Start Page: 165 (very top)
Current Page: 169
Target Page: 175
Pages Written Today: 5
Pages Left To Go: 6
Location In Story: Imogen is not dead! (Puck's friend, who is a lesbian) She got reincarnated, and Jack Cade (with whom she has to hang out because he's the only way for her to get back to hanging out with Puck) is turning out to be a total butthead who flirts with every single girl he comes across (including Romeo, who had to turn him into a codfish to get him to stop, and Imogen, who has had to explain to him thirteen times so far that she's not attracted to boys and does NOT want to sleep with him, but he still somehow doesn't get it).
Surprise of the Day: Jack Cade is a total butthead. And not a butthead the way Demetrius was, once upon a time, a butthead. Demetrius got over it. Jack shows no signs of doing so. Also, Romeo finally called someone a lily-livered codfish with total intention, and someone finally became a lily-livered codfish. Huzzah!
Yeah. That's where I am. Nothing too dramatic, I know. The only important things that have happened recently are that I introduced another subplot (romantic tension FTW! Even though I really don't need any more subplotting or anything...) and that my purple pen, with which I wrote almost 162 whole pages, died last night. It was very saddening. I've moved on now to my green pen, which is just as cool as my purple pen, though just not as purply.
Is that even a word?
Whatever.
Anyway, my wrist is starting to hurt, and the end is still nigh. I wish it was no longer nigh, or even a little less nigh than it was five pages ago, but that doesn't seem to be happening. That's really, really annoying. If you've ever tried to get through something and the end keeps getting farther and farther away, you might know what it feels like right now.
HURRY UP, CLIMAX!!
I need to write more often, and also do homework. Otherwise, I'll fail at school and finishing a novel before my January college apps are due, which will be very, very, VERY annoying.
Yeah. Going now.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Day 26: write-ins and frustratingness
Start Page: 156
Current Page: 161
Target Page: 170
Pages Written Today: 5
Pages Left To Go: 9
Location In Story: Romeo and Sebastian are going to a pub (called the Orange Curtain, I don't know why) to start a revolution with the help of Jack Cade (props if you get the reference to Richard II or III, I don't remember which), and maybe Emilia, Ophelia, and Imogen (even though Imogen is dead, Emilia is MIA, and Ophelia is missing presumed dead).
Surprise of the day: there is a nice gate keeper and there is a pub in the capital of Mercanova (a city which may not have a name) called the Orange Curtain. I was considering making the curtains blue, but then I didn't.
I'm kind of annoyed right now, though. I'm VERY close to the end of the novel; I can feel the climax waiting to occur. But I can't seem to get there fast enough. There's the whole potential Ophelia sucicide to work out, and the Tyrant (this evil overlord guy) is coming into town as well. Though I can deal with figuring out a come-from-behind victory for the Prophecied and Friends (including Romeo, Demetrius, Puck, Belarius, Hamlet, Sebastian, and Jack Cade, with the additional help of Jourdain the Dragon and possibly the aid of Imogen, Ophelia, and Emilia, and a crew of pirates and a tribe of faeries) against Iago and the Tyrant, I don't know WHEN this revolution is slated to occur. And it's bugging me to no end.
Why?
Think of it this way.
It's nearing the Holiday That You Celebrate. You cannot WAIT for this holiday, and you cannot WAIT to open presents and give presents to people and spread Holday Cheer and all things wonderful and awesome. But first, you have to decide what to do/ give/ make for everybody, and help your dad decorate for the holiday (especially if he tends to get very excited about putting up holiday decorations), and do all your homework,make sure that a million other things are completely over with before you can actually chill in the knowledge that your Winter Holiday is Nigh and all that stress can go die.
Well, think about adding in several extra people that you feel obligated to give gifts to even though you didn't think you were going to have to give gifts to them, and learning that your dad bought about a zillion extra lights for you to put up this year, and that you want to deal with all those gifts you're behind on, except you can't because your dad is EXPECTING you to deal with the lights.
Well, the lights are my additional supblots, which keep showing up unannounced; the gifts are the extra characters, who are awesome but may not really need to actually be there; the Winter Holiday is the climax of the novel, which I'm TOTALLY excited to write if it actually decided to be assertive and come NOW. Everything is sure to explode in a big bomb of awesome once I actually get there - the subplots will resolve and twinkle all nicely and prettily and well and stuff, the new and old characters will get their dues as they do whatever it is they do best, and the Tyrant and Iago will get their totally necessary punches in the face in an awesomely well-written battle scene that will hopefully wind up as an epic battle of epicness that gets no justice except in a well-thought-out and brilliantly choreographed film sequence.
That's what I HOPE will happen, anyway.
Whether it actually occurs is another matter entirely, and is best left to the plot to get itself figured out.
Anyway, in other news, I had a write-in with a friend today. Though I am way ahead, she is way behind, and did succeed in adding around 2,000 words to her novel in the three and a half hours we were writing (HUZZAH!). I added about six pages to my novel, which was awesome as well. HUZZAH! My plot hasn't advanced much, but it's advanced, which is EXCITING!
I'm going off to go write and stuff now.
Huzzah!
Current Page: 161
Target Page: 170
Pages Written Today: 5
Pages Left To Go: 9
Location In Story: Romeo and Sebastian are going to a pub (called the Orange Curtain, I don't know why) to start a revolution with the help of Jack Cade (props if you get the reference to Richard II or III, I don't remember which), and maybe Emilia, Ophelia, and Imogen (even though Imogen is dead, Emilia is MIA, and Ophelia is missing presumed dead).
Surprise of the day: there is a nice gate keeper and there is a pub in the capital of Mercanova (a city which may not have a name) called the Orange Curtain. I was considering making the curtains blue, but then I didn't.
I'm kind of annoyed right now, though. I'm VERY close to the end of the novel; I can feel the climax waiting to occur. But I can't seem to get there fast enough. There's the whole potential Ophelia sucicide to work out, and the Tyrant (this evil overlord guy) is coming into town as well. Though I can deal with figuring out a come-from-behind victory for the Prophecied and Friends (including Romeo, Demetrius, Puck, Belarius, Hamlet, Sebastian, and Jack Cade, with the additional help of Jourdain the Dragon and possibly the aid of Imogen, Ophelia, and Emilia, and a crew of pirates and a tribe of faeries) against Iago and the Tyrant, I don't know WHEN this revolution is slated to occur. And it's bugging me to no end.
Why?
Think of it this way.
It's nearing the Holiday That You Celebrate. You cannot WAIT for this holiday, and you cannot WAIT to open presents and give presents to people and spread Holday Cheer and all things wonderful and awesome. But first, you have to decide what to do/ give/ make for everybody, and help your dad decorate for the holiday (especially if he tends to get very excited about putting up holiday decorations), and do all your homework,make sure that a million other things are completely over with before you can actually chill in the knowledge that your Winter Holiday is Nigh and all that stress can go die.
Well, think about adding in several extra people that you feel obligated to give gifts to even though you didn't think you were going to have to give gifts to them, and learning that your dad bought about a zillion extra lights for you to put up this year, and that you want to deal with all those gifts you're behind on, except you can't because your dad is EXPECTING you to deal with the lights.
Well, the lights are my additional supblots, which keep showing up unannounced; the gifts are the extra characters, who are awesome but may not really need to actually be there; the Winter Holiday is the climax of the novel, which I'm TOTALLY excited to write if it actually decided to be assertive and come NOW. Everything is sure to explode in a big bomb of awesome once I actually get there - the subplots will resolve and twinkle all nicely and prettily and well and stuff, the new and old characters will get their dues as they do whatever it is they do best, and the Tyrant and Iago will get their totally necessary punches in the face in an awesomely well-written battle scene that will hopefully wind up as an epic battle of epicness that gets no justice except in a well-thought-out and brilliantly choreographed film sequence.
That's what I HOPE will happen, anyway.
Whether it actually occurs is another matter entirely, and is best left to the plot to get itself figured out.
Anyway, in other news, I had a write-in with a friend today. Though I am way ahead, she is way behind, and did succeed in adding around 2,000 words to her novel in the three and a half hours we were writing (HUZZAH!). I added about six pages to my novel, which was awesome as well. HUZZAH! My plot hasn't advanced much, but it's advanced, which is EXCITING!
I'm going off to go write and stuff now.
Huzzah!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Day 25: Wins, winds, and writing
Start Page: 151
Current Page: 151 (no, I haven't written at all)
Target Page: 160-ish?
Location In Story: Romeo is messing with Iago. Still. I haven't budged since last I posted.
Surprise of the Day: see "location In Story".
Yeah. I haven't written today, though I DO plan on it. I can't NOT write today.
But I'm not getting to that now. Why? I'm still too pumped. I just got my first college acceptance letter (okay, I opened it an hour ago), and it was EXCITING! I got in to my 1.5 choice of the ones I'm likely to get into (I'm not likely to get into William and Mary, but if I do, that will be awesome), and it's close to top, but it depends on whether I get into my #1 of the ones I'm likely to get into. Either way, the letter resulted in a scream and a very bad happy dance.
Unfortunately (almost ironically), I am now in too good a mood to write anything depressing, and it is too nice a day outside to write anything depressing and dark and motivated, and that is the bit I have to write: quite a few pages of something not-exactly-fun. I'm kind of annoyed, but then I remember that I actually got into college! WOOHOO!!!! If I don't get in anywhere else, I will be EXTREMELY happy to go to this school. I will be quite willing to go to this school even if I DO get in other places. At least I got in somewhere I liked! That's a WAY plus!
Okay, I'm off. I need to go drop off some library books and write some annoying stuff of an annoying, depressing, not-exactly-happy nature. I may or may not post later.
If I don't, I will post tomorrow.
Farewell.
Oh, yeah. Also, I validated my novel using Lorem Ipsum today. It was exciting. I got a winner's certificate and a video of all the OLL (office of Letters and Light, which runs NaNoWriMo) cheering and stuff. The cool publishing stuff (yes, free publishing services are part of what you get for winning) doesn't come for another ten days - it's a certain code that you can put into the website of the publishing thing and get free services for six months or something.
Though my novel is currently incomplete, I validated anyway.
Yes, today is a good day.
A very good day.
And I am going to go write and stuff now.
Farewell.
Current Page: 151 (no, I haven't written at all)
Target Page: 160-ish?
Location In Story: Romeo is messing with Iago. Still. I haven't budged since last I posted.
Surprise of the Day: see "location In Story".
Yeah. I haven't written today, though I DO plan on it. I can't NOT write today.
But I'm not getting to that now. Why? I'm still too pumped. I just got my first college acceptance letter (okay, I opened it an hour ago), and it was EXCITING! I got in to my 1.5 choice of the ones I'm likely to get into (I'm not likely to get into William and Mary, but if I do, that will be awesome), and it's close to top, but it depends on whether I get into my #1 of the ones I'm likely to get into. Either way, the letter resulted in a scream and a very bad happy dance.
Unfortunately (almost ironically), I am now in too good a mood to write anything depressing, and it is too nice a day outside to write anything depressing and dark and motivated, and that is the bit I have to write: quite a few pages of something not-exactly-fun. I'm kind of annoyed, but then I remember that I actually got into college! WOOHOO!!!! If I don't get in anywhere else, I will be EXTREMELY happy to go to this school. I will be quite willing to go to this school even if I DO get in other places. At least I got in somewhere I liked! That's a WAY plus!
Okay, I'm off. I need to go drop off some library books and write some annoying stuff of an annoying, depressing, not-exactly-happy nature. I may or may not post later.
If I don't, I will post tomorrow.
Farewell.
Oh, yeah. Also, I validated my novel using Lorem Ipsum today. It was exciting. I got a winner's certificate and a video of all the OLL (office of Letters and Light, which runs NaNoWriMo) cheering and stuff. The cool publishing stuff (yes, free publishing services are part of what you get for winning) doesn't come for another ten days - it's a certain code that you can put into the website of the publishing thing and get free services for six months or something.
Though my novel is currently incomplete, I validated anyway.
Yes, today is a good day.
A very good day.
And I am going to go write and stuff now.
Farewell.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Day 24: day of thanks, goals reached, and nigh endings
Start Page: 147 (very bottom)
Current Page: 151
Target Page: well....
Location In Story: Romeo is arguing with Iago/ messing with his head (not really), and Iago is freaking out about impending visits and other annoying things.
Surprise of the Day: Romeo can mess with Iago's head. They also met a lot earlier than I expected. Also, the Tyrant (this evil overlord guy who keeps all of the other evil guys in line) is coming to visit Elsinore, and Iago is freaking out about it.
Awesome News Of The Day: I am DONE with the official NaNoWriMo challenge! I hit 50,132 today - about half an hour ago, in fact. Huzzah!
Annoying News Of The Day: I am not done with the novel. BOO!
I would hazard a guess to say that I'm about 10,000 - 20,000 words away from the ending, but I can't be sure until I actually hit the ending. I'm not sure I'm going to pull off the ending or even pull off GETTING to the ending; I'm not sure I'm even going to get beyond my current word count. I'm not even sure I'm ACTUALLY at 50,132. My handwriting (and my word-counting ability) is very bad, and my writing is very tiny. Either way, I'm going to Lorem Ipsum tomorrow and validating whatever words I have. I might hold off validating until November 30th, but I don't know yet. Tomorrow is the earliest I can validate; November 30th at 11:59:59 is the latest I can do it. But more on that later, when it actually becomes Novel Validating Crunch Time. Either way, I'm well above the word count necessary (I'm counting 132 words as "well above the word count necessary").
At any rate, I am DONE with the necessary word count. However, I am not DONE with the novel. This means that I'm going to be ensuring the permanence of this Ink Tattoo on my finger (it actually hasn't survived a shower yet. This is depressing), and I'm going to be writing to the very end of the journal.
Like last year, I'm not going to know EXACTLY how many words I've written until I type the novel up, but I'm kind of hoping that, unlike last year, the novel does not remain untyped for a year.
Maybe next year I WILL type the whole thing.
Whatever. I'll deal with that when next year comes.
Anyway, in other news, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I am thankful for my awesome friends and family and the fact that I was able to hit 50,000 words today. Huzzah!
Right. I have to go and clean my room now. And maybe sneak in some more words before my friend and her family come for dinner.
Farewell!
Current Page: 151
Target Page: well....
Location In Story: Romeo is arguing with Iago/ messing with his head (not really), and Iago is freaking out about impending visits and other annoying things.
Surprise of the Day: Romeo can mess with Iago's head. They also met a lot earlier than I expected. Also, the Tyrant (this evil overlord guy who keeps all of the other evil guys in line) is coming to visit Elsinore, and Iago is freaking out about it.
Awesome News Of The Day: I am DONE with the official NaNoWriMo challenge! I hit 50,132 today - about half an hour ago, in fact. Huzzah!
Annoying News Of The Day: I am not done with the novel. BOO!
I would hazard a guess to say that I'm about 10,000 - 20,000 words away from the ending, but I can't be sure until I actually hit the ending. I'm not sure I'm going to pull off the ending or even pull off GETTING to the ending; I'm not sure I'm even going to get beyond my current word count. I'm not even sure I'm ACTUALLY at 50,132. My handwriting (and my word-counting ability) is very bad, and my writing is very tiny. Either way, I'm going to Lorem Ipsum tomorrow and validating whatever words I have. I might hold off validating until November 30th, but I don't know yet. Tomorrow is the earliest I can validate; November 30th at 11:59:59 is the latest I can do it. But more on that later, when it actually becomes Novel Validating Crunch Time. Either way, I'm well above the word count necessary (I'm counting 132 words as "well above the word count necessary").
At any rate, I am DONE with the necessary word count. However, I am not DONE with the novel. This means that I'm going to be ensuring the permanence of this Ink Tattoo on my finger (it actually hasn't survived a shower yet. This is depressing), and I'm going to be writing to the very end of the journal.
Like last year, I'm not going to know EXACTLY how many words I've written until I type the novel up, but I'm kind of hoping that, unlike last year, the novel does not remain untyped for a year.
Maybe next year I WILL type the whole thing.
Whatever. I'll deal with that when next year comes.
Anyway, in other news, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I am thankful for my awesome friends and family and the fact that I was able to hit 50,000 words today. Huzzah!
Right. I have to go and clean my room now. And maybe sneak in some more words before my friend and her family come for dinner.
Farewell!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Day 23: so close but...
Start Page: 140
Current Page: 144
Page To End On: 150 (will elaborate later)
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left To Write Today: 6
Location In Story: Puck is coming into his abilities. He can also give orders to a dragon, now, apparently, which is exciting. He can also talk to animals and make stuf come and go (like telepathy or something). Romeo is a bit jealous of this, to be honest. To be honest again, I am too. That would probably be the coolest thing EVER, to control (or at least give orders to) a dragon.
Surprise of the Day: Puck and the Dragon. And his magic style. And the fact that they can communicate with Demetrius now, since Puck can send and recieve messages on paper, because he can do that.
So that is where I am.
According to the NaNoWriMo Stat counter tracker thingie, I will probably hit 50,000 words tomorrow. Maybe even today. I don't know. It depends on whether or not I hit page 150 today. See, I want to hit 10 pages a day so I can get to the end (finally), but at the same time, I want to be able to tell the story. I don't know how that makes sense. Darn you not-editing-anything challenge!
Okay, let me try this again.
Um... 50,000 words might not be enough to tell the story.
Actually, not MIGHT NOT. It DEFINITELY isn't. And I am trying to hit 10 pages a day from now to the end of the month so I can tell the story to the end, which is a big accomplishment for me. At the same time, it is going to be hard.
Why?
Well, I have suddenly lost interest in my novel.
Puck got the dragon, and it bugged me to no end. I mean, it wasn't the fact that PUCK got the dragon. It's just that Puck got the dragon AND he seems like he's going to be the Reluctant Leader guy who saves the day. But that's supposed to be Romeo.
And also, Romeo's starting to be kind of bitchy, which is kind of annoying as well. I think she's feeling a lot of pressure, or something. I don't really know. But either way, she's kind of annoying right now.
Yeah. I though this was good, but it is going to need a LOT of editing before it can go anywhere. Especially if 'anywhere' means 'a publishing house.' I need more consistency and more life and a lot more other things.
That was horrible grammar. GAH!
Yeah. I need to become a hermit and regain interest in my novel. Or something. But tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and I'll be thankful for the novel itself and the fact that I have an excuse to become a hermit.
I think my problem is that I'm trying to control it too much. I'm trying to guide the story too much instead of trying to let it run its course. Maybe I should give up the challenge. Maybe I should give up the novel. Maybe...
No. I REFUSE to give up now.
Going back to being a hermit. Bye.
Current Page: 144
Page To End On: 150 (will elaborate later)
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left To Write Today: 6
Location In Story: Puck is coming into his abilities. He can also give orders to a dragon, now, apparently, which is exciting. He can also talk to animals and make stuf come and go (like telepathy or something). Romeo is a bit jealous of this, to be honest. To be honest again, I am too. That would probably be the coolest thing EVER, to control (or at least give orders to) a dragon.
Surprise of the Day: Puck and the Dragon. And his magic style. And the fact that they can communicate with Demetrius now, since Puck can send and recieve messages on paper, because he can do that.
So that is where I am.
According to the NaNoWriMo Stat counter tracker thingie, I will probably hit 50,000 words tomorrow. Maybe even today. I don't know. It depends on whether or not I hit page 150 today. See, I want to hit 10 pages a day so I can get to the end (finally), but at the same time, I want to be able to tell the story. I don't know how that makes sense. Darn you not-editing-anything challenge!
Okay, let me try this again.
Um... 50,000 words might not be enough to tell the story.
Actually, not MIGHT NOT. It DEFINITELY isn't. And I am trying to hit 10 pages a day from now to the end of the month so I can tell the story to the end, which is a big accomplishment for me. At the same time, it is going to be hard.
Why?
Well, I have suddenly lost interest in my novel.
Puck got the dragon, and it bugged me to no end. I mean, it wasn't the fact that PUCK got the dragon. It's just that Puck got the dragon AND he seems like he's going to be the Reluctant Leader guy who saves the day. But that's supposed to be Romeo.
And also, Romeo's starting to be kind of bitchy, which is kind of annoying as well. I think she's feeling a lot of pressure, or something. I don't really know. But either way, she's kind of annoying right now.
Yeah. I though this was good, but it is going to need a LOT of editing before it can go anywhere. Especially if 'anywhere' means 'a publishing house.' I need more consistency and more life and a lot more other things.
That was horrible grammar. GAH!
Yeah. I need to become a hermit and regain interest in my novel. Or something. But tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and I'll be thankful for the novel itself and the fact that I have an excuse to become a hermit.
I think my problem is that I'm trying to control it too much. I'm trying to guide the story too much instead of trying to let it run its course. Maybe I should give up the challenge. Maybe I should give up the novel. Maybe...
No. I REFUSE to give up now.
Going back to being a hermit. Bye.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Day 22: GO AWAY I'M WRITING.
Start Page: 130
Current Page: 131
End Page: 133
Pages Written Today: 1
Pages Left To Go: 2
Location In Story: Demetrius has left; Romeo is annoyed; she and Puck are about to work on her training with the supremely awesome sword that she gets for being a Prophesied Hero and stuff (the one with the supermassive bird).
Surprise of the Day: Don't know that. Come back later.
Yeah. Not much to report from whence last I posted. I know I'm way ahead of my necessary word count, but I don't want to slack off now. I CAN'T slack off now. This is the time when stuff is about to get good. Now's the time when people have to go after other people and kill the villains and save the day and feel bad about hard choices and fall in love and meet the right person and stuff.
So, yes, I'm procrastinating, even though I shouldn't. I'm trying to decide whether I should start typing now or hand write now and type it all up in December. I can see the merit in both options; however, I want the story to go on. After all, a supremely large part of NaNoWriMo is to NOT EDIT AS YOU GO, which I kind of do anyway. Yeah, I'm lame.
Anyhow, I need to go write. Or type. Or relieve a moment of tension. Or update my word count. Or procrastinate in the forums. Or continue blogging.
Yeah, even though I have four hours of free blocks today, I don't know whether I am actually going to get any writing done. I want to get writing done. I NEED TO GET WRITING DONE. But WILL I get writing done? Hmmmm...
I'm also trying this exercise along with NaNoWriMo. It's to not edit as you go, or go back and edit soon after something's been written. I'm going to try it with all the rest of my NaNo posts (kind of late to stop editing this now). So all the things that you will see on the blog that aren't as they should be... I'm sorry. I'm going to try to kick my Inner Editor in the butt one last time (or at least I'll try to). He needs to get off my back. I'm thinking about this way too much.
Sooo BACK TO THE NON-EDITY WRITING! WOOHOO!!!
Before I go, one thing: if you know me in person and you see me over Thanksgiving break (which starts this afternoon) and I don't have my notebook with me and I'm not writing, I'm just walking around and doing stuff that normal people do, feel free to come over and smack me upside the head (okay, maybe not actually smack me, but you get the idea) and order me to get back on track. This is crunch time, people. I need motivation.
Also, for all of you who want to read the novel when it's done, I apologize if it takes me forever to get it typed up and emailed out. And I apologize if it never comes; it doesn't mean I don't love you. It means I don't know who you are or that you wanted to read my novel.
If I don't know you in person, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to read it if and when it gets published. Which won't be anytime soon. But you'll know it when it's awesome-er than it is now, so think of that before you kick my butt over my not letting you see it.
But if I know you in person and you want to read it, email me.
Current Page: 131
End Page: 133
Pages Written Today: 1
Pages Left To Go: 2
Location In Story: Demetrius has left; Romeo is annoyed; she and Puck are about to work on her training with the supremely awesome sword that she gets for being a Prophesied Hero and stuff (the one with the supermassive bird).
Surprise of the Day: Don't know that. Come back later.
Yeah. Not much to report from whence last I posted. I know I'm way ahead of my necessary word count, but I don't want to slack off now. I CAN'T slack off now. This is the time when stuff is about to get good. Now's the time when people have to go after other people and kill the villains and save the day and feel bad about hard choices and fall in love and meet the right person and stuff.
So, yes, I'm procrastinating, even though I shouldn't. I'm trying to decide whether I should start typing now or hand write now and type it all up in December. I can see the merit in both options; however, I want the story to go on. After all, a supremely large part of NaNoWriMo is to NOT EDIT AS YOU GO, which I kind of do anyway. Yeah, I'm lame.
Anyhow, I need to go write. Or type. Or relieve a moment of tension. Or update my word count. Or procrastinate in the forums. Or continue blogging.
Yeah, even though I have four hours of free blocks today, I don't know whether I am actually going to get any writing done. I want to get writing done. I NEED TO GET WRITING DONE. But WILL I get writing done? Hmmmm...
I'm also trying this exercise along with NaNoWriMo. It's to not edit as you go, or go back and edit soon after something's been written. I'm going to try it with all the rest of my NaNo posts (kind of late to stop editing this now). So all the things that you will see on the blog that aren't as they should be... I'm sorry. I'm going to try to kick my Inner Editor in the butt one last time (or at least I'll try to). He needs to get off my back. I'm thinking about this way too much.
Sooo BACK TO THE NON-EDITY WRITING! WOOHOO!!!
Before I go, one thing: if you know me in person and you see me over Thanksgiving break (which starts this afternoon) and I don't have my notebook with me and I'm not writing, I'm just walking around and doing stuff that normal people do, feel free to come over and smack me upside the head (okay, maybe not actually smack me, but you get the idea) and order me to get back on track. This is crunch time, people. I need motivation.
Also, for all of you who want to read the novel when it's done, I apologize if it takes me forever to get it typed up and emailed out. And I apologize if it never comes; it doesn't mean I don't love you. It means I don't know who you are or that you wanted to read my novel.
If I don't know you in person, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to read it if and when it gets published. Which won't be anytime soon. But you'll know it when it's awesome-er than it is now, so think of that before you kick my butt over my not letting you see it.
But if I know you in person and you want to read it, email me.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Day 21: Ink Stains and Nigh Endings
Start Page: 123
Current Page: 128
Target Page: 127
Pages Written Today: 5
Pages Until Quota Is Met: -1
Location In Story: Romeo has the Super Awesome Sword of Heroes (which is supremely awesome and gets delivered by a supermassive hawk/ raven/ eagle/ crow bird thing); Demetrius has just left. Puck and the bird know about this; Romeo isn't going to regain consciousness until he's well away from the clearing (so she can't come after him and murder him).
Surprise of the Day: the sword entered the picture a lot earlier than I thought it would, but that is OKAY! I'm pretty sure the thing is entitled to show up whenever wants. I hadn't really had a set plan for its entry, just after everyone but Romeo and Sebastian are either in the Royal Apartments or in the Dungeons. Also, I didn't know that the sword got a really big, immortal bird just for the sake of delivering it to the right person. That kind of makes the sword really, really important, if it gets an immortal delivery bird along with it. Also, Puck came out to Demetrius as being gay (GO PUCK!), and Demetrius told Puck that he was leaving (originally, Demetrius was ging to leave in the dead of night with nothing but a note left to tell Romeo and Puck where he is). If any of you ever doubted that literary characters write their own story and my pen is just a means to do that, now's the time to stop thinking that and move on to more important things.
Anyway, moving on.
The ink stain on my ring finger is getting darker; I think it will soon become an ink tattoo, which is exciting. Not only does that mean that I'll have a tattoo (at least for a while), it means that I'm making progress, which is always fun. Well, at least it is MOST of the time. Sometimes making progress just sucks.
Anyway, at my current situation, I'm thinking that maybe 50,000 words isn't enough to tell the story of Romeo, Demetrius, Puck, Belarius, Iago, Sebastian, Hero, Hamlet, Hecate, Ipsratch, Chargoth (though they haven't shown up for around ten chapters), maybe Ophelia, maybe Emilia, and maybe Imogen (yes, I know she's dead, but she may not actually be DEAD, just ALMOST dead).
Why?
Well, let's start with the fact that I'm at approximately 42,500 words, and I'm nowhere near the climax. Actually, I'm SORT of near the climax, but I think I need around 10,000 words (maybe a little less) to get there. And that's without the climax and the resolution.
There's also the possiblity that my words-per-page average is a LOT more than 332, which would mean that I COULD already be above 50,000 and not realize it (though I don't want to push my luck on this; I'm sticking with 332 until I type it up and verify what it is).
So, once again, I face the threatening possiblity that I won't actually finish my novel this year. I'll hit the word count - there's no doubt about that - but I don't know whether it's enough to tell the story.
Well, I'm not going to shut up about the story, and the story isn't going to shut itself up until it gets finished. I know that much.
Well, that being said, I am OFF to go and write a novel.
Goodbye.
Current Page: 128
Target Page: 127
Pages Written Today: 5
Pages Until Quota Is Met: -1
Location In Story: Romeo has the Super Awesome Sword of Heroes (which is supremely awesome and gets delivered by a supermassive hawk/ raven/ eagle/ crow bird thing); Demetrius has just left. Puck and the bird know about this; Romeo isn't going to regain consciousness until he's well away from the clearing (so she can't come after him and murder him).
Surprise of the Day: the sword entered the picture a lot earlier than I thought it would, but that is OKAY! I'm pretty sure the thing is entitled to show up whenever wants. I hadn't really had a set plan for its entry, just after everyone but Romeo and Sebastian are either in the Royal Apartments or in the Dungeons. Also, I didn't know that the sword got a really big, immortal bird just for the sake of delivering it to the right person. That kind of makes the sword really, really important, if it gets an immortal delivery bird along with it. Also, Puck came out to Demetrius as being gay (GO PUCK!), and Demetrius told Puck that he was leaving (originally, Demetrius was ging to leave in the dead of night with nothing but a note left to tell Romeo and Puck where he is). If any of you ever doubted that literary characters write their own story and my pen is just a means to do that, now's the time to stop thinking that and move on to more important things.
Anyway, moving on.
The ink stain on my ring finger is getting darker; I think it will soon become an ink tattoo, which is exciting. Not only does that mean that I'll have a tattoo (at least for a while), it means that I'm making progress, which is always fun. Well, at least it is MOST of the time. Sometimes making progress just sucks.
Anyway, at my current situation, I'm thinking that maybe 50,000 words isn't enough to tell the story of Romeo, Demetrius, Puck, Belarius, Iago, Sebastian, Hero, Hamlet, Hecate, Ipsratch, Chargoth (though they haven't shown up for around ten chapters), maybe Ophelia, maybe Emilia, and maybe Imogen (yes, I know she's dead, but she may not actually be DEAD, just ALMOST dead).
Why?
Well, let's start with the fact that I'm at approximately 42,500 words, and I'm nowhere near the climax. Actually, I'm SORT of near the climax, but I think I need around 10,000 words (maybe a little less) to get there. And that's without the climax and the resolution.
There's also the possiblity that my words-per-page average is a LOT more than 332, which would mean that I COULD already be above 50,000 and not realize it (though I don't want to push my luck on this; I'm sticking with 332 until I type it up and verify what it is).
So, once again, I face the threatening possiblity that I won't actually finish my novel this year. I'll hit the word count - there's no doubt about that - but I don't know whether it's enough to tell the story.
Well, I'm not going to shut up about the story, and the story isn't going to shut itself up until it gets finished. I know that much.
Well, that being said, I am OFF to go and write a novel.
Goodbye.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Day 20: Word Count Is Nigh! (but not the end of the novel)
Start Page: 115 (at the bottom)
Current Page: 122 (very top)
Target Page: 121
Pages Written Today: 7
Pages Left To Go: -1
Location In Story: the true identity of Belarius has been revealed; he's now in the dungeon being "taunted" by Iago. Belarius doesn't really fall for it; he's close to 100 years old and has been in this situation many times (he's the adventuring/ advising sort of wizard who ages at one-fourth the speed of humans, so he looks like he's around 25 years old). He does pay attention to the last bit of information that Iago discloses, that Hecate (alias Purrabella) is helping Iago and it's ALL THE WIZARD'S FAULT (he didn't INTEND for Hecate to wind up in the possession of Hero, but she did. Hecate CHOSE to ally herself with Iago rather than with Hamlet and Belarius).
Surprise of the Day: um... nothing too dramatic, actually. Just that Romeo sided with Hamlet and Puck in deciding whether to have Sebastian and Hero stay in the castle or leave the castle. They're staying, much to their dislike. But it gives Demetrius cause to act like a lovesick idiot and go back to save Hero. But THAT bit isn't a surprise; it's an important plot point.
So that's where I am.
Anyway, I'm getting an ink stain on my finger again from writing so much and dragging part of my ring finger through the ink of the words I've written. It's not at the point where it's going to become permanent, but it's well on its way to a proper place of permanence on my finger. Last year, I think the ink stain became a tattoo a bit earlier than this, but I was also writing with my legs propped up last year (the seat I was on was on the floor), whereas this year I'm usually sitting at a table or a desk or something. Yes, where and how I'm sitting DOES affect how much ink gets onto my finger.
If the ink stain becomes a proper tattoo this year, I might take a photo of it and post it. It's actually not that interesting, and the purple ink might just make it look like a bruise, but whatever.
To be honest, I'm rather excited for Thanksgiving break. It means that I'll have more time to write, more time to watch Star Trek, and that I'll have an excuse to eat a lot of food! (And to be thankful for the awesomeness that is writing and Star Trek and food!) Huzzah!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is probably the leftovers party. It usually happens on Friday night with my family and my parents' friends. I'm the only one of the three kids (well, teens. Actually, not teens... the oldest one is now 20) who still sticks around for it, but I really don't care, because playing Scene It (this movie DVD game thing) is probably the most bloody hilarious thing I do all year. This year, mom bought a new version of Scene It because she thinks we've answered all the questions on the original game during previous years, but I'm pretty sure there's still some uncharted territory in the game. But I really don't mind the new version, because it's Scene It Comedy, which is extremely exciting and is probably going to be even MORE bloody hilarious than in years past.
So I'm VERY excited.
And I'm going to go write now.
Goodbye.
Current Page: 122 (very top)
Target Page: 121
Pages Written Today: 7
Pages Left To Go: -1
Location In Story: the true identity of Belarius has been revealed; he's now in the dungeon being "taunted" by Iago. Belarius doesn't really fall for it; he's close to 100 years old and has been in this situation many times (he's the adventuring/ advising sort of wizard who ages at one-fourth the speed of humans, so he looks like he's around 25 years old). He does pay attention to the last bit of information that Iago discloses, that Hecate (alias Purrabella) is helping Iago and it's ALL THE WIZARD'S FAULT (he didn't INTEND for Hecate to wind up in the possession of Hero, but she did. Hecate CHOSE to ally herself with Iago rather than with Hamlet and Belarius).
Surprise of the Day: um... nothing too dramatic, actually. Just that Romeo sided with Hamlet and Puck in deciding whether to have Sebastian and Hero stay in the castle or leave the castle. They're staying, much to their dislike. But it gives Demetrius cause to act like a lovesick idiot and go back to save Hero. But THAT bit isn't a surprise; it's an important plot point.
So that's where I am.
Anyway, I'm getting an ink stain on my finger again from writing so much and dragging part of my ring finger through the ink of the words I've written. It's not at the point where it's going to become permanent, but it's well on its way to a proper place of permanence on my finger. Last year, I think the ink stain became a tattoo a bit earlier than this, but I was also writing with my legs propped up last year (the seat I was on was on the floor), whereas this year I'm usually sitting at a table or a desk or something. Yes, where and how I'm sitting DOES affect how much ink gets onto my finger.
If the ink stain becomes a proper tattoo this year, I might take a photo of it and post it. It's actually not that interesting, and the purple ink might just make it look like a bruise, but whatever.
To be honest, I'm rather excited for Thanksgiving break. It means that I'll have more time to write, more time to watch Star Trek, and that I'll have an excuse to eat a lot of food! (And to be thankful for the awesomeness that is writing and Star Trek and food!) Huzzah!
My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is probably the leftovers party. It usually happens on Friday night with my family and my parents' friends. I'm the only one of the three kids (well, teens. Actually, not teens... the oldest one is now 20) who still sticks around for it, but I really don't care, because playing Scene It (this movie DVD game thing) is probably the most bloody hilarious thing I do all year. This year, mom bought a new version of Scene It because she thinks we've answered all the questions on the original game during previous years, but I'm pretty sure there's still some uncharted territory in the game. But I really don't mind the new version, because it's Scene It Comedy, which is extremely exciting and is probably going to be even MORE bloody hilarious than in years past.
So I'm VERY excited.
And I'm going to go write now.
Goodbye.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Day 19: In Which I Write About Fighting
Start Page: 109
Current Page: 112
Target Page: 115
Pages Written Today: 5 (started at the top of 109)
Pages Left Today: 3
Location In Story: FIGHTING! Romeo has officially met Sebastian and Hero; Hero and Demetrius have made out (this annoys Romeo, but she ignores in face of the fact that they're getting ATTACKED); Romeo takes the lead in organizing a retaliation to the attack; Romeo officially kicked some serious ass (sorry, mom) in the ensuing fight, taking out six guards with well-placed shots to the knee and other critical areas, and took out four more with a knife/ kick/ punch/ awesome combo. The night guard wasn't around when Romeo, Puck, Demetrius, and Morgan were sneaking in, which made Romeo suspicious; it turned out that the night guards (the ones who watch the castle at night and raise the alarm if someone of an evil-looking nature passes by/ enters the castle) weren't actually being deployed anywhere, because Iago's an idiot and doesn't NEED night guards, because he's cool like that (but mostly because he's an idiot). Anyway, Iago found out that Romeo and Company were in the building/ castle/ Elsinore (yes, I DID plan that... actually, no I didn't. But it WAS an intentional Shakespeare reference once I learned that a castle had a name in a Shakespearean show), and he sent the no-longer-night not-exactly-guards after Romeo, Puck, Demetrius, and Morgan, with the intent to inflict misery.
Surprise of the Last 24 Hours: Hero has a cat that she had named Purrabella; the cat's really Hecate (obligatory Macbeth/ Mythology reference), Greek goddess of magic, trapped inside the body of a cat, and communicates with Iago via hand/ paw signals. Also, Romeo has done tae kwon do and knows how to fight without weapons.
Anyway, Iago now has a lot of reasons not to like Morgan/ Belarius (whose true identity is about to be revealed to Puck and Demetrius): he escaped from Iago's clutches, he helped the Prophecied, he trapped Hecate inside the body of a stray cat...
Actually, he should probably be THANKING Belarius that Hecate is now Purrabella and that the cat wound up in the possession of Hero, but whatever. I guess Iago thinks Hecate would be more useful to him in the form of a goddess rather than in the form of a cat (though he seems to forget that, were she not in cat or reduced goddess form, she would kill him with her goddess awesomeness, because gods and goddesses in their true form are too awesome to be viewed by mere mortals, according to Greek mythology).
At any rate, Iago has good reason to be mad. I'm pretty sure he has several other reasons to be mad at Belarius, but I can't remember them at the moment. But these reasons will cause Iago to have the guards capture Belarius, reveal his true identity to the Prophecied (Romeo, Demetrius, and Puck), and keep him in the dungeon until further notice. Further Notice will be just longer than the time it takes for Romeo, Demetrius, and Puck to land in there (actually, just Demetrius and Puck. Romeo never goes to the dungeon unless it's to rescue the guys).
In all, I'm extremely glad that I am back on track - the novel is now EXCITING, and I'm kind of itching to get back to it, even when I'm procrastinating, like now. It makes me wonder WHY I procrastinate in the first place. Whatever. I'll figure that out later.
Farewell!
Current Page: 112
Target Page: 115
Pages Written Today: 5 (started at the top of 109)
Pages Left Today: 3
Location In Story: FIGHTING! Romeo has officially met Sebastian and Hero; Hero and Demetrius have made out (this annoys Romeo, but she ignores in face of the fact that they're getting ATTACKED); Romeo takes the lead in organizing a retaliation to the attack; Romeo officially kicked some serious ass (sorry, mom) in the ensuing fight, taking out six guards with well-placed shots to the knee and other critical areas, and took out four more with a knife/ kick/ punch/ awesome combo. The night guard wasn't around when Romeo, Puck, Demetrius, and Morgan were sneaking in, which made Romeo suspicious; it turned out that the night guards (the ones who watch the castle at night and raise the alarm if someone of an evil-looking nature passes by/ enters the castle) weren't actually being deployed anywhere, because Iago's an idiot and doesn't NEED night guards, because he's cool like that (but mostly because he's an idiot). Anyway, Iago found out that Romeo and Company were in the building/ castle/ Elsinore (yes, I DID plan that... actually, no I didn't. But it WAS an intentional Shakespeare reference once I learned that a castle had a name in a Shakespearean show), and he sent the no-longer-night not-exactly-guards after Romeo, Puck, Demetrius, and Morgan, with the intent to inflict misery.
Surprise of the Last 24 Hours: Hero has a cat that she had named Purrabella; the cat's really Hecate (obligatory Macbeth/ Mythology reference), Greek goddess of magic, trapped inside the body of a cat, and communicates with Iago via hand/ paw signals. Also, Romeo has done tae kwon do and knows how to fight without weapons.
Anyway, Iago now has a lot of reasons not to like Morgan/ Belarius (whose true identity is about to be revealed to Puck and Demetrius): he escaped from Iago's clutches, he helped the Prophecied, he trapped Hecate inside the body of a stray cat...
Actually, he should probably be THANKING Belarius that Hecate is now Purrabella and that the cat wound up in the possession of Hero, but whatever. I guess Iago thinks Hecate would be more useful to him in the form of a goddess rather than in the form of a cat (though he seems to forget that, were she not in cat or reduced goddess form, she would kill him with her goddess awesomeness, because gods and goddesses in their true form are too awesome to be viewed by mere mortals, according to Greek mythology).
At any rate, Iago has good reason to be mad. I'm pretty sure he has several other reasons to be mad at Belarius, but I can't remember them at the moment. But these reasons will cause Iago to have the guards capture Belarius, reveal his true identity to the Prophecied (Romeo, Demetrius, and Puck), and keep him in the dungeon until further notice. Further Notice will be just longer than the time it takes for Romeo, Demetrius, and Puck to land in there (actually, just Demetrius and Puck. Romeo never goes to the dungeon unless it's to rescue the guys).
In all, I'm extremely glad that I am back on track - the novel is now EXCITING, and I'm kind of itching to get back to it, even when I'm procrastinating, like now. It makes me wonder WHY I procrastinate in the first place. Whatever. I'll figure that out later.
Farewell!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Also
Yeah, I'm trying to write more than 3000 words. Since I'm going to become a hermit for all of Thanksgiving break, please do not expect regular posts for the last week of NaNo. I will TRY to post, though.
But mostly, I'll be writing a LOT.
But mostly, I'll be writing a LOT.
Day 18: catching up
Current Page: 102
Start page: 98
Target Page: 109
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left Today: 7
Location In Story: Proceeding into the castle. I haven't written very much since last I posted, so I'm going to go and write now.
Start page: 98
Target Page: 109
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left Today: 7
Location In Story: Proceeding into the castle. I haven't written very much since last I posted, so I'm going to go and write now.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Day 17: In Which I Am Behind
Start Page: 94
Current Page: 98
Target Page: 103
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left Today: 5
Location In Story: Hero has been spotted and (not really) seduced, but Romeo successfully dragged Demetrius away and put him back on track. Hero decides that, after waiting around for a while, that she is going to go off and find Romeo and Demetrius and Puck and Morgan. With the help of Sebastian, of course. She wouldn't go without Sebastian. However, now I can't think of what to have Romeo and Puck and Demetrius and Morgan do. I'm kind of at a roadblock, but I can't exactly do anything about it right now because I have to blog and do calculus and government and go to rehearsal today, and tomorrow will only be aided by the fact that I have time to sleep in the morning.
Anyhow, moving on.
Well, there is nothing really to move on to, except homework and writing, and I have a government test tomorrow, a hike to go on with Earth-Space, a novel to write in a month, calculus to review, and a musical to rehearse. All tomorrow. Today I have to do basically the same thing, minus the hike. I DO have to review government and do calculus homework and write a novel. Even though writing a novel is optional, it's the thing I want to do most. Even though there are a lot of things I SHOULD be doing. And even though it's the one thing I don't HAVE to do. And even though I'm having another bout of writer's block. GAH!
Funny how that ALWAYS happens. The one thing you don't have to do is the one thing you want to do most.
For all of you non-writers out there, I dare you to write a novel next November. You don't have to publish it; it doesn't have to be the next Supremely Brilliant Novel That Will Forever Change The World. But I dare you to do it. I dare you to let your life be changed by words. And to let me know that I'm not the only lunatic doing calculus and National Novel Writing Month and the musical all at the same time.
For all of you wimps out there who aren't doing all three, I dare you to try a month of complete insanity. It will be the strangest thing you have ever done, but it will also be the coolest thing you will ever do. Why? Well, it means that you have gone to the edge of glory, as Lady Gaga would say. You have done what no mere mortals do.
In other words, you can go to the breaches of utter ridiculosity and come out alive, should you dare to venture out to the horizon of Sleep Deprivation and Utter Creativity.
Wow. I sound really poetic when I only get six hours of sleep two nights in a row.
Yeah. Okay. I need to go get food and write maybe twenty words before I go to rehearsal.
I will see you all on the other side of tomorrow.
Wow. That also sounded really poetic. Though I write poetically when I'm tired, I REFUSE to lose more sleep than I already have. I slept in for 20 minutes this morning; I dreamed that two guys I know had met each other like forty years ago even though the older one is 19.
Yeah. I hate stress dreams, too.
ONWARD!
Current Page: 98
Target Page: 103
Pages Written Today: 4
Pages Left Today: 5
Location In Story: Hero has been spotted and (not really) seduced, but Romeo successfully dragged Demetrius away and put him back on track. Hero decides that, after waiting around for a while, that she is going to go off and find Romeo and Demetrius and Puck and Morgan. With the help of Sebastian, of course. She wouldn't go without Sebastian. However, now I can't think of what to have Romeo and Puck and Demetrius and Morgan do. I'm kind of at a roadblock, but I can't exactly do anything about it right now because I have to blog and do calculus and government and go to rehearsal today, and tomorrow will only be aided by the fact that I have time to sleep in the morning.
Anyhow, moving on.
Well, there is nothing really to move on to, except homework and writing, and I have a government test tomorrow, a hike to go on with Earth-Space, a novel to write in a month, calculus to review, and a musical to rehearse. All tomorrow. Today I have to do basically the same thing, minus the hike. I DO have to review government and do calculus homework and write a novel. Even though writing a novel is optional, it's the thing I want to do most. Even though there are a lot of things I SHOULD be doing. And even though it's the one thing I don't HAVE to do. And even though I'm having another bout of writer's block. GAH!
Funny how that ALWAYS happens. The one thing you don't have to do is the one thing you want to do most.
For all of you non-writers out there, I dare you to write a novel next November. You don't have to publish it; it doesn't have to be the next Supremely Brilliant Novel That Will Forever Change The World. But I dare you to do it. I dare you to let your life be changed by words. And to let me know that I'm not the only lunatic doing calculus and National Novel Writing Month and the musical all at the same time.
For all of you wimps out there who aren't doing all three, I dare you to try a month of complete insanity. It will be the strangest thing you have ever done, but it will also be the coolest thing you will ever do. Why? Well, it means that you have gone to the edge of glory, as Lady Gaga would say. You have done what no mere mortals do.
In other words, you can go to the breaches of utter ridiculosity and come out alive, should you dare to venture out to the horizon of Sleep Deprivation and Utter Creativity.
Wow. I sound really poetic when I only get six hours of sleep two nights in a row.
Yeah. Okay. I need to go get food and write maybe twenty words before I go to rehearsal.
I will see you all on the other side of tomorrow.
Wow. That also sounded really poetic. Though I write poetically when I'm tired, I REFUSE to lose more sleep than I already have. I slept in for 20 minutes this morning; I dreamed that two guys I know had met each other like forty years ago even though the older one is 19.
Yeah. I hate stress dreams, too.
ONWARD!
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