Happy November! It’s Nanowrimo Day!
Today, me and literally hundreds of thousands of people across the world will all attempt to write a 50,000 word novel between today and November 30th. Wish us luck.
It’s gonna be bananas.
I’ll be doing updates weekly. Here’s hoping I have good ones, wahaha.
Hi! It’s been another couple weeks or so since the last time I updated on my nanoplanmo progress.
At this point, I think I’m pretty much ready, at least to start. I have the first four chapters planned out, along with the three major POVs and major conflicts. I do plan on adding in subplots but I might wait until after the first draft to do it – pick up on hints I accidentally made while writing to branch off from, stuff like that.
I’ve been doing worldbuilding as well, and have decided to completely change how I’m doing the social conflict between species from the last time I updated. I think (I hope) it’ll work out.
But yeah that’s it, really. Like I said, I’m about ready to go. I have three more days of work, then it’s Halloween, then it’s NANOWRIMO! I took off work November 2nd and 3rd so I can dedicate the first three days of the month to writing. My goal between the three days is to get in at least 15k words. I’d really like to have a cushion in my word count.
If you’re participating, let me know! Happy writing!
Last year, I started doing favorites posts during October, November, and December, because it’s my favorite time of the year. This year I’m gonna do it again! So today I’ll be talking about some neat things I liked during October!
My two edible choices this month are both drinks – Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cream cold brew and this Coffee Liqueur I got from a local creator. Both are super great – I get the cold brews on Fridays as a ‘congrats for not falling into the void’ gift to myself and I use the coffee liqueur with some vanilla vodka and chocolate coffee creamer to make a bastardized form of a white Russian. V tasty.
I’ve been playing a lot of DDR recently, and this is my favorite out of all of them. With the weather starting to get colder and it getting more difficult to fit in a walk before dark, this is how I’ve been getting my steps in.
I am fully on the Among Us bandwagon. I’ve still only played a few times – it’s hard to get peoples’ schedules lined up and all – but what I have played has been a ton of fun, and I very much like this game.
I realize this game is a few years old at this point, but at the start of the plague, I began a new file of this game. Six months later, I’m still playing it. I’m almost to the end – I’ve freed all the divine beasts and am ready to go to Hyrule Castle, but I decided I wanna do a completionist game, so I’m currently collecting all 900 korok seeds (and then I’ll do all the shrines and all the dlc, yada yada). But I play this almost every day during my lunch break and it’s such a good time. This game is so good, man.
Firstly, fall decorations! This is my set up for this Halloween. Come Thanksgiving, I’ll redecorate with turkeys and fewer skulls. But I’m pretty happy with how everything turned out!
I’ve also started to learn the guitar! I’ve tried both electric and acoustic at this point and definitely prefer the acoustic. It’s just easier for me to hold while I play. I’ve started learning Christmas songs on it so I can hopefully play them in December.
Yes, I’m still on the Frozen bandwagon, particularly the second movie recently, because its entire color scheme matches the season so well! And obviously I’m showing Olaf because he’s the best character.
Finally, some stuff I’ve been using for Nanoplanmo. The books on the left I’ve been using as references for some characters I’m making in my novel. One guess as to what they are. Otherwise, I’ve been slowly going through music that I feel fits the themes of this year’s novel, and Vindsvept’s Two Hours in the Woods playlist really fits the bill (below, listen to it!)
And that’s it for this month! I think I got a good variety of things. October was a lovely month.
Hi! It’s been thirteen days since I started my planning for my Nanowrimo novel. If you remember from my announcement post, you’ll have noticed that I didn’t go into detail as to what I’d be writing, aside from that it was going to be set in the world my previous two nano novels were set in.
Well, that was because I had no idea what I was going to write. But hooray, now I know, more or less.
This year’s novel is indeed going to be set in the same world. It’s a fantasy, and it’ll happen on a continent that hasn’t gotten a novel yet, meaning I’m currently doing a deep dive into the development of culture, civilization, history, species, magic, and you name it for that continent. Some themes I’m going to utilize within the novel include relations between species with different technology levels, the use of magic, and the misuse of life to fuel that magic. I’m not really gonna go deeper at this point, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me.
So for that past ten days, I’ve been drawing maps and detailing out which areas I wanna focus on. I’ve also been on the lookout for map creators and town creators and stuff in video game form or web browser form that’ll let me actually build my cities so I can have a clear picture of what goes where. I’ve found a few things, but nothing has really stuck out to me as the perfect product yet. So if you have any suggestions, do let me know, particularly if they have a free demo I can try out first.
I’ve also been really trying to get a system in place for my world building. It’s a bit all over the place right now. I toyed with Campfire for a bit but my trial ran out before it had sold me. My husband, who’s also doing nano this year, has basically made the equivalent of a campfire set up within his evernote, so I might try doing that as well. We’ll see.
If you’ve done nano, or if you’re a writer that does a lot of world building, where do you organize it? What’s your system? I mean I have a “system” but it’s basically just a bunch of unorganized word documents.
Anyways, I’m really pumped about this year’s project. For the first few days of October, I was iffy, just because I had a premise but didn’t have a plot. Now I have a plot as well and I really like it. I’m itching to start writing now, but I’m forcing myself to hold off. No cheating!
Guys I’m so pumped!
~~
If you’re also participating in Nanowrimo, do let me know!
It’s that time of year again!
The weather has started to get chilly (it was 40F this morning!) and we’re all gonna break out the blankets and hot chocolate soon. That means it’s time to go into a writing frenzy for thirty days.
To do that, I need to do a bit of planning, so I’m going to be participating in Nanoplanmo this year, starting October 1st, and by Nanowrimo Eve, I should be ready to go.
For those unfamiliar with Nanowrimo, it’s an online event that happens every year, where writers of all levels try to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. Check out their website if you’re interested! I’ve been participating every year since 2008 or so, and it’s always a fun time.
The last three years in a row, I’ve won – hit the 50k word mark by November 30th – so this year the bar is high for me.
This year’s project will be another fantasy (shocker) set in the same world as my previous two novels. I have a whole planet mapped out with various magics and cultures and species, and each novel takes place in a different part. At some point I’ll loop them together, but that’s a ways off still.
During October, I’ll be making posts about my planning progress, or covering writing-related topics. I’m no expert mind you, I literally only tend to write during nanowrimo, but hey, that’s ok.
If you’re participating in Nanowrimo, do add me as a friend! And lemme know you’re participating! Happy reading writing!
Hiiii Nanowrimo starts in two days and I’m not ready! So instead of prepping like I should be, I’m gonna do this post. This will contain the Nanowrimo Tag, my prep final update, and my survival kit!
This’ll be my 11th year. At this point I feel like I just can’t break the streak, man.
Typically a pantser, but last year I did a bit of planning and it ended up going really well. So, this year I’m attempting a bit of planning again.
A brand new project!!! I’ve written and rewritten Basil so many damn times and last year I finally was able to make something I liked. That means I can do something new this year and I’m so excited!
Same thing I said last year: a good temperature. If you’re in a cold room, put on a blanket. Or if you’re in a hot room, run around in your skivvies. Be comfortable before you try to concentrate.
Honestly I don’t remember. It was a random conversation with coworkers and I thought to myself ‘what if…’ about what we were talking about. And voila.
“When the juggler dropped the planet, everyone felt it. ”
Assuming it does crash and burn, edit it. But I said that last year too and it’s still in draft 1, sooo.
Not nervous. Also probably not as prepared as I should be, but I kinda like it that way to be honest.
The above… is basically what it’s going to be going into November 1st, and I’m ok with that. I’ve prepped enough that I can definitely pound out several thousand words, and hopefully doing that will inspire the rest of my plot.
My current set up:
Note: All my Christmas lights have burnt out, so… this, but less glowy.
Other things in the kit:
I used this last year and I bought two more for this year. I only burn it while I write, so the scent gets me into the zone big time.
I found this last year as well! Man, this twitter account helped me win nano for sure. It’s so motivating, and I highly recommend checking it out. It hosts word sprints (duh) basically 24/7 for the whole month and it’s fantastic.
The little cheddar goldfish/pretzels combo bag. It’s perfecto.
obviously.
I mentioned finding the right temperature above. Well, my ideal is a cold room and then warm stuff on me. So blankets and socks are essential.
This is the playlist! It’s perfect for writing. It melds basically with whatever you’re on, particularly if it’s fantasy. It’s just so great. And it’s huge, so it can play for hours.
This is where I store all my research and character stuff and world building. And by binder I mean.. part of it is in an actual binder, part of it is in Google Docs and just hasn’t all been printed out yet, because I have no printer (pbtbt). Either way, this is basically all my prep work.
And that’s it! Today is today, tomorrow is Halloween, and then the next day, it begins.
PUMPED.
At the beginning of the month, I made an announcement that I’d be participating in Nanowrimo again this year (11th year running!) and would be doing Nanoplanmo this month in preparation. Since, I’ve done one previous check-in going over my progress.
This is the last weekend before Nanowrimo begins! Friday November 1st is go-time. My planmo buddy will come over to my house and we’re gonna try to pound out as many words as we can on day 1. Wish. Us. Luck.
So far, this is what I’ve done in preparation:
And that is it. I have what I have, and I can only add whatever I complete in the next three days, then I’m heading straight into nanowrimo. I’m really excited but I’m really nervous, too.
If you’re doing nano this year, lemme know! Happy writing!
At the beginning of the month, I made an announcement that I’d be participating in Nanowrimo again this year (11th year running!) and would be doing Nanoplanmo this month in preparation. Today I’m going to check on the progress of those goals. I figured it’d be good to do this a couple times during the month, just to make sure I’m doing what I want to be doing.
My goals were as follows:
This included deciding on my act structure (Done), fleshing out major plot points (Not done), and deciding my ending ahead of time (Not done). When I created this bullet point, I hadn’t any idea what my plot would be to begin with, but since then I’ve actually developed an idea for a plot, so that’s a step. Within the next week or so, I should be able to complete this whole bullet point because of it.
This bullet point inlcuded main and side characters, and since I just came up with my plot, my characters are slow-going. I do have a definitive main character though, named and everything, so I’m going to count this one as in progress.
Here I wanted to develop the magic system (in progress), country history (done) and cultures (in progress). As you might or might not know, in the past, I’ve written the same plotline over and over again for nano, and this is the first new one for a while. Well, for the old one, I developed a whole world, and then I only used part of it for the story. I’ve decided to make this story in that same world, so that means I have a full country history already, partial magic system, and partial cultures developed. So while I didn’t ‘do’ much of it this past week, it’s already been done, which is nice
This is in progress. Not much more to say.
Also in progress. I’m currently reading Kings of the Wyld. Some of the humor in it definitely does not jive with me, but other bits I’m laughing my butt off, so it’s interesting to see how humor that would make one person laugh obviously doesn’t make another laugh. I’ll have to keep that in mind when writing.
In progress! I’ve already had one, and I have another one planned for next weekend. And between the first and that one, it’ll be biweekly, and then it’s time to start nanowrimo. So… this one is on its way to completion!
Until next update: I plan to develop the plot more, fill out my world building more, and actually start my outline. By the end of the month, I won’t beat myself up if everything’s not pristine – as I said, I tend to be a pantser – but I want to have a rough idea of what I’m going to write and know what all characters are involved and when.
If you’re doing Nanowrimo this year, are you doing nanoplanmo? Lemme know! And add me on the site! They redid everything and everyone lost all their friends and it’s annoying…. so I would like a friend please. ;~;
Happy October! Here are the books I’m currently reading!
Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb – Still in the middle of this too! And likey it’ll extent into November as well. It’s a long book! I’m buddy reading this with Zezee @Zezeewithbooks, and we’re both rather enjoying this, I think.
If you are interested, here is the goodreads synopsis for book 1:
In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.
Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey – Still chugging along this one, but honestly it’ll probably end up a back burner book, at least for the next month or so. With my Nanoplanomo TBR and buddy read taking precedence, I just have a feeling, haha.
Anyways, goodreads synopsis of book 1, in case you’re interested:
Humanity has colonized the solar system – Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond – but the stars are still out of our reach.
Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for – and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.
Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.
Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations – and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.
Sightwitch by Susan Dennard – This is my current audiobook! I figured I should pick this one up before moving on to Bloodwitch. I’m still rather liking this series but I miss the main plot. This book is enjoyable, but I don’t think it’s going to get as high of a rating as the main books, from me at least.
Here’s the goodreads synopsis of book 1:
Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.
Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden – lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.
In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames – Posted yesterday on my nanoplanmo tbr, this is a comedy fantasy I’m reading both to fulfill a r/Fantasy bingo square of a personal rec from r/Fantasy users, and to get a feel of how to incorporate humor into my writing, particularly in a fantastical setting. After this, I’ll pick up Pratchett. So far, I’m rather enjoying this. It took me about 70 pages to really get into it, but now that I’m there, I’m there.
Goodread synopsis:
Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best — the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.
Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk – or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for.
It’s time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.
The back burners are back. Basically they’re books I’m ‘reading’ but haven’t touched in a while due to a readathon taking precedence, getting distracted by other books, etc.
This is my current ebook, but I haven’t touched it in ages. I think I wanna make a point to finish it this month – I only have 70 pages or something left.
!!! Book five comes out this month and I don’t have this done! Honestly though the likelihood of me actually finishing it this month are slim, so now I’m gonna be behind the times. ;~; Woe.
The time has come!
Today begins Nanoplanmo, or Preptober as some people call it. This month, hundreds of thousands of people will begin to brainstorm, outline, and develop their characters. I am no different. Once again, I plan on participating in Nanowrimo – this will be my eleventh year in a row doing this, and if I win, my fifth time winning.
This year is particularly special for me: This will be the first year I’m starting a brand new story from scratch in about five years. Before this, the same story in my head would be written and rewritten every year, and I was never happy with how it turned out. But last year in 2018, I finished a draft, and I liked it.
Therefore, it’s time to start something new. I won’t go into too much detail because honestly I haven’t fleshed it out yet (that’s what this month is for!) but the idea bopping around in my head is a comedy fantasy. Therefore, I’ll be doing a bit of prep to get me used to writing in the subgenre.
Normally, I am a pantser, but last year I did a hybrid between pantsing and planning, and it turned out pretty well. This year, I think I want to try even more planning, just because the story is brand new (though honestly I think I might make it happen in the same world as last year’s story).
As mentioned, I plan on reading some comedy fantasy to inspire me to write my own:
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames – I picked this book up in September specifically so I could read it now. I’ve heard wonderful things about this book, and I’m hoping it’s both inspiring and enjoyable.
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett – How can I claim to want to read comedy fantasy and not pick up Pratchett? He’s the king! And somehow, I haven’t read anything by him yet! I figure between this book and Kings of the Wyld, I’ll get a wide range of comedic fiction, and I hope again, that this is both inspiring and entertaining.
In addition to those two books, I also plan on reading other books this month that don’t particularly have to do with Nano, but hopefully they’ll still be just as entertaining. These two though, along with my buddy read, will be my main focus. Everything else, as you’ll see in tomorrow’s Currently Reading post, will be thrown on the backburner.
Sacrifices must be made!
If you are planning on trying Nanowrimo this year, let me know! Add me as a buddy!
Happy writing, and happy reading!
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This hobby blog is dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and the occasional escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video, where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. When time is free between teaching high school music and being a dad, movies are standard. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
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