NaNoWriMo General

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>>43443410
>Just hit 6000 words
>I can probably get another 2000 before days end
>I've given up on sleep
>I can be done before months end to return to working on CYOA

Oh god what have I become.

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>>43443463
>barely written a hundred words
>just got a notification on my phone that nano has emailed me reminding me to write
plz help

>>43443510
Try Heroin, or beating your head against a wall. Or just start writing, imagine all the world of your story before you, grab it, and fucking stab it to death. Now is not the time for stopping, or sleep.

>>43443510
The only thing that makes you wirting more that isn't drugs or booze is just writing more.

>>43443552
Truth.

I didn't write yesterday and though my cushion covered it I'm already itchy about potentially failing.

>>43443410
got about 2000 ords done, I have to do another 1000 today. I know the last two weeks I'm going to murder my past self for not writing more, but whatever. Future me can deal with it.

>>43443510
Give up now, or find a supply of amphetamines such as Ritalin.

450 mg of Bupropion is what I use to maintain 2k words a day.

Also like, type every word that comes into your head, until it starts to be about what you want to write about. your Story probably won't be a 50,000 word novel, but you will have written 50,000 words which is what counts.

Nobody makes good shit their first time (unless they are awesome, but lets not kid ourselves. here)

>>43444498
>450 mg of Bupropion is what I use to maintain 2k words a day.
>450mg of Bupropion
>450 mg

Jesus Christ dude.

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>>43444498
I take fucking downers for medical issues. Y'all tryin' to kill me with these drug suggestions. I think I'm just gonna never sleep for the rest of the month trying to do this. Sleep deprivation seems to get me weirdly creative.

>>43444551
That's my prescription, it's fine. I feel a bit jittery all day, but for the first time in a long time I'm not depressed. And I'm producing the things I want to produce. And yes, at the end of the day I feel comfy/tired and go to sleep just fine.


What my doctor probably wouldn't like is that I sometimes also take acid and (homemade) weed edibles (high dosages are common and unpredictable) supposedly this might give me a seizure, but it hasn't happened yet, fuck the police.

>>43444628
Also, Bupropion usually has higher doses than Ritalin. The pills are 150mg time release capsules, and I take three every morning.

>>43444564
>Sleep deprivation seems to get me weirdly creative.
This is a common phenomenon. Partly because being sleepy makes you worse at judging, so you don't judge your own attempt at writing so much and get more shit done.

Anyway that's what I heard.

>>43444268
You don't fail until the end of the month. And if you managed to reach your own goals, you succeeded. What is your goal each day? Since I've written 4k so far, I'm aiming for 2k a day plus proofreading and light editing work if there's time.

How do you guys come up with names for everything? Characters, places, etc. Do you actually do some research to find a name that fits with its meaning or just make up a name that seems to suit them?

>>43444822
Raid the baby name websites. Look up names that mean something to do with the character.

>>43444822
I pick a random object around me or a dictionary entry and just start adding, replacing or removing letters in the direction of coolness/fantasy/whatever I'm trying to do.

"C... C for... Cot. Kot. Koti. Koti...jah? Kotijah. That works."

>>43444822
Make a language base for your world. Then, look at historical names (either for places, people, or objects) and change some letterd around. If you're stuck use name generators. Use these with a grain of salt though.

>>43444822
History works. Almost everything I've done with has been stolen from someone else. Also a good tell for where to go with characters.

>>43444851
>>43444879
These two are good ideas. behindthename is my go to site for names. Its generator is probably the best as it has a lot of different search functions.

>>43444822
Most fantasy cultures I make at least somewhat resemble a culture from this earth. I try to make the names of these cultures resemble the real ones a bit, with some fantasy thrown in. But important are the endings, for instance the names of the not!-mediterranean-antiquity cultures end with an -us for males.

At one point I even translated names from their respective cultures. There was a guy that guided the portagonists through a city. He was named Nagaranaya. Nagara=city, naya=guide. But then I changed it a bit, now it's Nagaronaya.

>>43444822
When I'm editing I'll look for good names, but in the heat of the moment I'll just write CharA, CharB, etc to differentiate between actors. So long as it's consistent, it's easy to go back and replace those strings.

>>43444996
I did that too, my main character was named Heroine for a while.

>>43444564
How do you get around to actually write something though? Sure, it helps to kill your inner critic but I can't be assed writing anything cohered when tired.

>>43444822
For my main characters, I tend to come up with the shit. It just happens and sounds right. For less important ones, I usually have a rough idea about the sound and check behindthename for more ideas, subtly incorporating the meaning into the character.
Other times I get inspired by people from history.

For places, I pick something that sounds cool without being too obviously "from fiction". Having done the world building eons ago, it's quite easy. Country X is inspired by slavic culture, so the city will have something slavic sounding. Obviously helps with naming characters from there too.

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>>43445677
Music helps me a lot. I try to pick music that is "upbeat" and motivating but not to distracting either. It normally helps get me in the mood if I'm tired and know I have to write.

Also, when you're tired enough there is a window where you kind of get a second-wind and feel strangely motivated/creative but that could just be me.

>>43443410

I'm at 12218, but it's just a roman a clef where I write down all my worst most humiliating experiences and pretend there's a moral at the end.

>>43445813
so pretty much its like all roman a clef?

>>43445862

Mine has psychosis and dragons in it though.

Anyone down for a writing sprint?

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Pro-tip: make your font color the same as your background while writing. It's really helping me make my inner editor shut up and let me write.

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>>43445920
Dragons and psychosis? I dig it.

>>43445961
Pretty interesting idea although a bit too hardcore. Why not making it light grey, so you could at least get the spelling right? Having to deal with 200 pages of typos later sounds rather demotivating.

>>43445961
>that red line

I wouldn´t survive the tension

>>43445998
I dunno, the idea of dealing with it later doesn't bother me that much. Especially since the second draft will be written from scratch, not just an edit of the first.

what do I do to avoid making the novel too 'edgy'? i tried to lighten it up and stop making it so dark but ive still managed to sound like an angsty teenager to avoid empty parts of the story

>>43446384
Go full blown balls to the wall edge, or read catcher in the rye. Either one works.

>>43446384
It seems like this is your style. Embrace it. If you still want to change just don't think about it when writing the first draft, change it later. I did the same with my more violent parts.

>>43446399
Ow the edge

>>43446519
Nothing wrong with accepting shit to overcome it, in the end it can work to your advantage if your willing to look at yourself honestly.

>>43446399
ironically my idea has a lot to do with identity and fear of being alone like catcher in the rye so i guess i should just go full edgelord, thank you

>>43445677
>behindthename
muh nigga

When I drive to and from work I take a different route every now and then and use corrupted versions of street names I've passed as cities or factions.

>>43443410
Every time i actually sit down to work on something my mind goes totally and absolutely blank, but when i'm in the shower, driving or walking or whatever i'm buzzing with ideas.

Brain is fail.

>>43447137

solution: get a waterproof oculus rift and a tiny portable keyboard and write while showering and driving.

>>43447137
>>43447462
A more reasonable solution might be a little pocket notebook and pen or a voice recorder (speaking out loud also helps form the ideas).

>>43447137
>Every time i actually sit down to work on something my mind goes totally and absolutely blank, but when i'm in the shower, driving or walking or whatever i'm buzzing with ideas.
Likewise. It's gotten so bad at this point that I can only write at work, while its busy and I'm under pressure to get other things done. When I sit at home, I can't write at all no matter how hard I try.

Day 3, 4420 words. Guess I am starting to slack.

Do you guys have a title for your stories already?

>>43447987
In a Land Distant and Unsullied is mine

hit a block at 4000 odd, I don't know what I want to write I just can't seem to get the next plot point.

everything I write is pure drivel compared to the first 4000 what the fuck.

>>43444822

so far I literally haven't written a single name and I'm already 4500 words in, it literally hasn't come up

>>43448134
Nah, that's just your inner critic rearing its head. Keep on writing, it'll be fine!

>>43448188

I literally just wrote a sentence that had six variations of "lying down" in it.

shit be fucked yo

>>43448237
I'm impressed! Post the sentence?

>>43447987
Dragon Punch is the working title.

>>43448449
What's the plot so far?

>>43448575
A girl named Nylian crossdresses to sneak into the all-boys mage academy and her divination teacher (who sees clean through her disguise but doesn't really care) sends her on an errand to the nearby town, giving her some bottles of the ink used to make magical tattoos and telling her to come back with a new spell to impress him. She's working on her new spell at a tavern and heads out back when it gets noisy, and right as her prototype is coming together a barbarian crashes through the wall, lands on her bottles, and the ink soaks into the cuts from the broken glass leaving a blue stain of enchanted ink along her whole back. Said barbarian breathes fire into the tavern at the person who threw her at the wall, takes this as a sign that her draconic heritage has awakened, and sets out on a quest to find and defeat a dragon to prove that she's not just descended from dragons, but as strong as they are as well. Meanwhile Nylian is following along to keep her from burning down towns and causing mayhem while trying to work out what the hell happened with the ink when the incident goes against everything she knows about magic.

Also they end up in lesbians with each other because I'm a sucker for romance.

"You are a silly city mage who knows nothing of the world beyond your walls. You are weak, helpless, and without me you would be dead by now."
"Hey! I-"
"But you are my silly city mage, and without you I would be dead. So it is alright."

>>43448304

>With curse and a growl he leaned down to pry the hand away from his leg before lying back cradled in a throne of hard tangled branches. His heart was echoing (really really fast blahghhbh) in his ears, pumping so much blood about that he thought it might burst, gently he lay his head back down into the scratchy bush, arresting himself as gently as he could the sword resting in his hand lying away drunkenly on the same bed of leaves.

ok so maybe I exaggerated. it felt worse when I wrote it

>>43448706
Ah, you're the magic tattoo guy. It sounds like a fun read so far. Pretty cool name for your character too, interesting enough to catch attention but not too weird that it's troublesome to pronounce.

>>43447462
>and driving
me too

>>43448860
I hope it stays a fun read, I'm enjoying it a lot. Particularly the barbarian, since I get to make up words. She calls the bartender "Relen-karra", for instance. Rel is "blood", Relen is "blood that gives life", or "that which sustains", and karra is "maker", so she's calling the bartender "Maker of that which gives life".

She's not an alcoholic, she just really likes her drink.

Working on a wargame instead of a novel.

Progress so far today: 700 words about how combat works, and the mechanics of Cannons, Melee Weapons, and Teleforce Beams. Stats for that beam are very fun.

"Any mech hit by the beam is instantly destroyed; remove it from play.

Any infantry model hit by the beam is instantly destroyed. Remove it from play.

Any building hit by the beam is reduced to rubble. Replace it with a similarly sized patch of rough terrain."

So, what do people use to write?

I've taken to using google writer. Mostly because of it's accessibility, i can jot down things at my computer, on my tablet, on my phone. Very useful.

>>43449708
I use google docs, but I use google docs for everything.

>>43449708
Always open office, trying Jutoh for e-books.

So is anyone else jumping around their story a bit or is it just me? Because I've gone from writing the first few chapters to jumping to the middle out of boredom and so I can keep up my current pace.

>>43450984
I made a story outline of what to write scene by scene so I'm not really having that problem. I just try to push through the boring parts to get to the stuff I really like.

>>43450984
This sounds terrible to me. I already have the problem that I think of specific scenes first and then have to connect them with each other. But I could never work like this.

Even if what I wrote was not perfect I can always go back and change it, and also keep the good parts.

>>43449708
Google docs for accessibility. Notepad when I'm at home because it loads in a split second and I don;t get distracted by editing features.

>>43450984
My writing is all over the place. A few paragraphs here and there, maybe some pages. Some places only have a handful of lines or a single snippet of conversation. It's all organized according to an overarching timeline but there's no distinction for chapters at all.

>>43450984
Sounds about normal to me. I've found my self getting bored with my characters growing closer and jumped straight to the part where they get together because that's more emotionally interesting. I'll go back and write the rest...eventually.

>>43451109
Its hard going from writing the parts you want to write the most to the boring parts that connect the major/exciting events.

>>43449708
Scrivener. That flexibility is priceless.

>>43451415
Seconded.

>>43451342
If you have boring parts then there something wrong. Certainly there can't be always super amazing scenes and such, but there should never be something you would consider boring.

>>43449722
So much this.

>>43449708
Good ol' MS Word and some notepad clone on phone.

>>43451510
This thinking is why I progress so slowly with my main project. I just refuse to have more than three sentences in a row that I could consider boring, which makes slow scenes so damn hard and ... slow to write.

>>43451834
I've found the secret to avoiding that is to summarize the boring parts and keep moving forward, then double back later and take another look at it. Sometimes you come up with the really interesting stuff during your second look.

>>43451834
It depends on the pacing. It's a mystherious thing to me, but I think there's nothing wrong with slow scenes if they are placed right. There needs to be some pace, you can't have all the time action.

But your post makes it sound like you are really harsh on your own writing. Three sentences are nothing. Keep on, writing is more than just three sentences.

>>43451510
>>43451834
This, either rework them or cut them out to improve the pacing. If you don't feel it, the reader wont either. It's definitively not a bad thing though.
>>43451970
Same for me. I guess it's all about mindset. there's got to be a mode where you bang out interesting ideas and one in where you just sit back and grind it out, just for the sake of putting it out there for yourself to see. You never know if it's really good or not until you put it down, I always say.

On that note, what do you guys think of a compilation afterwards? Could be a fun idea. I'd love to read through the rest of what you faggots have worked on by the end of it.

>the guardian of the macguffin decides to use it himself
>Crafted centuries ago to protect it, actually touching it is anathema to him however
>But he doesn't care, he has people to protect
I don't know why I've never played with this idea before.

>>43452092
I like the idea of a compilation. Could be a nice foundation for post-NaNo encouragement.

>>43452092
I'm down to clown

>>43451510
I don't mean that its boring as an absolute judgement, just that its less interesting relative to other emotional highs. The climax is the most obvious, but building to the story's climax and riding the denoument down to the conclusion are still high points relatively.

Generally speaking, your story will have ups and downs and sometimes the downs just aren't as interesting to write because there aren't tempestuous emotions and action happening and that's a big factor when it comes to motivation to write a particular scene you can clearly view in your minds eye.

Man, I am having a hell of trouble trying to plan. And I've been planning since mid-October.

I'm trying to write Urban Fantasy, but I'm not even sure where to start. It's based on my old WoD games, with various elements mixed together from times I've played and times I've STed, as well as various ideas I've had.

Unfortunately the plot that I'm trying to work out just... isn't working. I've got a sort of "backup" plot, but it's way too straightforward and ends on a rather depressing note.

The original idea was a serial killer targeting "low talents", people who are involved in the supernatural but aren't really capable enough to defend themselves. The victim/suspect pool is a sort of book club for hedge wizards. But I'm having a hell of a time figuring out how to connect the killer to the book club (since the idea is that she's killing them out of jealousy over how their lives are going well and they have support while she's a neurotic mess who was abused by her parents, with the implication that in addition to having a magical talent and being called a witch, she was also a lesbian) and how to actually structure the damned thing.

The plot when I ran this scenario was filled with holes and ended up "solve" through bullshit when they basically ran right into the killer and saved his last victim, only for him to strike again.

My back up is more straightforward, but like I said ends depressing. Guy killed his family, it turns out some cult secretly run by a con artist ghost pretending to be an angel fucked with the family man and it resulted in him killing his wife and kids. Ghost is remorseless, cult leader realizes his happy cult is a lie and it snaps him until he becomes a mage and he walks off, and then the killer--who was under supernatural compulsion and feels guilty--kills himself in prison

Here's the intro to that http://pastebin.com/HZ9p3dWu
Which is really just a rewrite of this http://vindae.tumblr.com/post/48857678194/oh-look-i-actually-wrote-something

>>43452332
>noble's son returns home with strange woman
>noble knows something is off about her
>she acts sketchy
>her retinue acts sketchy
>all his advisers tell him the group is sketchy
>noble still does his best to welcome her because his son is so happy

Why is tragedy that the characters themselves see coming, yet blatantly ignore in hope of doing good, so appealingly bittersweet?

>>43452560
Is anyone else doing urban fantasy?

I'm really floundering and confused about how I should approach things. I really want to basically do a mystery with magic--where all the knowledge is given ahead of time, but the solution is how it works together--but I'm starting to think maybe I should just say fuck it and do something else.

I'm about to look over what the Dresden Files plots are and rip off one of those (although I kind of was already doing that with the "minor talent group is getting offed", which is from White Night)

>>43449708
Vim, because I'm a huge nerd.

>>43449708
Writemonkey. It's very zen. I would use Ommwriter, but apparently it's paid now.
But I like a dark background and green text and I like clicky typewriter sounds when I write.

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This is how I feel in editing.

>>43454816
>I wrote that?
>I WROTE that
Burn it all? Burn it all.

>>43454816
I've taken to printing out copies of the worst pages and shredding them for effect, trying to figure out ways to salvage the material before the page is done. If I can't think of a reason to keep it in those few moments, I copy it to a different document, delete it from the main document, and continue. Everything must have a purpose.

Idk what to do, /tg/. 2012 and 2013 I've finished NaNo. I have 2 full books that've been edited extensively. 2014 was okay, I managed to do a bit but I never finished it, and it's under some other random things I had tried to start but never finished.

Now I just can't really even be bothered to write anything. Is it because I attempted to start too many projects?

I have written exactly twelve words.

Every night I tell myself I am going to make my count.

And every night so far I have had real life eat my writing time because of some bullshit or other. I'd just say fuck sleep and write at night, but if I'm sleep deprived, there's a good chance I will wreck my car because I drive a lot for work.

So no, I am not hitting my daily quota at all.

>>43455465
It's possible. What happened to the stuff you did in previous years? What did you do with it?

>>43455465
Do YOU feel like you've started too many projects?

>>43455495
Sorry to hear that, anon. I hope things get better for you, and soon! Maybe you can set aside time this weekend? Say fuck it to anything/anyone interrupting cause you already got plans?

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>>43455573

Sorta, yeah. I just get this idea, and I write it down, and I continue it. I fly with it for a while then it just stops.

>>43455540
In its own folder, I've been editing what's finished on/off. I've gotten halfway through vol.3 but then just got bad writers block, along with all the other things I just wanted to work on.

Maybe I should go through my story folder and just delete all things that're pretty much dead weight.

>>43455692
Take a long look at it and see what matters to you. I hate most of the stuff I wrote two or three years ago, and beyond that? I look at it and laugh heartily at how bad I used to be. But I keep it around to remind me of where I was and how far I've come.

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>>43455692
I know exactly what you mean. I have literal gigs of unfinished projects sitting around that I hold no more desire or value any more. But like >>43455725 I keep them around to look back upon and reflect. Quite often I will cannibalize the better parts for another project (nevermind if those projects also join the project purgatory). Maybe you just need to consume some media and find some inspiration. Or sit down and rant about feeling a lack of direction and get it out of your system. That's what I usually do, at least. I dunno what might work for you.

>>43455833
>Quite often I will cannibalize the better parts for another project
This. Never be afraid to tear your old shit apart and/or rework it into something better. I always keep old shit I think is okay on the back burner for that reason. There's always a way to improve something and sometimes it just takes fresh eyes later down the line to find out what it really needs.

>>43443410

I'm working on my second book. Not quite hitting my stride this month, work keeps getting in the way. But on the good side, I did finish polishing the book I started writing and posting on /tg/ a few years ago. Now if only a publisher will do one of their open door months I can submit it.

>>43455725

My first draft was legit an awful cliche wreck. It was another "chosen one prophecy," and it didn't feel right and I hated it. But I mean like 50,000+ words, I couldn't just give up on it.

So I went back, turned the secondary character from a goofy mercenary hero to a goofy mercenary lying asshole.

In my world, the bad guys had gone around collecting all the world's wizards until they all belonged to their empire so that they wouldn't have any issue conquering anything. Then the legends spread of this chosen one prophecy of a wizard born outside of the borders of the empire, which would be impossible. This pissed a lot of people off. At the same time, a baby born from two wizards was kidnapped and taken away and stuffed into another city safely

The mercenary and a team of rebels had spread the rumors until it had become very embedded after decades the legend took hold.

I dunno. I'm still working on it. But basically this dude travelling with this girl is lying to her face to scare the bad guys and pump up the good guys being all like "Uh, yeah, one day you'll be able to break continents in half lmao"

Still a work in progress.

>>43443463
>tfw 4 days and just past 1,600

I'm just not cut out for novel writing yet.

>>43456094
I like that concept a lot, actually. So the guy is just the world's best salesman, and he's selling the idea that this girl will be the ruin of an evil empire?

>>43456145

Pretty much, yeah lol. He is actually a wizard, too. He was apart of the special forces (fancy words for wizards) unit and was excommunicated for reasons I have not even figured out yet, but instead of just exiling him they put him in an enormous prison that's also a factory that's also a mine, and forced him into labor on warmachines for months until there was an actual break and he left and joined a rebel cell out in a desert.

There's a whole lot of fluff to this and I've been thinking it out since 2012. I'd love to polish and publish it one day, because I do think it has potential. It just needs to be actually rounded out.

>>43456261

One of the issues is that it doesn't state "yeah the whole thing is a ruse don't tell anyone," until the very end. I dunno how I'd hint at it throughout the narrative without people going "This is another Harry Potter chosen one rip off"

>>43456285
Don't hint at it, endings like that need to side swipe niggers.
Bonus points if it's also a bad end.
Double that if they fabricate her power and she rules from a false throne.

Day 3 word counts. Let's see 'em.
4.1k here, made up a bit from a slow start.

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>>43456906
Day 4 for aussies, Probably not going to catch up.

Short story here I come.

I'm slightly cheating in that I'm writing on top of a previous work, but I've got 5.2k as of Nov 1st at the moment and am all pleased.I don't have a plan, I have guidelines. I know my characters very well, so letting them talk, letting them surprise me is fun and enjoyable.

This thread is profoundly unhelpful...

>>43456135
That's why you gotta practice.

I wish I was able to get Ritalin.

>>43459056
This post needs to be a banner.

I won last year. Second time in 10+ years of doing nano. Not doing so great this time.

I was sick for the first 3 days of November, which compounded my indecision about what to write. I had a few ideas, but none of them really appealed to me.
I'm back to brainstorming. Thinking scifi horror.
We'll see what happens.

>>43459248
Well, my lament (other than just to bump the page) was mostly how >>43454816 this post (which isn't really even true, since I've barely done any writing) got more responses than >>43452730 and >>43452560 where I was actually asking for advice and feedback. Not even the "is anyone else doing Urban Fantasy?" question got a response, which is what I hate about threads like these. It's always people posting their stuff or talking about what they're doing without actually adding anything (although I will admit I'm guilty of that as well).

I'm basically where you are, swamped with indecision. I just watched the pilot episode of Dresden Files the TV show (recut as episode 8), which is a REALLY hamfisted retelling of Storm Front. I'm thinking maybe using a similar plot. A locked room mystery where the murder weapon was magic.

Still the same serial murderer plot where the victims and suspects are the same, but slightly tweaked so that I'm not using mundane means for magical murderers.

>>43459306
A short meme post is naturally get more responses than a long post that people would actually need to read and think about before answering. Think about it another way, you didn't manage to distract others from their writing with your longer posts ;)

>>43459306
Honestly, that was always my issue with the nano forums. Always bragging and self-congratulatory, never a whole lot of assistance.

Locked room mysteries can be fun. Only advice I have for mysteries is: stick to the rule of 7s - seven clues, seven people, as this is the most normal people remember, and put the important clues in the middle of a description, because readers mentally skip those.

I've been tossing around ideas for a while trying to prepare. Even got so far as outlining something of a plot for one of them.
It was a twist on the magical girl trope, written as a thriller sort of thing written from the murderer's point of view. Awkward, autistic, broken girl thinks she is a magical girl fighting monsters. Really, she might just be killing people, and all the other stuff is just in her head. Some of them might even deserve it.
Falls for a guy who is nice to her. Thinks monsters are after him. Kills a few people. Her closest 'friend' ends up hooking up with him, which sends her over the edge.
She kills her friend.
Plot twist: it was all real. Her friend is a monster.

But, ugh. I just don't feel it.

I wrote a CoC/Delta Green Mars scenario some years ago. I'm thinking of cannibalising it for ideas and going with that instead.

>>43459413
>Always bragging and self-congratulatory, never a whole lot of assistance.
And complaining that they can't write enough.

>Locked room mysteries can be fun. Only advice I have for mysteries is: stick to the rule of 7s - seven clues, seven people, as this is the most normal people remember, and put the important clues in the middle of a description, because readers mentally skip those.
See, that's actually pretty helpful.

I'm in a bit of a weird place, though, in that the cops treat it as a locked room murder but the detective doesn't really need to. He isn't stumped by "how did they do this?" because magical sympathy being what it is, you can kill someone without being in the room with them. It's difficult, but doable.
One clue is that the person in question *didn't* do it in the more traditional Mage sort of way. They didn't impress their Will upon reality. They had a ghost do it for them. Because it turns out that the killer isn't a super skilled Mage, they're a Hedge Wizard who's stuck with "Low Magic".

Put in WoD terms it's a Moros versus a Second Sight Thaumaturge.

I'm more editing than writing right now. And I can already hear the voices in my head.
>"Why the fuck did that demon only possess those persons and not this particular one?"
"Well, we never exactly know how this works and never see the story from the demons pov..."
>"But he said that he was really interested in that character!"
"Maybe he hadn't enough power..."
>"Maybe?"
"Look, I wanted to keep it mysterious. But how do you think would the whole plot turn out if he also possessed this character?
>"Well, that's a problem with your writing."
"I... fuck."

At first made clear rules for magic. Not having clear rules, keeping magic mysterious, sparse and unknown to most characters and the reader is also an approach I like. But for this setting I wanted clear rules so that I don't write myself into a corner and create situations where someone with magic abilities could have solved every problem. And then I make the mistake to include the supernatural, demons, possessions, telepathy, spiritual powers. And everything falls apart.

But there's more!
>"Why the fuck is this person there and why does he give command the this other person he should not trust?"
"SHUT UP, I NEEDED THEM TO BE THERE TO HAVE A CONCLUSION IN THE FINAL SCENE!"
>"But it doesn't make any sense..."
"WASN'T IT AWESOME THOUGH?"

This happens if you think of great scenes first and then have to somehow connect them.

>>43459392
This so much. Besides, the question was not precise enough. So without further delay, let's do it:

>original idea
The killers motivation is corny as fuck. If the whole book is centred around escaping/finding out who it is, it'd be better to create a personal connection. Some of the victims somehow wronged her in the past or something. Besides I don't see how it would be enough to hold on through a book. Reading her murdering people after people would be dull without "the special something".

>back up idea
What's the plot here? Finding the man behind the man from the perspective of the detective? It seems even more disconnected than the original and I have a hard time imagining how you could make the hunt interesting for 50k words.

What's the mood and theme you're going for? Also I wouldn't work with episodic TV shows as main inspirational source, the plots there are too short for a book and stretching it, would result in shit.

Perhaps combine the first two ideas into one work. Magical detective solving magical crime cases, perhaps you could even include the lesbian as the part of the cult or the real mastermind behind the leader and ghost. Generally focus more on the social aspect, mysteries, magic and all that crap are just ways to emphasise the basics. Emotions, desires/goals, etc, etc. The characters are feel too much like roles (murderer, victim, detective) and not actual characters.

As for magic, regardless the way you PRESENT it to the reader, you need to know your rules. Oh and listen to the voice in your head … fuck include that bitch in your story.

>This happens if you think of great scenes first and then have to somehow connect them.
Kill your darlings it is. Sometimes you just can't connect stuff without raping any resemblance of sense and pacing in the overall story. Sometimes it's not as clear but whenever you have even slight doubts about the shit … you are most likely right to have them.

>>43459743
Thanks for the post. I will try to think this through. Maybe include some small scenes or just a sentence or two to explain it a bit.

>fuck include that bitch in your story
Too bad that character was my favorite to write, has some of the best scenes and becomes central to the plot.

>>43456906
6.5k in three chapters.

I'm wary of Nanowrimo, i literally lost a friend to it.

Her nanowrimo friends convinced her that all her other friends was a distraction from writing her sci-fi gay romance novels so she cut contact off with everyone except the nanowrimo clique.

And now she has a bunch of gay romance novellas on Amazon, but i'm not sure if she's actually sold any.

And it seems at some point she started to identify with her characters way too hard that she wants to be a man having hot man on man sex.

>>43459999
quadman please explain more

How? were there drugs involved? Were you just not very good friends with her beforehand?

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>>43459999
she probably hasnt sold many but having a bunch on the market in a certain genre is basically how many people make money self-publishing online. Especially in the romance scene. The whole situation seems odd though, at least her nano cult friends encourage her to create?

>>43459999
Adjust her/your gender, write a story about this, include a gay romance about you two (ruined by NaNoWriMo, ambition to make it, with ambition vs friendship as main theme) and outsell the fuck out of her!

>>43447987
Literally the last thing I'm going to worry about.

>>43459999
It can get a little culty in the "cut out all your distractions" sense if people take it too far.
Really it should be only for the month of November, then you go back to whatever it is you normally do.

Sounds like there was probably something else going on with her to end up that deep down the rabbit hole.

Could be worse. 40+ year old dude and a 15 year old girl hooked up over the period of some of my first nanos.
He was the ML.
She was a damaged kid with some daddy issues he fulfilled at the expense of his failing marriage.
She came onto me as well. Probably would have hit that too if I wasn't in a relationship at the time.
Long story short, she cheated on him with his best friend (also late 30s-40s), got pregnant, kicked out of home, and the whole mess came crashing down.
Haven't heard from her in... fuck, 7-8 years now?
Idiot guy who ruined his marriage got divorced, met another woman, got married to her. Haven't heard from him in 4-5 years.
I don't go to meet-ups or write-ins anymore for obvious reasons.

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>>43443410
TFW half your novel is characters describing stuff and bitching about life or thinking about whether they're going to die in the next air raid. TFW you're still behind schedule.

>>43459835
Who-wha? I think his post was about my post>>43459306, who are you?

>>43459743
Blargh, I think you might be right on the first one. The idea was probably more Criminal Minds than something workable as an interesting novel. The idea was that she was this metaphor for the self-hating queer who's been harassed by religion and made to hate herself and people who feel that way, but at the same time they're happier than she is. She's someone who was originally a part of the group, but only for a little while because she felt uncomfortable with them (after all, her parents told her the things they did that made them happy were wrong).

But I've got all this stuff about the killer's psychology without actually... involving that in the book other than as a "here's why I did it" speech. Jealousy is a good motive (after all, "he got what I wanted" is a common motive), so is disgust and self-loathing... but something personal, that can be hinted at and part of the book is more useful.

>It seems even more disconnected than the original and I have a hard time imagining how you could make the hunt interesting for 50k words
That's the issue. It's less a cluefinding event and more "X leads to Y leads to Z" in a rather linear fashion with no twists.

Less a mystery to be solved and more a trail of breadcrumbs. The idea was just basically an extended vignette into the character's life, as well as some social interaction stuff with the cult leader where the detective accidentally reveals his entire life and belief system to be a sham

>What's the mood and theme you're going for? Also I wouldn't work with episodic TV shows as main inspirational source, the plots there are too short for a book and stretching it, would result in shit.
Well, the main inspiration is probably about 70% World of Darkness, 30% Dresden Files. The book series. I'd just watched that episode to remind myself of how the book worked. I hate to be that guy, but "the book was better".

>>43459999
Maybe you just weren't that interesting?

I mean, after all most people want to hang around people who share their hobbies. If you don't share someone's hobbies, you're unlikely to hang around them. I've got friends who are super into Magic: The Gathering and play like four nights a week and plan for pro tours and things like that, and I barely hang around them because when we do it's Magic time. Or wrestling. Things I'm not super into.

Also, she's either a transman or you're misunderstanding her love for hot man on man sex. Which let's be honest hot man on man sex is pretty awesome.

>>43460181
"ML"? Also, I don't see what that has to do with either NaNo OR cutting out distractions. If anything that's adding distractions! I assume that you mean they met up at a NaNo meet up, though?

>Really it should be only for the month of November, then you go back to whatever it is you normally do.
I can see why some people do it longer. I mean, part of NaNo--as far as I can tell--is to create habits that help you write better (of course, they're not the BEST habits which would be these habits >>43460036, and they need other habits to support them) and get yourself in a state of mind where you're able to write consistently, which is the secret to quite a few writers' success. Stephen King is famous for writing ten pages a day, for instance.

And for some people NaNo is just a challenge, but, and this is hard for places like /lit/ to understand, some people really DO just want to write the best genre fiction they can.

>>43462120
ML = Municipal Liaison. The volunteer that runs the event for your region.
And yes, it was implied that they met at a meet up, and the rest is history.

And yeah, I get that its about building writing habits. But you shouldn't just shut everyone out of your life over it.
I'll agree with you. Creating the right habits for you is what it is all about.

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I've made like the last four posts in this thread... I really should have no problem with a word count.

>>43459743
>What's the mood and theme you're going for?
Basically World of Darkness. I mean, like I said most of my plot and character ideas are games I've either run or played in or planned to run. I'm going to sand away and retool as much of the metaphysics and concepts as I can so that I don't end up like Underworld and get sued, but mostly that's what I'm going for. Our world, but a little darker, with a character who's trying to bring some light into it.

I mean, I will say that a lot of the characters DO have personalities, I'm just not posting about them because I'm already wasting the 2,000 character limit of a 4chan post as is.

Oh, I just noticed that you answered my questions and >>43459596 without quoting posts. I'm not >>43459596 although those answers are also helpful.

As for my use of magic, I'm very much working with Sanderson's Laws.
>"An author's ability to solve conflict satisfactorily with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic."[23]
>"Limitations > Powers"[23]
>"Expand what you already have before you add something new."[30]

So to start with I'm taking the rather mechanical nWoD rules and fluffing them out while making it so that they don't appear to be nWoD stuff. I'm going to fail anyway (I've had people tell me that Dresden Files is a rip off of oWoD) but I'm also adding in some Dresden Files myself, as well as things like Greywalker, which is a series no one seems to know about.

Copy from one source and it's stealing. Copy from two and it's researched. Remix, don't rip off. And other quotes from Steal Like An Artist.

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>>43462249
>Copy from one source and it's stealing. Copy from two and it's researched. Remix, don't rip off. And other quotes from Steal Like An Artist.
For people who have no idea what I'm talking about.

Nothing is original, but that doesn't mean your allowed to be lazy. Unless your published, then you can just be a massive prat and keep doing the same thing over and over again.

>>43462443
Wrong thread M8.

>>43462506
the guy's a troll, just report him for violating THA RURUS (Global Rule 3)

>>43462443
>If you see a player or a DM who talks about "loli", report him to the police because he's rather likely to be a pedophile.
Or he's talking in slang and memes. Which I guess you could report to the police, but unfortunately that's not illegal.

Also, what an interesting world we live in where people think using the term loli or mentioning child sexuality or sexuality towards children in fiction makes you a pedophile, but a substantial amount of gaming involves outright remorseless murder and no one bats an eye.

>>43462560
>he's talking in slang and memes
>not calling the meme police on him

What's the most fun piece of dialogue you've written so far? Not necessarily the best, but the piece you've had the most fun writing.

And what's your biggest problem with your own writing style?

>>43463229
>"Hold your tongue, or I'll have Markus cut it out and hold it for you!"

>>43462014
>>43462249
Ah, so the "inner voice guy" was another anon, guess the timing and somehow similar problem made it hard to see, my bad.

>She's someone who was originally a part of the group, but only for a little while because she felt uncomfortable with them (after all, her parents told her the things they did that made them happy were wrong).
That's quite an important detail, although the killings still seem way over the top, something a caricature would do. Perhaps toning it down to dangerous "pranks"? As for not involving the motives in the book beyond resolution, nothing wrong with that, if you give the reader enough hints to suspect the motives. Iceberg theory and all.

Did you place some red herrings to make the other idea less linear already? Also there is always the option to add a subplot or two. Gwen sounds like the most interesting char for me, perhaps give her a POV that is seemly not related to the main plot but turns crucial in the end. Also give your antagonists some love, the cult leader sounds rather dull, somebody who became a cult leader for the fuck of it. (at least from the info so far) Knowing them and their motivations better might inspire you to a twist.

I tend to agree with Sanderson's Laws, although I'd say it even better to limit the magic to "mysterious" and "problem-causing", more of a danger than utility. … but that's very subjective of course.

As for quote, technically very true but the end result needs to feel special. Everything I know about WoD and Dresden Files is from wiki and tvtropes, yet the resemblance to your story is hard to overlook. Obviously there is only so much room, if you want to write about magical detective solving mysteries but I am sure you could find a major detail or two, that would totally differ in your work and make it stand out.

Holy shit, this got long.

>>43463229
"Well it's either that or I find the largest gay bathhouse in York when I head out there for break, strip naked and suck every single sodding cock I can find for all the bloody good it'll do. But hey, that's just the cretin talking."

>>43447987
I'm going with Speak Easy for now. Not sure it's a good name for a children's novel though.

>>43456862

I was legit thinking of her killing off the party at one point and taking the throne for herself. Then I scratched that idea but I used it anyways but replaced her with the cloned son of the evil empire's emperor, who also turns on the biological son and his sons and turns the empire into a big cult.

And then everyone's like "Well shit."

>>43463542
>That's quite an important detail, although the killings still seem way over the top, something a caricature would do.
Well, once again a thing that I probably should have elaborated on but didn't (I already had to cut out periods in some of these posts because of the character limit) is that she's also doing it because a mysterious third party came to her and taught her a ritual to 'steal' powers. That would be the Man in White, who's also behind the events of the second option (he gave the cult leader the magical object that gave the ghost the powers that he used to unwittingly but uncaringly make a guy kill his family). He's intended to be a sort of overarching mysterious figure who is clearly most likely Hayden's mentor

>Did you place some red herrings to make the other idea less linear already?
No, that's one of the things I'm having trouble with. For the second plot, with the cult, the idea was that it was more straightforward. Hayden goes to the crime scene, does a bit of digging, finds out the family man was going to some new age church, and then investigates that. He realizes the ghost is basically scamming the group--including the cult leader--and pulls the plug on it before someone else gets hurt.

>the cult leader sounds rather dull, somebody who became a cult leader for the fuck of it. (at least from the info so far)
He's a guy who has been middle-of-the-road his entire life and plagued by minor but chronic anxieties. Then one day this voice starts talking to him and saying it's an angel and that he's special. Meanwhile it's the ghost of a con artist laughing his ass off and entertaining itself by manipulating people. Things get out of control and suddenly there's a cult.

>>43443410

Failing bit at daily quota, but I think I'll make it up later.

I'm writing a Shadowrun adventure that I'd love to have run, but will never get the chance.

In short, the industrial espionage mission the team are sent on turns out to be to a Bad Dragon factory, who have finally (somehow) got a cast/replica/schematic of the big D's big D.
Hilarity and gunfights ensue.

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>>43463542

>Gwen sounds like the most interesting char for me
I want to use Gwen! But I'm hesitant to throw her in too early. I don't want to mess with my timeline too much, and Gwen works best if she's around 16, but also if there's a bit of an unresolved hint that maybe she's Hayden's daughter. Partly because throughout the series Hayden is going to be transitioning (as in, transgender/genderqueer transitioning) and partly because I want that sort of relationship for them. Their relationship is mostly founded on Hayden trying to be a father figure (even if he's five-four and looks like a girl). Or at least, that's how it was in the original game she's from, where she was one of my character's NPCs.

The timeline is that Hayden hasn't seen his first girlfriend in maybe 10 years, and some time in there his mentor married her (without letting Hayden know, although it wasn't on purpose and he didn't realize they were the same at first). Hayden is roughly around his mid to late twenties, but looking younger due to magic and clean living. Although I'll admit that his age is partly because of my own trans insecurities about age and aging.

The original character Hayden is based on, and that had Gwen as his backstory NPC, was quite different, and 38 years old. I mostly want to hold Gwen off for later in the series to make it more reasonable that she lives alone and takes care of herself for the most part.

One of my issues is that I have all these things planned for "later in the series" because it's all stuff I played, ran, or planned that either never finished, didn't go as well as I'd have hoped, or I'll probably never get to. I feel like once I got the ball rolling I'd have an easier time, but getting started is hard. Beginnings are hard.

>>43463796
>Dunkelzahn's dick

>>43463229
>And what's your biggest problem with your own writing style?

It's shit.

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>Haven't written a damn thing because I just can't decide on what to write, much less start.

Life is suffering

>>43444822
I base names of tribes off Native American tribes and English Isle/Nordic heroes. For names, I either choose an uncommon real name (like Kimball) or I use a unique word, or I pick a place where they were thematically inspired by and suppose the city was named after them and then ask myself what their name is.

What I'm looking for is how it sounds as I can always redefine a word that refers to something that doesn't exist in this setting, but if it is relevant I don't say anything about it.

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>first time writing fantasy since middle school, but have run a D&D/PF game in the meantime
>spent October writing ~10,000 words in an outline that is far from the end of the story
>get to 7,500 words on day 3, and currently around 300 for day 4
>only got past the first 3 bullet points in the 10-page outline

Huh.

For real, though, it feels good to write fantasy again after so long. I didn't know /tg/ did NaNo until just now, so this has been a pleasant day so far. For those one you suffering, don't worry! You can make it!

>>43463834

Correct. I haven't decided yet whether they've got any others, or if the rival company trying to stop their big reveal has their own product based on Lofwyr yet.

>>43463229
>And what's your biggest problem with your own writing style?

Dialogue is tough as balls. I'll spend way too much time on it just for it to be shit.

>>43463912
I started a day late because of this. I finally said fuck it and decided to go on a walk and not head back until I had an idea.

Major breakthrough! I now have names for my two main characters and one supporting character! Finally I can start writing.

>>43463229
"I must admit, your reasoning evades my understanding: A infamous criminal, who fakes his death, impersonates another criminal, who becomes just as infamous, joins a criminal organisation and then pretends to be his own right hand man. Pray tell the purpose of this charade?"

"Now, now, are you accusing me of sense?"

>>43463882
What this guy said.

800 words so far. Going good, gonna win for sure. Right?

>>43466696
Can't really say anything about your chances of winning unless you tell us why it's only 800 words.

>>43463229

I literally have no dialogue whatsoever in mine so far and I'm 6000 words deep.
just crushing loneliness and a land full of corpses

>>43463979

amen brother. keep that keyboard taka-tak-ing

>>43463229
"Well, Monster, how do you propose I undertake this quest of yours? I've been stripped of nigh all my powers and most of my body --- I am not exactly adventure-ready."
"And yet you overcame the adversity of lacking a throat and jaw to continue whining. Stop thinking in terms of the material realm, child."

Trying to get past my own voice and give each character one unique to them.

>>43463229
I'm shit at dialogue but here goes.
>“Regardless, we went east. Lots of bad stuffs happen out there. The rebel forces are fighting out there a lot right? And there’s these huge battlefields we found. Bodies all around. Fire and arrows too. Lots of loot to be had out there, if you can stand the stench of bodies. The vultures love that stuff. Anyways, we tried to follow the battlefields to an army or two. After a couple weeks we found none so Ul’teel said we should head back down south. We were runnin’ low on water too but everyone agreed that even if we went back down south, there was little work to be had there so we came to an agreement to head back to the east. I reckon that Ul’teel was thinkin’ that we could get some honest work at the capital.” He chuckled.

>Biggest problem
Not enough tactile description

I want to write a story set in a modern fantasy world (minus all the races) focusing on mages and a magic system that is loosely based on the one in Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha with Japanese characters and all but I don't want it to come off as too weeby. How would /tg/ do this?

>>43456906
8000 in two chapters

>>43468234
>Trying to get past my own voice and give each character one unique to them.
I feel you, man. How big is your cast? I have easy over 50 characters in my main project and giving the significant ones, who reappear an unique voice is such a fucking pain.

>>43463229
"The suspect was obvousely Bukkakied to death"

>>43469608
>Rapeman and the Great Rape Escape
>Featuring: Rape

Any particular books on writing you guys would recommend to someone who has no fucking grasp of the basics of writing beyond internet arguing?

>>43470510
Writing is just putting your words down onto paper.

>>43470537
That seems to ignore good structure, which even children can recognize is necessary for a story not to be a chore to read.

>>43470510
I recommend Fallout Equestria desu senpai

>>43469285
Yowza, that's quite the cast, dude; do ya keep a doc handy to keep track of them all?
I don't think I'll go over maybe five characters in this story, but I have a nasty habit of coming up with new names or designs and wanting to implement them immediately.

Anyone tried out Write or Die?
>kamikaze mode
>deletes your work if you stop writing

>>43470825
That's sound counter productive as hell.

Well real life fucked me in the ass the past 4 days so I haven't even had a chance to start, but I guess I can try.

I'm not too far behind right? RIGHT?!

>>43470944
Nope. That's only like what. 1667 x 4. so, 6668 words.

282 words down, 49,718 words to go.

>>43470877
Not if you just intend to force yourself to keep writing.
It's for drafting and has less drastic modes too though.

>>43470510
>How Not to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
But the most important thing is simply writing and rewriting the shit you just wrote until it becomes a bit less shit. Repeat ad infinitum.

>>43470651
Yeah, got a doc full of char sheets almost going into 90 pages, where each character takes about a page, although I tend to create one even for guys who turn up once. As long he/she got a name, they are in. Who knows, maybe some of them will get more spotlight later. Having a "voice" section where I have 3 quotes from each helps a lot, so I don't have to search the book to get back inside their heads.

Also a more brief list where I write down guys per chapter (or their location if they are relevant but not involved)

>I have a nasty habit of coming up with new names or designs and wanting to implement them immediately.
Yeah, same here. Besides, I loved to solve struggles with story progression by throwing a new character on it but since less is more, most of them didn't survive the first revision.

Here's a tip that worked for me to get words on the page at the start. Write character descriptions or location descriptions.

I already had a good idea about a number of main/supporting characters (24 in fact). Not sure how to start the fucking project I began just doing the descriptions for the characters, as well as doing the descriptions of locations used in specific scenes. It doesn't have to be perfect, or set in stone, but for me it was an easy way to start typing.

On average each description was about 300-500 words, and before I knew it I had over 8000 words

>>43471274
I assumed that was for prep and this month was the actual writing.

>>43444697
That is precisely why I like to stay up late writing. Granted the next morning I'll be busy fixing stuff like grammar mistakes but I'll rarely find myself really erasing anything.

>>43471325
nope.
I'd had dot-points and ideas etc. that I'd looked at as prep, but once the month started I wrote the full, in-story description for them. Keeping specifics that may arrive with the actual plot out of it, but doing the core description treatment they'd get as inserted into the story.

It just made it easier to start. For me, at least.

So, I've hit THE WALL gents. I can't fucking get it down on paper. I know what I want, I can see the whole system but I just can't make it appear on the paper. I don't know where to start and it's killing me.

>>43471517
Start with a random dialogue between your characters. Expand the scene.

>>43471517
Take a break. Make a hot cup of your beverage of choice, eat something, take a nap, and/or go for a walk. Give your brain a rest and let it work through all that stuff subconciously. And if that doesn't work, there's always Shia.

>>43471744
I wish but it's a game, not a novel.

>>43471846
It's the problem with writing a gamebook. I've got the design there, I could sell it in an elevator pitch and verbally detail it out but I can't make it appear. It just seems impossible to dig in and go.

>>43471888
Start with the basics then.

Outline the core mechanics. That's how every game book starts. Think d&d:
>say what you want to do
>roll 1d20 adding modfiiers
>DM tells you result

Start with that, then expand.

>>43472033
Aye but I can't seem to make that into a book. I know this is a self-defeating and illogical cycle but that's the fucking problem and it's too tempting to do as my country says and go get drunk and set fire to things until it works.

I guess I'm just used to having someone evaluate my work as I go along and keep me directed that now I'm off the leash I've got nowhere to go. Fuck it I'm gonna go do the basics again and see where I go.

I feel like I'm just shitting out anything that was on my mind for the last two years. I do not realistically plan to edit all of this shit.

>>43471517

Go for a walk, and your mind will wander and you'll catch up and figure it out. It helps me.

>>43472281
Plan yourself a basic structure then. If you can't do that, steal from other gamebooks until you feel you've got something that fits yours.

Also if you're worried about being able to flesh out that sort of stuff, don't forget examples. Easy way to add words and value.

>>43472844
>>43472957
I got something at long last (I hope FFG doesn't mind the borrowing of roll under d100 but I think it works best.)

Turns out slapping TTGL on and screaming at myself to get motivated works well. Got the first page cranked out.

>>43473189
If it works, it works. Good job!

>>43470944
some two hours later and I am 2057 words. My fucking brain hurts though lol.

>>43471062
>How Not to Write a Novel
Seconded. The book not only has good advice, but it's hilarious, too. Think I've read it cover to cover at least four times now, and I plan on doing it again soon.
http://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Novel-Misstep-Misstep/dp/0061357952

I will not put too much backstory in the first chapter.
I will not put too much backstory in the first chapter
I will not put too much backstory in the first chapter

Not really participating this year per se, but I am finally writing again. In the past two NaNos I tried and failed to write a Weird West novel about a necromancer who is down on his luck. Now I'm writing a series of short stories starring him instead, in the hopes of self-publishing on Amazon for a buck or two, just throwing shit at the wall to see if it sticks.

>>43474106
https://torrenthound.unblocked.la/hash/87256f84ce5c739c93f639d389c044b239ebc551/torrent-info/How-Not-to-Write-a-Novel--200-Classic-Mistakes-and-How-to-Avoid-Them--A-Misstep--by--Misstep-Guide-PDF

>>43475947
That link works too, I suppose.

>>43475947
Breakin' da law, breakin' da law.

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>>43476071
Fuck the police

What is good pacing?

>>43479181
It feels like something is always being done, I guess. The story is jut always moving and doesn't really stop and neither does the reader. They want to keep reading to know more.

>>43443410
I can't write but I'm trying anyways.


I'm not going to make it but my shit scribbles will exist on the page.

I was going to just worldbuild 50,000 words in the form of notes and shit, but I've barely even started that. It's been like 7 years in a row I've said I wanted to do NaNo but I've never been past 1k words.

>>43479259
Something something Don't give up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3zzSh3DMIE

>>43479301
nice vid senpai

>>43479209
Got it. Though I like to write calm scenes in which almost nothing happens after the big, escalating scenes in which shit hits the fan. Just to let everything calm down a bit.

>>43479412
That could work, depends on the circumstances, but go for it.

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>>43443410
I've set a monthlong goal of five erotic books, 5-8,000 words long. I had two stories already made that I'd posted on /teeg before, one already re-written and published on Amazon, one that I'm currently re-writing, and I'm only a few hundred words into a sequel to the one I'm currently re-writing. I'm gonna do two other books, but I've only got two more days to get my re-write done in time for my one-a-week deadline(Published the first one on October 31st to start thing).

So it's going alright.

I may spend some extra time working on a non-erotic sci-fi book idea I been tossing about. /a will probably dig it because AoT, /tg may dig it for hfy, but /k will love it for unconventional weaponry. Also if you like high technology with reasonable "unforeseen consequences" you might dig it.

>>43479613
Any tips for getting into erotic books writing?

>>43479613
I would also like to know how to get into writing sex scenes. This is something I truly fear and never done so far.

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>>43479625
There's a cracked article about it, for writing for Amazon. When I wrote my stories for tg, I basically just asked for something that gets your motor revving. Like, name two fantasy races you wanna see do the do. Human smith and Orc maiden, Human wizard and Halfling Rogue. Then just work out several kinky or vanilla sex moves to have them do, and describe it in flowery, lustful, or hardcore detail(or a mix thereof).

Might be easiest to just think of your favorite fetish/position/etc. and get that firmly in your mind, and ramp your ideas onto paper.

I lucked out a couple times by asking for what to write, and people just told me exactly the kind of shit they wanted to read.

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>>43479647
>>43479625
Saved this from a thread, something someone came up with. Just as an example. Might be best if there was a thread made for people to request requests, I guess? "Tell me what to write?"

That was how I did it, I just made threads requesting peopel to suggest what they wanted, and ran with it.

>>43444628
Amphetamines work for depression? How 'bout anxiety?

I'm seriously disorganised and generally suck at getting shit done. SSRIs have helped with feeling like nothing will work and everything will go wrong, but if something else will do the same and not make my dick turn into a noodle AND get me more focused on creative shit? That'd be great.

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>>43479647
Not him, but I've written erotic scenes for /monster girl thread/ on /jp/ for a while now. To me, the key is how lewd you want to get with the details. Do you want to simply arouse your reader as they pore through the silky prose depicting two characters making love? Be subtle with the description. Or would you rather they get the tissues and read it in the bathroom with all household appliances turned on so nobody can hear them fap? Go to town about how his bleep bleeps the fuck out of her bleep and how awoooga her chingchong gets when she sees him bwoooong.

Basically, it's the difference between sensual and sexual. It can be both emotional and depict wet sloppy sex, but deciding on a tone and sticking to it is what I've always aimed for.

But most of all, if you're writing the scene with a boner, it's probably good.

>writing an RPG
>start today
>7k words in

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOoooo....

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>>43479764
I am this guy: >>43479674
I wholly agree with that advice.

I like to lead in sensual and then fling them straight into the hot and heavy.

>>43479764
>>43479693
Thanks. I actually just want to write sex scenes without embarrassing myself and the reader. Certainly there is a difference between cute love-making between two amorous people that ends in hand-holding and a raunchy, drugged up sex orgy or even a rape-scene

It seems I should first think off why I want to writes this scenes, which results in the how.

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>>43479810
That's how my first sex scene went, actually. Started with MC giving FeMC a massage, which led to happy funtime wrestlesex.

>>43479842
>write sex scenes without embarrassing myself and the reader

That's a good mindset, to be honest. Sex shouldn't be embarrassing in general, if the reader's actually an adult about reading it. As long as your characters aren't shouting out dumb mid-coitus hentai dialogue and your prose aren't purple, then it's probably mature enough for the average adult reader.

Just make sure to do your research so they aren't doing anything anatomically impossible.

>>43479801
Do you mean a plot for an RPG?

>>43479885
No, a system book. That's covered under this as well, correct?

>>43479904
Technically anything requiring words to be written qualifies. So, yes.

>>43479883
>Just make sure to do your research so they aren't doing anything anatomically impossible.
It's fantasy, it will be diffuclt to research various interspecies sex, but I will keep that in mind.

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>>43463229
>"I guess I fell asleep without realizing it." Kalina said picking up her leather messenger bag and slinging it over her small shoulders. "There is a council meeting today. Hirya is going chew me out for being late."
>"I could put you on my shoulders and carry yo-"
>"Very funny!" Kalina snapped.
It's funny because she is like hobbit/child sized compared to him(i havent written much so no too much fun dialogue.)

I'm not too great at action sequences or anything too "action"-y so to speak. Luckily I can ask my friends who are for advice.

I accept that what I produce is mediocre at best, therefore I do not produce anything at all. If I did, all I would is tear it to shreds in disgust three months later after rereading it.

>>43470510
If you understand Spanish, read Escribir un poema from Eduardo García. It focuses on poetry, but it´s got a good deal of advice that applies to all writing.

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>>43475947
>7934 empty pages

I´m not sure whether I´m mad or amused.

Working on a third novel (fantasy trilogy).

First got published by a real publisher, second is self-published.

Its a rather mazohistic endeavour but hey, i have no gf while suicide would harm a lot of people that like me. So writing it is I guess.

>>43479764
Jesus I laughed too hard at that.

>>43481091
Was the first one not successufl or why did you have to self-publish?

>>43481140

Basically the publisher took support money from ministry of culture, published the thing and let it go. There was barely any marketing.

First novel, even if far from George Martin, is quite well read in libraries and I just feel it is a project in my life I need to finish.

Its small South European country btw. I wish I'd have US market at my disposal.

>>43481163
>There was barely any marketing
This kills the sales. Some books can survive without marketing, but other mediocre ones sell like hot shit because the publisher hypes it up to no end.

Good luck with the third one.

So I've got dug in and started into my project. It's coming together well so far (tables helped me a lot) and I've finally got into the meat of custom weapon creation and I hope to have the basic augmentation system ready by nightfall. Thanks for all the advice last night, really helped me out and got me motivated.

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I have been trying to write things for nanowrimo for five years or something. This is the only year when I have enough material to actually put into a story, but of course this month I was put on meds that kill creativity. So lets try again next year I guess. Again.

>>43481851
That sounds like quitters talk. We don't take kindly to quitters around here. Even if these meds do kill creativity there is no reason you can't write scraps for next year, you may even find you aren't that affected by them, but don't try sell that "Well it's all over" bullshit, not even to yourself.

Quitting before you start isn't do yourself any favors. Take the chance now, seize the moment and just take wild stabs at it. This is your freedom, don't make it into a ball and chain! If you can look at this now and say "Ya know what, I'm not under pressure any more let's just play with things and tinker." you could create something great or even just the basics of what you need. You can make something useful from anything except from nothing.

You can either put it off for another year suffer that or you can at least try. And try is no more than we can ask from anyone. SO JUST DO IT! DO IT!

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>>43481851
Anon, I feel you. I have been on drugs that destroy my creativity, motivation, and well...general desire to do anything but sleep. It's rough. But....ya gotta do it. It's one of those things ya gotta force.

Sometimes ya feel creative but 90% of the time for me I need to fucking chase it and hogtie it. Advice? Find music that gets you in the mood. I keep a "creativity" blog on tumblr where i just reblog cool shit that will inspire me.

Chase that shit and capture it. Ya gotta or else you won't get anything ever. I hate it too. I really do but ya gotta do it or else you /never/ will.

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>>43481919
You most likely will see this as explaining and excuses, but it honestly isn't that simple when meds are involved. Usually choice isn't involved in the matter. However...
>>43481998
Gathering up idea scraps and some pictures that inspire me (like pic related) and listening to music is pretty much all I can do. In my own standards that just isn't productive enough. Ironically enough, that is one reason I am on the meds in the first place.

But maybe I will end up with something by the end of the month after all. Not like I HAVE TO write and entire story just on this particular month. Hopefully I still have many months left.

So how much description do you guys feel is too little description.

>>43482241
When it leaves you confused and is never addressed again

>>43482241
When I can't build a mental picture from the action/dialogue/tone alone.

I couldn't care less if the character has blue or green eyes and whether he sits in a church or a lecture hall if the stuff is not related to the story. On the other hand, descriptions can be used to subtly build atmosphere, and it would be silly, not to use such a great tool.

>>43479209
>>43479412
Pretty much, in well paced books either something is happening or something is just around the corner. Even in calm and slow scenes there is something to look forward to so the reader keeps reading.

>>43475947
>>43481035
Anyone have a link to the actual book?

>>43482709
Downloaded it years ago and no idea from where. Couple tries with "bookname author epub" on google should do the trick, anon.

>>43482942
That´s what I hoped, but I´ve been trying for half an hour with different search terms and I can´t find it.

>>43482241
"A man with a hat."

That is all you need.

>>43483038
>katDOTcr/usearch/how%20not%20to%20write%20a%20novel/
Going by size, it seems legit.

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>>43483217
Works.

I can´t believe I forgot to search directly into torrent pages.

Thank you, anon. Have a masterpiece.

>>43483377
>this kills the thread

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motherfucker

>>43483536
It's gonna be alright man.

>>43483377
Enjoy.

>>43483536
Some anon suggested to start writing character bios and descriptions about the world to get into the mood. Try it.

Also always keep in mind that you're writing a shitty first draft, there is almost no chance that it will be good without couple revisions. No need to put pressure on yourself yet.

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This graph hurts me, anons.

I know I must overcome but I am so distracted right now. It's unbelievable.

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>>43481851
>>43482162
I know the feeling of having your creativity killed, but in my case it's a lack of motivation due to ADD/ADHD, which basically makes me lose interest very early into any given project. I've been writing fiction since I was 12 (now 25), and have only "finished" one serious project out of 10. I've lost interest in my own novels before I even establishing their premises, despite having ample spare time and wherewithal to write them. The motivation some writers talk about- the kind that carries you through a project- just disappears. It was always fun to write back when I was first learning, but after the sixth or seventh dropped project I started to suspect there was no way I'd ever publish anything.

The only way I found to actually finish something was to force myself. Like >>43481998 said, it sucks to write that way 90% of the time. I like to think almost all writers go through stuff like this, though, so that helps me get my drivel down on paper.

>>43479613
>>43479625
>>43479647
>>43479883
>>43479842
>>43479810
>>43479764
>>43479674
>>/soc/22726324
We're alive

>>43479801
>>43479885
>>43479904
>>43479929
There's NaGaDeMon.
National Game Design Month.
But technically NaNoWriMo just cares about wordcount. It's not exactly strict.

>>43481035
>>43482709
Yeah, I woke up to find that out. Sorry, wasn't intentional. Here's one that's epub that should work.
https://torrenthound.unblocked.la/hash/7db1655729c6fb7b0afc0add18dec86cd5feb786/torrent-info/How-not-to-write-your-novel--200-classical-mistakes-EPUB

>>43484053
Have you tried writing short stories?

You can even write a big novel by splitting it in separated stories that end up tying together. And if they don´t, who cares?

The two first books from The Witcher are a good example of this. They´re just a bunch of short tales about the protagonist and a bunch of other characters which will be more or less relevant during the other books (which are written like every other novel). Some of the stories don´t really link to anything. Some of them provide background that will come up way, way later into the series. One of them is a sort of a spoiler that seems to be completely irrelevant until the very end of the saga.

Just start making disconnected stories. You will burn yourself out less than with a big project (which is already hard for people without ADHD) because you can change constantly the characters and location you´re writing about, and still you´re working towards the completion of a big work which you´re slowly detailing.

>>43482241
Im enjoying Kat Richardson's Greywalker (I'm on book two), but I feel like every time she describes The Grey it's either a really neat concept or way to vague. She describes things that either look weird when I picture them, or don't make sense. There's a lot of imagery that just doesn't work, I feel, and she uses a lot of metaphor.

For instance, there's this Poltergeist in the book (basically a Tulpa). All the people in the seances designed to create it have a yellow string that ties them to it in the Grey, the supernatural layer of reality. During the most recent chapter, the three final suspects were all together, with one of them having a red string that tied them to the poltergeist (the poltergeist being described as a three dimensional scribble) but they were all "too close" together to figure out which one of them had the red string. And even something as simple as that is just hard for me to understand.

>>43484173
I've considered it, yeah, and the example from Witcher sounds like a really good way to do it, too. But I am not a clever man; stringing together things like that doesn't suit me in my mind for some reason. And something else I've found out is that I work much better if I have an extensive outline. Been doing that ever since the fabled Finished Novel, and have been doing better. While I'm outlining, it's like I'm sort of doing what you said: making a bunch of connected stories/events and then stringing them together later once sit down to write it.

As long as I can keep my interest with the thought of approaching a fun/exciting/important scene, which I already know is coming and should be fun to write, I've found I do much better. God help me if I ever reach the end of this outline, because I might not figure out what happens next in time.

I'll read the Witcher when November's over, though, because that sounds like an interesting way to structure a franchise.

>>43484053
>>43484173
>>43484305
>fellow ADHD anons

I put this together a while ago about writing with ADHD:
>http://everything2.com/user/lediablerouge/writeups/Writing+with+ADHD

Since you obviously don't have time to read that, the gist is:

>be able to touchtype if possible to smooth the link from hands to brain
>identify what you want to write about, write it down (this is your "hard point")
>if possible, identify where you want the story to end (create an endpoint)
>put yourself in a stimulus free environment
>start stream of consciousness that builds off your hardpoint. This does not have to be prose and it's actually recommended you use it to build a skeleton of ideas that you can use to string together everything between your hard point and end point.
>as the story grows in depth, your hyperfocus should trigger
>turn into a fucking mentat
>if forced to stop, write out as extensive a note as possible explaining what you were doing and what you were going to do

>rinse, repeat

I'd be doing a lot better right now if I'd bothered to follow my own advice, anons.

>>43484305
>stringing together things like that doesn't suit me in my mind for some reason

Then don´t. Just make up or borrow a world. The simpler, the better. Today you feel like writing about the soldiers at the border? Then do so. Today it´s about a little cutpurse? Then that´s it. A fat priest? A noble? A mercenary? Someone from another race? Someone from another time in that same setting?

Just go with it. It goes against established lore? Whatever. It wouldn´t be the first saga that butchers its own continuity, and still you can just rework it later on.

>>43484665
>you obviously don't have time to read that

You underestimate my ability to procrastinate.

Also, it's cool that you've written stuff about writing for folks like us. Reading the first bits of it right now.

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How do people respond to things like sex scenes, extreme skinship between siblings and outright incest in literature? Not meaning of course to actual smut levels, but these things appearing in general. I asked this from my friend and his response was that if shit like that goes in game of thrones and that is popular, everything is okay.

>>43485328
Nabokov got away why pedophilia and incest long before GoT, so the shock potential is small.

Personally I see it as icky but as long it's done good, it could be a sex scene between a T-rex and a kid for all I care. Although you probably would need to work more on the quality compared to writing a vanilla sex scene to overshadow unorthodoxy.

Nabokov did it with prose, GoT with political subtext, etc.

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>>43485468
Fair enough. Without going into too long details, my story is about young people being in a position where they are forced to live together and suffer through social drama and actual dangers. I thought that hormones can flare up easily in that kind of situation, since youngsters fuck like rabbits, but I dont want to make it seem forced for the sake of it.

And yes, the story has siblings who have the case of "You are the only one I have left", so they don't shy away from physical closeness. But this is just me rambling now.

Tell me what /tg/ thinks of this scene. Fuck me up senpai

“It’s all a matter of perspective.” Said Iayal.
“What’cha mean?” Asked Cerst.
“I mean we could leave…” He said, his voice falling into a whisper as everyone else leaned closer.
“Don’t say that!” Aestin whispered harshly. “We could have our heads for that.”
“Who cares what they say.” Bostin said. “I’m tired of staying in here.”
Ul’teel held up his hand. “Hold up. We’re getting’ paid so I don’t see a problem.”
“You said the same when we were goin’ around sellin’ slaves!” Mouthed Iayal near the fire.
“Hey, we got ourselves a nice fighter out of it.” Kevan interjected.
Bostin was starting to lose his already-short temper. “You call him a nice fighter? Sure he can survive in a fight, but only just barely. He’ll slow us down.”
Irvin glared at Bostin but stayed silent.
“He’s just a…” Began Kevan.
“That beat Ul’teel in single combat.” Said Iayal. “You know the rules Bostin.”
Bostin spit on the ground. “You know as well as me that anyone could’ve beaten Ul’teel in that weather in the swamps. Plus that boy is a demon-child. You’ve seen the way he fights.”
“You dare accuse him of being in league with Wel Toram when he has already sworn the oath….!” Said Iayal.
“Enough.” Commanded Ul’teel. “I won’t participate in this petty argument. What do you have to say, Irvin?”
Irvin gulped. “I don’t know a lot. About this band, about fighting, about being a soldier, about the war or any of this politics crap. But I do know I want to live here with everyone else. I can’t do much except fight and run and be scared but I’ll try my hardest to be a strong asset and part of the band like everyone else.” He turned to Bostin. “I will prove to you that I am no demon-child, that I am capable of fighting just as well as anyone else here. That’s all I have to say.”
Bostin scoffed. “I hope so, Irvin.”
And silence overtook them.

>>43485817
>I dont want to make it seem forced for the sake of it.
That's the most important part. As long it doesn't seem like you go all "look incest, AMG incest" it'd be fine.

Also your story sounds interesting, what dangers are they involved into?

>>43485856
It's kay. Some annoying repetitions but that's not a problem in the first draft, my biggest issue with it, is the amount of people talking. Iayal seems to be the only one with a distinctive voice and even he doesn't feel to consistent. Guess it could be tolerable if you gave the characters enough personality before and would add some mimic/gesticulation/action between the talk. Or limit the amount of talkers and let the others watch.

I get your intention though and it's a tricky scene to write. I'd say, just leave it be for now.

>>43486130
Yeah that's one of the problems I'm having with writing the cast of characters. It's about seven or so mercenaries that I more or less have basic connects with the main character. Kevan is Irvin's friend of sorts. Ul'teel is the leader, Aestin is Irvin's trainer/aquaintance, Iayal knows how to read/write and talked to Irvin before about religious stuff, and now Bostin is mad somewhat at Irvin. Still haven't figured out Cerst's personality though. I'm trying to give them all personality one at a time (since Kevan and Ul'teel to a lesser degere were given the most description and Aestin is coming up next and then Bostin) so I'll try and layer it out. Thanks for the advice though.

>>43485856
>“Hey, we got ourselves a big guy out of it.” Kevan interjected.
>Bostin was starting to lose his already-short temper. “For you”
Fixed it for you senpai

>>43486255
One thing that helped me figure out my characters was to have a big spreadsheet with each name across the top and down the side. Wherever two names intersect, define their attitudes towards each other.

It helps in the "show, don't tell" aspect of defining a character, because after you're done filling out all the matrices, you can read across a single line and get a feel for the character's general attitude.

>>43486557
I'll try that. Thank's senpai

>>43486502
I like that much more too. It's always funny to see how you can write less and say much more.

Why do people talk to other people so much? This writing business would be much easier if all my characters just shut up and do stuff. FFS, I'm trying to make two of them have sex and they just keep yapping.

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>>43486130
>Also your story sounds interesting, what dangers are they involved into?

You say that now, but let me tell you bits of it. Basically all these youngsters are drafted from various places along the multiverses and dimensions and whichever you want to call them to a astral fortress. They lose all of their memories relating to their past lives, but remember everything else (so they arent babies mentally). At the astral fortress, they get their own manager/trainer sort of deal. Their mission is basically to get rid of bad guys that are threathening the balance of the dimensions and receive payments from various deities who cannot directly rescue their own realms. So the dangers are basically monsters, opposing hired hands with their own agendas and such. They get kicked out from their astral fortress to do the task and when the threat is over, they can come back. So sometimes they have to struggle weeks in hostile worlds while trying to find these badevilguys. And then again back at home, the recruits have to get along, and when you put a bunch of youngsters to a very tight living quarters of a fortress floating in nothing they are bound to either argue a lot and or fuck.

And to quickly talk about why incest was even brought up, two of the recruits, brother and sister, are pulled in at the same time. Very extraordinary, but that is the reason why they still fondly remember their relations, even if they dont remember their past lives. That is why they are close together often, share a bed, things like that. And of course they could have to face things from their past lives later that put cracks to their relations yada yada so on.

Not that cool, eh? But its a story I really want to make, and has lot of elements like world-building and character interraction that I love to write about.

>>43487287
Make them mute.

>>43487346
Loving what you write makes it more likely that someone else might love it.

>>43487346
Reminded me of a magical girl-esque story I want to write. Basically a girl is reqruited into a military child-soldier mage program by an interdimensional nation that is fighting with another nation (evil empireish) over control of mages across the multiverse. She is then assigned a squad and they go on adventures together while gradually opening up to each other and confronting their fears about a conflict that is larger than them and how they fit into it all. Still not fully fleshed out in terms of plot, but I have the whole magic system and semi-history written out if anyone cares to read it.

>>43487287
>>43487416
Or speak different languages.

I´m Spanish. My girlfriend is German. When we first met, my German was laughable and her Spanish nonexistant. We spoke in English, which back then I spoke with an awful pronunciation and she with a horrible grammar.

Often we would end up mimicking or writing down what we wanted to say, until after a couple months we started to pick up each other´s style and finally became able to communicate fully.

We´ve been together for two years and still we often have to switch to German, which now I speak more or less fluently but still not good enough for prolonged use.


Try recreating a similar scenario. If you get pissed off by having too much dialog, why not just hamper it until it disappears?

>>43487287
If your characters are talking too much for you to bear, then it just shows that the dialogue is too boring to stave off your dick. Write better lines and you'll find it a much easier time not fapping until you fap. Try witty humor

>>43487287
"Yeah, yeah … so can we bang already?", said X.

Besides, dialogue is a great way to up your word count.

>>43487346
Sorry, I fear it still sounds interesting. I don't like the whole "youngsters getting recruited" - thing and dislike the multiverses and deities even more, also the idea that there are bad guys is full "ehhh".

The rest sounds damn cool though, a lot potential for interesting scenarios and I am a sucker for character interactions, also love the "different youngsters stuck together" - part, kinda want to write something in that direction next after/if I survive my current project. Would probably read for this alone, if the execution is good.

And it's not even half as incest-y if their memories are gone when it starts, that part got a Luke/Leia feel.

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>>43487711
>Sorry, I fear it still sounds interesting.
Fuck.
> I don't like the whole "youngsters getting recruited" - thing and dislike the multiverses and deities even more, also the idea that there are bad guys is full "ehhh".
>The rest sounds damn cool though
I did think about possibilities about it getting too cliched with gods and dimensions and evilwrongbads, but in the end I found that its the easiest way of creating the scale I want in the story. Basically, imagine if youngsters are yelling at each other. Now imagine if the youngsters are yelling at each other while they are not even same kind of beings. Not that I will go with that example, but how about a cat eared jungle boy arguing about dining rituals with an angel girl.
And of course because they hop around dimensions, I can really work my world creation muscles, and not let it be too bound to reality or certain set of rules.
>And it's not even half as incest-y if their memories are gone when it starts, that part got a Luke/Leia feel.
Basically, I guess? Though they remember that "Oh shit she is my sister. Not sure how but she is.". But also maybe it is hard to see that girl with really nice ass as your sister if you literally only remember that "I think we are related". Or something. Luckily I am still just in the character creation phase of writing, I dont feel comfortable starting it before the main cast is fleshed out and I can just toss them at the same pot.

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Judge this sequence /tg/.

But the path was short and the road quickly terminated in front of a somewhat sunken steel gate, the largest Jaaved had seen since the bunker. It was shut tight and when the Aquarian rapped on it with the hilt of its knife there was no answer but the ambient swirl of the desert.
Jaaved paused. He could bypass this place and try to ride across the rest of the desert on the motorcycle but there was no guarantee that the fuel cell would hold out for the entire trip. Though the Aquarian could hold out longer than most without food or water, it would likely succumb before reaching the mountain, especially if one of the other cyclers became lost or delayed. And there was always the possibility of roaming bandits or raiders.
He knocked again, harder this time. A shutter opened in a cloud of steam and a single red iris glowered at the Aquarian from the mist.

“Who the ‘ell are you?”

“I’m… I’m a traveller. I’m here in the hopes of resupplying myself for a journey to the east.”

“The East? Why? What business ‘ave you got there? Smugglin’?”

“N-no, I…”

Whomever was behind the shutter cackled at his reaction.

“It don’t matter, so long as you can pay the toll. A hundred Dangs, not one copper less.”

Jaaved had the dim realization that Dangs were money and quickly searched his pockets, finding only the paper money from the south-west. The iris waggled back and forth when he offered it.

“Nah, Dangs. We don’t use nothing else out here.”

Jaaved searched the saddlebags of the motorcycle and found them full of tiny copper coins.

“These?”

“Yeah, those. Where’d you find that many without knowing what they are, stranger?”

Jaaved smiled.

“That’s my secret. Now, a hundred to get in?”
“Yeah.”

[1/2]

>>43488369
[2/2]

The coins jingled between them and the gate swung open to reveal a vast artificial cavern supported by cylindrical buildings. A path, illuminated by daisychained wires of scavenged lights, led down into the center of a modestly sized town. The guard leaned back in his chair, slipping the coins into a purse on his belt. Vapor vented from tubes in his neck, shrouding a badly disfigured face with the bionic eye that had stared the Aquarian down before. It focused more closely on the motorcycle and then snapped back to the newcomer.

“You oughta drop that off somewhere safe, traveler. There’s a security garage down by the market.”

“The market?”

“It’s down under the skylight. You see the skylight, right? It shines right down onto the stalls.”

Jaaved thanked him and had the Aquarian walk alongside the bike to the city. The path quickly became a winding mainstreet between the buildings and children played in the multitude of alleyways and small spaces between the building, their mothers collectively watching from their stoops with sunken eyes. Older youths stalked the streets in chattering groups of three or more, all seemingly on their way to somewhere else. Jaaved wondered where the men were.

A group of youths stopped to admire his motorcycle, so he asked them. They said that the men went out to hunt during the day and would not be back until the evening. Jaaved gave them each a coin for the information.

I'd say it's better to open a separate thread for critique about the actual writing in NaNoWriMo stories.

>>43488495

Plz don't deport to /lit/, anon. They hate nano.

>>43488369
>>43488394
I like the good vibe comin from it. Make sure to put a little more effort on atmosphere and what everything looks like around you. not too much, but enough to feel out where the scene's at

>>43488495
Nah, I think it's fine as it is.

>>43486662
He's memeposting.

>>43488546
Memes can work too

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>>43488512
They hate everything.

Holy shit I was on /lit/ for like a week in October for NaNo and they just hate shit. They hated me for wanting to write genre fiction. Also I think for wanting to write a transgender character. But a lot of people seem to hate that, which is interesting considering Reddit likes the idea.

>>43488519

What's the "vibe", anon?

Also, I kind of cut back on scene descriptions a little, since I felt they went overboard in the first part of the story. It's possible I overcompensated though.

Also, Jaaved lives inside the head of the Aquarian and I've been wrestling with the use of pronouns. They've actually shifted at least once in this chapter because another inhabitant of the Ack was more tightly bonded and thought of themself and the Ack as more of a "we", so I was constantly using "they". It's driving me a lil nuts.

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>>43488601
>Also I think for wanting to write a transgender character.
okay now you're just being a fucking faggot

I'm at 23,196 words and I've hit a brick wall. There's only so many things I can do with my source material, and while I know there's more, I've forgotten a lot of it.

>>43488627
It feels a bit desert, wild frontier-ish. Space cowboys of the world. I mean Smugglers den, motorcycle, and a weird currency with a funny name? Sounds like a good time
>the first part of the story
Is this the opening?

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>>43488716
NOTES ANON. YOU NEED TO HAVE FUCKING NOTES BEFORE YOU COMMIT.

>>43488661
You got a problem with suckin' dicks, Anon?

>>43488716
Raymond Chandler's advice. When all else fails: A guy with a gun comes to the door.

>>43488747

But I'm writing a roman a clef...

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I was tempted to write an unofficial novelization of Metal Gear 1 using information revealed in Phantom Pain.

I actually wrote out pic related as narrative.
http://pastebin.com/Hcpvkpvc

Don't go to my other pastes or you'll see my F-list things Or do, I'm not a cop

>>43488776
That means even more that you should have notes...

>>43488717
>opening

No, the opening was kind of a goddamn mess where the main character(s) start travelling towards the mountains, finds a corpse in the trunk, goes through a tunnel with invisible walls, crosses a super long bridge, and then reaches a bar.

There's a lot of parts to it that might be expanded or contracted. Or had the personality in control changed. It's posted on my blog atm.

>>43488601

That's a very noble set of goals, anon. I wish you luck.

>>43488601
The /lit/ thread that's up right now is pretty fun and not really hateful imo, even though it isn't as active as this one.

Anybody know of any other boards which have threads? I'm trying to hit the maximum amount of procrastination time.

>>43488601

> non-binary
> dysphoric

But anon, tumblr trans people don't believe in dysphoria

>>43489012
That doesn't make sense and you're also wrong?

Also that says gender dysphoria, not "gender dysphoric". I just have terrible handwriting. The long and short of it is that the character is biologically male but wants to be more feminine in appearance, and be perceived as feminine.

Which is pretty much how I am, and it's kind of a struggle to make the character *at least* my age, because while I can see that I'm not turning into a wrinkled grandfather or anything, I still worry that I've lost my window where I could transition, even if all things considered I get mistaken as a girl even without titty skittles.

Unrelated to that, though, the character is also a bit of a manlet, which I'm noticing is sort of not common among detectives. Most of them are tall. Dresden is obscenely tall and the main character of Kat Richardson's Greywalker books seems to be taller or as tall as most of the men. Apparently being 5'10+ is a requirement to solve crimes.

>>43489127
>manlet trans detective story done right

I'd read it. And you might get a TV series. But if you ever want to get it published you sincerely have to get it right and, after you're done, strip out the fantasy.

>>43489755
>after you're done, strip out the fantasy.
But without fantasy it would be boring. Regular detectives are lame. Magical detectives are cool.

>>43489849
Hey, do what you want, assuming you are the author. Personally I don't find urban fantasy that appealing but then I might not be the audience you're looking for.

>>43488601
>Self insert
Is thst really an issue for you? Avoiding self insertion?

>"At This Rate You Will Finish On" on the nano website
>tuesday: 2018
>yesterday: 2017
>today: 2016
So if I continue writing like this, I'll have finished the book in 1991.

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>>43490122
I suppose it's not really super a problem, it's less avoiding self-inserting and more avoiding people complaining about it. I mean, other than gender issues and sharing a birthday (Halloween is the best birthday for magical detectives), we don't have much in common. Since the character's gender identity is similar to my own gender identity, and that's a hot button issue for some, I'm worried about things like "people are going to call me a Mary Sue for having the same hair colour" or things like that.
But I'm trying to avoid things like the character having a "voice" too similar to mine.
Although I think I wouldn't want to write a character with my voice because I have a terrible voice and need to be a less shitty person.

>>43490039
UrbFan is my jam. I make most of the WoD threads.

>>43490230
Go find it in a library and just plagiarize it.
Easy win.

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In broad strokes:

My project is a short fantasy novel focused on the deuteragonist's coming-of-age arc. The reigning queen of a crumbling kingdom dies in a violent riot, and with the crown prince missing and presumed dead, it falls on the shoulders of the second son -- who never expected to inherit -- to learn to rule, ascend the throne, and pacify the people.

The protagonist is his tutor, a practitioner of spirit-channelling magic, who calls on the kings of the past to teach the prince through her. The twist: she was forcibly possessed by one of her spirits long ago, a whoring, bloodthirsty conqueror king forgotten by history, who's been masquerading as her for years. He sees the raising of the prince into a good ruler as his chance at redemption.

My working title is Kingmaker. Nearing 5000 words in.

We then all lined up, our bodies stacked shoulder to shoulder in the small room. Shortly after the alarm stopped the door at the front of the barracks opened and in walked the platoon commander, First Lieutenant Nicolas Sadik. His beady eyes—one an aug, the other still intact—scanned the room before he placed his hands behind his back. There were stories in the platoon that he had lost his right eye that was now replaced with an implant long ago, back during the Kyrophros Wars of 2735. I had heard stories of it. Armies upon armies of AIs and bots gone rouge, self-replicating and improving on the frozen wastelands of the Kyrophros system. It was hell for those that fought in it. They had to fight for inch after inch on the god-forsaken planets. People in the platoon said old Sadik and his company were caught under fire and pinned down. During the firefight, their last mech pilot was killed and Sadik jumped into the pilot’s seat and fought off the rest of the enemy battalion, even though they outnumbered his company five to one. When the fight had ended, he was the only one alive. But just when he was about to try and head back to base, a bot came up and shot him right in the eye with a pistol. But the thing about the weapons on Kyrophros was that the damn bots didn’t know how to make plasma weapons. They were only programed to make bullet’s and old ballistic guns. So when the lieutenant came back, the medical team said they couldn’t reconstruct his eye for a couple reasons. First, it was all sorts of messed up, with being shot point blank and everything. Second, they simply didn’t have the technology on-world to reconstruct the eye. So they gave him an aug. When he came back, everyone called him “One Eye Sadik”. Others called him “Sadistic Sadik”. He didn’t really care.

>>43443410
What do you get for competing in this? Do you get money, or a title or something?

>>43491999
"Bragging rights".

The competition aspect is really just there to encourage you to get better habits.

>>43489012
>>43489127
Gender dysphoria is but one of many causes of tans identification.

Even amongst the trans community, the belief of gender as a social construct and an innate reality is split.

My story is about a race of blue skinned !not humans trying to move their planet out of the suns orbit because of some crazy religious belief.