Day Twenty-Nine

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Please post today's updates/excerpts/thoughts/etc. in comments.

Here's today's daily prompt for your updates, excerpts, any thoughts, etc.

Yesterday's post: Day Twenty-Eight

Comments

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Done it. Technically, it's not quite my Pico target on Cold Heaven, which I'd set as completing four scenes, but I've completed two and made a start on the third, and I don't think I'm going to get anything more done the rest of this week. So I'll be happy with that.

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Congratulations. :-)

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Altariel the magnicent writing machine...

[six-old-cars.livejournal.com]

It may not be four scenes, but it's still over 5000 words, and on top of everything else you've written this month it's fantastic. Well done!

[octavialuna.livejournal.com]

Congrats!

[paranoidangel]

Well done. So it's not as many scenes as you expected, but it's still 5000 words, and 5000 more than you had on it this time last month.

[tawek.livejournal.com]

Let's see.

NaNoWriMo total=50122
+ 5,524
Total = 55646

... Wow!!!

The procrastination demons really slipped up in your case.

Congrats :)

[quietann.livejournal.com]

I actually got over my wordcount about a week ago... Still working on TNTAML; I got really good feedback from firefly_124 last night.

There are two relatively non-smutty, physically tame but emotionally wrenching bondage scenes in the thing. Views on one are generally good but mixed; views on the second (which is a "stand all your assumptions about these characters on their heads" scene) is getting rave reviews... I am proud of myself, first because I've never written anything like this before, and second because I have "issues" around BDSM.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Oh well done! I think rising to the challenge and tackling a kind of scene you've never tried before is brilliant. I'm a complete coward about writing any kind of sex scene, I always close the bedroom door.

[octavialuna.livejournal.com]

i have a problem.

Well let me backtrack a little. i haven't written so much as a word on my "project" in over a week. But i'm only about 400 words away from goal. i can probably do that in one or two sittings.

So i pulled up the doc and tried to work on it. And my problem? Is that i realize this is going NOWHERE and is utter crap. i contemplate starting over, trying something completely different... i'm nauseated and i feel like i'm going to cry.

i'm sorry for being all emo. :-(

[catskin.livejournal.com]

Keep going, I say. Maybe you'll find it's not as bad as you think once you've written a bit more?

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

It's a common part of the writing process, I think. Happens to me all the time -- and often when I look at the stuff again, later, I realise that actually there was some merit in the original material, it just needed some minor tweaking.

I'd suggest starting a new page and writing a new scene to get your 400 words, without looking back at the old work. Then putting it away for at least a few days to get a bit more perspective on it.

[paranoidangel]

I had a similar thing back on mine too but I just forced myself to keep going. The thing that seemed to work for me was that I just told myself I had to write something and not to look back at any of it, that way I had no way of knowing how good or bad any of it is.

[tawek.livejournal.com]

I've had the same experience several times this month.

I think it happens when I am emotionally overwrought (which tends to happen when I am tired): in which case things do *seem* rubbish and to be going nowhere.

I think the best initial cure is to keep writing, and suddenly, the good things in my imagination start sparking off each other, and I remember what moved me in my writing in the first place.

The final cure, of course, will be in my editing process: to cut, polish, and embroider until the writing actually reflects the good things sparking around in my imagination ... But should wait till after the first draft is done.

Sadly, the cure is hard to apply. I find this forcefield in front of my keyboard whenever I open the word processor, and these nasty little demons keep saying - "it's a week since you last cleaned your fridge!" ;)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I'd say keep writing. Because I think that crisis of confidence is a natural part of writing - and that's because writing is about all about being true to yourself. When the going is tough, and things aren't working, that's what makes it so emotional.

That process of making what's going down on the page match what you're feeling in your heart and body takes time - but it can't happen unless you're putting something on the page. So trust yourself, and where the words are taking you. You'll get there, and when you do, it'll feel great.

So I think go for it: write the 400 words and let yourself have that achievement.

(And don't worry about being emo.)

[catskin.livejournal.com]

One scene to go!

I padded through the house, absently admiring the tasteful décor. Part of me itched to take my time and explore thoroughly. I wanted to see if the lounge had as many elegant antiques as the hall. I wanted to double check the Van Gogh by the stairs and see if it was real.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

You're so close!

[paranoidangel]

Well done, nearly there!

[tawek.livejournal.com]

Yay! The final stretch beckons. You can see the winning post, imagine the garland of victory on your head. All that is needed is that last push ...

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Keep going! (And I hope your arms and wrists are holding up.)

[spiralsheep.livejournal.com]

Go on! You can do it! :-)

[paranoidangel]

I was determined to finish mine today, so I worked out the ending while at the hairdressers (I was a bit oblivious to her questions while I was thinking hard!). So I wrote one scene and realised that although I had 5000 words, my goal was to finish the script and it wasn't quite done. And I did start with 673 words before the month begun, so I made 5673 words my new target. I ended up writing an impressive 1026 words, to finish up with 5710! I did enjoy pressing the button to put the words 'The End' at the end.

[tawek.livejournal.com]

Fantastic!
I hope you have a treat planned for yourself :)

[tawek.livejournal.com]

Well, the migraine is gone (with thanks to NHS Direct for some good advice on bringing that about). But did it depart in time? Did he spend too much energy on posts in PicoWriMo to reach his own finishing post?

Return tommorrow for the final exciting installment ...

2640 words to go. Can I do it? I don't know. But I'm going to have a crack at it.



Her face suddenly became devoid of expression. She stared hard at Aleon.
“Don’t worry. We won’t denounce you as an imposter, if you agree to one simple thing.”
Her face now had none of the gentle femininity she had been showering on Leon the past hour. This was the face of one who had known extreme hardship, with a determination never to again.

[six-old-cars.livejournal.com]

Oooh... the suspense...

It's a tough final day's target, but with that extra last minute push and determination...

Best of luck with it!

[six-old-cars.livejournal.com]

Rather bizarrely, today has not been devoid of writing even though I hit my target yesterday and was taking a break. What I scribbled down is probably rubbish, and may not belong anywhere, and if it does it won't be until at least chapter 7 (more likely chapter 8), but such is the whim of the muse.

Thanks guys for all the encouragment, and especially to altariel1 for making Pico happen and quietann for deputising on the reminders.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Well done keeping on with the writing habit, I think that's going to be the most important thing post-pico.