NaNoWriMo

>>8677281
How, exactly, is NaNoWriMo not considered 'real' writing?

Setting a time limit somehow invalidates the concept of writing?

I'm gonna do it, though I'm not gonna sign on to anything. Just gonna do my best to write a book, mostly to improve my craft, not because I'm expecting to create a masterpiece.

>>8677642
convincing people that they should write even if they have nothing to say results in a lot of garbage.

>>8677726
how does that make it not real writing? it's not so much an argument for writing as a structure for those who are somewhat interested in it

I'm doing it OP, I'd be interested in a /general/. For anyone who's done it before, when do you tend to have the ideas developed by? Or do you just kerouac it and figure that out by the end?

Checking in

I want to do an HP Lovecraft inspired novel

>>8678933
Yes that's just what we need right now. Maybe this one can be about Cthulhu joining a bowling league and getting in an awkward love triangle.

>>8677648
This, pretty much.

>>8678953
>need
fuck off

>>8677281
Have fun.

Get off to a good start.

iirc i checked the forum on nanowrimo where people shared their book ideas last november

i remembered two - a transgender furry is abused and goes on a journey and in the medieval times they rape man when they storm besieged cities and the main hero is a young man... it was a pretty funny read

If you need an excuse to write you're not going to write anything good

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Germany here, NaNoWriMo has already started.

Currently at 600+ words.

I'm gonna write some kind of CYOA novel thing without the choosing but with alpine mythology.

>>8679264
>I'm gonna write some kind of CYOA novel thing without the choosing

Assuming you're not just memeing, what exactly does that mean?

fuck it I'm in, i've had an idea for a short one i've been itching to get on but I keep getting bogged down in these two other projects going nowhere

Thanks to this, I've finally started writing my VN.

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>>8679273
It's written as "You decide to buy the farm in the alps. You click the button and - this time it finally worked! - you successfully bought it. You bought a farm for just a single euro. For a moment you feel like in a dream."

I'm currently working on a video game and I'm using NaNoWriMo to flesh out the game world. I'm using "you" to mimic the video game style and also to not determine the gender of the protagonist because in the game you will be able to chose that.

I'm writing it in German, though.

>>8677726
Do all great writers really know what they want to say before they start writing though?

Nanowrimo is or "tryhards". you should write EVERY month.

>>8679426
But I do.

I usually write short stories, though. I use NaNoWriMo to get off my ass and write something bigger.

>>8679382
That just depends what and why they are writing. When I write I'm telling a story, so the story ends when the story is done, not when I hit a wordcount. Doesn't mean that this can't help you get writing, but for an amateur microfiction is probably the best rather than something extremely long.

>>8679273
CYOA = "Choose Your Own Adventure"

>>8679575
I knew that. I was asking what it meant to write one without choices.

>>8679597
I was actually just referring to a CYOA because it's what's closest to the style I'm writing in. Does the "you" style even have a proper name?
I only remember it from those adventure novels and from Italo Calvino.

>>8679607
Second person is what you're looking for.

>>8679607
Second person writing?

>>8679426
You have a deepseated misunderstanding of the term "tryhard", anon.

I'm doing nanowrimo cause it's been awhile since my last project and it's fun, I have publishing credits and zero pretension about ever making a living writing or memeing my way into the canon.

>>8679624
>>8679627
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-person_narrative

Oh right, here we go.

Thoughts on my opening paragraph?

>The air was stagnant and humid. The musty odor of a lifetime of cigarettes hung in the air like a damp towel. Shafts of sunlight bled through a set of well-worn aluminum blinds. The thin slits of yellow light forced their way through the dust and smoke. A tangled mess of yellowed sheets and a tattered quilt sat lifelessly on a floral-print couch. A small foot slowly protruded from the mess of linen, the sole seemed stained with dirt. The faint clouds of smoked drift slowly in the stillness of the atmosphere, intertwining with motes of dust. A tranquil and elaborate dance gracefully hovers in the air.

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It feels so good and so sweet.
I think I can do this.

>>8678117
what is "real" writing? is that when people notice it and comment on it? is it only real if a publisher pays you for it? is it not real if you post it on your livejournal?

go ahead, do the nanowrimo thing. just don't expect anyone to congratulate you for it, any more than they would if you finished third from last place in the Boston Marathon.

11:30 central time here

SOON

>>8680050
Shhh. It's okay, anon. No one here is trying to hurt you.

>>8680051
I believe in you, anon. You can do it!

What will you write about?

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>>8679382
they at least know what themes they want to address. you know edward gorey was trolling when he drew this, right?

Those who would fail anyway because they have nothing to tell will fail.
Those who have something to tell but have been procrastinating because they're depressed bitches will maybe be able to tell something.

>want to start writing
>feel like I'll just end up making HS tier trash you'd find in a shit anime or deviantart

Should I use this as an excuse to try anyways?

>>8680208
Just do it. If you end up writing trash, you wrote trash. Or maybe just stop yourself when you realize you're writing trash. Correct yourself. Find out why you wrote trash. Then proceed not writing trash. Rinse and repeat until you're a good writer.

>>8680214
On the few occasions I've written, I've realized I can't make good dialogue, it always comes out forced it seems.

>>8680215
Then sit down outside, listen to people talking and write it down. Then make up dialogue. Practice.

>>8680220
I mean it's not like I don't talk to people IRL, I just have a hard time writing voiced interaction. Maybe I just need more practice since I've honestly wrote fuckall since high school a year ago

>>8680225
There you go, you hack. You can't be a good writer if you never practice.

>>8679285
Isn't that just 2nd person?

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No, I shan't be participating in this year's plebeian extravaganza but you're all welcomed to do so.

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>>8680278

>>8677648
me too bruh.

OP here, checking in for Day #1 down in NZ. I'm 1000 words down, 666 to go. If you're starting or considering it just go, I believe in you.

>>8680327
Still me, maybe if we finish we can get a /share/ thread?

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Doing my first NaNoWriMo. 600 words in, day 1, hour 9. Might actually get something done for once even if it ends up being trash.

I normally write 900-1200 words a day. At this rate it won't be enough, how terrible would I be of submitting the stuff I already wrote since I'm 116k words in already.

>>8680368
I aint gonna judge you breh, that's still a good ass amount of volume.

>>8680366
Fuck dude, who cares if it's trash. It's way worse to be unfinished trash. At least if you finish and it's garbage, you got it done which is better than I would imagine 90% of the people who try, and all you can do is get better hoss.

>>8680376
Thanks, man. This is the kind of motivation I need.

>>8680386
You're off to a good start, that's great.

I suggest trying to get out an extra day's worth the first day or two, just so you have some leeway.

>>8680386
Damn straight nigga. Check in tomorrow and keep me updated with progress.

What timezone are you guys in?

GMT +1 here.

Just woke up, time to make this shit happen!

>>8679434

>I write short stories on 11 months a year, but try something bigger in 30 days

Makes sense.

>>8680391
>>8680392
You got it, boss.

>>8680399
Also GMT +1. Got up early for this.

>>8680399
GMT+12 my dude, Day 1 coming to an end

>>8677726
>even if they have nothing to say

Most people have nothing to write at first, doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

There was a time in the life of every great writer didn't write anything.

>>8680440
How's it looking so far?

>>8677281
>Nanowrimo
Could you be any more Reddit?

>>8680472
>Could you be any more Reddit?
le yes xD

At least I'm not writing genre fiction.

>>8677642
Because real writers treat every month like nanowrimo.

Imagine if someone decided March is "national adopt a puppy month" and the whole month every faggot who claims to love animals pats themselves on the back while talking about how hard it is to feed and walk a puppy, and then at the end of the month they yell "success!" and let their puppy die. You'd see how masterbatory the whole thing really is.

>>8680488
>masterbatory

Please don't do nanowrimo, you'll just suck at it lol xD

>>8680488
I don't claim to be a "real writer." Heck, I know I've never put in the effort. But I'd like to be one, and I think NaNoWriMo is just the sort of push I need. Given, this is my first time trying, and I just hope the habit of writing daily will stick. I'll cede to you that we may not be "real writers" but that doesn't mean that it isn't "real writing" being done (which was the question at hand).

>>8677281
I didn't even know it was a thing until my fanfiction group posted about it.

>>8680488
>Real writers just write even with zero motivation to do so!

No, they don't. Every single person who wants to write needs a reason to write, and Nanowrimo is as good as any.

>>8680502
>fanfiction group
which fandom?

>>8680505
Was waiting for that >.<
But, no. Fanficton helps you get the hang of writing without the commitment. You can write utter shit and gain a following and a bunch of free beta readers/editors.

It's a pretty big community and a lot of books have actually been publicised because of fan fiction. I know it's a horrible book that was created because of another horrible one but it's the most famous example:

50 shades of grey is was twilight fan fiction.

>>8680512
I'm well aware and will point out that my question was of genuine curiosity fueled by fandom elitism. If your answer is bad I will shig in your general direction.

>>8680523
Oh, right, my bad lol.
Harry Potter.
Lots of characters to play with and you can add so much to it, I've seen beautifully written things so well researched.

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>>8680529
dece

>>8680534
Plus a lot of rape happens and that's always great for a story.

>>8680488
>""REAL"" writers
There is only one kind of writer: the kind who writes.

>>8680512
>>.<
>>8680529
>lol

Even ironic shitposting is still shitposting. Kill yourself.

>>8680472
Nice contribution bro, upboat for u!!

>>8680496
Right. If you want to see if nanowrimo produces real writing, just look at what gets published from nanowrimo.

Off the top of my head, all I can think of is Water for Elephants.

>>8680488
I'm not a writer. I'd like to be. And I would imagine a few people here would want to be. If this thread helps anyone I'm happy. And like all the threads on all the boards - if you don't agree or don't care just keep scrolling.

>>8680547
The one who writes all the time, or the one who writes only in November when it's a popular bandwagon?

>>8680552
No u

>>8680556
>real writing
Do tell what this is, because I have no idea.

>>8680564
>>8680529
>>8680512
>>8680493
>>8680479

This is what nanowrimo """writers""" are like.

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>>8680569

>>8680569
Right, because some of the best works didn't have an inspiration. Autism.

>>8677726
It gets you out of the habit of procrastinating.

>>8680569
I'm probably going to do the story of Tom Riddle which is kinda dark and fucked up. Suit yourself though

>>8680645
Do yourself a favor and don't.

Fanfic is artless shit.

Thanks for playing.

>>8680561
>Writer
>Noun
>a person who has written something or who writes in a particular way.

They're both writers, you autist. Stop trying to assign value to something on an arbitrary basis.

Nanowrimo is a waste of your time. Writing a novel in 30 days will invariably result in a shitty novel. Worse, you'll get burned out on writing.

If you want to write, give yourself 2-24 months to write a novel at your own pace, taking the time to adequately outline it, think about the themes, put it through multiple drafts, etc.

People who actually care about writing and want to published one day don't do Nanowrimo. Nanowrimo is for retarded 16-year-olds who want to write anime fanfic "novels" just to say they've written a novel, not because they actually care about producing something of value.

>I'm not trying to write anything good, I just want to work on my craft.

Nanowrimo is antithetical to honing the craft. Your prose will suffer if you have to bang out ~2,000 words every day for 30 consecutive days.

Writing requires a stupid amount of patience and self-determination. If you need a special month out of the year to even bother with writing, you should stop and reassess why you want to write.

>>8680566
You want to argue semantics?

I can go two routes here. I can say that 'real' literature is a work that addresses a universal human condition, for example, Plato's Republic and its notions on whether we should live a just life or an unjust life, and which is more beneficial. 'Real' literature shifts perspective on issues both when the book was new, and for people who read the book hundreds or thousands of years later. 'Real' literature should also influence other works of literature, like The Republic influencing all western thought, Dante's Inferno influencing all Christian literature thereafter, or even something like Mein Kampf influencing political rhetoric to this very day. And I think a work of literature should be challenging yet rewarding. Books that are challenging to read will stimulate your cognitive faculties better than a work that you can read passively. Challenging books can better prepare you recognizing lesser works for what they really are.

These criteria not only do away with all nanowrimo shit, but it does away with a lot of books that have nothing to do with nanowrimo. Even if I were to slacken the reigns and make the criteria much less harsh, and say "real literature is anything that isn't pop-lit trash" you will still find nanowrimo drafts dead in the water.

>>8680765
>You want to argue semantics?
More often than not, yes.

In any case, I largely agree with you, but your attitude is disheartening. How can anyone be a writer without already being acknowledged as such? Where does one begin? This NaNoWriMo is the first time I've sat down with an idea I've become fond of and actually started writing something. I know that simply reaching the "finish line" doesn't make for a good novel, but having written something that I can rework and expand on is a huge first step for me. Who knows, maybe it'll all be trash even after years of editing, maybe it'll actually decent, and maybe (god forbid) I might even have fun doing

In general I'm against the whole thing because it encourages the attitude of "churn shit harder," but I couldn't sleep last night so I went ahead and put down 1500 words just to see how long it'd take and I was done in about an hour and a half. So, first things first, it doesn't seem like it would be a huge trouble to do. I started up a story of a dude just walking through a huge landlocked region with no horses, selling stuff from faraway cities and telling myths from other cultures. Figured it'd be a good way to map out a setting for a more traditional story I want to write. Now, the question is, should I bother keeping pace with the NaNoWriMo thing? Will the smugness at the end of it all be worth the trouble? I wouldn't plan on publishing whatever turd falls out, but the opportunity to say, "Piss on all those novels, it isn't even hard to write 'em in a month" is a little appealing.

>>8680735
>t. someone who never wrote anything in his life
thanks for the advice

>>8680735
>Your prose will suffer if you have to bang out ~2,000 words every day for 30 consecutive days.
This is absolutely false.

What you elitist chucklefucks shitting on Nanowrimo do not understand is that your pet projects you're labouring on are guranteed trash.

The only way to hone a skill is to practice it. Grind away at it, daily. A man becomes a good welder by burning 1000km of rod, not by pondering and planning out a few nice 8 inch beads. Picasso did not spend his life making a handful of pieces. NHL players don't stop by the rink once a week.

Ideas are not sacred or interesting. Put your ten thousand hours in.

>>8680488
this made me laugh out loud
please don't write anything for nanowrimo or otherwise, unless this was ironic

>>8680735
Your whole post is one big logical fallacy.

"No writer would ever write like Nano"
>what about all the people who have been published off the back of Nano
"Well, no *true* writer would ever write like Nano."

Oh boy, time to avoid ANY writing threads on /lit/ for a month, fuck you guys.

>>8679884
If this is yours you should vary the sentence types

>>8679280
what's it about nigga

Opening paragraph;

>Kell looked at the man standing next to him. Face and features laden with emotion. Stirring in chromed armor he was more than just any man, and he was more than the thousands of men who had gathered at the gates of the Eternal Engine, he was Kell’s brother. His youngest brother and forever the runt of the litter.

>>8681003
see
>>8681031
It's more a matter of keeping up the emotional willpower to continue actually writing than the word count itself. Just set a pace you think you can keep, if it's 1500 it's 1500.
Just don't do nothing everyday and expect to git gud.
I think that the problem with longer pieces is that you need to start editing a whole lot more as you continue and that isn't included in the word count much.
If it helps you write anything in a day, it's fine.

>>8681309
Sentences need a subject and a verb, my friend.

>>8681376
No.

>>8681376
lol pleb

For everyone here sick of memesters and le patricians, migrate to /tg/'s Nanowrimo general. God knows we need the traffic, and we at least pretend to be constructive.

>>8681949
I actually migrated from /tg/ to /lit/ for the NaNoWriMo because the thread there just died.

>>8679884
the description is vivid, but there's zero rhythm to it due to the lack of variation in your sentence structure. i cannot judge fully since this is an isolated passage, but opening your novel with a description of the setting is pretty cliche desu

Been working on this for longer than a month, but really unsure of it now:
>main character, Lauro, is a glass blower forced into the service of a daughter of the High House of Morell, Noemi, after witnessing her murder a drug dealer
>has a metaphysical parasite forcibly implanted into his psyche
>these parasites, the Emblems of Noet are the root cause of all human failings
>The Eblems exist upon the Range, metaphysical levels of consciousness and physicality heading towards pure emotion (the idea being negative primal emotions are the true ones)
>At the center of this The Lost Choir represents one of the original nine human tribes, who are now lost to the world in some catastrophic event since fallen out of history, this even likely gave birth to the Emblems (humanity being a perfect species before this)
>The city of note, Rohas Vel, exists upon one such chasm along the range, this both causes it to be a center of debauchery & depravity, as well as a center of power
>Numerous high houses, all of which claim to origins to the tribes make up the High Houses, an government consisting of the Congregation of Enlightened Masters, named the Elechar.
>The parasites will attempt to turn a man through vice into a beast that is not human, this is far more prevalent in those who make deals with them (as it allows the two to feed upon each other)
>These beasts exist upon the range, hidden from sight but intractable with normal man
>The Beast of Coreel is one such, two fleshy sacks containing the human adrenal glands that attach to the neck of a man and pump him full of adrenaline. The High House Coreel traces its origin to the quasi-emotion of rage.
>Most beasts are non-sapient, however a few grow into creatures not unlike humans
>One such is the Waxen Stranger, who feeds upon humans (its mouth, nose, and ears do not lead anywhere, merely divots in smooth flesh, the top of its head opens to show the maw of an enormous lamprey)
>The plot of the book consists of the main character being forced to hunt foreign agents who seek to gain a foothold for their cabals in the city for the first half
>This leads into two competing plots, the daughter of the High House's arranged marriage to a distant cousin in a foreign land
>The second is a grisly series of murders perpetrated by The Waxen Stranger
>Noemi is essentially forced to confront the situation and responsibilities of her house alone as her father faces a protracted losing battle with a Emblem of Apathy, which forces him for weeks on end to be incapable of speaking, and her Brother's ambitious rise to power among the House of Enlightened Masters and attempted use of the former Archduke's bloodline to establish a new blood agnostic High House likening its origin to Grief
>The main character first is disgusted and horrified by the lengths Noemi is willing to go to, but realizes he loves her despite it, and seeks to save her
>He does this while he himself is having an Emblem of Regret eat away at his psyche

>>8682161
It's good.

Get writing.

>>8682200
I write around 1k words every night, currently at 20k. I feel bad for submitting something I was already writing.

>>8682161
Sounds like some Bloodborne shit

>>8682252
Really? In what way? Is it because they're named The Lost Choir? I have considered changing the name, but currently nothing more appropriate springs to mind except for The Noet.

How's everyone doing?

I went to the library to write as the rain peppered the windows. There was a lady there writing a novel as well. I clocked out at about 1400 words, which is a record amount by my pace. Perhaps I'll try to finish another page tonight.

>>8682260
Just the aesthetic I pick up so far kinda feels like Bloodborne, idk. Not saying that's necessarily a bad thing though

>tfw haven't started anything yet
>don't know what to write about

M-maybe I'll skip this year....

>>8682327
I can see that, definitely in the fact that human failings and negative emotions exist externally from the individual.

>have a strong, documented setting and a solid idea of story and characters
>have no idea how to start writing the first scene

>>8682325
That sounds very comfy anon. I'm sitting in a common room in between classes, and the weather outside perfectly matches my setting: wet and dreary. I can't decide whether to head to the library or a cafe after class.

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>>8682332
>complete quota for first day
>already feel my inspiration run dry

>>8682342
Start with dialogue. Worked pretty well for me.

So generally how long does everyone make their novels? I wanna try writing this month but don't know if I can do a full length novel.

>>8682358
Just write two shorter ones then. :^)

>>8682358
I'm certainly not finishing a novel this month. My general projection of work count, based on my last novel manuscript puts this one at somewhere around 150k words. Which honestly may be a little long at somewhere around 600 pages bantam paperback.

>have "and but so" within the first page of my writing
>lots of hamfisted references and symbolism
Am I literary yet?

>>8682391
Yes!

To prompt discussion, a point raised in the /tg/ thread: how do you feel about the use of the present tense as opposed to the past? Can it be done well, and if so, what are good examples of novels written in the present tense?

>>8682438
As stated in the /tg/ thread, Murakami has done it well at several points, but no others come to mind.
In the end I think it comes down to a matter of tone. Past tense is better for storytelling. Present tense is better for scene description. At least that's my opinion on the matter.

>>8680488
Real dog lovers adopt a puppy every single month.

>>8682438
The Piano Teacher used it iirc

>>8677281
I have a week long vacation planned in this middle of this month so I doubt I'll finish a whole novel. (Not that I'd manage it even without that vacation)
But I'm using this month as a way to take a break from the first novel I was working on to try and bust out as much of a first draft as I can for a second novel. They're vastly different stories, and hopefully the voice of each of them will be equally different, so it should be a fun challenge. I started yesterday

>>8682371
Another idea I am really unsure of is this:
>there are numerous schools of thought on what the Emblems are, and it certainly is not a single coherent idea.
>As I have said some believe they owe their origin to an ancient catastrophic event that lost one of the original nine tribes of humanity.
>This idea is actually in a minority, in the neighboring country of Capre most cabals prescribe to an idea of 'Reflections of the Divine'.
>Essentially the idea there each human has an inherent divinity expressed through the Emblems, and that each inherent piece of divinity gives rise to primal and powerful emotions, the would being created through the ordering of chaos by a divine entity.
>Humans being turned into the beasts, in this ideal, is actually an expression of divinity, to a minor extent, and in extreme cases (such as with the Waxen Stranger) it is a greater expression of the divine
>The greatest of these, His Most Holy, the Sejal of Pearl River is attempting to reconstruct divinity through a multipart contract through numerous powerful parasites to warp his body into a "True Expression of the Divine".
>Other ideas are that the pieces are the left overs of divine, sometimes expressed as tools, others as pieces of his corpse
>Some believe in the numerous spirits of creation, each parasite essentially being a creation deity in and of themselves, and as one travel upon the range one can interact with an ever expanding pantheon
>Some believe them to be mindless and that the "deal making" merely a give and take formulaic interaction with cosmic forces
>Some more believe in concurrent evolution, that as humanity came into existence so did the parasites as a symbiotic relationship. Humanity being empowered and the parasites provided with "feed"
>These are a few of the thousands of beliefs Cabals across the world hold

These all factor into the overall story, but I am starting to wonder whether it matters or not.

>>8681086

I literally never said any of those things.

>>8681031

Eh. I agree that you need to practice writing daily. That's not what I have a problem with. I just disagree with the idea of cramming it into a 30-day time period and forcing ~1,700 words a day (which is probably too daunting for a beginner).

>>8681018

>I disagree with the method, therefore I have never written anything in my life

Okay, friend.

>>8680488
this is actually true

/lit/ doesn't like it because /lit/ doesn't want to work hard

>>8680488
>>8680488
You're an idiot. The whole intent of nanowrimo is to take a month to inspire increased writing, so that what you take away from it is more than just "lol 400k words". It's meant to get you writing again, or if you already are, more consistently and without as much of a break. It's not supposed to be a self-contained month of writing only, that's what faggots like you ascribe to it like it's always been that way. It's a month of inspiration and forced motivation, meant to be carried with you into the following months and speed up productivity.

It's not like adopting a puppy and letting it die; it's like owning one already, and being taught in March the importance of taking care of it, by taking care of it.

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Good luck /lit/.

I prepared nothing but what's been percolating in my head since last year and, like last year, I'm going to see it through to the end.

Just vomited this out. Really unsure of it:

“You are who you have always been. Introspective artists have always been this way, have they not, bringing of questions of self. I would appreciate it if you did not do so in front of Ariann, she is easily startled.” Warning taken. The girl’s eyes glanced backward to Evenrel where he stood impassive behind Lauro, a lumbering shadow shading his head.

“You are who you have always been. Introspective artists have always been this way, have they not, bringing of questions of self. I would appreciate it if you did not do so in front of Ariann, she is easily startled.” Warning taken. The girl’s eyes glanced backward to Evenrel where he stood impassive behind Lauro, a lumbering shadow shading his head.

“Who gave you permission to address Ms.Ancila in that way?” Lauro laughed, but it came out as closer to a nervous croak. A reason to keep him secret of her would be to see how he handles the introduction, but if that were true then this introduction was planned. If this introduction was planned then something surely was off. Evenrel had taken him specifically past that vantage point, and though he did not know the lay out he guessed it was not the fastest path to the east wing. For one they had traveled west. Clues and questions, Noemi had sat in clear view of his path. Yes, that made sense.

“I meant no offense. Unfortunately I am not experienced in the etiquette of this life, and did not realize I could not say Noemi’s name.” Perhaps a jab was important, to see how far her reaction went. Ariann’s eyes narrowed, but she did not move further. From the way she stood Lauro guessed a few things about her. Often one saw bar fights, and often one saw the drunken hunched stance of a man who did not know how to fight but had a mind to teach himself there and then. Occasionally however you instead saw the way of walked of someone experienced, springs coiled ready to be sprung. Normally these were the less drunk, but even when not their actions portrayed that cat before the pounce. Ariann looked the same now, though she hid it well. One foot was slightly back from the other, her heel of the ground. A distance of fifteen feet separated them, but hairs stood on the back of his neck to symbol that this was not near far enough.

“If there were others here besides Ariann this would be an insult of a degree higher than your position can excuse.”

“And what position is that?”

“As I have already explained you are to be my personal glass blower.” Noemi’s pale fingers pointed to his breast, decorated with the sigil.

“That marks you, marks you as an artisan to receive patronage from our household. Particularly you are one under my services, meaning your actions will reflect on me. I will not tolerate a poor reflection.” Lauro’s fingers tingled, and at the top of his scalp a slight buzz had begun.

taking part this year. Got a vague idea of a story using a concept I worked up a few years ago. No idea how to end it, and I want to know where it's gonna end before I start because I want a strong theme.

Only thing is every potential way it can end is just gonna be me imitating another series so I'm vetoing all my ideas.

This is pretty frustrating.

>>8683420
Just start writing it. Midway you will eventually see the story needs to go in an entirely other direction and then you will find a good ending.

>write until bored
>roughly outline everything else i have in mind until i cant think what to do next
>go do some stuff
>play some dota
>drink a sody pop
>continue
>if can't think of something to write, go back and detail the outlined bits
>easy 2.5k words so far
this makes shitting a turd out in november pretty easy, but how well does the technique apply when you want to make something good?

>>8683546
You shit it out and then read it. You rewrite it. You read it again. You rewrite the parts you still don't like. You read it again and realize it's complete garbage. You delete it because it's unsalvageable. You start from scratch. It's better this time but after reading you still need to rewrite parts of it.You read it again.You rewrite parts but this time less. You read it. It's actually pretty good now. You send it to a couple of publishers. Most of them even reply but of those who do, they tell you it's not what they're looking for at the moment. You start drinking. You send it to a few more publishers after having corrected some logical fallacies in the story. This time you only get a single reply that seems to be copy & paste telling you they are not accepting manuscripts right now and you should try it again next year. You drink more. You isolate yourself and stop writing. You start to hate yourself and drink more and more. This is your life now. You stop writing altogether.

The end.

>>8683559
why would i do all that that all sounds silly
i have a comfy programmer life
i just like writing porn and figured id try writing a book idc who publishes what

why would any invested career writer be in this thread

Does anyone have anything they'd like to share? I'm not too smart but some input is better than no input and I'd very much like to help people out however I can.

Here's my three hours of pitifully slow progress, if anyone else is feeling the same https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uQ1mVVMN-LEx2akb4UJWOTeDntkeQySk2EZTDEaceN8/edit?usp=sharing

>>8683265
“You are as you have always been. Introspective artists have always been this way, have they not? Bringing questions of self? I would appreciate it if you did not do so in front of Ariann, she is easily startled.” The girl’s eyes darted nervously to Evenrel, an impassive shadow looming behind Lauro.

I shuffled some words around a little, what do you think anon?

>>8683571
It's a seasonal thing I suppose; why would professional makeup artists get excited around Halloween? Hype around their craft.

>>8683594
", and" works like a semicolon in that it needs to separate two phrases that could each individually work as sentences.
>His movements are practiced, and show a level of care one would not expect to be shown in the killing of fish; “Haste makes waste,” he repeats under his breath as he goes.
should probably be
>His movements are practiced and show a level of care one would not expect to be shown in the killing of fish. “Haste makes waste,” he repeats under his breath as he goes.

>>8683594
>>8683669
Not going to nitpick much since you shouldn't be going back and editing much but, going forward, work on your establishing shots at the starts of chapters (a metaphor is usually not great in them) and fluffy bits like this
>she pulls her cloak tighter to her body, creating a woolen refuge for her hands as they clasp the tiller
are best used in places where the characters themselves are comfortable; more-utilitarian writing helps the reader feel their discomfort.

>>8683594
>“You are as you have always been. Introspective artists have always been this way, have they not? Bringing questions of self? I would appreciate it if you did not do so in front of Ariann, she is easily startled.” The girl’s eyes darted nervously to Evenrel, an impassive shadow looming behind Lauro.

I think I may delete the "Bringing Questions of Self" part. But it looks like a good change.

I've barely written anything in over a year now. Was hit with some crippling writer's block awhile back and never worked through it. I've been terrible about trying to get back to writing, so this might be a good way to motivate me to finally work through it. Maybe I'll just set myself on working out some generic fantasy thing to at least get me writing again and better ideas flowing.

Really though the problem is time. I intended to start on the 1st, but here I am finally finding time to write and I'd rather be going to bed. Not enough free time this time of year to be able to do something like 2k words a day.

>>8682715
>I literally never said any of those things.

>Nanowrimo is for retarded 16-year-olds who want to write anime fanfic "novels" just to say they've written a novel, not because they actually care about producing something of value.
What about all the people who actually got published off the back of Nano?
>Well, the people who actually care about writing and want to published one day don't do Nanowrimo.

>>>"""literally"""
"""Literally""" kys

>>8680488
Lol look at all the triggered Reddit plebs.

Nanowrimo is more like a month where aspiring photographers are told to take 2,000 photos a day, and ask people to critique Instagram photos of their pet.

>>8683865
>The problem is time
Yeah, watching WestWorld and YouTube videos really eat into your busy schedule, right?

>>8681309
Chrome makes for a terrible armor, and "emotion" is the least descriptive emotion.

>>8684053
Get that negative attitude out of here man.

>>8684074
Sorry I ruined your pity party.

>>8684079
Why do you act like this anon? Is it not enough for you to be miserable, must you tear down everyone else and insult the things they enjoy?

>>8684101
Where do you think you are?

>>8684103
This is why you'll never amount to anything. Because you refuse to be more than what is expected of you.

>>8684103
Just because your anonymous doesn't mean you should act like an Scholes for no reason.

No one even attacked you, you came into a thread knowing full well you wouldn't like it, and then started shitting on people out of nowhere. That's not how a normal person behaves.

>>8684107
Have you ever submitted a manuscript to a publisher before? Maybe I've sent you a rejection slip in the past.

>>8684053
>Chrome makes for a terrible armor, and "emotion" is the least descriptive emotion.

Thank you.

This is not negative, this is sensible.

>>8684183
No, I was being negative. I know by "chrome" you meant "polished" or "shiny," but I decided to pretend you were being literal.

>>8684207
Satan plz go.

File: Writing is hard.gif (500KB, 500x281px) Image search: [Google]

500KB, 500x281px

I wrote 50k of >fantasy last year and scrapped all of it because it was bad, but I at least found out what I wanted to do with it and have been rewriting it ever since. Was almost up to the same amount of text by the time NaNo started again this year. Just using NaNo to add a nice 50k chunk of content quickly before I finish and get to editing it all.

Currently around 4k, so it's a decent start. Hopefully the novel will turn out better this time. It won't, but I like to hope.

>>8682723
this may be the crux of the matter

>>8684245
You got this famalam

>>8683571
>i just like writing porn and figured id try writing a book idc who publishes what
Write a big book of porn and self-publish it on amazon.

>>8684112
>act like an Scholes for no reason.
hi autocorrect

>>8684576
Nah im furry trash and the terrible people who read my stuff only buy stories through sites like SF or on commission
rather just give that away for free and self-publish whatever else i find i can write

>>8682438
In my language everyone writes in present tense

It is a question merely of what people are used to. Do what you like.

>>8684620
neck yourself my man(dog)

>3rd year trying
All of the shit I write for this turns out being anime-ish crap. 4 years ago I tried to do a supernatural action story, which only made it to 35k words before I gave up. This year, despite my current occupation, I'm trying again. A story about a boy who teams up with a scientist to fight demons from another galaxy.

File: pic related.jpg (24KB, 323x499px) Image search: [Google]

24KB, 323x499px

Okay, I need you guys to validate me because I'm a fickle human.

This will be my third novel, I've written a few that were between 60 and 70k words, but they took upwards of a year, which was tough.

So now I hope in condensing the process my ideas will flow more freely, as before my novels suffered from long bouts of me not writing them actively.

Anyways. I'd like an opinion. I'm writing a story about a man caught in a black hole, being spaghettified for an undescribable amount of time, looking at his life from a 4th dimensional perspetive as his perception of time changes in the black hole. The man sees his past self, and interacts with time to try and steer himself away from the situation that got him stuck in the black hole in the first place, but he ends up just fucking up his own memories of how those things happened, I've got pages with three four, five and once even six columns of memories that all happen simoultaneously.

Is this too experiemental? too weird? the story itself takes place mostly in the form of his memories, so it's not just like "thoughts from inside a black hole" per se.

Anywho. any advice is apreciated. thanks guys.

Pic not related, good book though.

>>8686119
I know nothing, but it sounds like an interesting concept to me. It sounds like its really gonna come down to execution though, and how well you can write. Without strong writing it could really flop since it doesn't sound like you have traditional plot structures to save you

>>8685395
What language is that? I can't think of any that do that.

>>8686141
Not the poster but isn't that Chinese?

>>8685480
nah im pretty happy with my contribution to the world, i just write about gay doggish people online for fun sometimes
blame f-list, it makes it too fun to not get too into

>>8686119
your readers are only going to be able to read one column at a time anyways, so the idea of them happening simultaneously is effectively lost. would you not be better off writing them all at once as artsy dream-like combinations of the memories?

>>8686137
Yeah, the exectution and writing will have to be my best so far.

>>8686148
Aye, but the protagonist experiences them differently, so he essentially writes prior to the split memories "read all of these columns at once" and essentially breaks the fourth wall and gets annoyed at the reader when they don't read all the columns simoultaneously. I also have a few paragraphs that are meant to be a "simple, straightforward explination of what it's like to be fourth dimensional, written specifically for third dimensional beings" which is essentially the written equivalent of a naked man in a pitch black room filled with broken glass and spiders screaming until his vocal chords break.

I.E it's utter insanity. it's just a few paragraphs, but it's like you described - written all at once and mashed together but with added eldritchness. If someone is existing simoultaneously in places they've been before, they'll be drscribed as having fucked up faces and arms coming out of their thighs and shit. it's cool.

>>8686166
sounds neat, then
back to writing it you go

>>8686148
>f-list
Had to google.
Writing insane shit is the best break I had from writing serious stuff. I swear I'm going to make a mind control CYOA one of these days after reading this one guys where he gets a tool that allows him to cut his dick off.
It was fucked up, but it made me think that I should probably have a stress release story if I want to do other stuff.
>>8686166
You probably have a good reason for doing it, as long as you hit the right emotional notes I think you'll be fine. Old people love it when kids try crazy shit, I'm sure there's some dark and edgy mental health publisher that only does psychological thrillers that might love it.

>>8686141
>>8686143
Not Chinese. I was exagerrating a little, because it is not always used, but in Polish you often see it in poetry or epic literature.

>>8686231
ah sorry, not just poetry, but more poetic types of writing. "literature"

I have also heard that this is true in many slavic languages

>>8686193
>I'm going to make a mind control CYOA one of these days
hah that's my thing too and i'm actually gonna start working on one with my boyfriend soon
you get the humans, we got the furries though, ok?
(also f-list is great for that sort of stuff, even just writing up character bios that you never actually play with is pretty good for exercise that you really don't have to care about, plenty of human-only people about the place too if that's your bag, 8/10 site if you can enjoy a bit of hunting for diamonds in the rough)
anyhow, back to wordcount farming

Bouncing my new story idea off as many sources as I can, please critique and give me what advice you guys can:
>This is story centered around a boy who has in extremely unhealthy obsession with cleanliness (irony intentional). He is isolated from friends as a result of this, because he has made being clean into an art. When things suddenly change in the town around him, he starts noticing that everyone is getting filthy, more than normal. When trying to confront the issue, he is brushed aside. Confident his life is going to end, he prepares to end his suffering. That's when a scientist from a different world comes to him with the answer to the mystery of the sudden filth and disgusting habits springing up: an alien race is using their powers to influence people to be messier and filthy, to generate 'Dirty Energy'. As a normal person, the boy lacks the strength to engage the evil aliens. But, with the help of the scientist's technology, the boy becomes Super Maid, the girl who is going to cleanse the earth of the Muck Demons once and for all.

>>8680735
>Writing a novel in 30 days will invariably result in a shitty novel.

I'll take what is revision for $500 Alex.

>If you want to write, give yourself 2-24 months to write a novel at your own pace, taking the time to adequately outline it, think about the themes, put it through multiple drafts, etc.

2-24 months doesn't apply to people who want to do it full-time

Spending 15-20 something months writing a fucking book doesn't pay bills.

>>8686284
it actually sounds like it could be pretty good as one of those birdman-ish stories
people wont like you conflating gender identity issues with insanity but it's up to you to decide how much you care

>tfw i made my goal 100000
fuck

>>8680735
This what what I put my schedule at:
>4 months (first draft)
>2 months (draft 2)
>2 months (peer edits)
>1 months (draft 3)

This is what I went through for my previous manuscript and felt it was about right and polished it up enough that it could be at least sent to an agency.

>the in world mythology factors into the overall structure and plot of the novels
>made it off the cuff, but when describes to others they express it as a combination of Hebrew and Hindu mythology.

I have no idea if this is a good or bad thing, and no idea where the influence came from. I'm not well read on Hindu mythology, though I know a lot on Hebrew.

http://en.virtualpopstar.com/vote/clandestine/

>>8686492
a lot of successful myth systems were basically successful because they promoted some ideas that led peoples towards successful ways of life
there are only so many successful ways to live in this sort of world, and every myth system really trickles down from those ways of life because there are only so many ways to push people towards each
no fantasy myth system is going to seem both realistic and unique as a result

>>8686500
either that or you just had some animal god or someone with a bunch of arms i dunno people are dumb

>>8686419
>insanity
It's less that and more the scientist is his saving grace. The reason behind the transformation is due to the core behind the technology, which basically houses the crystallized essence of the scientist's sister. This won't be revealed until further in, of course. The insanity phrase was more a means of conveying the kid's growing dread that he's the only crazy one in this world that seems to ignore what's happening.

>still haven't started
>still don't know what I want my setting or plot to be

Fucking kill me, why must I be indecisive

>>8686530
okay but from your summary it sounded like it was gonna be one of those stories where you see it happen through the eyes of someone who doesn't know that they're hallucinating
that's what sounded interesting
i don't think a serious soft-sci-fi method would do it as much justice as a surreal disjointed fantasy character piece

>>8686535
I feel ya man. I've got a rough outline I greentexted before, but other than that I'm out of ideas.

>>8686601
The Bloodborne one?

I'm mostly brainstorming shit, I can't even come up with an outline at this point. Trying to think of a setting and basic story type to start with.

>>8686607
No, some hero's journey junk. But I can attest to just starting on a random chapter and writing whatever feels right. At least the info/lore I do have won't be in a huge-ass dump and feel more natural.

Should I try nanowrimo even tho I think I haven't read enough books to actually write a decent book?

>>8686625
Can you manage writing ~1500-2000 words a day for a month?

Yeah,I could do that.

>>8686615
I dunno, I feel like having a starting point for my characters and having them progress from there feels more natural

>>8686660
Of course, but consider it when you get the outline done.

>>8686625
do you have something you want to say? if so, sure, say it in long form
if not, and if you don't already have a love of books, why bother

>>8686500
Just please tell me these names aren't too dumb:

>One that is Two and Many
Referring to what amounts to a creation deity.
>Noet
Name meaning "The Joyful" is a in universe dead language.
>The Range
Referring to the sliding scale of physicality between pure emotion and pure physical
>Nogrenmal
Also in the dead language, meaning "The Sires of Men"
>Exaltation of the Flesh
Some catastrophic event lost to memory that killed Noet (or at least wounded/caused him to vanish) where the nine other Sires betrayed him for some unknown reason
>Nolim
One of the other Sires, being closest to the physical end of the "One that is Two and Many", names means "The Golden"
>High House Gem, Likening Itself to Depravity
>High House Coreel, Likening Itself to Rage
This is the naming scheme of "high houses", really not sure on it.

I'm fucking terrible at names.

>>8680050
Well, not being first in the Boston Marathon has its merits, one of which is the ability to walk.
As for what real writing is, it's just words on a page, nothing more. What makes writing special is the content and style in which it is written, not its popularity or where it was made.

Yeah, I'm giving it a go.
I'm on a bit of a Gentleman Bastards kick at the moment, so I'm going for a fantasy pirate/thief/spy adventure.
"The empire does not engage in these clandestine activities. If you are caught, the Empress and parliament will condemn and deny any knowledge of your actions."

>>8684053
That's some serious projecting you got going on, man. Just because you're a pathetic furfag doesn't mean the rest of us are worthless subhuman BRs.

>>8686905
Sounds good to me my man

Opening paragraph, intro shit thing:
>The shouts from outside the steel doors grew louder, as the sounds of chaos poured through the speakers mounted on the walls. The young woman ran a hand through her sister's white hair, wincing as her hand brushed the girl's burning brow. The white-haired girl's breathing was labored, signs of the pain she was going through. The polluted energy that had filled their planet, corrupting it to the very core, was finally taking its final, disastrous tolls on the young girl. The young woman rose from her sister's side, scrambling to a door in the side of her lab. Pulling out a digital panel, the girl pressed her palm into the slot and unlocked a different doorway. Sprinting back to her sister's side, she grabbed the frail girl and carried her to the open doorway. Weapons in the lab began activating, turrets deploying from the ceiling and pressure plates audibly activating. Taking one final look at the remnants of her life's work, the scientist grudgingly turned away as the doorway sealed itself shut behind her. The woman carried her fevered sister down the hallway, towards their escape, forcing herself to not wince as the weapons roared to life and explosions rocked the floor behind her.

>>8687092
You use the phrase "young girl" or "young woman" so much. Are you sexist, anon? Is the only defining characteristic you can think to give us about your female characters their age?

>>8686500
R8 my edit
>The shouts from outside the steel doors grew louder and louder as the sounds of chaos poured through the speakers mounted on the walls. A young woman ran her hand through her sister's white hair, wincing as she brushed the girl's burning brow. The girl's breathing was labored and weak, a sign of the pain she was going through. The polluted energy that had filled their planet, corrupting it to its very core, was finally taking its final, disatrous toll on the young girl. The woman rose from her sister's side and headed to a door in the side of her lab. Pulling out a digital panel, the girl pressed her palm into the slot and unlocked a different doorway. She sprinted back to her sister, grabbed the frail girl and carried her to the open doorway. Weapons in the lab began activating, turrets deploying from the ceiling, their barrels trained at the door, and pressure plates activating, each with an audible *click*. Taking one final look at the remnants of her life's work, the scientist grudgingly turned away as the doorway sealed itself shut behind her. The woman carried her fevered sister down the hallway, towards their escape, their final bastion of hope. She forced herself to not wince as the weapons roared to life, and explosions rocked the floor below her.

>>8687127
just give them fuckin names already, for one thing, it'll make writing a lot easier
two, you're editing in the wrong direction, it looks like. i dont need to be told what her signs of pain are signs of (yeah it's fuckin pain)
it's show don't tell, not show AND tell
also generally move in the direction of removing words rather than adding them if youre going to edit at all (you shouldnt on nanowriyolo)

>>8687006
My opening. Let me know what you think.

“I appreciate that we must keep our dealings secret. You can hardly come in by the main gate and be announced by the servants, at least not under your real name. But was it really necessary to blackmail my Vice Chancellor to add you to this evening's guest list? Especially when we have more established means of arranging a meeting.”
Empress Augusta XVII moved slowly around her study, hindered by a combination of age and the considerable weight of the skirts on her purple ball gown, decorated with a web of fine platinum chain and sapphires. She made her way to her desk, looking at the younger woman who sat on one corner of it.
“Now, perhaps you should tell me your reasons.”

“Well, I was going to tell you that your Vice Chancellor can be blackmailed, but it appears that isn't necessary,”

“Oh, I know he's been lax on dock duties,” she replied with a dismissive wave of one hand, “and you know that I know. Has he done something to warrant you putting such fear into him?”

“No. But I couldn't wait for a gap in your schedule to open up. This may be urgent. It was the quickest way I could think of to gain access to you, Your Majesty.”

Trying here because the /tg/ thread gave me nothing.

Just wrote a short segment I'm really proud of so I figured I'd share it here so you can crush any sort of hubris it might have given me.

>“Say, Mr. Dung Beetle, why do you talk to me?”
>“Why wouldn’t I?”
>“I figured that, seeing as how important your ball of dung is to you, your reason for diverting attention from it might be interesting to hear.”
>“There’s nothing like a little tête-à-tête with a fellow god, I guess.”
>“...”
>“And really, making scarabs out of new men makes for twice the victory as the sun sets.”

It's the final line here. Scarabs as cyclic creators. The 'new men' <-> 'numen' double entendre. And using "as the sun sets" rather than "at the end of the day" because of the Khepri analogue.

>>8680735
How's that neet existence working out for you?

>>8687352
It's truly fucking awful. I'm not meming, honest to God, this brings flashbacks of the worst fantasy I ever read, like Malazan and Rothfuss.
It's completely forced, one can see you don't have a natural gift for writing and in general don't read anything with good prose so only trash rubbed of your mind.

>>8687588
It's not fantasy.
I don't even read fantasy.
My favourite author is DFW.
But thanks, you got the job done. I can keep writing without feeling too good about myself.

>>8687123
I'll probably edit the phrases used, but for now, the message is conveyed well enough using the same, generic term. That scene isn't meant to be the main draw. Just something on the side as a flashback. A memory of a time past and forgotten through tragedy.

>>8687588
>>8687588
Oh shit roast a segment of my book, next

Atually, all of you. roast me /lit/

>plz don't be too hard i am very sad as a human. heres my opening

I don’t believe in strong starts, with writing or otherwise. If somebody needs a hook in order to give their interest, or a contemplative philosophical statement from the outset in order to give me the time of day, they aren’t the sort of person I’d be very interested in talking to, anyways. Usually that sort of fellow is the type of person who does more talking than listening, and when they are listening it’s usually with a short attention span and moreso in the interest of reaching the point at which they can start talking again.

. The story that you are reading takes place over both an infinite and entirely finite amount of time. I’m writing it while sitting in a black hole. I would say standing, but with my body stretching in front of me and behind me for what I perceive to be lightyears, it’s really hard to say if I’m sitting or standing, and so, as I assume you are sitting while reading this, we can pretend I’m sitting, for sympathies sake.


My old therapist, Edna, who also served as my editor when I was working for at the Plainville Gazette (it was a small town, and most people served many jobs to make up for the small population) told me that in my writing, I should foremost try and elicit the sympathy of the reader. I should show what I am experiencing, rather than simply telling the people what to hear, as a result, before I launch us together into the brunt of my story, I shall establish a sort of grounds upon which you can sympathize with me.

If you could see what I see, you probably wouldn’t understand it, because I still don’t really understand it. If you’ve ever seen spaghetti, and you’re ever thrown into a black hole, you may think to yourself “By God. I look like a strand of spaghetti!” and this is mostly true. Rather than losing definition, however, the entirety of your body (though this is unfortunately dependent on your positioning upon entering the event horizon) stretches out like some sort of strange snake. Due to the simultaneous slowing down and speeding up of time, this process is either unperceivably instantaneous or, in my case, takes place over the entire length of my life and thensome. Though I know it not to be true in my deeper psyche, in the sense of perception, I’ve been in this black hole my entire life, and will continue to for the rest of my life, which has already ended, is ending, and is very far away from ending, all at the same time.
Simultaneous existence and non-existence was a tricky thing to grasp all at first, but if you’re ever in a fourth dimensional situation, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. Or you’ll go insane. Either one is fine, but try to opt for the former rather than the later as endless insanity doesn’t sound very fun. Perhaps it is. I’d not be the right person to ask.

>>8687884
It hits the reddit note a bit, but that can be edited out by removing the lol witty CRASH! parts. Otherwise, unlike the first segment, is readable, without inducing physical nausea.

I don't have the focus to write a single long story (been there, done that, it's a pain in the ass) so instead I'm writing a bunch of smaller stories that'll hopefully add up to thirty or forty thousand words by the time November is done. I'm already 4,600 words in so I'm pretty optimistic about my pace so far.

>>8687895
I'm not the dude who posted the dung beetle thing, btw. I'm a different anon, and >>8687884
is from my book.

What do you mean by editing out the lol witty CRASH! parts? what in particular is an example of this? (not being a cunt, english isn't my first language so I'm not grasping what you're trying to say here.)

I'm not trying to be reddit-tier, I've just been reading a lot of Kurt Vonnegut recently, and that's probably bleeding into my work.

>>8687884
>I don’t believe in strong starts, with writing or otherwise. If somebody needs a hook in order to give their interest, or a contemplative philosophical statement from the outset in order to give me the time of day, they aren’t the sort of person I’d be very interested in talking to, anyways. Usually that sort of fellow is the type of person who does more talking than listening, and when they are listening it’s usually with a short attention span and moreso in the interest of reaching the point at which they can start talking again.
with all books there's a balance between art and entertainment
if you want your book to be pure art with no consideration for the reader, don't expect anyone to read it
even IJ, the book /lit/ (who would claim to agree with your sentiment) jerks to, starts "strong"
a book needs something to distinguish itself on the shelf/e-store if your name won't do
this is less important for sci-fi since people buy it more on direct recommendations, though
anyhow
>the words
good for nanowrimo, which i assume youre doing if youre posting itt
though i wouldnt focus too much on the physics of the matter because they are unknown
i wouldnt say like "if you were in this situation..." because the reality is that you probably can't get into that situation without dying
plus, it's supposed to be a character piece, right?
if you ever do go back to edit the intro after the month is over, maybe write more about the concept of existence/non-existence and its effect on his psyche before you wrap up the intro

>>8679285
sounds like a text adventure/interactive fiction

>>8687924
>I'm not trying to be reddit-tier, I've just been reading a lot of Kurt Vonnegut recently
You don't need to try to be reddit to be reddit.

Does this group have a discord?

I think that a realtime chat is valuable for stuff like this because it makes word wars and other realtime challenges easier.

I could make one if we want.

>>8688384
I'd join if it was made. Wouldn't be able to voice chat, though.

>>8687924
>>8688004
Vonnegut is not reddit.

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>>8677281
> NaNoWriMo

fug you for reminding me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gwMSnESidE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuapmD12EXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nSFG5otT3g

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Since there was some interest, here's a discord:

https://discord.gg/6AwKHGF

Should we make this /lit/ only, or share it with other 4chan groups? I know /tg/ is doing a thing for this.

>>8680735
Missing the point. Only morons think that their thirty day manuscript is anything close to publishable. Not the point of the program.

I didn't hit my word count goal the first two days and now I'm paying for it. That shit really adds up.

my opening needs work, but this is my favorite bit so far

>There's a statue of Saddam Hussein which showed up in the middle a couple years back. I really wonder what's going on up there sometimes. Vendors set up their booths on their shifts. They hire people to bring wares in on the opposite shifts. Always a bit of a grab bag. Above the market is a massive web of ropes, with hundreds of homemade dreamcatchers hanging from them. Dreamcatchers are good at catching the small stuff as it blows on whatever invisible winds bring things here. Sometimes good stuff literally falls from the sky in the market, so I step quickly towards a shining object tumbling towards the concrete. Don't manage to catch it in time. Cell phone. one of the new, black shiny ones. No real service down here, but with a bit of finesse you can hard wire it into the underworld network. Not my area of expertise, but I know a few people. Big crack right down the middle of the screen though. probably better to trade than to keep, just for the hardware. Glass and the tiny bits of precious metal inside are worth more than fixing the thing to me.

>A little girl with a Halloween costume made to look Victorian skips past with a basket of cigarettes. "Little girl!" I say. "Cracked smart phone for the basket."

>Little Girl raises her eyebrows with a glint in her eye. "Half the basket and I get to keep the basket." The look in her eye is old. She's probably been a little girl for a very long time. Well adapted to being down here. Unmaimed. Canny. Best not to press my luck.

>"Done." I say. She hold out the basket. I take a Newport and place it in my teeth. I line my pockets till the girl tells me to stop. More like a third of the total tobacco. My face stays motionless as I place the phone on top of the remaining cigarettes. Still, a pretty reasonable deal.

>>8690899
Delete the word "invisible", it triggers my autism for some reason.

I'm compelled otherwise. It has a fun rhythm and lively pace to it.

So I've finally decided on a general setting and theme.

>adventure
>set in Roman era, travels will take the main character into the middle east, maybe asia
>protagonist isn't anything special, has money to go on a journey and some military background
>basically he finds some old writings describing mystic artifacts and places

Other than that I'm still trying to think of a way to kick off his journey, might brush up a bit on my Roman history and then pump out 4-6k words to make up for lost time.

>>8677726
Here you are proving it

>>8690912
i'm going to change it to invisible waters.of course wind is invisible. i keep forgetting.

>>8688508
I'm afraid he is the most raddit author there is.

>>8691306
No, that would be you.

One moment it was a spider, the size of a dinner plate, it’s legs twitching erratically, and the next something far worse sat there. It pounded its head on the side of the glass tank, each smack produced a dull thus. As Lauro approached he passed the threshold of the door, the smell of chemicals filled the air, acrid notes tickled his nose.

What he saw beneath was a bony creature, completely bald. The abdomen warped into something like the fact of a monkey, but small and shriveled. Two two eyes were milky white, completely devoid of sight, and instead of a nose it had two slits which opened and closed rhythmically with its breather. Where did the breath go? It didn’t have a body, not one large enough for lungs.instead of a mouth smooth skin stretched over where one would be, it’s jaw moving rhythmically. That’s must be where, it’s breathing that way. On either side of this face hands stretched outwards, fingers elongating to form spindly legs. The knuckles no longer worked like his own, bending back and forth freely so that it swung and clambered around its cage quickly. One moment it would sit in the corner, fingers curled under it, then without warning spring up to continue its relentless beating on the glass.

Numerous scabs covered its forehead and fingers, borne on its obsession. Extending a hand Lauro pressed his fingers against the glass, curiosity overpowering his disgust at the sad creature. The surface of its tank was warm to the touch, a tingle crept from his fingers to his elbow, and be began to feel the pins and needles of numbing. Is that was the creature felt constantly? If so it must be struggling to even stay awake. The blind eyes looked into his own, pupils hidden behind the milky texture staring into his own, and at that moment he realized.

“This is human.” His voice was flat, the horror dancing between his ears not daring to come out his mouth, for fear of persecution. Glancing down at one of the sucking shadows rolling around the floor he saw them in a new light.

“They’re as well, aren’t they.”

>>8692735

“Very good.”

“Why?” A fraction of the emotion he felt escaped, bleeding in, and he rounded on Noemi.

“Why are you keeping it in a cage?” In anger he had taken a step forward, and the lantern fell from Ariann’s hand, and into Evenrel’s just before striking the ground. From a fold in the cloth a knife, blade seven inches long, was drawn and the tip pressed into the hollow of his throat. In this moment he reflected on it. Why had he been angry? Sorrowful, disgusted, even fascinated did not seem far fetched, but the anger bubbling in his belly perplexed him. For a long moment he wondered whether the blade would go further, but the tension was broken by the sad creature returning to its futile escape attempts.

“I keep it in a cage because it is dangerous. You associate it with humans correctly, but you are missing a piece of the puzzle. What it is now is not human, but a reflection of that which consumed it. Those apprentices I told you of before, madness is not the only outcome for the failed practitioner. This man was a gambler, covetous of finery, and in his greed he drew the attention of a spirit, this spirit attached to him and fed his obsessions, and eventually grew fat on the man’s sins. In a moment of weakness it took his body, turning it into this. These creatures, while not unheard of, are uncommon. Likely this is one of only a handful in the city. They are called Queen’s Spiders, though it is not doing it now they enjoy eating precious metal, or something akin to eating, and exclude it into spun wire webs. If you can entire one with the right metals you are given wire far stronger and more flexible than is natural.” The knife had not moved, looking down he saw a single drop of his own blood roll down the blade to fall, and spatter upon the floor.

Thoughts? I just vomited this out. Honestly it feels like such fucking trash.

>>8692740
>>8692735
Christ I need to edit this.

The election's kinda absorbed me lately. Election fever. Afterwards I'll probably be able to write again, weirdly.

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Bump.

Bumping this shitty thread.

>>8695814
>>8696595
Post your work or critique you ass

>>8694013
I feel you. This election is forming huge blocks of anxiety that get in the way of things like writing. Can't wait for it to be over with.

i started today and pumped out 8.5k words. i'm approaching it like an extended journal entry and embedding some short stories and other stuff within and basically whatever i feel like writing. i'm using it as an excuse to write again; not gunning for a novel. i'd be happy just to stick with it and get 50k words of trash i can work with.

>>8697575
I have neither work nor critique to give, I just like the idea of it.

>>8697575
I would, but I know my work is trash from having been told so repeatedly.