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Post by Avery on Oct 1, 2012 19:43:25 GMT -5
Well, if the title didn't give it away, this isn't exactly a Nano. In that, it's not an original work, and I'm probably not going to be able to eke 50,000+ more words out of this piece. However, given that I've been writing it for roughly three or so months now and I'm only around halfway done, I imagine I'll still be plugging away come November, so I might as well join in the WRITING FUN!  Whoo. Now that we have that squared away. My novel is called Sleep. Presently I have-- let's see-- 40,737 words. It will likely end up somewhere in the 70-80k range, depending on how things go. It is, at its heart, a zombie novel. However, it's not the typical moaning-and-shuffling zombies who are brainless and slow and indiscriminate in who they kill. These are smart zombies-- at least, smart ish. You'd think that 40k in I'd have a summary written up. But I didn't until now. So, maybe doing Not Nano is a good thing, because you know, summaries! It's short because I don't want to give too much away. There's... a lot more that goes on that the summary shows, hah. Thirty-five years after a devastating pandemic killed off hundreds of millions of people and turned millions more into horrific, man-eating monsters called Sleepers, seventeen-year-old Leah lives in the ghost of what was once a major metropolis. Orphaned at an early age and the resident of a dangerous city in which everyone has ulterior motives, there are only two people Leah trusts in the world: her friends Covey and Annie.
Then one day Annie vanishes, just a bloodstain left in her wake—taken, it appears, by the Sleepers. Everyone knows that once the Sleepers take someone, they’re gone forever; there is no way to get them back. But while devastated Leah accepts the finality of Annie’s disappearance, Covey cannot let her go. And unless Leah wants to lose him, too, she’ll have to follow him as he joins a cult-like group that is hell-bent on achieving the impossible and recovering Sleeper-stolen victims, no matter the cost. Incidentally, if anyone would like to beta read, I would be thrilled/love you forever. As I stated before, I'm presently 40k in and anticipate a finished product of 70-80k. I'm chugging along alright, but of course reader insight always makes things better! Even if you don't wanna read the whole thing, I'd be totally overjoyed if someone just wanted to take a look at the first few chapters or something. |
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Post by Kristykimmy on Oct 1, 2012 19:52:01 GMT -5
Though you already know, I just thought I'd state again that I've loved it so far and would love to continue to be a beta reader.
(People, totally do it if you have the time. It is a great story! =D)
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Post by Avery on Oct 2, 2012 19:28:47 GMT -5
Yay, thanks Kristy! ^__^ See, Kristy likes it, so you will too, potential reader! =D It's like... an endorsement!
So I'm about ~43k right now. The more I write, the more unsure I become of how long this dang thing is gonna end up. I still think maybe 70-80k, but I say that with great tentativeness. It's like, I have a basic outline. I know what happens, the series of events. But just not how long each of these events will last, word-wise. The novel is divided into three parts-- the character Annie's abduction and how Leah and Covey react to it, and Covey/the cult deciding to go find her (23k); what happens when they go find her (I'm 20k into this and nowhere near done); and what happens in the aftermath, which is probably another good 15k, at least.
I just wish I could figure out where it's going to end up. >__> I just hope it's not too short. I know a Nano is 50k, but that's more a novella than a novel, really. Even for YA-- which this is, I think-- most are at least like, what, 75k? So I don't want it to be too short. But all the same, it wouldn't be good to end up with a 100k+ thing either.
My other primary dilemma is I have an ending mapped out. But I'm not sure of it, because it leaves it basically sequel-ready, a lot of things left to be explored... and I don't know if I want to write a sequel. So I could flip the ending and make a solid conclusion, but that might be too final if I do want to write a sequel. So I can't decide in that regard.
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Post by Avery on Oct 20, 2012 21:49:41 GMT -5
55k in. Having some issues, same old, same old.
And now my muse is saying: "Oh Carrie, don't just muddle around with your WiP during Nano! Take a well-deserved break from it and write this brand new idea!"
Because. I have a brand new idea. And. I want to write it. But it's so, so vague and convoluted, and it's just the type of story I can never complete successfully. Plus, 55k into a novel isn't exactly the best time to take a huge break from it, is it? Even if I'm having some irritating issues with it that make me want to stab it with a large, shiny knife? >__>
I might be more tempted if I had an actual solid plot for this new idea instead of just a... tangent. But that really is all it is: a tangent. And I'm having a very difficult time thinking of a cohesive, solid plot-- a series of events, a progression of things, a purpose to it. Which is something I would need to do prior to starting it, because I'm done digging myself into the 'START A STORY WITH A TANGENT AND NOTHING ELSE' hole. That never ends well, see. I end up with major plot holes, confusing motives, and just... crap... and it turns out so messed up that, once the plot does come to me, I ultimately have to restart it.
Yet all the same, this plot-- excuse me, tangent-- is begging to be written. It is clawing at my brain like a manic little kitten with very, very sharp claws. Insistent. Yowling. Refusing to let go.
... I wish it would go away. >_>
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Post by Jove on Oct 21, 2012 8:14:36 GMT -5
You and I have the exact same problem. It's not even a story really, just the idea of one, but it's stuck and it's not letting go anytime soon. It makes me want to throw everything out the window and write it, even though I know that's not gonna end well.
Anyway, ZOMBIES. <3 I read the first chapter you posted a while back, and I liked it a lot. I really dig the idea of intelligent zombies. I wouldn't mind beta-ing if you want another person to look at it, though I'm pretty useless at it.
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Post by Avery on Oct 25, 2012 19:30:57 GMT -5
I might end up finishing this before Nano, derp. ._. Or at least, be very close to the end before Nano.
62,000 words exactly right now. I'm nearing the climax of my novel. I have probably another 10-15k left, I suppose? Or not. I... am so bad at estimating things, hah. In any case, assuming I don't go through another one of my phases in which I write 5-10k in a day (read = today) and then nothing else for two weeks, I should finish soon.
... maybe I'll have to write my TANGENT IDEA, after all. If my novel is done already.
This is... interesting.
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Post by Avery on Nov 3, 2012 12:38:03 GMT -5
Did not finish the novel. Or write any words after my last post, actually. Hah.
Soo I don't think I'm doing Nano proper... given that it's November 3rd and I haven't even thought about writing anything in earnest. XD Will most likely still work on my WIP but again, that will probably be done within the next 15k or so, 20 at the most. :3 So, no true 'Nano'. But. I don't care, hah. Would rather finish up the novel that has been eating my muse since June than write a crappy, half-baked proper Nano.
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Post by Avery on Nov 10, 2012 14:58:34 GMT -5
Had not written a single word in November up until today. >__> Sooo, I'm barely even doing a fake Nano, let alone a separate, real Nano, hah. Granted, I have some excuses! Like, a lack of power. And... a broken laptop. And schoolwork. And laziness! I'm at 64k with my WIP. Approaching the final section of the novel-- I'm roughly 4200 words through my 5500 word outline. So, getting to the end of things! I'm kind of afraid, honestly. I'm so bad with endings. I have the ending sketched out, but even still... I'm just horrible at ending stories. XD; And I have basically the climax coming up, and I'm also slightly bad at writing ACTION SCENES, so. Yeah. I'm still slightly unsure as to my maybe-twist at the end. I'm fairly sure at this point I'm not going to do it, because it would be contrived and crummy, but not doing it leaves the ending sort of... dour. And sequel-ready. And I don't know if I want to write a sequel. >__> |
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Post by Kristykimmy on Nov 10, 2012 15:19:51 GMT -5
Had not written a single word in November up until today. >__> Sooo, I'm barely even doing a fake Nano, let alone a separate, real Nano, hah. Granted, I have some excuses! Like, a lack of power. And... a broken laptop. And schoolwork. And laziness! I'm at 64k with my WIP. Approaching the final section of the novel-- I'm roughly 4200 words through my 5500 word outline. So, getting to the end of things! I'm kind of afraid, honestly. I'm so bad with endings. I have the ending sketched out, but even still... I'm just horrible at ending stories. XD; And I have basically the climax coming up, and I'm also slightly bad at writing ACTION SCENES, so. Yeah. I'm still slightly unsure as to my maybe-twist at the end. I'm fairly sure at this point I'm not going to do it, because it would be contrived and crummy, but not doing it leaves the ending sort of... dour. And sequel-ready. And I don't know if I want to write a sequel. >__> Jane Austen was too, and people still love her books, even if sometimes the endings feel awkward. Go, Carrie! Just do whatever feels right when you get there. |
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Post by Avery on Nov 11, 2012 15:42:19 GMT -5
I wrote about 5k yesterday! ^__^ Current word count is 68,520. I've just finished with my climax, and now I'm at the 'wind-down', so to speak. I probably have anywhere between 7-15k left, depending on exactly how my outlined ending plays out. :3 Guessing it'll end up right around 75-80k in all. Which I figure is a fairly solid length for a YA-ish novel.
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Post by Avery on Nov 14, 2012 18:39:32 GMT -5
I feel like I can basically only write on the weekends. >__> Good thing I'm not doing actual Nano. Because then I'd be failing so bad, hah. Oh well. Hopefully I can write again this upcoming weekend. :3
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Post by Avery on Nov 17, 2012 16:52:00 GMT -5
I'm literally in the last 5-7k of my novel and... I just have no motivation to write. T_T What's wrong with me. I just need to finish it already but everything else is so DISTRACTING and so much MORE FUN and ahh.
D:
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Post by Avery on Nov 21, 2012 22:16:11 GMT -5
Still so close to the end of the novel. >_> At 72k, and I'm either in the last chapter right now, or second-to-last. Probably have a total of like, two or three scenes left. And. Still procrastinating. xD
I'm bad, hah.
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Post by Avery on Nov 25, 2012 18:11:50 GMT -5
I finished.
77k total.
Hm. This feels strange.
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