Posting this for the new page.
WC: 44363
Gonna wrap this up tomorrow! It's weird seeing that I actually can write less than what I wrote today and still beat NaNo.
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National Novel Writing Month 2019: When in doubt, write Nanomachines!
- Thread starter FlowersisBritish
- Start date
Posting this for the new page.
WC: 44363
Gonna wrap this up tomorrow! It's weird seeing that I actually can write less than what I wrote today and still beat NaNo.
OP
OP
WC: 13110
I was sick yesterday and today but was able to rally enough to go to tonight's write in. Next weekend is Midway Madness so I'll hopefully be able to catch up.
I was sick yesterday and today but was able to rally enough to go to tonight's write in. Next weekend is Midway Madness so I'll hopefully be able to catch up.
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I would! I think it'd be easier to keep going seeing how other people actually progress.
Please share if you're comfy with it!
WC: 13,003
I'm a little bit behind, but today I did a bit to catch up, writing almost 3,000 words. I'm going to try to hit this goal for the next couple of days to catch up. I had a day of writer's block but spent an entire day just brainstorming ideas. It did help me get back into the groove. The work is cut out for me but I think I can get back on track.
I'm a little bit behind, but today I did a bit to catch up, writing almost 3,000 words. I'm going to try to hit this goal for the next couple of days to catch up. I had a day of writer's block but spent an entire day just brainstorming ideas. It did help me get back into the groove. The work is cut out for me but I think I can get back on track.
Alright...here's the first seven chapters of my novel on Wattpad. I have another four written that I'll upload tomorrow probably.
WC: 18,193
6 chapters done out of a planned 35. I might need to start cutting down on chapter length.
6 chapters done out of a planned 35. I might need to start cutting down on chapter length.
meh. write everything you want and worry about cutting in the second draft/editing.
if you worry about length now you might end up cutting what could be the best parts of your novel before you even write them :/
WC: 35757. Have most of the ending worked out in my head, well, sort of. Might actually need an event or two to pad things out as action always sounds grander in your head but it sort of limits how much you can write about it, especially in something more resembling a gag book. I do have one monologue that should chew up words later on though so we'll see.
WC: 29477
Act one is complete, and we wade into the much less thought out act two. Wish me luck everyone!
Act one is complete, and we wade into the much less thought out act two. Wish me luck everyone!
WC: 15010
At the first half of chapter 3, whatever that means because I haven't outlined this at all.
At the first half of chapter 3, whatever that means because I haven't outlined this at all.
WC: 18, 713
Only wrote about 1,000 words today, but it was a very busy day so I'm not going to feel too bad about it. There was a death in the family yesterday, but I'm pressing ahead as best I can.
Only wrote about 1,000 words today, but it was a very busy day so I'm not going to feel too bad about it. There was a death in the family yesterday, but I'm pressing ahead as best I can.
OP
OP
To those falling behind, do not fret! There is still plenty of time to catch up! Look at me as example! I did a good 5k words today and while not at the benchmark, I'm pretty darn close again. You all got this!
Speakign of which WC: 15787
I finally got to write a big battle scene and it was hands down the most fun i had with this book yet! And I still have the second half against a massive lake god (basically a giant with a great lake for a head) to go! now I just need to plan on how to fight the lake god and all the weird stuff that'll happen after that cause this is as far as my notes are.
Speakign of which WC: 15787
I finally got to write a big battle scene and it was hands down the most fun i had with this book yet! And I still have the second half against a massive lake god (basically a giant with a great lake for a head) to go! now I just need to plan on how to fight the lake god and all the weird stuff that'll happen after that cause this is as far as my notes are.
WC: 20149
Made it to 20K! Now it really feels like I'm on my way. Just had two longer chapters back to back, and this next one may be long as well, but I do want to get a shorter one in for the chapter after. Keep some nice variation going, and the pacing snappy.
Made it to 20K! Now it really feels like I'm on my way. Just had two longer chapters back to back, and this next one may be long as well, but I do want to get a shorter one in for the chapter after. Keep some nice variation going, and the pacing snappy.
I wish I enjoyed writing battle scenes. But I want to keep them short and to the point without writing out to many details while still trying to choreograph them to some degree to feel interesting.
basically unless I'm drawing something out I try to keep everything short so that it keeps moving as if I describe to much it slows down the pace of the battle and the last thing I want is for a battle to feel like it's pulled from dragon ball Z >.>
Writing action scenes stresses me out, because I feel a great pressure to make them good. Usually takes me longer to write them.
I felt really apprehensive before last Nano about writing action scenes in general. But during last year's Nano - and throughout the past year - I've been challenging myself to write them to try to get better. It's not easy, but I feel like I am much better at it now than I was.
WC: 16041*
Note the asterik. Because I'm pretty sure some of it would be considered cheating. When I'm stuck, oh when I'm too tired to write anything at night, I've started an exercise where I just transcribed The first 1700 or so words from an existing novel. Probably should have done that before nano. I've done it about three times.
actually it's turned out to be a pretty good exercise. I'm one of the people who learn by doing so it helps me analyze writing in a way just simply reading it or listening to an audiobook wouldn't do.
it's also given me a pretty nice appreciation of just how much work 2,000 words is. I always felt self-conscious not being able to meet the goal because it looked like it was so little when you're writing on the computer. But it's actually a pretty huge amount on paper, so I'm Don't really beat myself up anymore when I can't meet the goal.
So I'm going to try and hit 50,000 with just my own words.
Note the asterik. Because I'm pretty sure some of it would be considered cheating. When I'm stuck, oh when I'm too tired to write anything at night, I've started an exercise where I just transcribed The first 1700 or so words from an existing novel. Probably should have done that before nano. I've done it about three times.
actually it's turned out to be a pretty good exercise. I'm one of the people who learn by doing so it helps me analyze writing in a way just simply reading it or listening to an audiobook wouldn't do.
it's also given me a pretty nice appreciation of just how much work 2,000 words is. I always felt self-conscious not being able to meet the goal because it looked like it was so little when you're writing on the computer. But it's actually a pretty huge amount on paper, so I'm Don't really beat myself up anymore when I can't meet the goal.
So I'm going to try and hit 50,000 with just my own words.
I just in general don't feel they work well in writing so that doesn't help.
to me a good battle involves solid choreography and solid choreography typically requires someone to clearly see what someone is doing, and getting a reader to clearly see what someone is doing typically takes a number of words which destroys the pacing of a battle (plus different people will read the same words different ways)
it's not impossible to do, and I've had some limited success myself (part of my practice was a CWC I did a while back and I at least got a few people to vote for it despite being basically a pure action short story lol) , but it's a really tough thing to do, and while I'm fine with things not being perfect in my rough drafts, I often don't let myself go into extreme detail with fights, but I still want enough details that I know what is happening when I get around to editing so I tend to go a lot slower during them.
Luckily I shouldn't really have to worry about another action scene for a while. There's one that might happen before I finish up this story, but if it does it's supposed to be goofy and over the top and the pacing doesn't need to be quick and snappy so it won't be that stressful compared to all the quick and snappy life on the line action scenes I have been dealing with.
WC: 13158
Ugh I've really fallen behind
Having to write characters I didn't originally plan for is really bogging me down. I might make the executive decision to just start the next story and come back to it later. I just really need to build up some momentum (and jumping past scenes when I'm stuck is how I normally write stories)
Ugh I've really fallen behind
Having to write characters I didn't originally plan for is really bogging me down. I might make the executive decision to just start the next story and come back to it later. I just really need to build up some momentum (and jumping past scenes when I'm stuck is how I normally write stories)
WC : 5010
Haven't had much of a chance to write the last few days. I'm 10% of the way through and just started my 3rd chapter.
I'm not giving up yet. I'm going to try and still make it to 50,000 by the end of the month. I've got a day in lieu this week so I really want to get some words down while I have the house to myself. It's going to be tough though, because I have Luigi's Mansion 3 and Death Stranding both trying to pull me away.
I will get there though. Eventually.
Haven't had much of a chance to write the last few days. I'm 10% of the way through and just started my 3rd chapter.
I'm not giving up yet. I'm going to try and still make it to 50,000 by the end of the month. I've got a day in lieu this week so I really want to get some words down while I have the house to myself. It's going to be tough though, because I have Luigi's Mansion 3 and Death Stranding both trying to pull me away.
I will get there though. Eventually.
50,445
MY HANDS ARE DYING BUT I MADE IT
0th? Thanks NaNo site! Honestly the site is so weird.
Also, *checks standings* I expect Timu to come back and be back on top by like 4k within the next day lol
WC: 15917
The NaNo site is being way too glitchy for me. It keeps making me think I'm writing more than I actually am, because the word count is always inaccurate.
Damn, congratz
I've won NaNoWriMo before, but not before the second week's even finished
Edit: I just realized I misread your post, but my point still stands lol
The NaNo site is being way too glitchy for me. It keeps making me think I'm writing more than I actually am, because the word count is always inaccurate.
Damn, congratz
I've won NaNoWriMo before, but not before the second week's even finished
Edit: I just realized I misread your post, but my point still stands lol
WC: 18,726
Trying my best to keep w/ the pace I have set early on. Congrats to those who have hit the target, and those of you who are putting up big numbers early in the month. It's inspiring.
Trying my best to keep w/ the pace I have set early on. Congrats to those who have hit the target, and those of you who are putting up big numbers early in the month. It's inspiring.
WC: 18300
Congrats! :D
50,445
MY HANDS ARE DYING BUT I MADE IT
0th? Thanks NaNo site! Honestly the site is so weird.
Also, *checks standings* I expect Timu to come back and be back on top by like 4k within the next day lol
OP
OP
Thanks for the good luck wishes Xita and the no luck zulux21 because the sweet lightening bolt of inspiration just struck. I went for a three mile walk to enjoy the weather and fresh air today, and as I was out there thinking about what I wrote last night and what I had been outlining for act two, suddenly something clicked.
I've completely scrapped my chapter by chapter outline for act two, and replaced it with something much better, that still gets me to the start of act three (which I have really well sketched out). These moments are few and far between in my writing life, and I'm not sure I've ever had it happen this down to the wire. My wife works Monday evenings so I wasn't going to write until then anyway... and all my answers just fell into my lap.
You'd swear I was planning this if you read the end of act one... but I wasn't. I had my lead punch her hand through a window in anger just to punctuate the end of the chapter which felt lacking until I added that... but that moment was the spark that lead into an act two I'm now MUCH more excited to write.
Thank the NaNo spirits.
I've completely scrapped my chapter by chapter outline for act two, and replaced it with something much better, that still gets me to the start of act three (which I have really well sketched out). These moments are few and far between in my writing life, and I'm not sure I've ever had it happen this down to the wire. My wife works Monday evenings so I wasn't going to write until then anyway... and all my answers just fell into my lap.
You'd swear I was planning this if you read the end of act one... but I wasn't. I had my lead punch her hand through a window in anger just to punctuate the end of the chapter which felt lacking until I added that... but that moment was the spark that lead into an act two I'm now MUCH more excited to write.
Thank the NaNo spirits.
WC: 19,400
I don't know if this is a common recommendation but I have been using my outline that I created following the advice given in the book "Take Off Your Pants" by Libbie Hawker.
Honestly, 19k words in, I think the advice and outlining method in the book is extremely useful for someone like me who doesn't like to plot everything out in advance. I have just enough direction to progress without feeling overly constrained and it is nice to have constant easy reminders as to what the overall arc of each character should be as I make changes on the fly when writing.
I don't know if this is a common recommendation but I have been using my outline that I created following the advice given in the book "Take Off Your Pants" by Libbie Hawker.
Honestly, 19k words in, I think the advice and outlining method in the book is extremely useful for someone like me who doesn't like to plot everything out in advance. I have just enough direction to progress without feeling overly constrained and it is nice to have constant easy reminders as to what the overall arc of each character should be as I make changes on the fly when writing.
I think like a lot of things, it's about what works for you. Some people barely outline. Some people have really detailed outlines. If the end product is compelling it doesn't really matter. I don't like to give my characters too rigid an outline, but I like to figure out the story beats ahead of time. People ask me what method I use... I've never really looked into it.
Sometimes I have an ending I'm heading towards. Sometimes I just have a beginning. I like to feel my way along. I'll keep notes on my characters as I go, but mainly to keep their details straight. I don't define them in any real detail before I dive into it.
It can, and has, spectacularly exploded on me. It's possible I could be a lot more prolific and successful if I tried to learn about various techniques, etc, but I worry that some of the magic would vanish if I did that. But that's just me.
Congrats on your first win!!
Thank you!
Yep it's exactly this. For me, I think NaNo just kind of came at a good time in my fanfic because every chapter I wrote had at least something interesting going on it. I also used a lot of word sprints because I'm a pretty competitive person :^) Would really recommend those if you need a boost.
Also seriously drop off your inner editor, it does wonders. I have written so much more than I normally have thanks to me finally letting go and letting my work wait for editing.
Very nice job, congrats on your 1st win.
50,445
MY HANDS ARE DYING BUT I MADE IT
0th? Thanks NaNo site! Honestly the site is so weird.
Also, *checks standings* I expect Timu to come back and be back on top by like 4k within the next day lol
Yep, I agree. I'm someone who likes to play it fast and loose, create the world a sentence at a time, and often like to make drastic contradictory changes between story beats based on the tempo and feel of the story.
If that sounds like you, I'd recommend Hawker's book and method. Her sample outline accommodates heavy planners too, folks that like a detailed scene by scene breakdown, but I completely ignored that.