredom

[blindlyinnocent.livejournal.com]

So I'm getting bored with my book. I think it's moving too slowly, but I also think it needs to in order for me to fill up 50,000 words. I'm thinking of just running through the plot, and then where I end up, I end up. And then I'll have to write some more plot. Is anyone else bored yet by their characters?

Boredom

[blindlyinnocent.livejournal.com]

So I'm getting bored with my book. I think it's moving too slowly, but I also think it needs to in order for me to fill up 50,000 words. I'm thinking of just running through the plot, and then where I end up, I end up. And then I'll have to write some more plot. Is anyone else bored yet by their characters?

(no subject)

[kairotique.livejournal.com]

Does anyone else feel like everything they're trying to say in their story has already been said before and they just happen to suck more at writing it than the people that made the points before them?
That's what I'm going through and I'm losing motivation. G'ah. It feels like there's no reason to write this because it's all just a worse version of something that's already been said...

(no subject)

[kairotique.livejournal.com]

Does anyone else feel like everything they're trying to say in their story has already been said before and they just happen to suck more at writing it than the people that made the points before them?
That's what I'm going through and I'm losing motivation. G'ah. It feels like there's no reason to write this because it's all just a worse version of something that's already been said...

So far...

[tapestry01.livejournal.com]

14,037 / 50,000 (28.0%)

Boy, I've been drinking a lot of Dr. Pepper...!

So far...

[tapestry01.livejournal.com]

14,037 / 50,000 (28.0%)

Boy, I've been drinking a lot of Dr. Pepper...!

Poison help?

[deza.livejournal.com]

I am looking for a poison that fits a rather stiff set of requirements.

1. Onset time of 45 minutes or less
2. Easily available around an average household
3. Won't be detected in a chocolate-fudge brownie
4. Produces minimal or no vomiting

I'd originally planned to use antifreeze, but from what I've found so far the onset time is around 2-3 hours, and I need to kill my character a little quicker than that. I'd prefer not to use arsenic or cyanide, as they both cause large amounts of vomiting and my MC really doesn't have time to clean up that much mess.

Any suggestions?

Poison help?

[deza.livejournal.com]

I am looking for a poison that fits a rather stiff set of requirements.

1. Onset time of 45 minutes or less
2. Easily available around an average household
3. Won't be detected in a chocolate-fudge brownie
4. Produces minimal or no vomiting

I'd originally planned to use antifreeze, but from what I've found so far the onset time is around 2-3 hours, and I need to kill my character a little quicker than that. I'd prefer not to use arsenic or cyanide, as they both cause large amounts of vomiting and my MC really doesn't have time to clean up that much mess.

Any suggestions?

(no subject)

[fyreflyblue.livejournal.com]

Another plot point - or scene point, I guess - that I need help with.

The set-up:
Jamie's been in love with Emma his whole life. She finds out her boyfriend's been cheating on her, and in a fit of pique/revenge sleeps with Jamie. The morning after, she's freaking out, says it's all a mistake. Jamie fesses up that he's in love with her, she shuts him down cold, telling him it's just a childhood crush...

And then I get stuck. How does my scene end? How does he get out of her apartment?

Thanks in advance!

(no subject)

[fyreflyblue.livejournal.com]

Another plot point - or scene point, I guess - that I need help with.

The set-up:
Jamie's been in love with Emma his whole life. She finds out her boyfriend's been cheating on her, and in a fit of pique/revenge sleeps with Jamie. The morning after, she's freaking out, says it's all a mistake. Jamie fesses up that he's in love with her, she shuts him down cold, telling him it's just a childhood crush...

And then I get stuck. How does my scene end? How does he get out of her apartment?

Thanks in advance!

"the Name of the Lost" -- Synopsis so far: 6,725 words

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

the Name of the Lost
(the story so far ... 6,725 words)( Chapter 1: Father Wolf & Daddy Rabbit (3,230 words) )

( Chapter 2: Dinner and a Stranger (2,383 words) )

( Interlude (1,112 words) )

"the Name of the Lost" -- Synopsis so far: 6,725 words

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

the Name of the Lost
(the story so far ... 6,725 words)( Chapter 1: Father Wolf & Daddy Rabbit (3,230 words) )

( Chapter 2: Dinner and a Stranger (2,383 words) )

( Interlude (1,112 words) )

Progress Report

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

6,725 / 50,000 (13.0%)

Progress Report

[nanowrimo-dave.livejournal.com]

6,725 / 50,000 (13.0%)

week two

[elizawrites.livejournal.com]

I guess the week two wall they talk about is real. Argh. Anyone else feel like every word they write has to be forcibly removed from the brain? Like an abscessed tooth?

Nah, I'm not two thousand words behind, why do you ask? :|

week two

[elizawrites.livejournal.com]

I guess the week two wall they talk about is real. Argh. Anyone else feel like every word they write has to be forcibly removed from the brain? Like an abscessed tooth?

Nah, I'm not two thousand words behind, why do you ask? :|

Almost there!

[elzbeth.livejournal.com]

19,225 / 50,000 (38.0%)

My goal is 20,000 words by the end of the day, and I've still got some hours left! I'm finally caught up to where I should be after restarting my story and being behind for the past week. ::dances around:: Now I won't freak out so much about it.

Yes, I deserve this Chinese takeout as a reward! And some Mexican hot chocolate!!

Almost there!

[elzbeth.livejournal.com]

19,225 / 50,000 (38.0%)

My goal is 20,000 words by the end of the day, and I've still got some hours left! I'm finally caught up to where I should be after restarting my story and being behind for the past week. ::dances around:: Now I won't freak out so much about it.

Yes, I deserve this Chinese takeout as a reward! And some Mexican hot chocolate!!

Is it me?

[ivymere.livejournal.com]

ARGH! Okay nothing really having to do with Nano or writing but for some reason....teachers, mostly English teachers, since they are the ones I actually care about, don't seem to remember me or they mistake me for someone else. It's like I'm nonexistent!

My h.s. AP psych teacher forgot my name less than 3 months of graduation/completing her class...

My h.s. Honors English teacher who was also my Speech & Debate coach totally treated me as nonexistent...

One of my professors in my upper-level university English course keeps messing my apointments with her up so I end up waiting or stressing out even more. Plus it seems as though she accords more respect to other students than to me.

Then, lastly, my most recent English teacher, Nora O. Keller (author of Comfort Woman, Foxgirl, etc), mistakes me for another "Jenn" in her class even though I've emailed her before and she only last saw me 3 weeks ago.

I guess they can be attributed as mistakes...but after a while, everything starts adding up and I start wondering what in the goddamn hells is wrong with me? I'm super quiet in class but I've always gotten really good grades! Geez...

Is it me?

[ivymere.livejournal.com]

ARGH! Okay nothing really having to do with Nano or writing but for some reason....teachers, mostly English teachers, since they are the ones I actually care about, don't seem to remember me or they mistake me for someone else. It's like I'm nonexistent!

My h.s. AP psych teacher forgot my name less than 3 months of graduation/completing her class...

My h.s. Honors English teacher who was also my Speech & Debate coach totally treated me as nonexistent...

One of my professors in my upper-level university English course keeps messing my apointments with her up so I end up waiting or stressing out even more. Plus it seems as though she accords more respect to other students than to me.

Then, lastly, my most recent English teacher, Nora O. Keller (author of Comfort Woman, Foxgirl, etc), mistakes me for another "Jenn" in her class even though I've emailed her before and she only last saw me 3 weeks ago.

I guess they can be attributed as mistakes...but after a while, everything starts adding up and I start wondering what in the goddamn hells is wrong with me? I'm super quiet in class but I've always gotten really good grades! Geez...

Avoidance for Fun and Profit...

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

Is anyone else finding themselves jumping around in their story, chronologically?

I keep getting bogged down at the current point in the story, and skipping ahead and writing later scenes instead (including the final scene of Chapter 4, the opening and ending scenes of Chapter 5, as well as the very last scene of the book itself).

I've bounced around so much at this point, that it's really hard for me to tell by my word count how long the current chapter actually is.

19,157 / 50,000 (38.0%)

Avoidance for Fun and Profit...

[cscottd.livejournal.com]

Is anyone else finding themselves jumping around in their story, chronologically?

I keep getting bogged down at the current point in the story, and skipping ahead and writing later scenes instead (including the final scene of Chapter 4, the opening and ending scenes of Chapter 5, as well as the very last scene of the book itself).

I've bounced around so much at this point, that it's really hard for me to tell by my word count how long the current chapter actually is.

19,157 / 50,000 (38.0%)

(no subject)

[ahriman-lives.livejournal.com]

I said a couple of weeks ago that November would be hard for me.

I didn't quite realise how hard.

Without padding this, I'm 16,000 behind.

(no subject)

[ahriman-lives.livejournal.com]

I said a couple of weeks ago that November would be hard for me.

I didn't quite realise how hard.

Without padding this, I'm 16,000 behind.

Question?

[twiddlethumb.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how to phrase this question of mine because I don't know the correct terms to use...

Anyway, here goes:
Once upon a time, I wrote a fantasy story (which is unfinished, bwahahaha) that was from third person point of view, with the usual almighty writer knowing the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. Throughout the story, I shifted point of views. One paragraph would reveal one character's thoughts while the next would be on another character's feelings...

Someone commented on the fic. Apparently, she liked it, but she had ended her comments with, "Your shifting point of views confused me!"
Which made me go "?????" because I thought shifting point of views was acceptable if it was written in third person anyway.
A friend and a beta said that the story seemed fine to her.
Another friend said the story was fine, but that sticking to one point of view is the mark of a good writer.
I've grown paranoid anyway, and for the whole year already, all my stories have strictly one point of view, or at least, point of views that shift only when the chapter is over.

For my NaNoWriMo novel, I felt restricted by my own paranoia and decided to go wild with the point of views. However, on reflection, my paranoia has crept back up and is pounding me over the head.

What are your views on shifting point of views then, fellow writers?

Egad...long babbling for one question... >_< I seriously need more sleep...

Question?

[twiddlethumb.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how to phrase this question of mine because I don't know the correct terms to use...

Anyway, here goes:
Once upon a time, I wrote a fantasy story (which is unfinished, bwahahaha) that was from third person point of view, with the usual almighty writer knowing the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. Throughout the story, I shifted point of views. One paragraph would reveal one character's thoughts while the next would be on another character's feelings...

Someone commented on the fic. Apparently, she liked it, but she had ended her comments with, "Your shifting point of views confused me!"
Which made me go "?????" because I thought shifting point of views was acceptable if it was written in third person anyway.
A friend and a beta said that the story seemed fine to her.
Another friend said the story was fine, but that sticking to one point of view is the mark of a good writer.
I've grown paranoid anyway, and for the whole year already, all my stories have strictly one point of view, or at least, point of views that shift only when the chapter is over.

For my NaNoWriMo novel, I felt restricted by my own paranoia and decided to go wild with the point of views. However, on reflection, my paranoia has crept back up and is pounding me over the head.

What are your views on shifting point of views then, fellow writers?

Egad...long babbling for one question... >_< I seriously need more sleep...

Not now, why do you have to hit me now?

[peloquin3.livejournal.com]

I fear I am catching a cold.

It started late last night when my throat started to feel a bit scratchy. Now my eyes are burning a bit and my throat continues to be scratchy. My head is also a bit cloudy. I'm popping vitamin C and zinc in as much a quantity as is still healthy, but I think it may be a rough couple of days. Damnit, my wordcount can't afford me to get sick now.

Not now, why do you have to hit me now?

[peloquin3.livejournal.com]

I fear I am catching a cold.

It started late last night when my throat started to feel a bit scratchy. Now my eyes are burning a bit and my throat continues to be scratchy. My head is also a bit cloudy. I'm popping vitamin C and zinc in as much a quantity as is still healthy, but I think it may be a rough couple of days. Damnit, my wordcount can't afford me to get sick now.

Anything to distract me from the drivel I seem to be churning out.

[ninkasa.livejournal.com]

I read this article back during my first semester in college. I couldn't believe I remembered it, and I found it appropriate for week two.

The Watcher at the Gates

Anything to distract me from the drivel I seem to be churning out.

[ninkasa.livejournal.com]

I read this article back during my first semester in college. I couldn't believe I remembered it, and I found it appropriate for week two.

The Watcher at the Gates

Zee YA Novelists Chat

[iremos.livejournal.com]

Is going on right now. If you wanna join, IM me on AIM at pharaohswish, and I'll invite you. :)

Lis

Zee YA Novelists Chat

[iremos.livejournal.com]

Is going on right now. If you wanna join, IM me on AIM at pharaohswish, and I'll invite you. :)

Lis

(no subject)

[greencow.livejournal.com]

15,256 / 50,000 (30.5%)

not as much as i'd like, but i did not think i'd get as much accomplished as i did considering it was girls' night tonight.

(no subject)

[greencow.livejournal.com]

15,256 / 50,000 (30.5%)

not as much as i'd like, but i did not think i'd get as much accomplished as i did considering it was girls' night tonight.

All in a two day madness...

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

I decided to enter NaNoWriMo this year again (I was a winner last year), even though things are still pretty much discombobilated following hurricane Ivan (I'm in Pensacola). But last year I had taken the time to plan things out, write a plot outline, develop characters, even cast their horoscopes. This year I started with a one page story idea following a weird dream I'd just had. It flopped. I couldn't get started after the first thousand words or so. Nada.

So I went through my old story/novel ideas and found something I'd left on the back burner since 1996. There were parts of it already written, but since, according to the official Nano site, I'm not the only one using an extant story, and I plan to add at least 50,000 words, this is it. Well, I got a fire under my patootie just as soon as I started working on it. I havne't been able to keep my mind on anything else, and so I've gotten an obscene number of words done in only two days. I'll probably be at it through the night, as I collapsed into a little puddle of authory limpness after I posted chapter two and crashed for six hours.

I was going to go with something a little more sophisticated...contemporary weirdness over the usual fantasy, but this one is...you guessed it...Tolkeinesque high fantasy. Well, I don't care. Beline is at me now to finally finish her tale, and so I must. Poor darlin', she's been waiting for eight years!!

If you care to take the time out of your own writing efforts, you can find my efforts in my montblanc journal, but you need to add me as a friend, or comment here or there so I can add you as a friend. Because of the current consensus that if a piece of fiction gets more than a thousand hits or is available on a public area, it may be considered pubished by editors/publishers, I've made the journal Friends Only. But you need only ask. All constructive criticism is extremely important to me and welcomed.


Please forgive me for cross-posting in three different Nano communities. It's a one shot deal to let people know I'm here. Updates will be at my regular LJ and montblanc.

All in a two day madness...

[annina-writes.livejournal.com]

I decided to enter NaNoWriMo this year again (I was a winner last year), even though things are still pretty much discombobilated following hurricane Ivan (I'm in Pensacola). But last year I had taken the time to plan things out, write a plot outline, develop characters, even cast their horoscopes. This year I started with a one page story idea following a weird dream I'd just had. It flopped. I couldn't get started after the first thousand words or so. Nada.

So I went through my old story/novel ideas and found something I'd left on the back burner since 1996. There were parts of it already written, but since, according to the official Nano site, I'm not the only one using an extant story, and I plan to add at least 50,000 words, this is it. Well, I got a fire under my patootie just as soon as I started working on it. I havne't been able to keep my mind on anything else, and so I've gotten an obscene number of words done in only two days. I'll probably be at it through the night, as I collapsed into a little puddle of authory limpness after I posted chapter two and crashed for six hours.

I was going to go with something a little more sophisticated...contemporary weirdness over the usual fantasy, but this one is...you guessed it...Tolkeinesque high fantasy. Well, I don't care. Beline is at me now to finally finish her tale, and so I must. Poor darlin', she's been waiting for eight years!!

If you care to take the time out of your own writing efforts, you can find my efforts in my montblanc journal, but you need to add me as a friend, or comment here or there so I can add you as a friend. Because of the current consensus that if a piece of fiction gets more than a thousand hits or is available on a public area, it may be considered pubished by editors/publishers, I've made the journal Friends Only. But you need only ask. All constructive criticism is extremely important to me and welcomed.


Please forgive me for cross-posting in three different Nano communities. It's a one shot deal to let people know I'm here. Updates will be at my regular LJ and montblanc.

(no subject)

[plaidwater.livejournal.com]

I thought this might be a good bit of encouragement to those of you who, like me, are really messed up over this thing called "plot".

"Similarly, J.R.R. Tolkien has confessed that about a third of the way through The Fellowship of the Ring, some ruffian named Strider confronted the hobbits in an inn, and Tolkien was in despair. He didn't know who Strider was, where the book was going, or what to write next. Strider turns out to be no lesser person than Aragorn, the unrecognized and uncrowned king of all the forces of good, whose restoration to rule is, along with the destruction of the evil ring, the engine that moves the plot of the whole massive trilogy, The Lord of the Rings." - Plot by Ansen Dibell

So take another look at those seemingly pointless characters. Expound on them. Maybe one of them is your Strider. Or your Ahab - for remember, Moby Dick was not originally about Ahab, it was about Bulkington.
In the first drafts of LOTR - there was no Strider, only Trotter.
Take another look at what isn't being said. Look at what's behind what's going on. You may find something that will push you over that Week Two Wall, if you're still hovering at its edge - and even if you're not. Take a deeper look - you might surprise yourself with what you find. And, if nothing else, it's good for word count. Quantity, not quality!

a desperate plea:

[kdeimos.livejournal.com]

Ok, I'm far along with it that I feel okay sharing and asking for help:
This year I'm trying my hand at NaNoWriMo again. At first I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want to have a repeat of two years ago where I got all excited about it, wrote 3,000 words and then stopped. But now, I've just broken 21,000 out of 50,000 words, so I feel attached enough to the project to see it through. (In case anyone cares and wants to see a short excerpt: Here's My Profile page.

Now for the real reason I'm blogging about this, I need your help:
One of the next setting changes will take my high school sophomore into the Alternative School system (for kids with behavior problems, or can't keep up in regular classes, etc). Now, I don't know how many of you had these schools when you were in high school, nor how many of you actually went to one at some point. For those of you that have been to one of these schools, what was it like? What kind of atmosphere was there? What other kinds of students? Who were the teachers? Were there extra-strict nazi rules?
For those of you who haven't ever been to one, but had them in your school system: What kind of reputation did the alternative schools have? Were they scholastic death camps? Or were they a little slice of slacker heaven?
I really need some help here to make the whole thing sound a little more authentic. So any anecdotes or other information would be GREATLY appreciated.
Also, if you know other people who may have some insight for me, please pass this along.
Thanks ^_^

X-posted from my own journal

a desperate plea:

[kdeimos.livejournal.com]

Ok, I'm far along with it that I feel okay sharing and asking for help:
This year I'm trying my hand at NaNoWriMo again. At first I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want to have a repeat of two years ago where I got all excited about it, wrote 3,000 words and then stopped. But now, I've just broken 21,000 out of 50,000 words, so I feel attached enough to the project to see it through. (In case anyone cares and wants to see a short excerpt: Here's My Profile page.

Now for the real reason I'm blogging about this, I need your help:
One of the next setting changes will take my high school sophomore into the Alternative School system (for kids with behavior problems, or can't keep up in regular classes, etc). Now, I don't know how many of you had these schools when you were in high school, nor how many of you actually went to one at some point. For those of you that have been to one of these schools, what was it like? What kind of atmosphere was there? What other kinds of students? Who were the teachers? Were there extra-strict nazi rules?
For those of you who haven't ever been to one, but had them in your school system: What kind of reputation did the alternative schools have? Were they scholastic death camps? Or were they a little slice of slacker heaven?
I really need some help here to make the whole thing sound a little more authentic. So any anecdotes or other information would be GREATLY appreciated.
Also, if you know other people who may have some insight for me, please pass this along.
Thanks ^_^

X-posted from my own journal