NaNoWriMo is DOOONE! ...Now What?
YOU GUYS!
WE MADE IT TO THE END OF NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH 2020!!
HOW DO YOU FEEL?!
I am elated.
This has been a crazy month for me, I’ve seen so many things about how crazy this has been for everybody else.
It’s been so fun!
Today’s prompt is also kind of a prep for the future:
What next?
What is the status of your novel?
Is it complete, whether you hit that 50,000 word mark or not?
And while we’re on that topic, I’d like to leave you with this:
Every day is a writing day.
Every month is a writing month.
If you set out to hit that 50,000 and you didn’t make it, the most important thing to do is KEEP WRITING!
NaNo is there to get you into the habit of writing daily, so please don’t be hard on yourself if you didn’t “win.”
Any words produced are words you brought into this world, so as soon as December 1 hits tomorrow, make sure you get write on in to your daily session anyway!
See you… well, not tomorrow!
My Response
Well, I am certainly read to take a break from this book before I even bother coming back to it. This was a wild experience, and there’s some material I think I can work with in here, but it needs to go to sleep for a while. I’d love to spend some time developing more of the land and the cities and the world and everything. I can’t even believe that’s something I just said. Worldbuilding is my least favorite, but it might not be so bad for this one.
It’s weird, I was ready for this journey to be done, but now I’m sad that it is. Vaeda and his company of misfits trapped in a cave were quite the interesting band of characters to hang out with. It was a similar and yet different story to what I usually write. There were some themes that I’m used to writing, and others that challenged me. The weirdest thing, as usual, was being under a camera the entire time.
Besides the reread of this, I think it’ll be fun to look back and watch all of these videos one day. Every single second of it has been recorded, and that’s an idea I’ve always played with in the back of my mind. Vaeda was one of the most vulnerable characters I’ve ever had, because he was the one who chose to share himself from the start. He wanted people to accept him, flaws and all, and he picked up on that aspect of me as the author. I’ll never forget what I learned from him.
As NaNoWriMo Comes to An End, How Has Your Story Changed?
We are looking at the ribbon of the finish line for National Novel Writing Month 2020, but we’re still a day away from finishing.
Whether you’ve hit your 50,000 words or not, let’s take a look at where you’re story’s standing.
If you haven’t hit the 50,000 words, don’t worry — we’re covering that one tomorrow.
For today, have a look back on what you thought this story was going to be, and compare it to how it is now.
Did anything happen that shocked you?
Has everything you envisioned happened as you saw it in your mind?
What are you most excited about when it comes to the editing stage?
Don’t lose steam now, whether you’re going to hit those 50,000 words or not
We are so close to the finish line, so focus back on your story, then get write on in to hammering out that word count.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
Oddly enough, there’s not actually that much that’s changed from what I had planned with this and what the first draft has turned into. I actually still think it’s weird to think about how constructed this book was from the start. If anything, I guess the biggest change would have been how much I enjoyed writing it. It’s not like I thought I wouldn’t, but this has been one of the hardest stories I’ve ever had to write. As I’ve said so many times before, I usually have the idea first, and this time, I really had to force an idea out.
For that being what it is, though, I think it turned out well. There’s some stuff that I left out, some other things I wish I could have included, but that’s what the editing stage is for. God knows I’m not going into that for this book for a while, though. I think Vaeda and his little cast of friends need to go to sleep for a while. But they will definitely be back, I am sure.
Overall, this was a writing experience I will never forget. And, if I do — the whole thing’s on camera! That was certainly the strangest part of all of this. Regardless of who was reading or watching, that camera was always rolling, and I never had any privacy with this book. Whenever I do get around to the editing stages, I can definitely say that spending time alone with this world is what I’m most looking forward to.
Take Me To Paradise
We are crawling in to the last weekend of National Novel Writing Month 2020.
Maybe you’re stuffed from Thanksgiving.
Maybe you’re stuffed from just attempting to write a book.
Regardless of where you’re at on you’re noveling journey, let’s look back on where the story takes place.
Or, more importantly, a place you wish you could have included.
Maybe the bulk of your story takes place in one room, or one house or city.
Did you ever wish you could find a way to take it somewhere else?
What might have happened there, if you’d done that?
How might the arc of the story have shifted if the background was totally different?
Is there anywhere your character or characters wish they’d gone?
Tell me all about it.
Transport yourself into the paradise that is your mind, and then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
I wish I could have basically included anywhere else in this story. I got to see a little of the city they’re trapped under, and a bit into Vaeda’s home city, but most of it takes place in that damn cave. It would have been cool to explore some of the other places people were from. There’s the whole list of city and country names I did, but none of them ever got seen. Well, not until the development stage, anyway.
I also think it’s safe to say all of the characters would have rather gone somewhere else. Whether off to their hometowns or not, anyplace has to be better than a cave, right? Especially with the lack of sight and everything going on in the book, it would have been cool to spend some time in a place that had a little more life. Then again, I don’t know if it would have had a different impact than I’d wager on the story itself. The lack of sight whilst building trust is one of the most endearing parts of the story, I think.
But there is much more to this little world of Kadiux, which I’m not even sure was named in the actual text. There’s so many other places I would love to explore, if I ever came back to this world, or to Vaeda. Vaeda’s become a bit of a friend, now, so I wonder if he’ll be coming back to make himself known again at some point. Especially with this little power of his. Perhaps his next adventure will just take place in some place that has a little more color.
Plot Inconsistencies? Use This #WritingPrompt to Help #GetWriteOnIn to the Solution
All right, guys.
National Novel Writing Month 2020 is coming to a close, but it’s not over yet.
You may be struggling to get to the finish line, and the could be a sentiment true for any time during the manuscript writing process.
Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in your head about all the things you know you should have done instead.
So…
Where did you go wrong?
It’s okay to make mistakes in the first draft, it’s just not as okay to let those mistakes keep you from moving forward.
So where’s the plotline you know shouldn’t be there?
What can you do during the editing stages to make sure it helps strengthen your story?
How can you work around it now to finish out the first draft before you worry about all the things that need fixing?
Don’t get too hard on yourself for this, but take some time admitting to yourself where you went wrong, then get write on in to finishing out the manuscript.
All mistakes can be edited, and we’re not there yet, folks.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
There’s so much of this story I can’t wait to change once I hit the editing stages. Most of the development will go toward the magic powers, especially the ones keeping everybody in the cave. As I went through the first draft, I discovered they ate humans and that was part of what kept them there. Something in the human flesh took away their memories and kept them away from the exit. That’s definitely something I’ll have to look more into.
Everyone’s individual powers need work, too. When I went into this, I didn’t realize Vaeda would end up with necromancy. I suppose that makes sense, but there needs to be so much more development around it. Go’Ranashu is the only one who doesn’t really have anything extra special about him, apart from the fact he’s the only one unaffected by Yaga. That, however, is a plot hole, because, if his mind doesn’t get altered, why can’t he find the way out?
None of this bothers me. The whole point of the first draft is just to get through it, and if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t even know about Vaeda’s necromancy. I think that adds a lot to his character, and I’m happy with how that came around. There’s just so much more about the relationships and the magic that needs development. But boy, am I ready to take a break from this before I even start moving in on that.
Home Stretch! How's Everybody's Mental State?
We are closing in on the end of National Novel Writing Month 2020 everybody.
Like, almost down to the seconds now.
The completion of a manuscript is always exciting, whether it’s during NaNo or not.
If you’re looking for some extra wind to push you through the last week, let’s bring our focus back to our characters once again.
On the home stretch of the journey, how are they feeling?
How might they feel by the time this is all over?
Will they reach their goal, or are the rest of us going to have to wait until a book two?
Your characters are probably just as tired as you, and it’s been a long journey for all of us.
Check in with their mental state — perhaps even your own — and then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
Vaeda
I am tired and weary from this journey, but for me, it is over. There were so many times when I wondered if I would be successful or not. Times I wanted to quit and never give another thought. Anytime things got difficult, I worried about the probability of my success. All I had to do was think of the people I did this for, and that kept me going.
There are times when that brings on a pressure on its own. It isn’t as though I chose to be a leader; it was a role assigned to be at birth. I suppose there are times I would shed that role, if I could. There’s no point in sitting here and wondering what things may have been like, for they’re not any different than they are in the present. No amount of wishing I could be somebody else would make that matter a reality.
I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, though. All of the ups and downs it came with have proved worth it, in the end. Now, there is happiness and peace. Everything I strove for when I started this mission has seen its way all the way to the end. All of these experiences now exist as nothing more than a memory — and one I hope I don’t forget.
Use This #WritingPrompt To Help You #GetWriteOnIn To Your Story's Historical Influences
Whether you are crawling your way toward the finish line of National Novel Writing Month 2020 or just doing your best at pumping out a manuscript, let’s talk about where this story of yours takes place for a minute.
Previous prompts have had us looking at historical influences, whether fictional or factual, to help us bring our settings to life.
So, let’s go back to the piece of history we focused on at the beginning of our stories.
How has that piece of history impacted where your story takes place?
How might the general population be different if this event hadn’t happened?
Would the entire arc of your story be different, if the history of your setting had seen different days?
Worldbuilding can be fun, or it can be kind of a pain.
But the more time you spend treating your setting like you would a friend, the more active your setting will come across on the page.
So immerse yourself into the history of your world, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
When I first responded to this prompt at the beginning of the month, I focused on Hardmoure, my main character’s homeland, because we never got to go there. I wanted to develop some importance there because it strengthened my character. A lot of the development I’ve done has gone to the places around where the characters are trapped as opposed to the caves where they’re stuck. The Lanniswell Hollow has plenty of history, which is partially looked upon throughout the text. But it has definitely seen its share of darker days.
The magic around the Lanniswell Hollow prevents any of the prisoners from leaving. The walls take away the memories and the sanities of the prisoners. It has definitely changed and shaped the setting, and not in a good way. It withholds all the pain from the past prisoners, and influences the despair within the caves. This would certainly change the mood down there, if it were different.
Although, that being said, the entire story would definitely be different if things were not the same. If the prisoners were allowed to think for themselves. If the idea of removing hope was not its sole purpose for existing. The caves of the Lanniswell Hollow hold many secrets, but they’re more than happy to share them. They’re just not sure if anyone else will ever truly be ready to listen.
Last Week of NaNo, Don't Lose Steam Now!!
The end of National Novel Writing Month 2020 is in sight.
Some people are done.
Some people have barely started.
But whether you’re in NaNo or not, let’s talk about the plot of your story for a moment.
At the beginning of this NaNo adventure, we went through our favorite plotlines of our story as we got ready to embellish.
So let’s take a look back at the plotline you’d chosen as your favorite from the start.
Is it still your favorite, or has another storyline come along and shoved it out of place?
How has the shape of the arc changed from what you had originally intended?
Has the change of this arc shaped your story differently than you’d anticipated?
Don’t let any story disconnects keep you from finishing out NaNo.
Whether you’re doing NaNo or not, every month is a “WriMo” — a writing month — so no matter where you are in your story writing, spend some time in your favorite plotlines, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
My original favorite plot arc had be focusing on the relationship between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu. That is definitely still one of my favorites, although I’m not all the way sure I’d consider it a full favorite. Go’Ranashu himself is a favorite character, and without him, Vaeda would have crumbled in a blink. I’m definitely happy the honest between them continues as the story progresses. Vaeda needs at least one person he can fully rely on.
I think I’m more happy with what ended up happening during the development of Vaeda’s power. When I first started plotting out everything, that wasn’t something I had foreseen. I suppose his ability to raise the dead makes sense for the purpose of him being down in the caves. His inability to know anything at first developed, I think, a lot better than I had originally intended. Upon the reread and editing stages, I will definitely have a lot more fun developing all of that.
Overall, now that I’m done with the book, I think I’m happy with the way at least things went down. The relationship between Go’Ranashu and Vaeda was definitely strong throughout. All of the relationships Vaeda had with the other characters worked well. They had to figure out if they trusted each other or not while trapped in the dark. Although, I will say, I kind of would say I doubt I’ll ever do something like that again.
Check in With Your Character's Mental State with This #WritingPrompt
If you’re entering into the last week of National Novel Writing Month 2020, you might be feeling like your fingers are about to fall off.
Same statement could be true if you’re writing a book in any type of sprint fashion.
Whether your story is coming to a close or not, we’re going to kick off the final week of NaNo by revisiting the first prompt:
Character journals.
The first journal had us checking in with the character at the beginning of the story.
Potentially before they even knew anything that was about to happen to them.
So check in again with them now.
Write out a journal entry in their perspective to see how they’re feeling.
How has this journey changed or shaped them?
Is there anything they would change, if they could?
Do they have any predictions as to what might happen to them before the end?
Spend some time as inside of your character’s mind as possible, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
From Vaeda
Everything has been… crazy, to say the least. There’s so many thoughts and memories flooding through my head, but I seem unable to focus on any of them. Even the memories I do remember seem blurred and confusing. I know there’s a power and a strength in me, and I’m grateful that it’s coming more full circle. I know I am standing on the edge of success in my journey.
As hard as it’s been, there’s so much about it that I appreciate, in a weird way. This challenge has forced me to look inward. It has made me realize there is more to myself than even I knew, and I cannot be angry about that. Anytime I doubted myself, I faced myself. Anytime I faced myself, I found that I came out the other side even stronger than I’d expected.
The end is near, but I do not know what that means. Although part of me welcomes to the idea of death, another part urges me to keep fighting forward. I know I must at least find succession saving the others. Their lives are worth more than mine, and I can’t forget about that. The moment they’re free, this whole fight becomes worth it.
If These Walls Could Talk... Just What WOULD They Say?
Depending on when you watch this, there’s only 10 days left of National Novel Writing Month 2020.
So close, but so far.
That same statement can be ushered at almost any given time during the novel-writing process, so NaNo or not, let’s talk about today’s prompt.
We’ve given our settings different historical stories and emotions to help us strengthen them, but today, we’re going to have a conversation with the walls.
Take the room of whatever scene you are currently in, and let the walls tell there secrets.
Could this potentially be the scene of a crime?
Or a place where a celebrity baby was born?
How many different people or experiences or stories have these very walls seen?
There’s so much about history and past energies that can be said about a place, so have some fun interviewing the walls, then get write on in to your daily writing session!
See you tomorrow!
My Response
From the Lanniswell Hollow
There have been many souls that have passed through my hallways, none of which have ever seen the light of day again. I have existed here for thousands of years, and was untouched until the civilians of Raelevarre. They understood that I had power within me that they couldn’t find anywhere else. My untapped power allowed them to fuel their greed and suppress those they deemed unworthy. They have abused every offering I have to take the souls of the people who have come through here.
I wonder at times if I believe in the idea of hope myself anymore. I miss the silence. All of the screams from the people who have died, whether naturally or by the hand of something or someone else, echo the empty hallways that house the bodies. I am the one who is left to hear the screams, nobody else. It is I who must remember, time and again, day after day, all of the horrors that have existed within my domain.
If things were up to me, it would be different. My power, to prevent the mind from wandering into psychosis, has so much more use than how it has been used throughout the years. It seems as though the people above forget that I have thoughts and feelings myself. You wouldn’t think that much, since to you I’m nothing more than a cave. If you could hear the screams I did, I’m sure you’d think differently.
Character Freaky Friday
Whoa!
Okay!
Hi, YouTube.
I’m Rachel, the subtitles girl and co-host of the livestream write-ins here on Write On In.
How’s it going, everybody?
This National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure is my first attempt at writing a book, and I hope you’re as excited as I am about hitting that 50K word mark!
If you’re struggling — whether you’re in NaNo or not — I guess it’s my turn to offer up a solution that might help get you unstuck.
Character Freaky Friday, anybody?
What if your main character was either completely different, or just reversed roles with somebody else?
How would the story look different if it was told through somebody else’s eyes?
Is this a side character that’s suddenly thrust into the spotlight, or another character who could arguably be considered a main already?
How might this channel be different if it was my beautiful self running it?
Okay, okay, that was more of a joke, but seriously.
Switch up some characters, have some fun with your plot lines, then get write on in to your daily session!
Andrew will be back tomorrow, so happy writing everybody!
Rachel's Response:
Morgan wakes up and opens her eyes. The room she's in is slightly different than the one she fell asleep in, but her sleep riddled brain can't quite work out why just yet, as it is very similar. She looks to the balcony door of Pierre's room and sees the same usual view of a morning in port, another ship on the opposite side of the pier. She turns her head to the right now and is shocked to see Captain Rico Bulgarelli asleep next to her with a small trail of drool falling out of his slightly open mouth.
Morgan jumps up, wondering what on earth could have happened last night after their dinner to find herself in bed with the captain and having no recollection of how she got there. Her sudden movement rouses Rico from his sleep and he abruptly questions her, "What is the matter with you now?" His words are harsh and biting, his tone makes the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
Morgan stammers "Uh. I... I don't... How did... What happened last night?" She finally forms a full thought.
"We had dinner. We came home to our cabin. And you denied me the most basic of wifely duties, even on my birthday. You need to get over whatever that thing with the girl was, and get back to normal already. It's over." His voice had that same biting tone, filled with venom.
"Wifely duties? I'm sorry you must be confused. I need... I need to..." Morgan trailed off as she walked into the bathroom. That's when she looked up and saw the face of Gemma staring back at her, blonde hair framing her delicate features. She let out a scream, and sure enough the Gemma reflected in the mirror screamed as well.
Andrew's Response:
If this story was told from Go’Ranashu’s perspective, none of it would have been as confusing as it is. He is the only one whose mind was not altered by anything going on. His mind is the most pure and sound out of anybody’s, so if he were to tell the story, it would be much more fluid. That being said, there would be way less drama going on, and it might not be that interesting. Just full of Go’Ranashu trying to convince everybody to see things his way.
He is, however, my favorite character in the book. Even outside of Vaeda, I think, just because he’s been exactly as I wanted him to be. Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind… oh, wait, that’s me pulling out my old Boy Scouts traits. Go’Ranashu fits into those categories regardless, and he’s the only saving grace, for me, in this book.
Without him, this story would be nothing, and even though it isn’t told through his perspective, I’m still glad he’s part of it. He might not be able to handle some of the pressure that Vaeda found in the caves as well as Vaeda himself, but not because of a lack of heart. If this story were his, he would have given every chapter, every page, and every sentence his all. Perhaps one day he will get a story of his own. There was a life of his before this, and there will surely be one after…
Show Some Author Appreciation From Your Characters With This #WritingPrompt
We are only a week and a half away from finishing out National Novel Writing Month 2020!
I don’t know if you are anywhere near as excited as I am about that, but I am ready to be done with this book of mine.
You may be feeling the same about your current work in progress, regardless of when you’re writing it.
It’s easy to get frustrated with first-draft manuscripts, which was why the first half of these writing prompts had us letting out our frustrations.
Today, we’re going to keep the love going and return to letters from our characters.
The first prompt of this category had our characters telling us everything they didn’t like about us, but it’s time for them to show some appreciation for the people bringing them to life!
How much do they love the story you’re putting out there?
How are they adjusting to the spotlight?
Just how thankful are they for you taking the time to write their story?
Let your characters shower you with the love of everything you’re doing right, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
Dear Andrew,
Thanks for everything you’ve done for me. I know this struggle has been hard for you. I know that, since the start, you have rattled your brains trying to figure out who I am and how to tell my story. If it were up to me, I’d have told you everything you wanted to know from the start, but, as with any other book, is it not just part of the journey? If I’d have given you everything you wanted to know would you have treated this with less sincerity?
I doubt it, of course, because you always give your all to every project. That’s what I chose you. I knew that, even though you’d enter into this with an idea of me being an “example” story that you would treat it as more than such. And you have, haven’t you? You’ve cared more about this story than you’ve let on, and it’s gotten you into more than one temper tantrum along the way.
But that’s why I’m here with you. I picked you because of that passion. I knew you were going to throw yourself into this, look sleep, and get out on the internet looking like a raccoon. But I chose you because I knew you could do it. And would you look at that — you’re almost done.
-Vaeda
Strengthen Your Worldbuilding Skills With This #WritingPrompt
All right y’all.
Halfway through the third week of National Novel Writing Month 2020.
Or, potentially halfway through your novel.
Or maybe just halfway through life, who even knows at this point?
I hope you’ve hit a stride, wherever you are in your book, but whether you have or haven’t, maybe you just need a little boost for your writing session today.
The last few days have had us focusing on our love for our characters and plots, so let’s show some love for my least favorite thing about writing books:
Our settings.
And hey, if I can find something love in a setting that is a cave where my character cannot see a thing, I’m sure you can find something to love about wherever your book takes place, too.
Is this a place you’d live, if you could?
Would you at least want to visit it and see what it’s like in person?
If it actually exists, have you been there? What would you do if you could visit, or how has a real-life visit affected the shape of your story?
Love the world you’re in, then get write on in to keeping it moving forward.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
You know, this book has really grown on me. Especially having it take place in a cave. That’s been a really weird and really up and down thing for the writing of this. It’s one thing to have a blind character, I think, but another to have them all trapped in a place where they can’t see. Especially one that’s filled with so much general darkness and despair as with the Lanniswell Hollow.
That all being said, I feel like there’s so much life in the caves. So much life potential, anyway. Caves in general have so much life in them, which is something I learned out in New Zealand and exploring some caves of my own, as well as whatever cave episode was part of the Planet Earth documentaries. Sometimes there’s life within the darkness, even if we can’t see it. It can be a scary-ass-looking life, but a life all the same.
I think that’s still what Vaeda’s searching for in all of this. What they’re all searching for. Just a life outside of the darkness that’s holding them back. To connect with whatever inner power is meant to guide them forward. They can find everything they need and more, all within themselves, and all because of the caves of the Lanniswell Hollow.
Fall in Love With Your Story With This #WritingPrompt
What’s up all you beautiful writers out there?
I hope this video is finding you well.
Whether you are well into National Novel Writing Month 2020 or not, maybe you need a little extra boost for your writing session today.
Maybe you’ve felt either a great connect or a disconnect with your storyline.
Let’s focus on that real quick, because we’ve let out some frustrations over the last couple of weeks, and it’s time to look on the bright side of things.
What do you love about this story your writing?
How is it changing you as a person, or as a writer?
Has it become something more than you could have ever dreamed?
Writers and creatives are often known to be their own worst critics, and sometimes it’s hard not to be.
Spend some time focusing on everything you love about your work in progress, then get write on in to your daily session.
My Response
I’ll admit, I wasn’t really feeling my story too much at first. It was kind of slow going in the beginning, and it was really forced. I tried so hard to connect with it. I thought of everything I could do, tried everything I had done in the past to make that connection, but nothing work. It really shook me, and right at that halfway mark, I seriously considered DNFing my own book.
But then, I don’t know, something just clicked. I got into a scene I liked, and the characters started making more sense. Things got better, more exciting, and it’s almost like the moment I got over that little hump, the floodgates are just about to unleash. Now, I’m really excited about where this book is going and what’s going to happen between this point and the end.
I’m coming up into the last act, just one more chapter until then. The climax is on the way, so, even though this a short book, everything that things are building up to is about to happen. I guess so much of me wishes I could have started this from the end to the beginning like a Benjamin Button type story. That’s not a bad thing if you’re any type of writer, to write whatever section of the story you want at whatever point you want to. It’s just not as good an idea when you’re posting the whole thing daily :)
Use This #WritingPrompt To Promote Your Main Character to Your Best Friend
I hope you have decided to push through the first half of National Novel Writing Month 2020 and join me for the second.
Even if you’re not in NaNoWriMo, sometimes you just need an extra boost when it comes to your writing.
Our last few plots have let us get out all the frustrations we’ve had toward our characters, plots, and settings, but we’re going to brighten up everybody’s days a little and do the exact opposite.
Today, I’d love it if you could focus on everything you love about your main character or characters.
They’ve been with you from the start, so there has to be some redeemable qualities to them, even if they drive you crazy every so often.
What about them still intrigues you?
What about them makes you love more than characters in books you didn’t write?
If you could spend a day with them, what would you do?
Strengthen that bond with your character by sprinkling in some honey with your words, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
I’ve obviously had my up and down struggles with Vaeda, my main character, especially if anyone has read what I’ve written about him so far. Since crafting him from the nothing, I feel like he’s given me a complete run for my money as far as being a writer goes. But the thing is, the more I get to know him, the more I find myself channeling him. I’ve been struggling with self-deprecation and depression during the writing of this novel — standard considering the themes — but I think of him any time I want to give up. Vaeda is in a position where he has to be the only person who has any hope and belief in what he’s doing, and in some ways, I’m in the same position.
He has those close to him, and it’s not like I’m completely alone, but I feel like Vaeda understands what it’s like to carry a burden you don’t want. I think he’s a much stronger character than I had anticipated when I first started writing him. He’s pretty quiet and reclusive, which allows me to spend a lot of time in his head, which is also kind of cool. I think he’s very connected with his mind, despite what’s going on, and I’m trying to find that all within myself, as well. Any time I want to give up hope, I remember how he carries on and how I have to carry on for him.
For someone I felt like chose me instead of the other way around, he could become one of my top five favorite characters by the end. I’m excited about the rest of his adventure and to see what he does. It’s still difficult to explain to non-writers how characters and stories take a life of their own. I’m just grateful that, the more life that’s breathed in to Vaeda, the more I like him. Otherwise, Lord knows I would have given up on this bitch after chapter 2.
Halfway Through #NaNoWriMo, Where We At?
Congratulations, everybody!
We are officially halfway through National Novel Writing Month 2020!
I don’t know if you’re actually in NaNo whenever you’re watching this, but if you’re writing a story at all, chances are, you’re going to feel some frustrations sometimes.
Today’s writing prompt is going to be the last of us letting out those frustrations as we take them out on our settings.
We already know everything that drives us crazy about our characters and plots, but what about where the story is taking place?
Is the location coming through crystal clear?
Are you like me and absolutely detest anything that has to do with building up your settings?
Are there any other disconnects going on because of these frustrations?
I know I’m feeling a large wave of emotions this year, so I’ve certainly enjoyed my time letting my story know all about the frustrations I have with it.
So let your setting know how it can shape up, then get write on in to your daily session!
See you tomorrow!
My Response
I am frustrated with the fact that I CANNOT SEE MY SETTING!!! I actually thought I was doing that to myself as something as a favor when all of this started. You know, if the character can’t see it, then I don’t have to either. My lazy author ass should have known better by this point, to be honest. This is not my first book, and I should have known it wasn’t going to work like that once I actually went to go get write on in.
But I just feel like this story is making me WORK for it!! Every other story just comes so naturally and I just have so much fun while I explore it. There are so many aspects to this one that I love, but it’s weird that I don’t really have the opportunity to explore the surroundings like I normally do. It makes me feel like there’s just a darkness over the story, which there kind of is in a lot of ways, but it’s just harder than I thought. I wish the setting, as with the characters and plot, would just speak to me more than it is.
I can’t figure out the layout of the caves and I don’t know how to get anybody out of them. The characters aren’t the only ones who have no idea where they are in all of this. I’m trying to channel Vaeda to find the hope to get through this story myself, but the caves also depict despair and sadness, so that’s probably not helping. I feel like the story is trying to make me feel the way the characters do. How method of it.
Feeling That Plot Disconnect? This #WritingPrompt Will Help You #GetWriteOnIn to the Solution
Are we done with National Novel Writing Month 2020 yet?
No, but we are only a day away from the halfway point!
Whether you’re ready to pull your hair out like I am because you’re in NaNo or because you’re just braving the venture that is writing a book, today’s prompt brings us back to a focus on our plots.
If you’re like me, you might be feeling a little stuck on the storyline.
So what’s bothering you?
Are you just not feeling it like you had hoped?
Does the story feel forced?
Do you wish it could be something else already?
It’s all right to feel frustrated with your story sometimes, just don’t let it stop you from writing it anyway.
Remember that the first draft stages are supposed to suck.
So write out your plot frustrations, then get write on in to your daily session.
GO WRITE!
See you tomorrow.
My Response
My story is actually driving me crazy right now. I know I’ve crafted it all up from the nothingness of the ether that was my brain on a random generator, but man I feel like I’m writing in circles. It’s weird, since I’m posting it, and I know that some people are enjoying it, but I feel like I don’t even know what’s going on in it right now. I’m not reading it before I post it, because if I reread it, I’m going to get too caught up in trying to fix it. I know I can’t do that, because then I’m going to fall behind and never get anything done.
It’s just frustrating because, like I said, I feel like I’m writing in circles. The characters are kind of going in circles, I know, and they’re stuck in this cave, which is what makes things hard for me I guess. I’m just wondering how it’s making the reader feel, even though that’s the last thing I should really be thinking about right now. I just feel like the story is moving slower than I would like, but at the same time, I’m not even 100 pages in! It just feels like blabber at this point.
I just wish the story would speak more to me. By this point, with all of the connection I’ve forced, I just wish it would connect back with me a little bit more. I’m feeling a little burned out, and I think the story knows it. The story always has more control than the author admits, but that’s frustrating. If I’m supposed to do a good job writing it, then why wouldn’t it want to help me out some if it were really in control?
My Main Character Drives Me Nuts
If you’re closing in on the halfway mark of National Novel Writing Month 2020 like I am, it’s hard telling how you feel right now.
Even if you’re on a novel writing journey of any sort, it’s hard to tell where you’ll be at.
Some of these prompts have had our characters looking at us as the authors with the magnifying glass.
Letting us know everything they didn’t like about us our how we were representing them.
Today, we are going to turn the tables on them!
Today, we’re going to let our pesky little characters know just how much they annoy us.
Are they not doing what you’re telling them, even though you’re the one that’s supposed to be in control?
Did they give you too much attitude when you started to let them run free in your mind?
Are they just making your story that much harder to write?
Let them know how they can be a better character, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
Vaeda is becoming very cyclical I feel. Or I fear, rather. He’s responsive enough to the things I tell him to do, and for a character that’s been constructed and designed out of the either, he’s not doing such a bad job. Apart from the fact that he’s really refusing to connecting with me, though. I’m doing a lot of effort and spending a lot of time trying to picture him, but he’s really taking this whole “I can’t see” thing seriously and not even letting me in on what he looks like.
These black energies that I’m writing about in my book are because of how distant I feel toward him. I want to feel more connected to him. I think he’s actually a pretty strong character, and I’d like to connect with him on a deeper level. Such is life, as with every other man, there is no deeper connection. Nothing more than whatever surface level crap he’s ushering me that’s supposed to help me make this into a good story.
Doesn’t he want to be represented better? Doesn’t he want people to be hanging on to every word of his story, scared they’ll miss a detail? He’s too focused on figuring out how he’s been wronged to think about ways to make his story more interesting. Only one of the two of us involved here actually cares about that. Sounds like he and my dog would be great friends.
Feeling Emotional During #NaNoWriMo? #GetWriteOnIn to a fix with This #WritingPrompt
Whether you’re in National Novel Writing Month 2020 or not, we’ve all been stuck in the hell that is 2020 either way.
Most of us have experienced every emotion under the sun this year.
Some of us experienced those emotions for the first time.
Writers always strive to find ways to evoke emotions, whether they be for joy or anger or sadness, or anything else in between.
I’ve talked before about treating the setting of your story like a person.
Today, we’re going to further that idea once more by assigning an emotion to our setting and describing it.
How does the city, or building, or cruise ship, or wherever you are actually feel?
If it were a person you were able to have a conversation with, what would be the strongest emotion evoked from the surroundings of your characters?
Let that emotion guide you as you get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
The caves of the Lanniswell Hollow are just as sad and depressed as the energies they emit. If they could speak, they’d cry within a minute. All they feel is the pain of the souls that wander through them. All they know is despair and grief. If this cave were a person, it would be the one nobody would want to spend any time with.
But if the Lanniswell Hollow were able to speak for itself, it would be full of defense. It wouldn’t ask to absorb the pain of everybody else. It doesn’t want the empathetic energies that are forced within its walls. If anything were left up to them, everything would be different. The halls within it would be full of light and love, not of the darkness that fuels it as it does not.
Nobody would ever let the Hollow speak, though. It is reserved for those cast from society. It is treated as the lowest of the low in and of itself, when the only crime it ever committed was existing under the city of Raelevarre. If only the prisoners within the Hollow knew how much it shared their feelings. If only it could give them any reason to feel some semblance of hope.
Choose a Favorite Scene and #GetWriteOnIn to Your Work in Progress
Hopefully, by this point in your National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure, you’ve written at least one scene of your book that you enjoy.
Same statement if you’re writing a book at all.
Authors have a tendency to become their worst critics, especially during first draft stages.
We know the stuff we’re putting out isn’t our best.
We know as soon as that editing stage hits, our hideous words will magically transform into glinting jewels.
The problem is, sometimes we can lose motivation along the way if we ever start to feel that disconnect.
Today, I’d like for you to pick your favorite scene thus far from your work in progress, wherever you stand on that.
Either write about why it’s your favorite, or take a break from the written word and act it out for yourself.
Connect with why it’s your favorite scene, and let it motivate you to get write on in to writing more just like it.
I’d totally pick a scene to act out for myself if I wasn’t trying to keep these so short.
Such is life.
See you tomorrow!
My Response
So far, my favorite scene has been when Vaeda is trying to figure out “eyes open” and “eyes closed.” I’m having some fun trying to figure out his little memory things, even though sometimes it’s a little circular. But it’s really fun developing everything going on without the main character actually being able to see. That was something I was a little worried about at first, but it’s proving to turn out just fine. Gotta take the wins when you get them, man.
Another reason it’s my favorite scene is because it was challenging for me. I don’t like setting, I feel like I’m awful at writing it. That’s part of the reason I took sight away from the main character in the first place, so he could basically be blind for me, ha. It’s fun trying to develop everything based on the memory that he can’t hold on to. That aspect of the writing challenge in this book has made me feel like I’m growing as a writer, and I can never be mad at that.
I also enjoy this scene because it gave me the opportunity to explore the cave they’re in a little bit. There will be more of that coming up, I’d assume, but it’s fun to take some time building things every once in a while. For someone who loves to read, I sure am scared to write out some details sometimes. I get scared thinking people will get bored, and while I do tend to overwrite sometimes, there are people who do love details, as well. So I’ve had a great time detailing out this cave and allowing Vaeda to find his inner strength through that exploration.
Side Character Spotlight!
Hopefully, you haven’t lost too much sleep on this National Novel Writing Month 2020 adventure.
Or, hopefully you’re not too hard on yourself for wherever your word count is at whenever you are in your personal writing storyline.
Anyone who knows me knows I love me some good character-driven stories, and I’ve, personally, enjoyed responding to the character prompts from this month the most.
However, if you are anything like me, sometimes you can get stuck on just one character.
The main one, usually.
Today, whether you have one character that hold point of view screen time or multiple, choose a side character that we never get to spend time with and explore a side story for them.
What is something from their past that makes up who they are in the present?
How has that event shaped them as a character?
What relevance might it have to the story, even if you never get to physically write it out?
The main character is sometimes only as strong as their supporting cast, so delve into the minds of the people surrounding them, then get write on in to your daily session.
See you tomorrow!
My Response:
When Cochava was younger, she never asked to watch her sister get murdered. She never asked to feel like she was next, or to hide underneath her bed as she shook and waited for the murderer the leave. The murderer she had trusted at one point in her life. A man she could probably give thanks to for being alive. A man she once called father.
She never knew what her mother, her sister, nor her had done to upset her father so. But she’d never forgotten the last look on her sister’s face as her father sliced her neck open. The way their eyes met in a last look of pleading. Cochava wished, still to this day, that she could have done something to save her. It didn’t matter, for regardless of time — even that spent in the Lanniswell Hollow — she did not forget.
From that moment forward, she swore she would never trust anyone. Her father had looked at her after he killed her sister, and it seemed as though seeing her crouched underneath her bed forced him to realize what he had done. He let her go, for whatever that meant, and left her, alone and scared, to fend for herself. She was all of nine years old when that happened, and no amount of time passed could change the effect it had on her psyche. She’d never seen her father again after that, but she swore if she ever did, he’d never live to see another day.