Showing posts with label november. Show all posts
Showing posts with label november. Show all posts

Thursday, November 7, 2013

NaNo Day 7 Wrap up - It's been a week

And my story is progressing too fast. (To get to some motivational mo-jo, scroll down a bit)

We all have our problems when writing. If you don't plan ahead, you might be lost and the plot is a dead end. If you do plan ahead (which I did this year) you might rush the very first bit. This is both because I am not an avid writer, I don't sit down 365 days a year and just, write, and also because I knew where I was going.

When you have a specific goal in mind, and it is right there, so close you can actually touch it, you don't think "Oh hey well I really like this road better, it has pretty flowers next to it!" *and there is today's first failed metaphor*. So in other words, I rushed past some big parts in my character building and exposure phase. Because I want my story to say BAM! I am HERE! Read ME!

So the problem? Now my part that I had anticipated being 5000 words is a mere 2000. Well done.


So what do you do? Should you revise it?
NO!  Follow this NaNo rule when we are talking segments in the begining. The plot isn't set in stone. It is a first draft for goodness sake.
Leave. It. Alone. (for now I know it hurts trust me)

So motivation to keep going? I guess I promised that yesterday because I actually felt motivated, but them I realized it was past midnight and I was tired.

MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-UNO;
Do you know how many words you had 7 days ago? Zero! Nothing. You had absolutely nothing. Now look at the tiny little "infant-seed-child-novel" you have started. (Do not picture what that thing would look like literally) It is your baby! It is frowned upon to dislike babies. You can only do it on others peoples, but only after they are gone and can't hear you. You can't be the parent and the mean single friend! Think about that!

MOTIVATIONAL-THINGY-DOUS; (I am so sorry I don't speak Spanish at all)
Do you know how many words there is in the first version of Romeo and Juliet? 25599!
Do you know how many words there are in A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer, one of the most best selling books of all time and one of my favourites? 32404!
(And you International Baccalaureate students; One Extended Essay can be maximum 4000 words. A novel of 50000 is approximately 12,5 EE's!)

MOTIVATIONAL THINGY-TREISE; (I should just stop but I can't)
Not writing one day doesn't make you a bad writer. Not writing two days in a row doesn't make you a bad writer. Not even if you don't write for three whole days, does anyone get to call you a bad writer. The only bad writer is the person who never writes. Don't be that person.


That's it. Hold on to the little facts. Think percentage wise. Punch out how many percent done you are right now. Your word count, divided by 50000. Now promise to write at least one percent today. And another tomorrow.

By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-11-07


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

NaNo2013 Day 6 Wrap-up - Don't worry

I am still alive.

Today I cannot help but be in a split mindset. I have been pouring my heart and mind into my novel these last days. Today I had a day off and spent every minute writing at the library. Reached 12,000 words, which is great because I will definitely fall behind this weekend when me and the boyfriend are going away. Not actually leaving my computer behind but to be honest I don't want him sitting right next to me on the train when I am writing.

So there is what I want to talk about today. Are you secretive about your NaNoWriMo participation? I know my mother would not understand why I am doing it and won't let me put time off for it, so is anyone in the same situation? The only person that I have told of my participation is my boyfriend.

To be honest I don't think I am ready to have people read my first draft. Or ask all the questions about it.

What's it about?
Do you think you can really write 50,000 words in a month?
Who are you writing about?
Can I read it now?
Can I read it when you're done?

I have no idea what it is about yet. I mean I know, but I can't formulate it until I am done. Or close.

To be scared of someone picking on something that you devout so much time and effort in is natural. That is the point of this post. What you write is worth writing. Once you have written it, you get to self critique it, but don't worry too much. Don't try to compare your first draft to finished works by published artists! They have revised that piece so many times, and had it checked by editors over and over!

That one scene that you think is too short? Add to it! Go with your gut, and don't think back too much.

That character that is a bastard to everyone? You can decide when he goes away. This is your own novel!


I've decided to share some of my motivation-tips tomorrow, so hang in there for that if nothing else. Today's goal (6th) is 10,000 words. That is one fifth of your novel. If not today, then do it tomorrow. Prioritize differently then. Split the time with watching television. Welcome back tomorrow, good night NaNo:s!

By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-11-06

Friday, October 18, 2013

Who ARE you?!

NaNoWriMo. Would you stop getting so close to me?!

I have found a general idea. I have a setting. Now if my main characters would just come together that would be real sweet of them. But no of course not, they gotta heave their ulterior motives, plot twists and general quirks that "make them realistic". Let me introduce you to problem person numero uno;

Meet Main character #1;

She is a mid-twenty year old, above average achiever. She is clear on the worlds politics, and understands what ambition means. Being brought up in the world where children are placed with promising young adults she was at a generally young age educated by a woman that tainted her whole life. She is genetically near perfect, with a strong bloodline. She places on the outer edges of the Prospect Triangle, ensuring her a safe life as one of the many corporations future heads. She is at peace with this and understands why the new world needed to replace the old one, the one where uneducated, barbaric people ruled "countries". She is knowledgeable, and reads much. Her preoccupation up to the age of 15 was studying basic foundation knowledge as other humans, but has since taken tests and landed a spot in a corporation working with evaluating children and placing them in households of matching adolescents. The only point on the Triangle where she is failing is the Social Adaptive Capabilities, where in casual conversation she is easily distracted and not clear in speech. She is ignorant to any conflict around her, yet is fascinated by the months Fairytales that come to her household of the time. She discusses them well with colleagues, and takes a special interest in articles with "past-progressors". These are old fairytales that have been reprinted. They feature things such as pop culture, art and other ingenuity that no longer seems to come out. She even learnt to read sheet music from a much earlier era as a passion. She also has an interest in baby things, such as shoes for tiny feet, and small mittens. She harbors a collection of them in her stow-away keep-safe. She is proud of her genetics but doesn't brag about results from the tests she has taken. Has promised herself that one day she will meet her Mother and thank her.

That is the introductory person, the person we meet before the plot has started.

The next person is Main character #2;

He is the Notor of Fairytales. Basically a journalist in our language, yet to be published for a long article, still working his way up but has since started given up on progressing past official documents. He is snide, rude, and often serious. He employs heavy sarcasm in his speech, a function often lost on the people around him. He pities the screwed up, wind-up people who strive for greatness and feels its just an imaginary carrot the corporations dangle in front of their noses. Loosely expresses this opinion in his papers but all sarcasm is lost in the readers. He was one of the most promising males in his division. This scored him an official job, and access to the function of marriage, something reserved for the very top ranking people. He and Female Antagonist are married, she will be introduced later. It is not a happy marriage because she is if possible the driest person ever. He does love her though, through all of it. They are one of the stories sub-plots. He is aware of all official things.

I can't decide completely on the perspective. I want to write it in the beginning as her story but then I am realizing that his story might have more to say. Probably going to use both in NaNo and then when I edit choose one that works best.

That's it for now. At least I have something to show for working so hard!

By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-18

So life rant.

Time to loosen up the joints and get back to writing. November is approaching faster than ever and my typing is going to crap,,, Spelling, speed and everything there is. Basically, I feel incomplete. And I need to rant.

I am not old. I am not at risk of reaching a point in life where it is too late to change totally. But, after a few hours alone in my room I am having an existential crisis. Here's the deal right now. The show-down. The whole picture.

I am approaching 20. That's not necessarily old. But in five years I'll be 25 and five years after that 30. Holy crap, by then it is too late. I have to have my life together by then. Being raised by divorced parents I need to have a family, stability and yes, I need children by then. I also don't want to rush such a thing with someone I don't know.

So: I need to know the person for like 6 months before you can say that you are a couple. Then the next step is cohabitation. That is at LEAST one whole year of dating. After that comes engagement, and I think you should live together for at least a year before you go into that just to be sure of what you are getting into. After that step is definitely children. God darn that topic. You can be as torn as you want about it right now, but you sure son't want to be the old mom later on, so after engagement I say 6 months to a year before you could be expecting. Then when the child is a toddler, maybe 6 years old, marriage. That is my plan. It gives you time to start a career and get a steady job before anything else. And let's be honest, you don't want to be fat or ugly in wedding photos. So you should definitely be like 30 when that happens.

Counting backwards, that means;

29; marriage
23; child
22; engagement
21; cohabitation
20; dating
19; introduction

That's it. That is all. I fully understand how unrealistic it is that things follow this meticulous plan, but come on! Can't things just go the way you plan for once? Why shouldn't they?

It scares me, I will willingly say so. That means I should be meeting the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, right now. Holy cow... I do have a boyfriend, but I am nearly 100 percent sure it is frowned upon to say stuff such as "So hey, before I turn 24 I want a baby. And just so you know, I expect a proposal before then! Yea. So no. Probably going to die alone. Rant over for now.

By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome

Sunday, October 6, 2013

1st edition cover page for NaNowriMo 2013 novel

Here's the first edition of the cover I have made, because it looks awfully empty without it!



Okay, so I lied!

I didn't update as planned, but who ever does? I did however spend a lot of time thinking about my novel. It's such a long way until November, but still it's just around the corner and there is so much to do! Let's make a NaNoWriMo check list of what needs to be done (okay I just really want a good reason to postpone actually developing the idea at this point because usually that's where things get messy, untidy, and unclear)

Things a novel need:

- A title. A strong, poetic, special, non-cliché title. This does not necessarily need to be in place as writing begins.

- A setting. Work with geographical, historical and social. You can be ambiguous about one of three when writing, but choose wisely otherwise you'll end up being the bed-headboard-book-equalizer because you so uneven in yo language not even IKEA could assemble you straight.

- A main character. Or many, I mean let's be honest, isn't dual-narratives becoming a real thing lately? But be careful, or you might end up with half-naked characters (figuratively speaking).

- A plot. At least something that remotely resembles it. There are different types of novels, character based, plot based or setting based. (I made the last one up completely, it sounds awful, but the idea is there nevertheless) What did you start out with? It will be obvious to the reader what was there first; plot, character or setting.


Things I need:

- Lists. Of everything that could/would/should/might/will happen.

- A cover. I want to imagine the world and DO I wish I could draw. I have the hand-eye coordination of a one-winged seagull. Of course, they don't have hands at all... Poor things.

- Caffeine. Coffee is fine. Red Bull is better.


And what of this do I have as of this moment? Nada. Like literally nothing. I mean literally, as in there is so little substantial material written down right now we might as well not. Fret not. The day will come when ideas start coming to me again. Until then, I will blog selflessly in denial of the passing of time.

By Yours Truly,
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-06

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

NaNoWriMo 2013

I'm going to do it!!! Last time was in 2011, and I only made it about halfway, to circa 30000 words.

This time, I'm going for gold. Now I just need to find something to write about.... Plot updates coming soon

By Yours Truly
ETBlogsHome 2013-10-01