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Post by Chao on Oct 3, 2013 12:52:17 GMT -5
Yay for another November where I'll be writing gay romance for an advent calendar. ^^ This year will be a bit different since it will have a much clearer focus on one protagonist whereas in previous years I tried to keep it more or less even-balanced between the two who would end up happily together. Synopsis: After the death of his mother, Josh feels that his life is utterly boring and decides to change this. Including finding a new boyfriend. But he has scars from his past which make him believe that he is so boring nobody would be really interested in him. So he decides as a first step to become interested in lives of people he thinks interesting and that perhaps this way he might not only become more interesting himself, but even meet that special someone. That's how he comes to contact Tristan, a professional cook currently working at one of the antartic research stations.
But when weeks pass without an answer from Tristan and Josh then meets his ex-boyfriend Allan at the London Bookfair, who indicates that he'd be interested in giving their relationship a second try, Josh's good fairy Liam (yes, good fairies can be male) has to intervene. Because Allan is definitely not good for Josh, seeing that many of the scars Josh has are related to Allan.
What begins with good intentions evolves into an utterly complicated chaos when Liam falls in love with Josh. But fairies and humans are not ment to be together, right? The story is not yet fully planned as I need more information on Bristol, where the story is to take place, but now that the NaNo-forums have been relaunched I've placed a respective request with the Bristol chapter. |
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Post by Chao on Oct 27, 2013 3:14:00 GMT -5
For the first time my November NaNo-novel has a plan. A plan I have even written down. Even though I'll be writing the regular stuff, so I could most likely wing it... But then again, this time, I'll use a few structuring elements I've never used before, so maybe that's why I needed to plan. Or the urge to plan allows me to deviate a bit from the regular recipe for the first time. I don't know. Anyway, I'm proud that I have a plan! The story will now have a prologue, which is set on New Year's Eve and then a chapter for each month. The Chapters will always show a short excerpt of a diary entry of my protagonist Josh, the scene surrounding this blurb and Liam's reaction to this or struggles of his own. For the last quarter of the year, the plotline will work towards merging their two separate lines, so they can get their happy end in the December chapter. This done, I can now hardly wait for next Friday  |
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Post by Chao on Oct 30, 2013 16:58:00 GMT -5
This year I decided I would once again go with a reward system for my NaNo. Two years ago I bought two advent calendars and allowed myself to open a door and eat the chocolate after every 1,000 words I wrote, knowing that being so near the end would get me through the last 2k without the need of chocolate. I did not really need this to make me write, but it was a nice extra and it was a change to just writing. By now I know that I am able to write 50k in a month without the lure of chocolatey rewards, but I felt really tempted this year. Unfortunately the advent calendars did not appeal to me this year. Either they were too expensive for my liking (and the mere purpose of giving me a sweet reward for words written) or they were simply not enticing, contained things I don't like or am allergic to, so in the end, no advent calendar. Now you could say that I could have simply bought some sweets and rewarded myself out of the box the sweets are in. But here's the catch: If the sweets are in a box or a bag, what is to keep me from eating them all at once? That's where the advent calendars are so fantastic. You open one door and can access exactly one sweet. And seriously - when I'm in the mood for sweets and have no 'door' keeping me from eating the whole lot, my best guess is that the box of sweets will be half empty by 5,000 words. So instead of just keeping the sweets in a box, I tied the sweets I eventually bought on a long string so that I have one portion for every 2,000 words and pinned the whole string to my pinboard (since I don't need it this month for novel notes as my planning was all done on regular paper). The philosophical question: Does the length of string between two sweets in any way predict how easy it will be for me to write those 2k represented by the string? Will a longer piece of string between two sweets mean that I'll struggle more on those 2k than I will on a shorter piece? I think it would be interesting to keep track of that |
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Post by Chao on Nov 1, 2013 16:30:40 GMT -5
So, in order to follow up on my idea of seeing if the string length has any meaning, I'll try to post a short note on my progress here every day. Day 1 and it took me a little more than an hour to write the 1.8k I have currently. Which is, given the circumstances, an easy 1.8k. To be sure, writing in German is far easier and faster than writing in English, so usually 1.8k take me 45 minutes of writing if I can clear my mind for the 3x15 minutes writing sprints I'd usually do, but today I know that was not going to happen. Also, I wrote these 1.8k while missing my local chapter's Kick-off write-in, but after too much traffic exposure and a change of location for the meeting, I was no longer in a mental shape that can be safely shown around others.  Of course I'm exaggerating a bit here, but yes, yelling and using my car's horn to wake up sleepiheads at the traffic lights are just two of the examples of behaviour that go hand in hand with the mental shape I was in at that time. |
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Post by Chao on Nov 2, 2013 16:46:51 GMT -5
I wrote about 1.7k today, taking me longer than the 1.8k yesterday. Okay, I also wrote 2.2k of an unrelated fanfiction, but considering that I was supposed to write that fanfiction all of October (it's the regular October short really), I can't count those.
I think my current problem is that I don't like my main character. At least not in his current mood. But I can't have him all cheerful yet. The way the story is planned, he is the character that will have to undergo a gradual development from the broken character he currently is to the wonderful independent, loving man he is supposed to be. Another problem is: I can't yet reveal too much of his past. Liam (and in conjunction the reader) is not supposed to learn too much of the Allan-mess before Allen is introduced in the April-chapter.
So... productive day, but I'll be glad once Josh gets a little more active and less reflective.
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Post by Chao on Nov 3, 2013 17:11:29 GMT -5
Considering that it's a Sunday, I'm immensely proud of myself that I managed to write 1.5k today and did not fall behind in terms of total word count. It also helped that Josh is at least slowly discovering determination as characteristic. And that I allowed Liam to have a newbie-colleague at the observation screen next to his. I had totally neglected to assign Liam someone as conversation partner. And conversations are needed for a lot of the 'show don't tell' part.
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Post by Chao on Nov 4, 2013 15:16:06 GMT -5
Almost 1.8k today. Again Josh's part proved to be more challenging than Liam's today. Despite the fact that I was finally introducing Tristan and allowed Josh to rant a bit about whether or not all gay people should take up the LGBT-banner and fight for their rights or just say: my sexuality is my private life and just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have to broadcast it into to the general public.
It also didn't help that for the first half hour or so I was rather scatter-brained.
Liam though was fun to write. I had him tell the fairytale of Cinderella from the view of the ugly sister, to show how unfair the concept of Prince Charming is and that for every Cinderella married to her Prince Charming there are also always two unwed stepsisters.
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Post by Chao on Nov 5, 2013 16:40:05 GMT -5
1.5k today, just a little more than required to get me past today's goal in word count. And it took me way too long to write those words today. What is even worse: I can't blame my characters for that, considering that I managed to write these 1.5k solely focussing on Josh, with not a single line for Liam. No, it was all my own doing. Did I really have to go and look up (much less listen to) Plain Hunt ringing on youtube? We all know the answer to that one. *sigh*
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Post by Kristykimmy on Nov 5, 2013 16:44:12 GMT -5
Again Josh's part proved to be more challenging than Liam's today. Despite the fact that I was finally introducing Tristan and allowed Josh to rant a bit about whether or not all gay people should take up the LGBT-banner and fight for their rights or just say: my sexuality is my private life and just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have to broadcast it into to the general public. It also didn't help that for the first half hour or so I was rather scatter-brained. Liam though was fun to write. I had him tell the fairytale of Cinderella from the view of the ugly sister, to show how unfair the concept of Prince Charming is and that for every Cinderella married to her Prince Charming there are also always two unwed stepsisters. You know, in some versions of the story, Cinderella forgives her sisters and helps them find Prince Charmings of their own, though, I don't know that they were necessarily princes even if they were noblemen. But, I suppose those versions don't help your story. |
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Post by Chao on Nov 5, 2013 16:59:08 GMT -5
Again Josh's part proved to be more challenging than Liam's today. Despite the fact that I was finally introducing Tristan and allowed Josh to rant a bit about whether or not all gay people should take up the LGBT-banner and fight for their rights or just say: my sexuality is my private life and just because I'm gay doesn't mean I have to broadcast it into to the general public. It also didn't help that for the first half hour or so I was rather scatter-brained. Liam though was fun to write. I had him tell the fairytale of Cinderella from the view of the ugly sister, to show how unfair the concept of Prince Charming is and that for every Cinderella married to her Prince Charming there are also always two unwed stepsisters. You know, in some versions of the story, Cinderella forgives her sisters and helps them find Prince Charmings of their own, though, I don't know that they were necessarily princes even if they were noblemen. But, I suppose those versions don't help your story. Well, having grown up in the town of the Brothers Grimm, I also grew up with the original (comparatively gory) Grimm-version of Cinderella... with an indifferent father, a step-mother encouraging her own daughters to inflict wounds on themselves, and with the vengeful doves pecking out the sisters' eyes at Cinderella's wedding. I know that the French version of Cendrillon often has the younger of the stepsisters be nicer to Cinderella than either stepmother and older stepsister, but yeah... Liam was just pointing out that Singles sighing and wishing for a Prince Charming on St Valentine's Day was not the best way to ensure your own personal happiness. Because who guarantees you that you are Cinderella and not one of her stepsisters? Also, if you were Cinderella, it would mean years of servitude before some fairy godmother drops off a Prince Charming as special gift. And who says this Prince Charming actually made Cinderella happy? Yes, he got her out of what today would be called an abusive home, but what if he is more like a Wickham-character who just happens to be lucky in that he is a rich prince destined to inherit a kingdom? According to Liam, Cinderella's fairy godmother back then got away with just a reprimand as arranged marriages in those days were common and personal happiness did not count that much... it's so much fun to have real fairies in this story XD |
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Post by Kristykimmy on Nov 5, 2013 18:59:13 GMT -5
You know, in some versions of the story, Cinderella forgives her sisters and helps them find Prince Charmings of their own, though, I don't know that they were necessarily princes even if they were noblemen. But, I suppose those versions don't help your story. Well, having grown up in the town of the Brothers Grimm, I also grew up with the original (comparatively gory) Grimm-version of Cinderella... with an indifferent father, a step-mother encouraging her own daughters to inflict wounds on themselves, and with the vengeful doves pecking out the sisters' eyes at Cinderella's wedding. I know that the French version of Cendrillon often has the younger of the stepsisters be nicer to Cinderella than either stepmother and older stepsister, but yeah... Liam was just pointing out that Singles sighing and wishing for a Prince Charming on St Valentine's Day was not the best way to ensure your own personal happiness. Because who guarantees you that you are Cinderella and not one of her stepsisters? Also, if you were Cinderella, it would mean years of servitude before some fairy godmother drops off a Prince Charming as special gift. And who says this Prince Charming actually made Cinderella happy? Yes, he got her out of what today would be called an abusive home, but what if he is more like a Wickham-character who just happens to be lucky in that he is a rich prince destined to inherit a kingdom? According to Liam, Cinderella's fairy godmother back then got away with just a reprimand as arranged marriages in those days were common and personal happiness did not count that much... it's so much fun to have real fairies in this story XD Yeah, that version is far more eeeh. Reading the Brothers Grimm versions when I was a teenager was an interesting experience. It made me forgive Disney a lot. XD But, that sounds interesting, and makes total sense. The step-sisters did have it hard, especially given their mother, I did feel bad for them in the Grimm's version. |
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Post by Chao on Nov 6, 2013 16:17:00 GMT -5
Good thing about reading the Grimm version as a kid: You don't have yet seen enough gory news and movies to actually envision what is written in this fairytale.
So, today it was 1.7k for me, writing speed was comparatively good, though for the first time this month did I divide this day's quota in three small writing sessions with a small break between sessions. I simply needed the first break after reworking some of what I had written yesterday, simply because yesterday I had completely overlooked the potential of something I had mentioned then only in passing. And if this something is worth more than 600 words, it's definitely worth going back and reworking yesterday's writing. Also, it was needed to give Liam's part some meaning and words, as otherwise his part would have been done within 100 words and that would have been frustrating. So yay for discovering word-treasures along the way!
Also had a strange experience today while writing. I was actually thinking in German (which is always helpful when one is supposed to write the story in German), having a definite phrase in mind to begin the sentence, all words clear in my mind and in German, yet what my fingers typed was English!!! Really strange.
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Post by Chao on Nov 7, 2013 17:26:02 GMT -5
1.8k today. Not bad, considering that I struggled quite a bit and I also realised a big problem I have. I love writing. I like the story I’m currently writing well enough (else I would not write it). But there is no thrill in it for me currently. I write because it’s November, it’s NaNo, I don’t want to let the advent calendar I write for down, and I don’t want to let myself down for not participating in either the calendar or NaNo, as both are a tradition to me. But every evening I’m currently sitting down, making myself open the document and write between 1.5 and 1.8k. Not more. Not less, because I don’t like being behind, but usually I get so wrapped up in the story, have so much fun with it, that I end up being finished with the 50k and the story 1-5 days in advance. So why am I not wanting to write more every evening? Why does it right now feel more like an obligation? I know I will continue writing, I know I will feel satisfied at the end of every evening, having reached the day’s target, having proven to myself that I can be steady in this. But it’s not how I expected to feel this month.
I just hope it gets better now that I finally introduced Allan.
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Post by Chao on Nov 8, 2013 15:56:45 GMT -5
After yesterday's reluctance (and an equal reluctance today, combined with being rather tired), I decided that maybe I actually need to be behind to get into the right writing swing. So today I wrote 0 words, in the hopes that if I can make myself write a double quota tomorrow it will prove to myself and my muse that I can actually write more than just the daily quota per day.
I'll tell you tomorrow night if that worked.
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Post by Chao on Nov 9, 2013 13:08:38 GMT -5
Today we had a comparatively spontaneous write-in at my favourite café (or what used to be my favourite writing spot back when they still had chocolate whipped cream and the place was not yet so crowded, but well, they need the business, so...). I went there, knowing that I wouldn't have internet access there and that with others also writing I would most likely have no problems catching up. And yes, I did manage to get past the 15k with a tolerable writing speed considering that we also occassionally chatted instead of writing. And I have a lot of hope that tomorrow will be okay with writing, because Josh is finally getting lively after I had a set-back because he had met his ex.
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Of course I'm exaggerating a bit here, but yes, yelling and using my car's horn to wake up sleepiheads at the traffic lights are just two of the examples of behaviour that go hand in hand with the mental shape I was in at that time. 
