Novel Ideas: Opinions Please

Tags

choice, Decision, idea, NaNoWriMo, Novel, November, Writer, Writing

I’m still trying to work out what style of writing is going to keep me going for NaNoWriMo next month. So I was hoping that maybe some feedback might help me choose. If you have the time to read through these snippets and let me know if you enjoy any or dislike any, or think something sticks out as interesting, then please let me know.

November is Coming!

Tags

Creativity, Hobbies, life, NaNoWriMo, November, October, planning, Writing

Yes, I know, I know, it’s still October and I’m already days behind on my Inktober offerings but I am going to catch up … honest.

But I haven’t been at home over the weekend, and while I couldn’t be drawing then my thoughts turned to fear because November is almost here. And I wanted to have some kind of vague plan for NaNoWriMo this time, in hopes this will help me actually cross the finishing line.

So today, I’ve been trying to work out some ideas and going through some old writing prompts to see if there was an idea that I wanted to expand upon. At the moment my thoughts are not even in one particular genre (well, isn’t that a surprise), however I will have whittled down my favourites by the end of the week and hopefully you guys can help steer me towards one again.

At least I have a plan for my spare time this week:

1- Catch up with Mythical Innktober: Dragon, Treant, Water spirit, Wyvern.

2 – Organise NaNoWriMo ideas & post for opinions.

3- Announce Novel.

4 – Actually check facebook and catch up with some of the other Nanoers.

5 – Check out Overwatch Halloween event and probably annoy other people with my bad FPS skills.

My never ending story.

Tags

CampNanowrimo, idea, Stories, tips, typing, Writerproblems, writers, Writing

I’ve never been a planner with my writing and mostly I just write when I get the urge; I fool myself into thinking that this is because I need to be in the zone.

It’s not really true though is it?

As any writer knows, the main goal is just to actually write, whether you are in the mood for it or not. In fact this is exactly why CampNaNoWriMo exists: just to aid and encourage people to write something every day. It challenges you to pick up a pen, or attack that keyboard: but either way it pushes you to write something every single day for a month.

And I can do this, I know I can, with some self discipline (I’ll admit some days this is a challenge for me) then I know I am able to write something every day, for a month. I know, because I have done it before and I do start to get into a happy habit of it. 

Yet for some reason I just can’t seem to stick to one story. My writing goal is on target, yet only half of it is the story I want to be telling: the other is just inane chatter about other ideas.

 

I really can’t stay with one piece of writing or one character in the same part of the story line. Instead I either end up wandering off into another random idea, or moving my character to another part of his or her life. So yes, it’s nice to be able to write every day but at the same time, I’d really like to be able to say I have finished a story: or at least one chapter without distraction.

I so admire the focus and dedication of a lot of my peers for this, as I watch them produce coherent pieces of writing with a start, middle and end. Then I look to my own Middle, near end, middle, start, middle.

If anyone has any focusing tips I’ll gladly hear them.

 

Dialogue in novels: is it OK?

Tags

Audience, CampNanowrimo, character, Dialogue, Imagination, Novel, Reader, Reading

For my CampNaNoWriMo project this time, I’m going back to a previous story and set of characters that I never really finished and this time I’m determined to at least flesh them out enough to have a plot in place for November. So while I’m happy to be a little bit of a panster (writing with no clear plan) I want to try and be more of a Plotter next time around.

After day one however I am noticing that this time I seem to be writing more dialogue than I would normally use because the characters are now so familiar that I almost have a scene playing out in my head for them and I’m trying to just capture all of the things they would say and interact. Is this weird?

Perhaps it’s because I did a screenplay for a project in my previous writing course rather than novel writing and now my brain doesn’t seem to know when to stop. When I look at the amount of dialogue it doesn’t seem a lot yet when I am writing it then it feels like it might be too much, since people can’t exactly see the characters as I do. Or is this the point? Will this just encourage a reader to create their own version of the character as a visual in their head?  I guess it just depends on how you read things: I know I create a picture in my mind of characters from reading books but does everyone else?

This also means I am often upset at the choice of casting when the books reach filming status, I’m sure we have all had those times when our crush clearly doesn’t live up to expectations.

I am so crossing my fingers and holding my breath for The Witcher adaptation.

Source: Scratcherpen

So dialogue in a novel: good or bad?

CampNaNoWriMo: Lets do this!

Tags

Blogging, CampNanowrimo, Distraction, Handwriting, Motivation, Writing

It’s that time again, yes CampNaNoWriMo is here again, and this time I’m determined not to fall behind even on those days where I really don’t feel like writing. I just need that little kick to keep me going.

*sets daily alarm to add a nudge

This also means if you see me hanging about on Twitter for a lengthy period of time then feel free to give me a poke and tell me to stop procrastinating as I will just be there avoiding the writing.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy writing because I do, I just lack discipline to do it daily and tend to drift to it only at times that I feel the need to. I (like everyone else) get a little preoccupied with all the other things going on and Twitter is really a rabbit hole for me, I think it’s actually even worse than WoW. At least with WoW I have to be at my PC but Twitter can even catch me which on my notebook or phone.

I have tried handwriting and keeping away from the electronics but let’s be honest once you get out the habit of handwriting it becomes almost alien to do so and it’s slower. In my case it is often illegible afterwards too or gets lost, so a word document is definitely the best way to go for me.

So that’s my warm up exercise complete, let’s get stuck into the storytelling and see where it takes me.

July CampNanoWrimo

Tags

CampNanowrimo, goal, hot chocolate, Motivation, planning, Random musings, Writing

 

Yes it’s here once again, that lovely boost from a writing camp: yes CampNaNoWriMo really does help to add some focus to the everyday writing aim.

This time around though I am not rolling up prepared and pitching up an idea to write about. Nope, instead I’m having a good old clear out , a spring cleaning of thoughts and ideas if you will. This time around I am just typing, any little thing that pops into my head because let’s be honest my brain is filled with so many weird and wonderful (or just plain bizarre) thing that sometimes it gets a bit hard to focus on one solid project. so instead I feel like I need to get a lot of things off my chest, sketch out a few ideas for stories to get back to at a later date. Trawl through anything left unsaid that I just want to vent about but not necessarily out loud, and perhaps flesh out a character or three so I can use them in future.

My main aim this time is just to type and get back into the habit of it, with the idea to actually make it to the end of a NanoWriMo this time. This year I want to be more focused and actually complete the Novel draft. I would like to go in with some kind of vague plan and direction. OK, I know this will most likely change as the days near yet still if I’m prepared maybe I might just get there this time.

So here’s to July may it be a good testing ground for me and a great experience and productive for those of you who entered camp *raises hot chocolate*

 

CampNaNoWriMo- Day 1

Tags

CampNanowrimo, Motivation, Support, Writing, Writing Prompts

Ok ok so I was a little late to the party today but thanks to Tim’s Nano prompts

 

Some pink fizzy stuff

Source: Yellow Tail

and some encouragement from CampNaNoWriMo cabin mates, I managed to get off to a flying start ringing in at 860 words. A lot of which were used to explore a character so I’m happy with this. I need to keep most of it under wraps however I can share the warm up waning moon sprint.

The moon wanes to a fingernail as the hollow shriek of the foxes call out in the darkness. I hear them play at night, their soft paws padding on the lawn, noses snuffling into trash cans and paper bags left folded under the guise of recycling. Nobody ever washes out the jars though, nor the plastic packets curled around meat haunches which the fox kits love to lick and suck . They come from far and wide to this hot spot, the only place in the neighbourhood where people are too lazy to rinse.

Hope everyone else enjoyed a good first day, and remember there is plenty of time to catch up !

Source: Lucy Bellwood

CampNaNoWriMo- April 2016

Tags

April, CampNanowrimo, Challenge, Motivation, Writing

I wasn’t sure if I would be taking up the CampNaNoWriMo challenge this time around as I already have some commitments, however I figured that I could combine the two. So I have signed myself up for April in the hope that it might encourage me to write the back story for a some characters that I need to develop. We were giving our mystery cabin assignments today so I popped in earlier to see if anyone was about early, but it was quiet so I left a hello post-it note on the fridge.

Now I’m just sitting here awaiting the inspiration or inclination to start writing, but you know when you have to get something done that it always seems harder to do.

 

NaNoWriMo – readers & opinions welcomed

Tags

Challenge, Creative Writing, critique, dragon, fantasy, feedback, fiction, NaNoWriMo, Novel, Writing

**Please note due tio the nature of NaNoWriMo this is an unedited draft so may contain spelling mistakes but please let me know if you liked or disliked characters etc

——————

The beast loomed above them.

Nostrils flared and creating small puffs of smoke with every exhalation. It’s thick claws grappling with the cobblestones, as it steadied itself in the unfamiliar surroundings. The stone dragon had received a rude awakening that afternoon and now all that stood between it and them was a flimsy metal shield and a broken mace.

“Stay behind me, if we move together then we can make it to door over there”

“The storage door? Are you mad?… I knew this was a bad idea, if only we had just done as we had been asked then..

“SHUT UP! .. RUN!”

The half mace flew through the air and landed with a thud on the stone dragon’s right claw. The impact was just enough to unsettle it for a few seconds as Tiffin and Estella made their way towards the small wooden door. The beast followed seconds after and was upon the door before it swung shut.
Once inside the beast froze, it stood in the darkness listening, tilting its head in the direction of the soft murmurings. It took a step forward towards a low muffled squeak, and inhaled deeply, filling it’s lungs with the damp air. Then it sat up on hind legs, lifting it’s nostrils high in the air, again it inhaled deeply, in preparation of securing its target.

*THWACK*

A large metal skillet flying through the air hit the stone dragon right on the bridge of his snout, and two small shadowy figures crept towards the hessian sacks in the corner of the room. The beast let out an almighty howl as it whipped around, eyes trying to focus on the moving blurs.
It’s hesitance now replaced with rage as it bared his jagged teeth for all to see. Clambering over the large sacks, the beast’s claws tore through the hessian with ease. Vegetables spilled out onto the floor as the beast made its way to the top of a large mound of potatoes. There it stood hissing and spitting whilst Tiffin and Estella crouched nearby, arms clenched around one another.
The smell of earth from the vegetables crept into their nostrils, tickling their noses and causing Tiffin to sneeze. Estella tried to muffle the sound but it was too late, the beast charged towards them, Tiffin let out a yelp, Estella held her breath…

And suddenly light flooded the room.
The net landed upon the dragon swiftly and without warning, as did the cold water which appeared to shock the beast into complacency.

“Estella! …..Where are you? are you hurt?”

The gruff voice echoed through the storeroom followed by a large figure brandishing a sword in his left hand. Behind him trailed four men who set about the captured and now silent beast. As they began to tie the ends of the net around a long wooden pole, Estella stood up and shook the dust from her tunic.

“I’m fine father”

Her tone a little more indignant than one would have expected after being saved from such an ordeal.

“Fine you may be, but what if we had not been here to save you? What if Cook had not enquired how we had got rid of this beast so fast, and what if I had not been there to realise that only you would be so foolish as to approach the creature rather than pass the message on to one of the lizard catchers!”

Estella scowled a little at that remark then revealed a jagged wooden stick she still had clenched behind her back.

“I would have been fine, I still had this”

She shook what was left of the mace in the air whilst her father let out a sigh, his eyes looking past her and fixing on Tiffin.

“And what of him?”

Estella turned to see Tiffin still crouching behind a sack of potatoes, head in his hands and eyes locked on the netted stone dragon.

“You need to consider your actions Estella” His tone had calmed as he laid a gloved hand upon her shoulder “you cannot keep dragging poor Tiffin into your wild schemes, these dangerous excursions need to stop, I will not always be here to save you’

Estella thought about this a moment and nodded silently, then she turned to help Tiffin get up and led him past the placated beast. Her father watched them pass then turned to follow, his foot catching on something as he moved. Reaching down to pick up the dented skillet he smiled to himself as he noticed the leather straps crudely riveted to the inner side, and the outer side of the pan displayed a lightly etched oak tree. Without thinking he drew his hand to his chest, emblazoned with his own oak tree crest and even with all his frustration Lord Oakenhart could not help but be mildly impressed with his daughters ingenuity. In that moment his annoyance subsided and he tenderly called after Estella.

“Don’t forget your shield, little one”

Just a little camp support

Tags

CampNanowrimo, Community, Inspiration, Motivation

*waves pom poms for those getting through the first week of CampNaNoWriMo — you can do it!!!