I got a little chunk of almost 500 words done today, bringing me up to just over 3400. Its going slow but I'm still mostly confident of completing within the month, I have spent more time these last couple of days planning my next few chapters than writing the current ones so things should start to fly soon.
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NaNo Progress
- Thread starter Philip Overby
- Start date
MAndreas
Lore Master
Blech- good thing I built a cushion...got sick and lost two days -sigh. Did about 2400 today- total so far since Nov 1- 13,265
Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when nano comes for you, bad words bad words....
Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when nano comes for you, bad words bad words....
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
Forgot to post scores last night (its going for 8.00 am here):
Today's score: 2,046 - total score: 12,233
Today's score: 2,046 - total score: 12,233
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
And this is today's meagre score: 959 - total score: 13,192
Weaver
Mystagogue
The other half of the brain (people joke that my twin and I share one) can think of nothing but turtles (research project for grad school), and that tends to interfere with creative writing of any kind, so I've not gotten much done. My total for NaNo so far is around 6500. 
OTOH, I now have a really good drawing of my main character. Alas, it ceases to be accurate after chapter 2.
OTOH, I now have a really good drawing of my main character. Alas, it ceases to be accurate after chapter 2.
Raziel
Master
13,280 for the 8th. Happy birthday indeed.
A. E. Lowan
Dark Lord
My log jam has finally broken, and I cranked out 2k today! *does happy dance*
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
Today it's hardly better: 1,018 - Total score 14,210.
Raziel
Master
14878 for the 9th
- Thread starter
- #70
At the cusp of 17K now. Write or Die really helped me get over a sluggish past three days. I highly recommend using it. Just set a time, like 1 hour, what you want your goal to be, and then write. If you slack off or anything, you get buzzed. And you don't want to get buzzed. Especially with your headphones on. I found that out the hard way at 2 am one night while I was writing. Nearly had a heart attack.
Check it out here: Write or Die by Dr Wicked | Putting the 'Prod' in Productivity
Check it out here: Write or Die by Dr Wicked | Putting the 'Prod' in Productivity
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
I did slightly better than the last 2 days, with 1.636 words. Total: 14,210.
A plot buzzer... I had heard of it, but it doesn't help with plot struggles, I'm afraid.
A plot buzzer... I had heard of it, but it doesn't help with plot struggles, I'm afraid.
Nathan_Boole
Apprentice
How are you gentlemen? (Also, how are you ladies? Zero Wing was totally sexist.)
So, I am currently at 23,452 words, although a few of those are actually just line-breaks... let's say 23,400 actual words. I have somehow managed to write 2,000 or more words per day since Nov 1. Except this one day. I blame God for that one.
I have the following advice for people who are stuck:
Kill someone.
Add a new viewpoint character, even if you are writing in the first person. You can revise it away later, but it might help you as a writer to get a new perspective on your story.
Blow something up!
Add an animal to the story, then later, kill the animal off and deal with the repercussions.
Have your protagonist do something genuinely stupid, then justify it, then fix it.
Start a new story in the middle of your current story and find a way to tie them together.
Disclaimer: I'm mostly drunk and I don't know if any of these techniques actually work. Speaking of which, another "technique": get drunk and then write a fight scene. It's almost as good as getting into a real fight, without the potential jail time!
--Nathan
So, I am currently at 23,452 words, although a few of those are actually just line-breaks... let's say 23,400 actual words. I have somehow managed to write 2,000 or more words per day since Nov 1. Except this one day. I blame God for that one.
I have the following advice for people who are stuck:
Kill someone.
Add a new viewpoint character, even if you are writing in the first person. You can revise it away later, but it might help you as a writer to get a new perspective on your story.
Blow something up!
Add an animal to the story, then later, kill the animal off and deal with the repercussions.
Have your protagonist do something genuinely stupid, then justify it, then fix it.
Start a new story in the middle of your current story and find a way to tie them together.
Disclaimer: I'm mostly drunk and I don't know if any of these techniques actually work. Speaking of which, another "technique": get drunk and then write a fight scene. It's almost as good as getting into a real fight, without the potential jail time!
--Nathan
- Thread starter
- #74
I posted some similar ideas for curing Writer's Block in the past. One was an article I wrote for Mythic Scribes: How to Obliterate Writer's Block
I'm at 18,567 now. Had a pretty decent weekend of two over 2K days. That helped pick up the pace from slower days. I need to go back to outlining every chapter as I go though, as I'm already getting a bit shaky with plot. I have an idea where the story is going, but outlining helps get me there in an easier way.
Keep writing folks!
I'm at 18,567 now. Had a pretty decent weekend of two over 2K days. That helped pick up the pace from slower days. I need to go back to outlining every chapter as I go though, as I'm already getting a bit shaky with plot. I have an idea where the story is going, but outlining helps get me there in an easier way.
Keep writing folks!
Nathan_Boole
Apprentice
Great article Phil! I especially like point #4. How About, Like, Make Something Happen.
It's totally key to remember that you are the master of your own story, not vice versa. If you feel like a scene is dragging, or like your protagonist is going nowhere, change it up!
This was happening to me once in a story I was writing. The protagonist had met some people and was eating dinner at their house, this was to be followed by a morning of talk and wandering vaguely over to a group of magicians for introduction and then long pronouncements about tests and political machinations. I was bored out of my mind by the prospect of writing those scenes, so I had the house get attacked by a large force of enemies under the command of the antagonist, and the protagonist and his friends had to flee the city to escape. Much more interesting, and it got the plot moving on its way.
It's totally key to remember that you are the master of your own story, not vice versa. If you feel like a scene is dragging, or like your protagonist is going nowhere, change it up!
This was happening to me once in a story I was writing. The protagonist had met some people and was eating dinner at their house, this was to be followed by a morning of talk and wandering vaguely over to a group of magicians for introduction and then long pronouncements about tests and political machinations. I was bored out of my mind by the prospect of writing those scenes, so I had the house get attacked by a large force of enemies under the command of the antagonist, and the protagonist and his friends had to flee the city to escape. Much more interesting, and it got the plot moving on its way.
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
Today's score: 1,890 - total score: 17,736.
(And a correction; yesterday's total score should have said: 15,846. Tsk tsk, cutting myself short).
It's not so much the plot itself that's holding me up. It is the research. Druids and holy trees, locations, map distances. I can't just leave everything for later, that would create a terrible chaos.
Happily, I'm still on schedule.
(And a correction; yesterday's total score should have said: 15,846. Tsk tsk, cutting myself short).
It's not so much the plot itself that's holding me up. It is the research. Druids and holy trees, locations, map distances. I can't just leave everything for later, that would create a terrible chaos.
Happily, I'm still on schedule.
- Thread starter
- #77
Just crossed the 20K threshold about 15 minutes ago. Write or Die is really helping me get that word count up. I can't recommend it enough. This is the 3rd time I've recommended it I think. The plot isn't too crazy yet either, which is a good thing. Keeping it simple this go round. It's paying off thus far.
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
I passed the 20k. mark as well. Today's score: 2,386 - Total score: 20,122.
I prefer music to concentrate, though. Something soothing and classical. Händel's Oratoria are perfect for me atm.
I prefer music to concentrate, though. Something soothing and classical. Händel's Oratoria are perfect for me atm.
Raziel
Master
18324 for the 12th so far.
Graylorne
Shadow Lord
Today's score: 1,340 - Total score: 21,462
Had to retrace some of yesterday's steps, was writing myself ito a corner.
Makes note to self: I must kill more.
Had to retrace some of yesterday's steps, was writing myself ito a corner.
Makes note to self: I must kill more.