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Post by friday on Oct 3, 2010 23:12:40 GMT -5
So, I’ve pretty much signed my death warrant and decided to jump into this NaNoWriMo business for the first time. =D I doubt I’ll reach 50k, but with all of this motivation, miracles could happen. You never know. I guess a major setback is the way I write. I normally need a fleshed out outline before I can write a story, because I need to know where I’m supposed to go next, or nothing happens. But I’m ready to abandon my planning method and wing it for once. You know—experiment.  Another setback is, I have no idea what to write about. When you think about it, you can write about anything, from shape shifting jesters to ghosts who fancy pocketwatches. There’s really no telling what I might come up with, but I’ll hopefully have some sort of plan by the time November arrives. It may even be a mishmash of eccentric ideas, but I’d like it to be something better than that. When I think of a NaNo, I think of an unpolished gemstone. It may be ugly, but it has potential, and it’s special to the author. I may not reach a goal or anything significant, but I want this to be an experience I’ll remember, filled with friends and writing and insanity. =D So! I might toss around some ideas later, but till then, it’ll be pretty empty around here… |
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Post by Shadaras on Oct 3, 2010 23:20:43 GMT -5
=D I look forward to whatever you do write, Friday. It'll be good, whatever it is, however much it is. ^_^
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2010 23:22:06 GMT -5
Yay! More on the craziness bandwagon! It's fun. Stressful at times, but fun. Especially if you have crazy people doing it with you.
You need to write 1,667 words a day to make it to 50k, which seems more daunting than it is. Just remember that the words don't have to be good and you can throw in random fluff and it goes by pretty quick. I like to get a buffer early in the month in case something happens. I know I'm going to LA the first week of November on a business trip (if you can call what I do to make money work), for example, so I'll have to make the words up at some point.
As for the outlining thing: I don't like working with stringent outlines, but I find that I can't work unless I have some sort of direction. I usually start the month with a rough idea of what has to happen (the major plot points) and go from there. But, somewhere along the line I stray when new ideas come up, and that's when things get really interesting. Who knew he would first enter the palace to reclaim a sword the king stole?
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Post by Chao on Oct 4, 2010 11:01:44 GMT -5
If nothing else, I'd be delighted to read a story about a bunch of ghosts fancying pocketwatches ;D
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Post by Tam on Oct 4, 2010 15:27:53 GMT -5
Ghosts and pocketwatches? =D At the same time?
...I think you should go with it. xD
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Post by friday on Oct 4, 2010 21:24:59 GMT -5
=D I look forward to whatever you do write, Friday. It'll be good, whatever it is, however much it is. ^_^ Thanks, Shade! ^^ *hugs* I hope you’re right. Yay! More on the craziness bandwagon! It's fun. Stressful at times, but fun. Especially if you have crazy people doing it with you. You need to write 1,667 words a day to make it to 50k, which seems more daunting than it is. Just remember that the words don't have to be good and you can throw in random fluff and it goes by pretty quick. I like to get a buffer early in the month in case something happens. I know I'm going to LA the first week of November on a business trip (if you can call what I do to make money work), for example, so I'll have to make the words up at some point. As for the outlining thing: I don't like working with stringent outlines, but I find that I can't work unless I have some sort of direction. I usually start the month with a rough idea of what has to happen (the major plot points) and go from there. But, somewhere along the line I stray when new ideas come up, and that's when things get really interesting. Who knew he would first enter the palace to reclaim a sword the king stole? Without others participating, doing this probably wouldn’t have crossed my mind. XD Thanks for the advice, Phaldalus. =D Most afternoons I have more time than I know what to do with, do time probably won’t be an issue. Sticking to it/not working on other projects could be a problem, though. But I’ll be trying my best. XD I know that seeing others progress in their works will give me a motivation boost, at least. Ooh, that sounds like fun. =D I’ve always been following directions, and changing course when something new and unexpected pops up sounds exciting. If nothing else, I'd be delighted to read a story about a bunch of ghosts fancying pocketwatches ;D Ghosts and pocketwatches? =D At the same time?...I think you should go with it. xD XDD I may find some way to work those in. Pocketwatches would be easy enough, and I do love ghosts~ |
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Post by friday on Oct 4, 2010 23:15:18 GMT -5
-The real story behind wishing wells
Thought of this when I happened across a fountain today. This kind of thing would involve water spirits, conflict over the well’s powers, and so on. I’ve no clue where this would go, or what characters to use. Still, I like the idea. Always have been fond of coins and fountains and wishes.
-Something to do with dragons
Shade once asked me “Which dragons do you follow?” which prompted an idea. Something about nomads following the annual flight patterns of their regions’ dragons in hopes of enlightenment/becoming a dragon themselves/something weird like that. A very undeveloped idea, but still one I like.
-Something to do with two amusing gentlemen
Two wise-cracking partners in crime would be a joy to write about. XD Even if it wouldn’t fit into previous ideas. I’ve always loved the thought of London as a setting for a story, so that could work. Um. Plus the fact that I will be driven insane by this challenge, it is much more likely that I will spout just the sort of dialogue needed for one of these gentlemen.
-Some kind of mystery story
Kind of echoing the last idea. Watching the ’09 Sherlock Holmes movie gave me quite a few ideas. Maybe this story could be told from the aforementioned criminals’ point of view and their efforts to keep their acts hidden from the keen eyes of the detectives by whatever means necessary. Kind of a twist. I guess that wouldn’t really be a mystery story, though. XD
-Character ideas
A high-ranked aristocrat who is also a woman of science. Very arrogant. Has an affinity for carnivorous plants. Also might be experimenting on these plants. Which might eventually lead to disappearing neighbors when said experiments get hungry. That’s all I can think of for now. All I can recall of my most memorable ideas, anyhow. More may pop up sooner or later. |
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Post by friday on Oct 7, 2010 19:57:43 GMT -5
In a land far from ours, stars have the ability to plummet to the ground, their essences rising from their old bodies and their spirits living on as they choose to inhabit the earth. In this state, they are nearly invisible, fairy-like beings, often mistaken for fireflies. They wield bits and pieces celestial powers, arts they held on to from their past lives. These earth-stars are hardly known to humankind, just hidden legends in the ancient libraries, overlooked for centuries. When they fell from the heavens, they created an island in the center of the vast ocean to serve as a home for all earthbound stars. This island contained much of the cosmic energy the stars once possessed, causing it to flourish beyond imagination. Living humans knew nothing of the island’s existence; whatever visitors it once had died long ago.
One fateful day, an infant child, having survived a nearby shipwreck, washed up on the shore of this island. Though it was packed tightly into a sealed basket, it was close to death from poor health. The stars discovered it and had pity, debating what should be done. It was decided that the child would be bound with another star, their lives intertwined so one could support the other. With the powers invested in them, it was done, and the boy, now half-star, was named Aster.
The first eight years of his life, Aster dwelled peacefully on the island, adopted and cared for by his family of stars. He couldn’t remember what had happened before he was found on the shore, but he didn’t want to recall it. Life was perfect on the beautiful island, and he couldn’t ask for anything more amazing. The stars taught him what they knew of the world, and he listened intently. He survived off the island’s resources as well as what the old inhabitants had left behind. His best friend was the star that had given him life all those years ago when he’d arrived. Aster knew nearly nothing of the world outside and didn’t care for it, striving happily where he was.
That all changed in mere hours. A group of people from another land ransacked the island, their wizards sensing the great power the island held. The stars were rounded up and captured, and the island was scoured for its source of energy. The Great Stars that kept the island alive were taken, and Aster was thrown in with the mix, the lone human resident ripped from his home, his sanctuary. The only thing he had left was his star, hidden from the eyes of the greedy people. When he was deemed useless, Aster was cast out into a strange new world, left to try and thrive in a poor orphanage.
Four years later, Aster still hasn’t grown accustomed to this new world. Everything is so much different, so metallic and big and dangerous. The twelve-year-old is heartsick for his old home, and in time, he resolves to go out into the world and get it back, despite the odds. On his quest to regain his sanctuary, he meets many quirky companions, learns about the world, gets into quite a bit of trouble, and finds out just what sort of powers being half-star grants.
Who were the island’s first inhabitants? What was the island's power used for when it was stolen? Are the earth-stars still alive, wherever they were taken? What will Aster find out about his own past? Can he figure out how to restore his home? If he does return, is it what he really wants in the end? Welp, that's my final NaNo idea. It's different, and it has a lot of possibilities, but I like it. (All those questions at the bottom? I don't know any of the answers. Yet. XD) Anyway, a lot of this is changeable at this point, from titles to character names to whatever. I got this idea a few days ago, so it's still fresh out of the oven. Influences were probably playing Super Mario Galaxy, reading more of Diana Wynne Jones's works, and watching Howl's Moving Castle. This story is likely to hold government officials, bakeries, a steampunk-ish city, magic shows, and a lot more. Everything is really sketchy, so I can't say much more. XD But I will be listening to the HMC soundtrack a lot while writing this. That much I'm sure of. |
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Post by Rikku on Oct 9, 2010 1:09:20 GMT -5
... Drat you. I want to write about shape shifting jesters or ghosts who fancy pocketwatches, now. >.>; Possibly both. Ghosts who fancy jesters in the shape of pocketwatches.
The gemstone metaphor is slam-bang accurate, incidentally. =D
And stars and steampunk and Diana Wynne Jones and Howl-ness ... ^__^ This? Sounds awesome.
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Post by Jayeee on Oct 9, 2010 23:27:01 GMT -5
<3
I've been watching Howl's Moving Castle for the past few nights while thinking up NaNo ideas. The music really does make for muse inspiring joy. ^_^ Good choice! =D
I love your plot idea. It's exactly the type of thing i'd love to read!
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Post by friday on Oct 10, 2010 19:38:47 GMT -5
... Drat you. I want to write about shape shifting jesters or ghosts who fancy pocketwatches, now. >.>; Possibly both. Ghosts who fancy jesters in the shape of pocketwatches. The gemstone metaphor is slam-bang accurate, incidentally. =D And stars and steampunk and Diana Wynne Jones and Howl-ness ... ^__^ This? Sounds awesome. The shape-shifting jester is another story. =D I may just write it someday. And the ghosts and pocketwatches were originally intended for an NT series that has yet to be tapped in to. That's good to hear. XD And this story will be fun, indeed. =D <3 I've been watching Howl's Moving Castle for the past few nights while thinking up NaNo ideas. The music really does make for muse inspiring joy. ^_^ Good choice! =D I love your plot idea. It's exactly the type of thing i'd love to read! I watched Howl's Moving Castle just yesterday. =D Brilliant movie, and one of my favorites. <3 I really should read the book over again, too. I have a feeling I'll be listening to quite a few Ghibli soundtracks this November, including Spirited Away and Porco Rosso. I should learn how to make an iTunes playlist or something in preparation. XD Well, then, I do hope you enjoy the ride as much as I think I will. =D |
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Post by ♥ Azzie on Oct 10, 2010 19:56:22 GMT -5
Beautiful story idea, Friday ^_^ I'd love to read it. And I thoroughly approve of your inspiration. :3
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Post by friday on Oct 10, 2010 20:11:23 GMT -5
Beautiful story idea, Friday ^_^ I'd love to read it. And I thoroughly approve of your inspiration. :3 Many thanks, Azzie-dear. ^^ And I hope it's written well enough to read. XD If there's one thing I'm bad at, it's writing at a fast pace. Hopefully this will change that a bit. I’ve been thinking about this much more than I should be. Whenever I’m bored or just looking for something think about, my mind leaps over to this story and its possibilities. This wouldn’t be a problem if I didn’t have other things to work on. XD But oh well. I’ll just have to fit it in with my schedule, as I can’t resist it. This idea is new and shiny and fun, and I can’t wait to start working on it. =D But it’s a good thing I have time between now and November to prepare and stuff. Even though it would have been useful if I’d discovered it just a little later, so my mind would stop wandering to it. Aster will be a strange twelve-year-old. Having been raised by who he was, there’s no telling what he might be like. Wise beyond his years, probably. Another thing; he was taken from a place so perfect that discovering the real world would be devastating. If it weren’t for his little star friend’s company and consolation, he might have been horribly depressed. But I’m thinking he has an innocent outlook on life. I’d rather him be optimistic, instead of being extremely hateful of this new world and its endless flaws. Aster chooses to find the silver lining, even it it’s not always easy for him to see. He would be deeply confused as to why the stars chose to come down to the earth, if it was so terrible. His friend would probably tell him about how there's just as much good in this world, if you have the heart to find it. I’m thinking his star friend would be named Ji, which would be short for an impossibly long name that Aster could never hope to pronounce. I think I want to have a female character named Hem, if possible. She and Aster would most likely be friends, being in the same orphanage. And a character that fits the description “gentle giant” would be cool. =D And maybe a weird professor. I dunno. Have to keep thinking in the little time I have. And some time or another, I need to start thinking about the plot. XD Not there yet, though. Characters are just so much more fun right now, as always. Haven't come up with the antagonist I need, either. |
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Post by friday on Oct 12, 2010 22:52:06 GMT -5
government officials
bakeries
steampunk-ish city
magic shows
soup-shopping
wishing wells
pocketwatches
magic hats
(words from other places)
sweet-factory
life-sized mechanical elephants
folk-dancing in the streets
handweaving, pottery-making, and madrigal singing
espalier apples, roses, lilies, vegetables
bowtie
eyepatches
airships
Chand
The name Aster was so foreign and feminine-sounding that the name of Chand was often forced onto him. It was a bland name, and he didn't appreciate it, but it did often rescue him from bouts of rude teasing. It also excited him to know that he had an alias, almost like a wandering traveler might. Still, he preferred his given name over any other, despite what the people of this place thought.
"But why did they come here, if the world below was so terrible?"
"We've always believed that there was some good in this world. Some of us were thrilled with the idea of exploring a new land while others sought to see this hidden goodness this place had to offer. Something is always more precious if it's harder to find, and stars are very curious things."
Aster loved soup. Hem, however, detested it. He could never fathom how this was so. Rarrg, I want more time to plot this out. XD; All I have are fuzzy ideas of a determined witch as the antagonist and maybe a slight glimpse at the ending, but I need more. All I'm really thinking about is the time Aster spent in the orphanage and other quirky things. Nothing plotish. But I guess that appears over the month. As soon as he leaves that orphanage, there's no telling where things might go. I'm thinking of a peculiar professor of magics and maybe a burly, kind-hearted blacksmith. I don't know where they would come in or how they would effect things, but that's the way it goes. XD I don't know what sort of world this takes place in, either. I don't think I'm very good at worldbuilding, so I'm not entirely sure where to start. XD; I'll have to look it up. But I have a feeling I'll find a name for it sooner or later, along with other things. |
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Post by friday on Oct 19, 2010 18:44:14 GMT -5
Title change! I like "Starling" better; it's what I'd suppose Aster would be called. (And "Half-Star" just wasn't sitting well with me.) I've been thinking about this a lot, but I haven't managed to get anything down on paper. No words, at least. Nothing really useful, like an outline. But anyway. I tried doodling a bit instead. Shoddy sketches, but oh well. XD It helps me see the characters better. |
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