Frettzo

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

As a note; I've failed this year's NaNoWriMo. While I could technically write 3.000 words a day to catch up by the 30th, I just don't feel it anymore. I tried really hard to get back on track, though, so I'm very proud of myself for taking on this challenge. Next year, I'll take it again (with an outline, character sheets and full worldbuilding beforehand, hopefully!) and freaking wreck the entire thing!

But 37k words written by a guy whose longest story before that was 6k words long? That means NaNoWriMo's helped me improve my determination by around 600%!

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

Well, my novel is shaping up to be about a family of Demon Hunters who're forced into a conflict against the Vampire Nobility after a particular Demon pulled some strings.

What do you think is the hardest part about RPing?

@NanoFreakV2, I agree with what you say about PC interaction. Lately I've been refraining from joining RPs because I no longer have an idea of how to deal with interaction. Sure, I love collabs, but they usually end up as long pieces of writing and nobody ever reads them, so what's really the point?

Instead of participating in RPs this month, I've decided it's simply better to try my hand at solo writing in NaNoWriMo. So far, it's far more satisfying that RPing.

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

Funny thing happened to me: I only needed to remember about Shia's Just Do It video to force myself to keep writing my first draft. It might suck, but after 2.000 words I feel like my second draft will be even better. I'm gonna finish this friggin first draft and I'm gonna win this damn NaNoWriMo even if it's the last thing I do!

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

<Snipped quote by Frettzo>

FINISH IT!!!!

This is absolutely vital to your progress as a writer. See the plotholes, the poorly written scenes, the stupid chapters, the inconsistent characters -- know that they are there -= and finish anyway. You will always want to go back and edit what you've got so far -- the bigger the project, the stronger the urge. RESIST. Just keep on going.

@mdk

Well, it's not that there's plotholes and stuff. I know that's normal in a first draft. But this abomination doesn't even have a theme! I started writing it without the slightest idea of a plot, and continuing it while knowing that I'll completely rewrite it with an outline and character sheets and location sheets and full worldbuilding done from scratch just makes it seem like a waste of time.

I'm very proud I've gotten up to 29.5k words, I never imagined I'd ever be able to even get close to that number, so I'm pretty satisfied with this year's NaNoWriMo.

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

At this point in time I feel like I've gotten to know the story I wanna tell so well that I can just start my rewrite right now. And by that, I mean start preparing an actual outline for a second draft. My first draft is just so full of plot holes and is so bland that I can't bring myself to write anymore in it due to embarrassment xD

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

I've been having an amazingly tough time writing as quickly as I wrote in the first half of the month, and I have no idea why. I am, however, learning a lot of new things about what I want to change in the story by the second draft, and I get excited every time I imagine how different and how much more alive it's going to feel by then!

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

I made it to the halfway point last night, but then my better half decided she'd had enough of watching me at the laptop and made sure I didn't have time to post any updates. :3 25,100 words! Officially halfway to the goal. I still have the feeling that I'm about 5k away from the start of Part II, but I'm also still really looking forward to it.

Provided all goes well, I'm hoping to keep writing this story after November ends. I might not get to 1667 words every day, but I'm going to at least try and write daily until the story is finished. Now, as for what happens after that, well. This story has at least two more drafts (one of which may be a complete restructure and rewrite) and beta reading before I decide if I want to hand it to an editor. I know a very good one who always has time for me, but her time is (as it should be) very much not free.

Remember, that's one of the most uncomfortable truths about NaNo, too - finishing the first draft is an amazing feeling, and finishing a project like this is an incredible rush. But first drafts, (and you might say especially NaNo first drafts) are rough, unpublishable, and sometimes even unreadable. Refinement, polishing, revision, and having your friends tell you that you wrote a pile of hot garbage isn't nearly as fun as raising whole worlds with nothing but a pen, but that is how you find the gleaming, beautiful gem that your story was always supposed to be.

@Naril

I think there's going to be a "Revise, rewrite" contest or something in January hosted by the same Nanowrimo guys. So I might just try to finish my story through December and see if I can do my second draft then.

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

Just asking, but how will you guys celebrate "winning" NaNoWriMo?

RPGC #6: The NaNo One!

Writing 4.000 words a day... Damn, that's got to be tough, no matter how you look at it! xD