#.excited to write more for nanowrimo 2022

[lord-fallen]

“Make me a god,” she pleaded. It did not matter if she was driven by despair. “You think you're worth bending the rules for?” He rasped, tracing the contour of her color-drained – to his observation, beautiful – face with the back of his finger. "...Worthy to become a god?"

#nanowrimo 2022 #new wip #original writing #dark fantasy #writeblr community #wtwcommunity #amwriting #.edit #wip teaser #.excited to write more for nanowrimo 2022 #.welcome to a world where magic is more cruel than you think #.and the stakes are high

[void-botanist]

NaNo '22 week 1

Word goal: 11,667

Words written: 11,871

I've never stuck this closely to the daily word count for NaNo, but I am determined to win the one badge on the NaNo website I've never ever gotten before: Achieve Daily Par Every Day. Which would also make this the first time I have gotten a full set of badges for a NaNo goal. I don't think there's anything special about hundred-percenting the badges for a goal, but I feel good enough about my writing this year that I can think about being an achievement hunter.

All the planning I did ahead of time has been enormously helpful. I'm not writing in order, but I'm working on filling out each section of the story a fair bit before I move on to a later one, to help me keep track of how I'm generally unfolding things. Right now I'm still in the setup part--pretty much everything before Dez actually sets foot on Elbas Island. My worst discovery is that I have a lot of important background stuff about citizenship and Syndy to set up in the beginning, and I'm not convinced that I've figured out a solid way to do it yet (or that I've even figured out how much the reader needs to know as early as possible). But as I tried to tease out how to explain the importance of Syndy, I realized that Dez has absolutely been trying to figure out what happened to her after the fall of the monarchy and in the process has picked up the foreign-language skills to help Hoven translate the comments from Syndy's code into something Anni can read (in this specific situation the comments have been written in a separate document that can then be mapped to the lines in her code documents). Of course, Dez doesn't realize this at first and instead decides to pout about not being given a task to help with Syndy:

Dez lingered on the stairs, at a high enough angle that he could just see Hoven’s laptop screen over the back of the sofa. Hoven's hoofed fingers were efficient but his process of still needing to look up technical terms after hundreds of comments was not. Possibly Dez would have already finished translating the rest by now, after some three hours of work in total.

Hoven finished a line and abruptly stopped typing, looking over his shoulder and the back of the sofa. “Can I help you, Dez?”

Well, that was annoying. Hoven wasn’t supposed to know he was there, what with all the not breathing and not moving he was doing. “I’m just watching.”

“Yes, I know. I can feel your judgment from here.”

Hoven wasn’t supposed to know that either. Maybe it was best not to answer.

“Come here, please.”

Dez unfolded himself from the stairs and came to sit on the sofa cushion Hoven patted. From here Hoven’s screen was much clearer and he could see that Hoven’s document was sitting at 1784 out of 2080 lines.

“All right,” Hoven said with a tinge of sarcasm, “tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

#writing #nanowrimo 2022 #nanowrimo #tfa #wip #I don't think I've ever shared any of my novel writing on the internet before #or really any fiction writing for quite a while #it's exciting honestly #I might post more if I happen to write some more extractable snippets like this #wizardly things

[eternalglitch]

Some advice on how to write a long form fic and actually stick with it / survive.

In writing communities, you will hear that there are two main types of writers. Planners/pantsers or architects/gardeners are some of the common names for the types, but basically either you make meticulous notes and plan the entire story out before starting, or you start with an idea and make it up as you go. (Pantsing comes from the phrase "by the seat of your pants".)

Note that these aren't black and white categories; MOST writers will fall in between, but that's normal with most types of things. I started out with a pantser/gardener inclination; I had a cool idea and I posted the first chapter with NO idea where I was going next.

What I learned in that decade of writing was that this will not get you through long pieces of work in a satisfying way. Character arcs are hard to get right, thematical consistency and payoff can happen but it's more luck and chance than your actual skill as a writer. There's always a few geniuses that can do it, but I do not recommend trying to stick to this method alone.

I fall significantly more in between these as a more mature writer after trying and failing at gardening alone. When I posted Like Father Like Son, I went and typed out one bullet point for each chapter I thought I would write. There were 13 planned chapters, so obviously this plan was not accurate – except I have remained true to almost all of the general plot points I had written down in January 2020 at the current time of September 2022. I just expanded on the plot by a significant amount.

As I got used to the tone and got more inspired, I came up with the idea to utilize arcs to break the story down farther. I decided 6 arcs felt right, with a vague idea of what each one would entail, and as I started each arc I would go back in and bullet point what I thought each chapter would be like in more detail. Things still had room to change and grow once I saw where each arc took me, but it is much less daunting to plan 7 chapters at a time instead of 40. It still gave me time to change the little things and have fun seeing where each chapter took me, but it also never left me stranded with no idea where I was trying to swim.

Once I hit the big climax / turning point, which is in Chapter 21: Flatline, I changed tactics a little. I've kept a doc where I write out scenes that I was too excited to wait for, and had accumulated about 20 different little scenes with no order. I put them all on sticky notes and grouped them until I got a clear path, and then I went and solidified the last three arcs in order to get character arcs and themes tied off in a satisfactory way. I had given myself enough time to really think about what I wanted to do, and now that I knew where I currently stood it felt effortless to fill out.

Now. Planning advice aside, how do you actually write a long fic? You will need two main things.

Stamina. This is a skill in and of itself, and unless you have completed at least a novel-length story before, you are new to it! This muscle isn't developed! The best way to throw yourself into training it would be challenging NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) in either November or July. In thirty days, you have to write 50k which pans out to 1,667 words a day. I have challenged and won it twice. I totally pantsed both times, which means I think both novels I wrote are severely lacking in quality, but they absolutely trained me to think on my feet and just push through writer's block. It's grueling and at times painful, but the feeling of crossing the 50k mark on November 30th? That's why I've stuck with writing. Genuinely it is worth doing at least once, you WILL become a better writer even if that piece of work itself is a mess.

Find something you are wildly excited to write in every single chapter. Yes, every single one. You tend to start a story very excited about a few select scenes, but when I start a chapter I try and find at least part of it that I am SO excited to type. This will give you energy and I think people can tell when you actually are enjoying writing rather than slogging through it. Bored of the chapter you're writing? Back to the drawing board, there IS a better way to get from points A to C. Even one chapter I wasn't interested in in between two I loved could make me procrastinate for months instead of just enjoying getting back into the writing.

#glitch speaks #writing advice #maybe this is helpful #maybe not #my writing

[nanowrimo]

NaNoWriMo is Here!

Happy November 1, everyone!!! 🙌

We're so excited to write with you and are freshly fueled by leftover/stolen Halloween candy. Our challenge for you today: don't let the day pass without a few words. The first few days are critical for your creative momentum. (If you're really feeling daunted, cut yourself a break and give yourself permission to just write one sentence.) You've got this, Wrimo. We've got you.

Ways to Find Community During NaNoWriMo This Year

⏱️ Check out @NaNoWordSprints for word sprints all day long! (Don’t forget to create your 2022 NaNoWriMo goal first so you can update your word count!)

🗺️ Join a Region (or several!) — Find and join your local region on the NaNoWriMo website to connect with other writers in your area. If you travel between different places (i.e., if you've gone away for school but still visit your hometown, or you live and work in different cities), you can join multiple regions and choose which one to set as your home region.

👋 Create or Join a Writing Group — You can also create a private writing group of up to 20 people on the NaNoWriMo website to share encouragement, feedback, and accountability—or just to hang out with other writers. We've shared some tips on what makes a good writing group!

🗓️ Join an Event with NaNo HQ — Take a look at our calendar to find official events led by the NaNoWriMo staff, including Zoom Hangouts, Virtual Write-Ins, webcasts, and more.

💬 Chat on the Forums — On the NaNoWriMo forums, you can chat with other writers from around the world about everything from what to do when you have writer's block to your favorite kind of bookmark.

✏️ Back to School with YWP — Our Young Writers Program is for kids (18 and under) who want to write, educators teaching creative writing, and families looking for learning resources.

#nanowrimo #writing #nanowrimo 2022 #aaaahhhh #it's here! #by nano hq

[ellesliterarycorner]

Tips for NaNoWriMo 2022

NaNoWriMo 2022 is 12 hours away! I will not be staying up to midnight to start writing cause your girl needs her sleep, but I am still so excited to write tomorrow! Last year, NaNoWriMo went extremely well for me, and I’m trying not to hold myself to the same standards this year cause I’m in the middle of college apps now. Still, I am so in love with the story I’m going to be writing, and I cannot wait to dive into this new world with all these new characters. NaNoWriMo can be extremely intimidating, especially if it’s your first time trying it out. 50,000 words in 30 days is a whole lot of words in not a whole lot of days. Don’t worry! Here are a few tips to keep NaNo 2022 as stress free and fun as possible.

Word Vomit and Writing Sprints 

My biggest problem when doing NaNo in past years is that I let my perfectionism get in the way of just writing! I never believe in editing as you write, but it’s especially bad when you’re writing for NaNo. December is for editing whatever mess you wrote; November is for actually getting it all down. Normally, I don’t do word writing sprints, but writing sprints during NaNo are the most helpful things on the planet. Challenging yourself to sit still and write as many words as possible for 5 minutes is so helpful in reaching your daily writing goal! I often call the product of those little writing sprints ‘word vomit.’ It’s messy, probably makes no sense, and will definitely end up getting deleted later, but it’s words and they’re on the page. That’s the most important part! I talk about this more later, but NaNo is not about writing pretty; it’s about writing fast. My favorite thing to do during NaNo is employ the trusty bracket method: if I have absolutely no clue what to write next I simply write a short description of what I want to happen in brackets and move on to the next thing that I know I can write. This is one of the times when quantity is far better than quality. You’ll have time to make it pretty later. For now, just do a writing sprint, and word vomit!

Winning Isn’t Everything!

It’s the only thing! Jk jk. I have a complicated relationship with the “winning” and “losing” aspect of NaNoWriMo. On one hand, it is kinda a competition, but on the other hand, saying you either win or lose something puts a whole lot of pressure and stress on it, especially for young writers. I used to get so upset when I ‘lost’ NaNo even though I had written thousands of words and completely exhausted myself in the process. Now, I tend to take a much more lax approach to it, and I think that comes from having been on both sides of it. 'Winning’ and ‘losing’ Nano has been pretty much equally beneficial to me as writer and as a person. It helps you grow and learn what works for you and what doesn’t work! Now, I’m not saying all this to say that I’m just going to relax and not even going to try to write 50,000 words in November. I definitely am going to try, but at the same time, writing something is better than writing nothing, so I count that as a win either way. If you are completely committed to doing whatever you can to reach your NaNo goal, though, make sure to be kind to yourself. We’re only human!

Playlist? Check! Tea? Check! Chocolate? Check!

Some people jump straight into NaNo without an outline and with only a vague idea of what they’re writing. Some people (me included) have a full detailed outline ready to go at 12AM. It doesn’t matter which side you’re on. But, I do recommend no matter what, take at least five minutes to decide where you're going to write! It doesn’t have to be the same place every time even though I do love me a good little routine. Maybe you carve out a little space in your room, or you have your favorite writing nook in your local library! Whatever works for you and your writing process! I also recommend having a little writer bag. I take mine with me to school every day. It has my headphones, my planning notebook, my laptop charger, a bottle of CrystalLite iced tea, and some Hershey Kisses: all the things that bring me joy and prepare me to get in my writing headspace. Having all those things nearby and easily accessible helps cut down on prep time and decreases procrastination or my worst enemy. 

NaNo Your Way!

This is probably my biggest tip. I didn’t start actually winning and enjoying myself until I realized that it really didn’t matter what anyone else was doing. It was me against me. My own self-doubt was my own worst enemy. That means that during NaNo do whatever you want! If you want to write 50,000 words of poetry instead of a novel, do that! That is still 50,000 words of writing, and that is a major accomplishment, and tbh, slightly more impressive. The beauty of NaNo is how every person does it differently, but we all come together to create something at the end of it! Don’t worry about finding the perfect word or filling all of those plot hole! Like I said earlier, all of that will come later! Take full advantage of the absolute messiness of NaNo! You don't have to write anything to please anybody but yourself. If you do happen to be writing something that you want to edit later and publish, then whatever you write in a first draft is for those future versions of you to edit and rewrite. Right now, it’s worthy just as it is, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo 2022 #writing #writers on tumblr #writers of ig #writers of instagram #writers of insta #writing tip #writing tips #writing advice #writing reference #writing references #writing resource #writing resources

[riaisnthere]

Summoning the Will to Write when you're Stuck

(this is a repost from instagram :D)

So I've been stuck in a writing slump the last few weeks and now I'm re-visiting my own advice lol. Slumps suck—especially the writing ones.

Not actually stopping with writing

So yeah, this is probably some weird advice for someone in a writing slump, but from all the tidbits and advice posts I've seen, this one is most prominent! I tried it, and at first, it didn't help at all. Even just 5 sentences were difficult, so I thought to just move on from this technique because it wasn't for me. Then I realized, after spending the last few weeks world-building (thank you nanowrimo 2022 for the scrivener subscription <3) instead of continuing my draft, that I WAS still writing, which is where I'm trying to go with this point. If you can't continue writing on your draft, for now, work on your world-building or jot down scenes you want to explore way later. It's still writing, even if it's just notes.

Finding Inspiration (however that process works for you)

For me, that means listening to the songs I saved that remind me of my characters or scenes in my WIP or re-reading books that inspired me to want to become a better writer, or even browsing my WIP's pinterest folders or reviewing my world-building document to get back in the mood of my world. If I'm not too deep in a slump, doing this helps me tremendously!

Acting out your scenes

This might be a little strange to those who haven't tried it, but with an active imagination on your side, this might help a lot to get excited in your writing again. Sometimes, the cause of getting into a slump happens when I don't know how to continue a scene, and I just fixate on it with no answer in sight. Instead of staring at my screen for hours, though, what I usually do to hash out those details is by getting up, putting on my headphones, finding a song that fits the mood of the scene, and just start moving back and forth in my room and pretend I'm there as one of the characters or just the 'cameraman.' Again, a little weird but if it helps, it helps! (I've come to learn this is called Maladaptive Daydreaming LMAO)

Re-reading what you have so far

Re-reading what you've written already with no distractions or music or any will behind it can give you the will you need to get back into continuing where you had left off. Perhaps it's because you can be sent back into that brain setting of 'Creating! Writing! Words!' or just becoming more motivated again to finish what you had started when you read what you had first started with. I hope that makes sense... (this was the method I used back then to get out of a slump... i'll try it again and see if it works)

#writing tips #tips for writing :) #writing advice #a repost from last year #with new comments in parentheses #writer things #writing slump #author thoughts #writers life

[amadwinter]

Making of Monday - Tracking Word Counts

On Making of Monday, we share behind the scenes of one of our works past, present, or future. All the little things that would fit into a DVD bonus content section: cut scenes, outlines, director's writer's commentary, or basically any thing that didn't make it into the final version. Send me an ask if you're interested in knowing little details about any particular fic!

This week, I decided to show my word count spreadsheet that I've been meticulously using and crafting for coming up on two years now. It wasn't built in a day, and I'm almost constantly tweaking it to make it look nice and functional as I keep writing.

Uh, fair warning. This is not a very exciting post. Unless you like numbers and data, like I do.

For the sake of my own sanity, I started a new Excel document for the new year. This is my Summary page for the year 2024. I have pages created already for each month but hide them when it isn't that month. I'll show the Overview page next after I've explained what you're looking at.

So what you see here is my monthly and annual writing totals. This only takes into account new words written, although the start number at the top of each yearly column includes my running word count. Each month's number is automatically updated from the corresponding month's page, and added up in the total column.

On the side, I have fun projections. So if I wanted to write x number of words per year, not counting the words I have already written, I would need to write y number of words per month with an average of z number of words per day. It's not something I pay too much attention to, just for fun. Below that is a projection of if I write the NaNoWriMo daily count (1667 words per day) or 1000 words per day, how much that would add up to at the end of the year.

This is the Overview page from last year (2023) plus December 2022 which is when I switched over from my previous Google Sheets document. Additionally at the bottom you can see the different monthly pages that are not hidden (I color coded them because I was bored one day).

This page keeps track of my daily totals in the form of a color gradient, linked to the monthly pages to get the totals.

Solid Red = 0

Solid Yellow = 1000

Solid Green = 1667 (NaNoWriMo Daily; 50,000 words in a 30 day month)

Originally, the idea was to be able to look at it and see if there were time periods that I wasn't writing as well due to being busy for various reasons, so I could be able to predict in the future what conditions weren't great for writing. But an interesting side effect is it's also able to track my good days and my bad days for health reasons.

That random number you see on the right side is my highest daily word count. I was curious about it, but I couldn't figure out a way to make it look pretty and fit in with everything else.

This is my month page, divided by each individual project. Y is series or event with multiple fics involved, Z is one-shots, two-shots, or very short fics. The greyed out ones at the top are ones I'm not actively working on, the ones in green are fics that I am either actively working on or trying to work on.

Also at the top are the new words added each month (which is the cell used in other pages to keep track of the monthly number), the total words in all my documents, and the daily average for the month.

The color gradient at the top for each day follows the same pattern as before; Solid Red = 0, Solid Yellow = 1000, Solid Green = 1667+

I keep track of the word count for each chapter, add the total, subtract it from the previous day, and boom, that's my daily total. If there are times where I delete things, I throw it into a document called "Binned" to balance the numbers. That way, I never subtract from the amount of words I've written, only add.

While it may look like a very simple sheet, it is very messy with formulas, conditional formatting, etc. If I were more skilled at Excel, I could probably improve it even more, but at this point, there's very little maintenance needed to keep it going and I can focus on actually writing.

In theory.

#making of monday #writing process #no i didn't almost forget to post this #what are you talking about? #this might only make sense in my own brain

[banannabethchase]

✨Fic Writing Review 2023✨

Tagged by the lovely @aidaronan

Gonna put all this under a cut as it is a doozy. Me? Rambling? It's just as likely as you'd think from the everything about me.

Words and Fics

497,498 words published on ao3 (Jesus fucking Christ - that doesn't even count my ficlets)

101 fics published on AO3

Enough tumblr ficlets that I don't have the spoons to go back and count them all

3 in-progress fics that may or may not be in the yeeted into purgatory sometime soon

3 new fics in permanent purgatory

1 new fic that I killed within 500 words

9 series created/added to

Top 3 by kudos

Hungry Heart - HangMox, AEW

[tie between] Intrigue - HangMoxMatt, AEW and A Convenient Cancellation - HangMox, AEW

I Can't Promise Forever (But I'm Working On It) - HangMox, AEW

(Realizing now that holy cow do my HangMox fics do better than I thought. Also all of those were published before I put my account on lockdown, I think, so that contributes as well.)

Fandom Events in 2023

Threecount Exchange! I mean, it kicked in this year. Everything gets published and finished next year, but still, it counts!

Upcoming Projects

Threecount Exchange fic (no you will not get details mwahaha)

The final installment of the House of Black Magic series, which is also my final square on my Bingo Board

Days 10-31 of the December Prompt Challenge I for some reason made for myself, which includes the finale of a series (I shan't disclose which)

At least 4 more installments in the Matt Experiments universe

The teacher's AU I've been putting off for about a year

Writing reflection

What a frickin' year. I haven't been in a fandom like this since Scorpion which, for those who know, ended poorly for both the whole fandom and me as a person. I was unable to watch the season 4 premiere due to my Dad's death, and then it got cancelled before I could catch up. Jumping back into a fandom head first, after how miserable my last one ended, was scary but incredible.

I beat NaNoWriMo 3 times in one year for the first time since 2016. I wrote two novella length fics and a novel length fic from December 2022 until now. I've made friends with incredible people, learned how to use tumblr in a way that keeps me safe, and learned that I've grown past the person I was when I let other people drive me out of a fandom for writing fic in a way I enjoyed and being autistic. I feel safe in this fandom, not for the lack of drama (lord knows there's plenty of it), but because I've created for myself a space where I know I can trust the people I follow.

I am excited to vault headfirst into 2024. I have no predictions. I have no expectations. I just have hope, and I think that's enough.

But I really do hope I can keep writing, even if it's at a different pace from 2023.

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please do eat glass, I’ve heard it’s good for your gums.

Tagging [please view the rules! I think they are great rules!!! Except the glass thing, don't chew glass. If you don't want to do this, please feel free to ignore completely]: @sarahcakes613, @booboo-eyedbambi, @scissormedaddyass, @rosabellebelieve, @anairbri. As always, if you see this and want to try it, I tagged you :) (And if you don't want to do this, pretend I didn't tag you.)

#This was fun I like these #2023 #about Sara #in which sara writes

[writingdotcoffee]

#250: I Burned Out

You may or (let’s be realistic) may not have noticed that I stopped posting long-form posts a few months ago.

What’s up? Well, I burned out. After five years of writing a post every week, enough things in my life came together that caused me to have no energy left to keep this up. I was sitting at my desk at 11 PM working on the next post one Sunday, and I couldn’t do it. I gave up and went to bed.

It was surprisingly hard to do at that moment. The habit I created over the years was so ingrained. I wanted to figure something out and get on with it regardless of the circumstances. I hated myself for not being able to follow through.

The week after, it became a little easier to go through my Sunday without writing anything. Over the next few weeks, the habit faded away. That sucks, but it was necessary to take the pressure off.

How’s it Going?

The story is pretty boring, because burnout is boring, or at least it was for me.

I kept doing things that I’m obliged to do and spent the rest of my time reading the front page of Reddit. That was pretty much the only thing I could get myself to do.

Just before it happened, I remember this feeling of intense dread from doing work I used to not mind at all. Writing and particularly publishing what I wrote became a massive chore. It was very confusing.

I looked back at days when I was able to get 10x more done and wondered what the hell happened.

I knew what I wanted to get done, but I just didn’t have the will to do it. I found it super difficult to focus or make decisions. It’s frustrating and very hard to describe.

Fortunately, it was all temporary. I would not be writing this post if I weren’t feeling a lot better. I’m doing pretty great now. I’m back working on some exciting new features for Writing Analytics.

Burnout Isn't a Problem to Solve

To be completely honest, I don’t know what helped me get out of it. I wish I could make this post into a “5 Top Tips on Dealing with Burnout” type of listicle, but I’m not sure I even have one good piece of advice.

I didn’t slow down because I saw burnout coming. I did it because I couldn’t carry on. As I said, it’s very difficult to describe the actual feeling.

I guess I just accepted the reality of the situation. That let the pressure that I put on myself off. And then I waited.

There wasn’t any “oh, I’m not burnt out anymore” moment. Things improved over time until I was able to get excited about working on my projects again.

One thing I learned through this experience is that burnout isn't something to be "solved." There's no immediate fix. You have to give yourself space and let your body recover.

What’s Next?

I'd love to keep the blog going, but I'm not sure yet what will be the best way forward. As I said, my weekly writing habit has evaporated. I will have to start over and rebuild it. Or perhaps this is an opportunity to try something new? I'll keep you posted.

I've also been working on a massive new feature for Writing Analytics — perhaps the biggest update yet. I'm hoping to have it ready by NaNoWriMo this year 🤞.

Past Editions

#249: Finish More Things, July 2022

#248: Serious Procrastination, June 2022

#247: Learning How to Fail, June 2022

#246: Your Art Is Like a Journal Entry, May 2022

#245: Writing + Headspace, May 2022

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #blogging #burnout #writeblr

[everythingwritingg]

I really can’t believe Nanowrimo is fast approaching. 2022 has gone by so fast and we’re more than 75% of the way done with the year. October is coming to a close and November is approaching. Now is the season for pies, turkeys, and of course, NaNoWriMo. Whether this is your first time or you’ve done every one of them since they began, here is a list of tips to help you have a pleasant Nano experience.

First, what is NaNoWriMo? Whenever I post anything about Nano, I always get a bunch of questions asking what it is. It stands for National Novel Writing Month and happens every November. Writers challenge themselves and each other to write 50,000 words a month, which equates to 1667 words a day. You can go to Nanowrimo.org to participate.

Choose a story idea you’re excited about. A lot of people find themselves quitting their projects because they lose interest. While it might be hard to predict how you’ll feel about a project down the line, try to choose an idea you’re interested in, such as in your favorite genre. If you’re trying to continue an existing project, make sure you love it!

Break the monthly goal into weekly and daily goals. Thinking about writing 50K words is daunting and can make you tempted to procrastinate, so split it up into chunks of days and weeks. You can choose to write 1667 words every single day (I’ve done that), but it might benefit you to have some flexibility. One thing I find helpful is weekly goals such as 12K words a week so maybe you can write more words on weekends when you’re less busy. And remember that November is a whole month, so maybe you’re a little busier wrapping up some work deadlines at the beginning of the month, but then you go on Thanksgiving break. Or maybe you’re busier around the end of the month due to visiting family so you’ll write more in early November.

Be prepared by doing PrepTober. While you definitely don’t need to get every single detail down on paper, you should at least have an idea of your beginning, middle, and ending. This will make you more efficient since you’ll reduce the time you need to think. It can also make the process way less stressful.

Focus on getting the first draft done. Don’t edit as you go, because it’ll take more time. Instead, focus on getting the words down. You can edit later, but you can’t edit if you have nothing written. This might be hard to stomach for perfectionists, but you can absolutely edit in December.

Hold yourself accountable. Some people like having writing buddies to share progress, while others like to post their progress on social media. Whatever works for you and keeps you motivated. If you’re self-motivated, you can also keep a journal of how many words you wrote a day.

Work in places that promote productivity. This looks different for everyone. Some like to listen to music, others like writing in silence. Whether you prefer writing at a desk or on the couch, this is all up to personal preference. What normally makes you more productive?

Don’t stress too much. If writing 50K words is too much for you to handle, you can set your goal lower like 20 or 30K. November is a hectic month for some people, with work, school, and family. Unless you’re a full-time writer, you likely have some responsibilities more important than writing. It’s ok to put writing on the backburner if it’s affecting your ability to get some of them done or negatively impacting your mental health.

If you’re participating in Nano this year, I wish you the best of luck. If you’re not, then I wish you luck with your writing and life goals this month. Don’t hesitate to comment if you have questions, and I hope you enjoyed!

[a-driftamongopenstars]

It all happens in November - NaNoWriMo Mini Edition 2022 - #1 Crisp

i'm going to motivate myself to write some 500 or so word ficlets, using this lovely prompt list. this collection will featuring various destiny ships and friendships :) if you want to see a particular ship for a particular prompt, feel free to send me an ask! It all happens in November - NaNoWriMo Mini Edition 2022 AO3

1. Crisp

Osiris never did enjoy the cold weather. He has always preferred the scorch of the Mercurian warmth or the absence of any within the Infinite Forest. Both were a distracting factor that he could do without when struggling against the currents of time in his searches for the unknown and the unknowable.

It’s been a long time ago now.

Now, he can’t help but feel grateful for the fresh cold air that enters his room through a slightly open window. It brings in that crispness of November cold that makes him remember that he is alive. With the gently tucked in blankets around his frail body, he feels more vulnerable and yet… safe.

The bedroom door opens gently as Saint-14 bumps his hip against it. His hands are busy carrying a large tray with a steaming bowl on top which he promptly settles on a bed table over Osiris’ chest.

“Here,” Saint says softly, sitting beside the bed on a low stool. “You eat this and get strong.”

Osiris picks up the spoon and dips it into the hot broth. He huffs and smiles but does not say anything. Talking has been difficult after his awakening, with voice chords tired out by time, misery and grief. But the intention does not pass by Saint who laughs.

“Bah, I can see it in your eyes, you are trying to find a witty answer. I’ll take this as a sign of your recovery.”

Both chuckle.

Slowly, Osiris eats his soup, which is perfect for this crisp cold weather. The nourishing broth, the bits of vegetables swimming in it. A whole lot of love, too, and skill that Saint possesses with food.

When was the last time Osiris took a minute to eat something wholesome? To stop and simply enjoy without rushing to save the world, to hunt down another mystery. Has he forgotten how to live? Has Light and destiny gotten into his head so deeply that he let go of those tiny pleasures that make it all worth living?

He pauses, lowers the spoon back into the soup. His eyes find Saint’s who watches him with rising concern.

“Is it not salty enough? Do you want pepper in it? Bread?”

“No, Saint, no,” Osiris says calmly. “It is good. It is… Thank you.”

Saint leans in carefully, sliding his large hand over Osiris’ arm and caressing him.

“Do not tell me my soup makes a… softie out of you, as the Guardian puts it.”

Osiris huffs again.

“Little do they know. No, I mean it, Saint, stop jesting for a minute. Thank you for taking care of me.”

“It is all I ever want to do,” Saint replies, leaning down to kiss Osiris’ shoulder carefully. “And I will keep doing it.”

Saint lets go and Osiris acknowledges him with a careful, gentle pressure of his forehead against Saint’s hand before he retrieves it.

The soup consumption is resumed then, just as the curtain over the window begins to dance a little more excited in the air than a minute before. Saint rises, but Osiris pauses him.

“Let us keep the window open a little more. This November air is… refreshing.”

#destiny 2 #o14 #osiris x saint 14 #fanfiction #driftcreates #nanowrimo 2022 #nanowrimo mini

[starlingflight]

2022 Wrapped

Post the top 5 works you're most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular)

ty for tagging me, @ashesandhackles and @lanaturnergetup​

Sands of Time - I wanted to scream from frustration when I got ‘sand’ and ‘chocolate frog card’ as prompts. I wanted to scream in excitement when I figured out how to work them into a fic. Also, my first foray into Jily

End of the Road - Founders Era is way out of my comfort zone and I really enjoyed exploring it. Also I accidentally made Rowena Ravenclaw my own favourite character lmao. 

Those Left Behind - I’m really happy with how captured some difficult emotions in this. I want to write more from immediately after the war but I find that period pretty intimidating because of the intensity of the circumstances/atmosphere. 

Let It Linger - I have said this previously on discord, but I used to be a total James Potter Anti and I’m low-key proud of myself for not being too rigid on my opinons and allowing myself to be swayed (thank you, @lanaturnergetup​). This was my first time writing James’ POV and I felt like I had a breakthrough with him.

Auld Lang Syne - I really enjoyed exploring the Marauder dynamics for the first time but I’m mainly including this because @hinnyfied​ said this was her favorite thing of mine and I live to please her. 

your top 4 current WIPs that you're excited to release in the new year

I wish I could give a list but I can’t because I don’t really have a plan for this year. 

I did Nanowrimo in November and wrote 70k of an original story - I’m excited to edit it in the New Year and figure out if I’m ever going to put it somewhere for people to read. 

I’m planning a fic about Cho and her life post-canon, I’m also planning a follow-up to A Bad Idea (a George/Angelina one-shot) and maybe something Parvati & Lavender focused with @lanaturnergetup​ which will be the MOST fun if we actually get time for it. 

your top 3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year

Allowing myself to just write without worrying if it’s good and knowing I can edit later - something that really helped in nanowrimo. 

I think I’ve got better at Show Don’t Tell but also knowing when telling is actually necessary. I think I have previously been a little too scared of exposition. 

A weird side effect of depression (for me) is that it makes visualising scenes much more difficult - this has been frustrating but I think an unintended consequence of it has been that I have focussd a lot more on description/scene-building (for my own benefit more than anyone who might read my writing) and my descriptions have improved because of it. 

your top 2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year,

I have really shied away from drama in favour of ‘realism’ previously, thanks to taking other people's advice way too much to heart. Sometimes drama is fun and exciting, which is what storytelling is about. I’m going to allow more drama into my writing this year and not worry about readers rolling their eyes at me. 

I’m going to pay more attention to characters I’ve previously written off. @ashesandhackles​ is my life idol and she has really nuanced takes on almost every character so I’m going to be more like her. 

and your number 1 favorite line you've written this year:  

‘However, rules, in James’ experience, were meant to be broken.

“It’s late. We should get back to the common room.”

Just not tonight.’

Okay, that’s three lines - the last line is my favourite but a tiny bit of context is needed. The way I evil grinned to myself when I wrote this. The way my evil grin spread when @lanaturnergetup​ beta’d it and left me this comment: 

Tagging: no one bc I'm super late to this party. If you haven't done this and you want to, consider yourself tagged.

#2022 wrapped #my writing

[screadingchallenge]

Behind the Keyboard Volume 35

Behind the Keyboard is a series of interviews with different Schitt’s Creek fanfic authors. The series will last as long as there is interest (from authors) and capacity (from me). If you are an author from the Schitt’s Creek fandom who would like to participate, send a DM to this account.  

Each author was given ten questions. The first five questions are the same for every author, the last five will vary.

If you'd like to do an interview, let me know!

Let’s meet our next author:

@apothecarose / ApothecaRose

How many fics have you written? 

39 (17 of which are ficlets all under 1k as part of my Idiots in love series)

When did you publish your first fic on AO3? 

January 11, 2022

Describe your writing process from “Oh, I have an idea” to pushing publish on AO3. 

It’s pretty chaotic, most of the time. I’ll usually open a doc and write a sentence or two describing my idea to come back to when I have a chance, or I’ll just start writing immediately. I rarely outline anything, although I’ve improved slightly in my planning, which doesn’t really say all that much. I usually yell at a friend or two about the idea and if it’s fairly short I tend to just read it through quickly to try to catch mistakes and publish, or if it’s longer/something particularly meaningful I’ll have someone beta it and maybe make a few changes. So what I’m saying is that I don’t really have much of a process, and it can go from getting an idea, writing a short fic and posting it all in 30 minutes to spending months working on something, brainstorming with a friend and having a couple people giving me feedback before posting, it really depends on the story (and sometimes my mood). I’m working on trying to spend more time planning and editing, but I tend to be impatient.

Tell me about your most recent fic? What do you love about it? Is there anything you think you could have done better? 

My most recent fic is this car is cursed which is an example of a quick idea that was written without feedback or beta. I actually wrote it at 11pm after struggling to hit my NaNoWriMo goal. In a perfect world, I would have spent more time on it, and I would have liked to add a scene after the first scene with Patrick and David still getting their date night in some way, despite not having Patrick’s car, and I would have spent actual time editing it, but my impatience won out. I have other, bigger projects that I’m working on and this was more of a quick distraction before getting back to my bigger projects - which right now is my nano fic and a fake boyfriends AU that I’m very excited about, but I’m taking my time with it.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about publishing their fic for the first time?

Be kind to yourself and try not to take the number of kudos and comments to heart. Keep writing, as long as you want to, because the more your write, the more you will improve. Reach out to other writers and readers that you trust to give you feedback and/or just cheer you on, the support I’ve received from this fandom has been amazing and as a fandom I think we are all happy to accept new writers, so don’t be afraid to share your ideas!

What’s a fic (by any author) you love that you don’t think enough people know about?

Uoma Morto Che Cammina by SochaintheStein - this is such a unique idea with a well thought out universe and it’s so perfectly executed! If you hate Sebastien (and who doesn’t?) I’ll just say this fic is very satisfying!

Would you rather write smut or crack?

Oh, definitely crack - writing smut gives me so much anxiety! Not to say that I haven’t, or won’t write more smut in the future.

If you could say one thing to your fellow fic writers, what would it be?

Thank you for giving us so many wonderful stories, and for being so accepting of us newer writers that came in to the fandom after the show had already ended. I can’t even express how much joy you have all given me, and inspired me to start writing again after about fifteen years, which is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. 

Do you write for any other fandoms? Which ones?

Nothing else has quite captured my heart the way these characters have, it’s the only fandom I write for at the moment. 

Tell me about a story that you wish you could write but that you’re not quite ready to tackle.

Oh, there’s so many things I wish I could write! I definitely wish I could write something with lots of twists and turns and brilliant connections that all come together in the end. I have a couple WIPs on hold because I even though I loved the ideasd when I started writing, but I can’t quite figure out how to make everything come together. Hopefully one day I’ll be ready to revisit them!

#behind the keyboard #meet the authors #sc fanfic #schitt’s creek #schitts creek

[nanowrimo]

You Can Now Announce Your 2022 NaNoWriMo Project!

Are you excited to explore, discover, and create new stories this November? How about joining the biggest community of writers in the world as we embark on a fun and challenging adventure? If you’ve been waiting for the universe to give you a sign that you should write that novel you’ve been dreaming about, then consider this your invitation!

Announce your 2022 NaNoWriMo Project!

You can now officially announce your project for National Novel Writing Month 2022! You can choose the genre you’ll be writing, share an outline or summary, and even connect a Pinterest board or music playlist to your project to get in the brainstorming mood.

Explore what NaNoWriMo has to offer:

✍️ Get ready to write with NaNo Prep 101 — Our free NaNo Prep workbook will help you get ready to reach 50K in November with a 6-week course of guided exercises. Starting September 19, we'll have themed weekly resources, events, and discussions to help you dive into your story. Or, you can visit the NaNo Prep page and do the exercises at your own pace

👋 Join a region to find events run by your local volunteer — Find your region, then join it to get updates from your local Municipal Liaison! (View our updated 2022 in-person events policy.)

📅 Check out upcoming events hosted by NaNo HQ — You can browse and RSVP to virtual events hosted by NaNoWriMo staff and partners, including Zoom meetup groups, yoga for writers, webcasts, and more.

🎁 Take a look at our Sponsor Offers — Every year, we partner with some incredibly generous sponsors. Check out our offers page to find exclusive deals on writing software, publishing resources, writing communities, and more!

📚 Write for the NaNoWriMo blog — Interested? Just fill out this form, and we’ll get in touch if we think you’re a good fit! (Please note that we receive a high volume of interest in writing for the blog, and may not be able to respond to everyone. This is currently an unpaid opportunity.)

#nanowrimo #national novel writing month #writing #nanowrimo 2022 #amwriting #by nano hq

[heartsuntamed]

"Hearts Untamed" cast

or, the ones I've actually drawn so far, anyway! I'll bore you with a little info about the world. I definitely prefer a "soft magic system" so I can make things happen however is prettiest, and my world-building is similarly loose because I'm here to have fun, dammit.

I made up Estrella in december 2001 and she's been one of mommy's favorites ever since. it took me til late 2022 to begin putting together her story, and I'm so excited that everything in life worked out so I can actually do my best writing it this NaNoWriMo!

"Hearts Untamed" is about a unicorn/human mixed girl (who identifies first as a unicorn) finding herself, her spiritual power, her womanhood, and her heart's desire.

so everyone lives on a small continent named Arcelia with close-by islands. one large island is unicorn territory, whether known or not to the humans. it's inhabited by the Moon Clan of Mo'anne. like 2/3 of the clan choose to live much of their lives in humanoid forms in a human-inspired village, while the rest spend most of their immortal lives in the forest, preferring the Old Ways (living in nature, being horses, riding rainbows, typical unicorn shit).

~ ~ ~

ESTRELLA // our main character. she has a unicorn mom and human dad. she trained as a priestess and then shortly after was elected by the Goddess as the Ascended, a super-powerful unicorn priestess who serves as a bridge between the Divine and Her unicorns. (think like the pope tbh) her father never returned despite his promise so after her mother leaves to find him, Estrella leaves her home and her temple to find them both, discovering so much about herself along the way, etc etc. she draws power from the moon and stars and night.

MARISOL // Estrella's bff. they were born in the same generation and both have human dads. she is the high priestess, assisting Estrella with her role as the Ascended. her powers manifest in fire and sunlight. she's willing to take alternative and dangerous paths to reach her goals, and this leads her through the dark nights of the soul, her faith tested. she would do anything for her best friend and the Ascended.

CHARISMA // Estrella's mom. she was the high priestess for 400 years before Marisol was anointed. her magic often manifests in bubbles and butterflies. she came across a wounded human man and helped him, eventually falling deeply in love and knowing he was her One. he hasn't returned as he promised, but she knows he still loves her, and she spends years studying and praying to find him.

LUX // Estrella's human dad! he's from the Northmost Mountains region of Arcelia. he was severely wounded when Charisma found him ~30 years ago, and as she nursed him and they spent time together, they fell deeply in love. when they discovered Charisma was pregnant with Estrella, Lux left to settle his affairs with his kin before returning to share his life with his new family... but he never returned.

FLEUR // an Ancient unicorn (well over 1000 years old) who is on the Council of Elders for the Moon Clan. she oversees the priestesses-in-training and is one of the more public faces of the Council. all unicorns never cut their hair, yet hers is clearly cut short. it is full of secrets. 👀

MO'ANNE + THE RIVER // the dual goddess that the unicorns (especially the Moon Clan) worship. Mo'anne is the usual name they use for the Goddess, but the River is Her untamed, wild heart, bringing a different power. She is a moon goddess whose chosen creations are Her unicorns. sacred to Her are rabbits, silver, the moon, snowdrops and the winter solstice.

#yes i'm doing this instead of writing #for the last three hours i've had to write #nanowrimo #cast #my art #m

[filet-o-feelings]

5-4-3-2-1

Thanks for tagging me @mammameesh and @tyfinn 💛

Rules: post the top 5 works you’re most proud of that you released in 2022 (not necessarily your most popular).

4 current WIPs that you’re excited to release in the new year.

3 biggest improvements in your writing over the past year.

2 resolutions (ways you wish to improve your writing/blog) for the new year

1 favorite line you’ve written this year!

5 works I'm most proud of:

Everything's Too Cold... But You're So Hot

This started out as a pretty vague idea; I just knew I wanted to write a fake boyfriends story, but I loved the first chapter so much that it quickly became my most important project and I'm very proud of it, definitely my favorite thing I've written to date. Fake boyfriends stuck together through an ice storm.

Further North

This is the first long fic I've ever written, and before this I didn't think I was capable of writing anything longer than maybe 6k or so. I wrote it in about 2 weeks and I'm still kind of amazed by that. I would love that writing energy back again. Strangers stuck together through a snow storm. Clearly I have a favorite trope.

there are so many beds (how do I get you in mine?)

There was a post going around about a manufactured only one bed situation, this was my twist on that.

Rescue Mission

Everyone except Patrick is an alien. Stevie, David and Ronnie are on a spaceship. David, monitoring Earth, becomes... smitten?... with Patrick and decides he needs to be saved from the horrors on Earth. So many shenanigans. Lots of fun. One day there will probably be a follow up (it's sitting in my docs at about 300 words)

Like They Handed Me My Life, For the First Time it Felt Right

My first Schitt's Creek fic, and my first fic in 15 years... the first thing I wrote and completed in about as long. Inspired by time spent stuck in an airport and I just had to write it down. I had no idea it would lead to me writing 168k words over the course of the year!

4 WIPs:

Library Boy

This was my nanowrimo project, which I put on hold at the end of November to work on ETC... and the December prompts, based on a story told on the podcast episode of the same name of Beautiful Anonymous. I fell in love with the story and wanted to write a Patrick/David AU of it. I'm hoping to get back to it soon, it's already the longest thing I've ever written and I still have a good chunk left.

Devil!Patrick

a Stevie/Ruth companion piece to Mistakes We Knew We Were Making expanding upon their relationship in that universe

Snooze! - a sleepy!David 5+1

3 biggest improvements in my writing:

The fact that I've started writing again at all, for one!

I'm getting a little better at taking time to edit instead of just posting basically the first draft and only proofreading

I'm getting marginally better about showing instead of telling, at least trying to be more aware of it as I write.

2 resolutions:

to take more time with my writing, both editing and being more mindful about how I word things

to be willing to let go of works if they just aren't working anymore

1 favorite line:

From Mistakes We Knew We Were Making

That’s why things with Rachel have always felt just a bit to the left of right.

This took me a bit to get to and I think most people have probably been tagged in this one already, but if you haven't please consider this your tag 💛