Official Word Count post for November 7

[bardsong.livejournal.com]

This would be the daily word count post. You know the drill. Leave your colorbars in comments here! All subsequent word count posts will be deleted by the ninja squirrels, and we haven't been feeding them lately, so they're starving. Sooo... Let's see some hot colorbar action!

Official Word Count post for November 7

[bardsong.livejournal.com]

This would be the daily word count post. You know the drill. Leave your colorbars in comments here! All subsequent word count posts will be deleted by the ninja squirrels, and we haven't been feeding them lately, so they're starving. Sooo... Let's see some hot colorbar action!

Official excerpt and novel pimpage post for November 7

[bardsong.livejournal.com]

Pretty much like it says. Please post your excerpts here, as well as links to where your novel can be found. I, unlike some of my minions, will get these emailed to me, and I really want someone to give me an excuse to procrastinate.

So... Let's see what you've all got!

Official excerpt and novel pimpage post for November 7

[bardsong.livejournal.com]

Pretty much like it says. Please post your excerpts here, as well as links to where your novel can be found. I, unlike some of my minions, will get these emailed to me, and I really want someone to give me an excuse to procrastinate.

So... Let's see what you've all got!

Fighting for the Computer

[agreenbunny.livejournal.com]

I am so behind. I'm at 6,000 words and my husband is totally sabotaging me--but not on purpose. I was counting on having weekends to catch up on my word counts, since after a day at work I'm beat M-F. Well, I didn't remember that he's taking weekend classes this term. They run Friday nights, all day Satuday, and all day Sunday. And he needs the laptop for class. Between that and his grades being due soon, he's totally monopolizing the laptop all the time I'm at home. And I can't say "Don't do your job so I can write a novel." And I really can't come in to work on the weekends without drawing attention to the fact that I'm doing personal stuff on a company-owned computer (though NOT during work hours). I was supposed to get my own desktop PC for Christmas, but it isn't in the budget right now. The local library has a 30-minute time limit per day on personal computer usage, to cut down on web surfing. ARGH!

Fighting for the Computer

[agreenbunny.livejournal.com]

I am so behind. I'm at 6,000 words and my husband is totally sabotaging me--but not on purpose. I was counting on having weekends to catch up on my word counts, since after a day at work I'm beat M-F. Well, I didn't remember that he's taking weekend classes this term. They run Friday nights, all day Satuday, and all day Sunday. And he needs the laptop for class. Between that and his grades being due soon, he's totally monopolizing the laptop all the time I'm at home. And I can't say "Don't do your job so I can write a novel." And I really can't come in to work on the weekends without drawing attention to the fact that I'm doing personal stuff on a company-owned computer (though NOT during work hours). I was supposed to get my own desktop PC for Christmas, but it isn't in the budget right now. The local library has a 30-minute time limit per day on personal computer usage, to cut down on web surfing. ARGH!

Gah!

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

I want to use Musashi's Book of Five Rings for helping me write about teaching my main character about how to use a sword, fight, etc.
The book is lovely, and I have a copy sitting in front of me in one of my Mozilla windows.

However...
Musashi was born in 1584.
My story starts in 1340.

It's so not fair...

Gah!

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

I want to use Musashi's Book of Five Rings for helping me write about teaching my main character about how to use a sword, fight, etc.
The book is lovely, and I have a copy sitting in front of me in one of my Mozilla windows.

However...
Musashi was born in 1584.
My story starts in 1340.

It's so not fair...

[readies a stick]

[safaiagem.livejournal.com]

I'm being attacked by random fan fic plot bunnies. [readies the beating stick] Must fend them off, no time to fic and do Nano at the same time!

Anyone else finding stories popping into their heads when they're already dedicated to Nano and then having to push them away? ._.; Bad brain. [eyes the plot bunnies] I'm watching all of you...

[readies a stick]

[safaiagem.livejournal.com]

I'm being attacked by random fan fic plot bunnies. [readies the beating stick] Must fend them off, no time to fic and do Nano at the same time!

Anyone else finding stories popping into their heads when they're already dedicated to Nano and then having to push them away? ._.; Bad brain. [eyes the plot bunnies] I'm watching all of you...

Now Playing?

[orange-lounge.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know the url for the website where people can sync up their winamp with the website and then post the result wherever (like in the forums or on their journal) and it shows the most recently played songs and currently played song on a persons media player of choice?


Mmm I signed up for one once and thought it was retarded but now I seem to want one...

Now Playing?

[orange-lounge.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know the url for the website where people can sync up their winamp with the website and then post the result wherever (like in the forums or on their journal) and it shows the most recently played songs and currently played song on a persons media player of choice?


Mmm I signed up for one once and thought it was retarded but now I seem to want one...

(no subject)

[writing-dreamer.livejournal.com]

Here's a bit of a question:

I finished my novel, but while I was writing it, I got ideas for sequels. So if I wrote the sequels, do you think they'd count toward the wordcount or not?

(no subject)

[writing-dreamer.livejournal.com]

Here's a bit of a question:

I finished my novel, but while I was writing it, I got ideas for sequels. So if I wrote the sequels, do you think they'd count toward the wordcount or not?

There's nothing like a major panic to get your adrenaline going...

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

So, there I was, typing happily away.

Since I can never remember the first and last lines written for my daily report, I decided to start a document with such things in it, so I can keep track of things.
I'll also keep all my reports in there, so I can see how many words I'm doing per day, etc.

And so, I saved it... and Rough Draft closed itself.

Hmm, thought I... I wonder if it saved that.
And so, I opened Rough Draft again, and it threw an error.
And so I tried to open the report file, and it threw an error.

And so, worrying a little, I tried to open the last file I'd been writing in, which had been open at the same time as the report file, cos I keep all my files open so I can do an accumulated word count.

And... it threw an error.
And thus, full scale panic set in.
I've been pretty good though, I back my stuff up at least twice a day, but I'd just written some good stuff and actually put temporary names in to all of my files so I don't keep referring to the main character as [Boy], especially since he's not a boy for all of the story.

So...
They're rtf files, and I try to open them in Word.
No problem whatsoever.
So I quickly back them up, and reboot.
And I re-open Rough Draft.
It throws errors.
It won't open my files.
NOOOOOOOO!!!
I can't write in anything other than Rough Draft!!!
I LOVE Rough Draft!!

At least today's work isn't lost though.

Meh

Edit: Reinstalling seems to have cured it.
Phew!

There's nothing like a major panic to get your adrenaline going...

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

So, there I was, typing happily away.

Since I can never remember the first and last lines written for my daily report, I decided to start a document with such things in it, so I can keep track of things.
I'll also keep all my reports in there, so I can see how many words I'm doing per day, etc.

And so, I saved it... and Rough Draft closed itself.

Hmm, thought I... I wonder if it saved that.
And so, I opened Rough Draft again, and it threw an error.
And so I tried to open the report file, and it threw an error.

And so, worrying a little, I tried to open the last file I'd been writing in, which had been open at the same time as the report file, cos I keep all my files open so I can do an accumulated word count.

And... it threw an error.
And thus, full scale panic set in.
I've been pretty good though, I back my stuff up at least twice a day, but I'd just written some good stuff and actually put temporary names in to all of my files so I don't keep referring to the main character as [Boy], especially since he's not a boy for all of the story.

So...
They're rtf files, and I try to open them in Word.
No problem whatsoever.
So I quickly back them up, and reboot.
And I re-open Rough Draft.
It throws errors.
It won't open my files.
NOOOOOOOO!!!
I can't write in anything other than Rough Draft!!!
I LOVE Rough Draft!!

At least today's work isn't lost though.

Meh

Edit: Reinstalling seems to have cured it.
Phew!

Hmm...

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

I was just looking at the structure of last year's writing.

Last year, I ended up doing drafts.
I wrote stuff, and put it in a First Draft folder.

Then I wrote the filler bits between scenes, and joined scenes up to make longer chunks of the novel.
I put that lot in a Second Draft folder.

Then I chapter-ised things and made it tie up properly and make sense.
I put that lot in a Third Draft folder.

Because I write in scenes, rather than in chapters, a lot of what is in the third draft folder is still scenes, but they're scenes without bits to tie them into other scenes.

I also looked at a text file I'd started at one point.
It gives my starting word count on November 22nd.
Remember, kiddies, this is right near the end of the month. Also remember that I succeeded and was a winner.

Nov 22nd

Started: 11,332
Finished: 20,023


Now... I also found my total word count from the 8th November. 10,004.
I took nearly 2 weeks out. Mostly due to severe illness I guess.


I'm not going to worry that I've only got 8380 words now.

Hmm...

[nocturnia.livejournal.com]

I was just looking at the structure of last year's writing.

Last year, I ended up doing drafts.
I wrote stuff, and put it in a First Draft folder.

Then I wrote the filler bits between scenes, and joined scenes up to make longer chunks of the novel.
I put that lot in a Second Draft folder.

Then I chapter-ised things and made it tie up properly and make sense.
I put that lot in a Third Draft folder.

Because I write in scenes, rather than in chapters, a lot of what is in the third draft folder is still scenes, but they're scenes without bits to tie them into other scenes.

I also looked at a text file I'd started at one point.
It gives my starting word count on November 22nd.
Remember, kiddies, this is right near the end of the month. Also remember that I succeeded and was a winner.

Nov 22nd

Started: 11,332
Finished: 20,023


Now... I also found my total word count from the 8th November. 10,004.
I took nearly 2 weeks out. Mostly due to severe illness I guess.


I'm not going to worry that I've only got 8380 words now.

(no subject)

[excellent-words.livejournal.com]

Someone recently pointed out to me a tirade that an LJer (who goes by the name Dr. Joseph Mengele, and does that seem right to you?) wrote about the evils of NaNoWriMo. He compared novel writing to the scientific fields, asked what would happen if we allowed this kind of amateurish behavior in biology or chemistry, and said it was a ridiculous enterprise for a bunch of self-deluded idiots and had no redeeming value. I believe he also implied that it was detrimental to society as a whole and brought down the general intelligence of society.

I’ve never quite understood that point of view. Not in the sense of understanding that is empathic and visceral. It doesn’t ring any bells with me, nor push any buttons, nor create any type of feeling whatsoever. In fact, I’m only writing this essay because I need to get off my lazy butt and start writing today.

( Read more... )

X-posted to my journal

(no subject)

[excellent-words.livejournal.com]

Someone recently pointed out to me a tirade that an LJer (who goes by the name Dr. Joseph Mengele, and does that seem right to you?) wrote about the evils of NaNoWriMo. He compared novel writing to the scientific fields, asked what would happen if we allowed this kind of amateurish behavior in biology or chemistry, and said it was a ridiculous enterprise for a bunch of self-deluded idiots and had no redeeming value. I believe he also implied that it was detrimental to society as a whole and brought down the general intelligence of society.

I’ve never quite understood that point of view. Not in the sense of understanding that is empathic and visceral. It doesn’t ring any bells with me, nor push any buttons, nor create any type of feeling whatsoever. In fact, I’m only writing this essay because I need to get off my lazy butt and start writing today.

( Read more... )

X-posted to my journal

let's try it without the errors

[kensson.livejournal.com]

Today's work has involved beginning to draft a research article (I'm a physicist). I just got to the end of the introduction, looked at the word count and thought "1,100 words. Another 600 and I'm done for the day." Then I remembered that no: (1) I still have to start on today's NaNo words (and, for that matter, finish yesterday's) but (2) I don't have any daily target for writing research.

It might be interesting to write a paper in NaNo style, though. The quality would drop, but magnetic fields would begin behaving in even more peculiar ways.

Um... now there was an irrelevant ramble. So let me add, via the lovely margewhite, the Theory of Archetypes and 36 dramatic situations; the latter I'm sure has been posted before, but the first was new to me, and (hopefully) very helpful indeed.

let's try it without the errors

[kensson.livejournal.com]

Today's work has involved beginning to draft a research article (I'm a physicist). I just got to the end of the introduction, looked at the word count and thought "1,100 words. Another 600 and I'm done for the day." Then I remembered that no: (1) I still have to start on today's NaNo words (and, for that matter, finish yesterday's) but (2) I don't have any daily target for writing research.

It might be interesting to write a paper in NaNo style, though. The quality would drop, but magnetic fields would begin behaving in even more peculiar ways.

Um... now there was an irrelevant ramble. So let me add, via the lovely margewhite, the Theory of Archetypes and 36 dramatic situations; the latter I'm sure has been posted before, but the first was new to me, and (hopefully) very helpful indeed.

Hey...

[choco-rachel.livejournal.com]

This is my first year at NaNo, and I'm doing the 'slow and steady' method.

Oh, yeah...I'm 13.

Bit of a challenge.

But yeah.

Fun to you!

_R_

Hey...

[choco-rachel.livejournal.com]

This is my first year at NaNo, and I'm doing the 'slow and steady' method.

Oh, yeah...I'm 13.

Bit of a challenge.

But yeah.

Fun to you!

_R_

Just trying to entertain myself... Don't mind me, okay?

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

( Waxing poetic about the noble art of writing! )

Just trying to entertain myself... Don't mind me, okay?

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

( Waxing poetic about the noble art of writing! )

(no subject)

[elvenwanderer.livejournal.com]

One stinky thing about NaNo:

I am taking a Creative Writing class, and we have the rough draft to a story due within the next few days, and I have no idea what I want to write about for it. And I can't BS this one like normal, because it's horror and I just don't write horror (this might be part of my problem).

*sigh*

Oh well. Off to boost the wordcount, or at least try to.

Someone mentioned double procrastinating earlier, and here I am. I'm procrastinating working on NaNo by writing this journal entry, but I am procrastinating writing my CW stuff by writing NaNo.

Oh what a small, dull world.

(no subject)

[elvenwanderer.livejournal.com]

One stinky thing about NaNo:

I am taking a Creative Writing class, and we have the rough draft to a story due within the next few days, and I have no idea what I want to write about for it. And I can't BS this one like normal, because it's horror and I just don't write horror (this might be part of my problem).

*sigh*

Oh well. Off to boost the wordcount, or at least try to.

Someone mentioned double procrastinating earlier, and here I am. I'm procrastinating working on NaNo by writing this journal entry, but I am procrastinating writing my CW stuff by writing NaNo.

Oh what a small, dull world.

Why do we write, anyway?

[lorataprose.livejournal.com]

So. At this time last year (11 p.m. Nov. 6 for me - Tokyo timezone), I had 29,375 words. This year, I have barely 11,000, and it doesn't look like I'm even going to make the minimum quota tonight. My characters are fighting me; my plot is nonexistent though the premise is interesting, my character motivation is sketchy at best, and I have no way of moving anything along. Even writing 10 words is torture for me; I'm lucky if I can make 100 in a sitting. (And the fruit fly I just smacked is now spread all over my bicep. Nice.)

I am not a patient author; I'm afraid that I'm far too used to ideas coming to me and prose writing itself. I know my current cast of non-NaNo regulars well enough that I don't have to invent anything about them anymore; I just know. That sort of casual familiarity spoiled me, and I recognized it, so I vowed to start afresh for NaNo to challenge myself. Well, I consider myself effectively challenged.

I can't even think about NaNo right now without wanting to beat myself over the head with a blunt object. Those friends who did not give up before starting are all doing fairly well; even if they're behind word count, it's because a lack of time, not any dearth of ideas. One of my friends' novels has taken off and surprised her with characters, plot twists, and whatnot that she didn't intend nor expect (which, as I realize upon proofreading, is in accordance with the definition of surprise, le sigh). My other is discovering that her narrator's voice is working better in her NaNo than in any other attempts to write him.

And I can barely get out a sentence without wanting to fling my laptop across the room. I realize I don't have an abysmal word count; that some people are still in the four-digits, or even threes, and that it could be much, much worse. But word count isn't important so much as knowing that this story is fighting me every step of the way, and that when I sit down to write I end up with four hours of gritted teeth and three Ibuprofen, and only 300 words (or, in the case of yesterday, 0).

So why can't I give up?

What's stopping me from ending this madness and trudging off into the pit of NaNo failuredom? Or, at the very least, ditching this particular novel and saving it for a time when I don't feel so tremendously pressured to do it justice? And why the HECK is there egg salad on my Internet cable, and how long has it been there?! :S Why do I feel compelled to keep at this, to glare at the screen or (if I'm in class) the notebook in front of me until my head aches and my nerves are *this close* to snapping?

Because I'm a writer, obviously. But why? My non-writer friends tell me they'd much rather see me alive and happy than scowling at nothing with bloodshot eyes; they won't hate me, or even mock or think less of me, for quitting or picking a novel that will be easier. So why does that send me into an even deeper frenzy and make me determined to do this?

Argh.

I wish I could just post a "I'm quitting" update here so that I could get encouragement from everyone. But what do you say to a near-homicidal 留学生 who sort of wants to say "I'm throwing in the towel!" but is too darn stubborn? *bangs head off keyboard*

Okay. Rant-break over; back to my Word Processor, where I attempt to pound out at least another 1,400. I cannot let the day go at 212 words; not when Sunday was 0 and Saturday was only 852. *groans*

I USED TO BE PROFICIENT! WHY DOST THOU MOCK ME, NANOWRIMO??

Why do we write, anyway?

[lorataprose.livejournal.com]

So. At this time last year (11 p.m. Nov. 6 for me - Tokyo timezone), I had 29,375 words. This year, I have barely 11,000, and it doesn't look like I'm even going to make the minimum quota tonight. My characters are fighting me; my plot is nonexistent though the premise is interesting, my character motivation is sketchy at best, and I have no way of moving anything along. Even writing 10 words is torture for me; I'm lucky if I can make 100 in a sitting. (And the fruit fly I just smacked is now spread all over my bicep. Nice.)

I am not a patient author; I'm afraid that I'm far too used to ideas coming to me and prose writing itself. I know my current cast of non-NaNo regulars well enough that I don't have to invent anything about them anymore; I just know. That sort of casual familiarity spoiled me, and I recognized it, so I vowed to start afresh for NaNo to challenge myself. Well, I consider myself effectively challenged.

I can't even think about NaNo right now without wanting to beat myself over the head with a blunt object. Those friends who did not give up before starting are all doing fairly well; even if they're behind word count, it's because a lack of time, not any dearth of ideas. One of my friends' novels has taken off and surprised her with characters, plot twists, and whatnot that she didn't intend nor expect (which, as I realize upon proofreading, is in accordance with the definition of surprise, le sigh). My other is discovering that her narrator's voice is working better in her NaNo than in any other attempts to write him.

And I can barely get out a sentence without wanting to fling my laptop across the room. I realize I don't have an abysmal word count; that some people are still in the four-digits, or even threes, and that it could be much, much worse. But word count isn't important so much as knowing that this story is fighting me every step of the way, and that when I sit down to write I end up with four hours of gritted teeth and three Ibuprofen, and only 300 words (or, in the case of yesterday, 0).

So why can't I give up?

What's stopping me from ending this madness and trudging off into the pit of NaNo failuredom? Or, at the very least, ditching this particular novel and saving it for a time when I don't feel so tremendously pressured to do it justice? And why the HECK is there egg salad on my Internet cable, and how long has it been there?! :S Why do I feel compelled to keep at this, to glare at the screen or (if I'm in class) the notebook in front of me until my head aches and my nerves are *this close* to snapping?

Because I'm a writer, obviously. But why? My non-writer friends tell me they'd much rather see me alive and happy than scowling at nothing with bloodshot eyes; they won't hate me, or even mock or think less of me, for quitting or picking a novel that will be easier. So why does that send me into an even deeper frenzy and make me determined to do this?

Argh.

I wish I could just post a "I'm quitting" update here so that I could get encouragement from everyone. But what do you say to a near-homicidal 留学生 who sort of wants to say "I'm throwing in the towel!" but is too darn stubborn? *bangs head off keyboard*

Okay. Rant-break over; back to my Word Processor, where I attempt to pound out at least another 1,400. I cannot let the day go at 212 words; not when Sunday was 0 and Saturday was only 852. *groans*

I USED TO BE PROFICIENT! WHY DOST THOU MOCK ME, NANOWRIMO??