Nanowrimo support group

Game Development Writing and Content
161

Day Eighteen

I wrote: 2,000
Progress to-date: 38,000

Very slow going, today. I know we aren’t “supposed” to edit while doing NaNo, but I did feel I needed to go back and offer some additional choices in one spot I’d already written, so I did that, then filled in the rest of my word count with forward progress. Really starting to feel the grind now, but I’m doing pretty well on consistency and hope to finish strong nevertheless.

@poison_mara I’m really sorry you’re dealing with people calling you nasty things. I think it’s terrible when people take a disagreement or personality clash and turn it into something so toxic and awful. I hope you know you aren’t those things at all, and I’m glad you’ve blocked that person.

3 Likes
162

I’m having a headache, so I’m taking a break. I’m also woefully behind my goal and I doubt I can catch up anymore, but I’m still going to try. Later.

Did some work on some illustrations I need done by Sunday, at least.

Fun science times

“That’s… strange,” a tall scientist says. “This makes no sense.”

“Try the channel five,” Vega says. “Increase the curve by 5.7 points.”

“Five?” a short scientist says. “Are you sure?”

“Quite.”

"What are you – " Connor says, then, when the new results appear on secreen, “oh. Oh.”

“This is wild,” a scientist with a big hat says.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” one with riding boots agrees.

“What?” you ask, understanding nothing about the buzz. “What did you find?”

“Nothing!” exclaims the scientist who spoke first. “That’s what is so exciting! I wish I could write an article about this phenomenon.”

“Sorry,” Ekström says. “You can’t. It’s all very hush-hush.”

“I know. But one can dream.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose. “This is why I hate scientists.”

“Now you sound like Kozlov,” Connor says.

“Relax, Repo,” Vega says. “It could be much worse.”

2 Likes
163

I am totally out of any goal and I can’t end my game jam game. But it is okay, because I am learning to not being anxious and rushing stuff.

I can go anxious about and rushedly jolt down a story, harming my mind power. But, that’s not how I want to be. I want to be able to not being anxious all the time and learning to take my time.

Yes, I wont present a game for the Vampire jam. But instead I will use the story to craft something. more durable and solid without the time constraints.

My therapist says I have to learn to accept failure; and that take my time is not a bad thing. At least for an anxiety disorder person like I am.

6 Likes
164

Day Nineteen

Today I wrote: 3,000
Progress to date: 41,000

Not a bad progress day today. And now I’m going to happily enjoy the rest of it. :slight_smile:

Day Twenty

Today I wrote: 1,000
Progress to date: 42,000

Was splitting my attention a bit this time, since occasionally I do need to write stuff for Patreon and whatnot, but still managed some reasonable progress!

Day Twenty-One

Today I wrote: 2,000
Progress to date: 44,000

Ugh, this one was tough. Felt like pulling teeth just to get the last 500 words out there, but I managed somehow. Really starting to feel the fatigue now, but I want to push through a little more before I give myself a break. Plus, I’m so close to the goal it feels like it’d be a waste to stop now.

Day Twenty-Two

Today I wrote: 1,500
Progress to date: 45,500

Definitely experiencing some slowdown today. Fortunately, I’m not sure I’ll need the 60k I was going for to complete the chapter, so this might be all right.

Day Twenty-Three

Today I wrote: 1,000
Progress to date: 46,500

I’m all right with the slower pace for now, I think. It should still see me done by the end of the month, and that’s the main goal here. :slight_smile:

5 Likes
165

Day 17 EOD Report
Wrote: 1141/1667
MTD: 34482/28333

Day 18 EOD Report
Wrote: 1983/1667
MTD: 36465/30000

Day 19 EOD Report
Wrote: 1995/1667
MTD: 38460/31667

Day 20 EOD Report
Wrote: 1905/1667
MTD: 40365/33333

Day 21 EOD Report
Wrote: 2490/1667
MTD: 42855/35000

3 Likes
166

Good news: Wow. I actually wrote something.
Bad news: It’s just 413 words… in 2 hours

7 Likes
167

Sometimes I manage much less than that in more time! 413 words is a good chunk; I believe I heard a story once that Sir Terry Pratchett wrote 400 words a day. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for anyone, methinks. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
168

I’m pretty much ready to give up. Not forever. Just until after New years. …Maybe “give up” is the wrong word.

2 Likes
169

Maybe “take a break” would be a better word

2 Likes
170

Day 22 EOD Report
Wrote: 1462/1667
MTD: 44317/36667

Everything I had read, watch, and listened to about writing has had the same general message. It is about discipline. Get into the habit of writing every day, even if it is a little bit. Force yourself to write, don’t worry if it is good or bad. Just get a little in every day because every day you get something is better than the days that you get none. This remains true even if you end up keeping nothing that you write on a given day.

171

That’s a terrifying thought, if you can’t give yourself a break even if you’re really sick or having a strong migraine attack or somesuch.

172

The issue with that is, for a lot of people, when you go “I have to do X every day unless Y” the definition of Y tends to get looser and looser over time. A migraine turns into a headache turns into ‘my allergies are bad today and I’m all stuffed up’ turns into “oh hey I haven’t done X all month. Oh well, I’m not feeling it today, I’ll start again tomorrow.”

image

3 Likes
173

I see your point, but I’d still sacrifice one day for sleeping, if that means I can be effective for the rest of the week, rather than

TMI?

power through it and spend the rest of the week unable to open my eyes without throwing up,

(unless I can’t skip a day because it happens to be the last day before a deadline or something), and not only because I’m much more effective the rest of the week in that case.

But, of course, that requires not giving yourself too much leeway.

Edit

Of course, if you just go and trigger that migraine due to your own stupidity, instead of factors out of your control, you totally do deserve to be blamed for it.

1 Like
174

My apologies, I was not trying to imply to never take a break. Your health is more important. My point was that you need to build a good writing habit if you want to finish a big project like a book and that @Rinnegato should celebrate getting in that 413 words because it is progress. Making a habit to write more often might help with writing more in the same amount of time.

Taking time off here and there is healthy, but large gaps of time will only set yourself back. Becoming demoralized over the imperfections will do the same but you should feel free to take the time to think things over and address those feelings/issues. These are common things and I suffer from them too. Good writing habits can come in the form of knowing how much time to give yourself to address these things versus what point you are allowing these things to hold you back: Reason vs Excuse.

My original post was not intended to infer to write yourself into a grave, but take the win of getting that little bit of writing because 20 words on a page is infinitely more than 0. If you wish to improve how much work you regularly get done writing, make a habit of it. It doesn’t have to be daily even, three times a week, once a week, whatever works. The important thing is to set one up that works for you and that might increase how much you can achieve. Every word you write is progress over the you that did not write a word.

1 Like
175

I have been without writing an entire 5 years. Burnt by depression and fears. It wasn’t a good experience and made me feel awful.

I don’t recommend anyone the experience. You won’t feel better and your emotional wounds would festering.

Writing is a way to cope and heal. My therapist recommend me keep writing and it helps me a lot.

Maybe stop writing thinking in wips or publication but please don’t stop writing if you love doing so.

5 Likes
176

Fwiw I don’t think anyone takes ‘develop a daily writing habit’ to like… preclude extending yourself grace and rest. And of course, everyone has different capacities and abilities that need to be taken into account. I think it’s probably true that most people who want to write professionally have to write every day or close to it, but any advice so generic is definitely going to leave people out.

And of course there’s nothing wrong with writing and not wanting to be “professional” with it. :slight_smile:

Day Twenty-Four

Today I wrote: 1,000
Progress to date: 47,500

I’m so close! Just one more (long, but still) choice block, and then a bit of narration, and the chapter will be fully drafted! After that I go to editing and then release. This one has been a long time in the making, so I am very excited for this.

4 Likes
177

I would hope professional writers schedule themselves some rest too - burn-out is a real risk if you work 24/7, and creativity comes from brain.

That said, I’m just cranky because I’m having one of those monthly migranes (which, in addition of making me cranky and extremely sleepy, make me forget most of my advanced vocabulary). Sorry about that.

Although for some reason, I think I also somehow managed to write 1.5k words in… three hours? Something like that. So that was nice, I guess.

4 Likes
178

With the holidays here, I did not have work today so I set out a goal. I was going to hit 50k today. It was a struggle and I kept looking at the screen going “just another 100” most of the day. I would like to present to you work 50k: picked.

Day 23 EOD Report
Wrote: 5810/1667
MTD: 50127/38333

This is my first successful NaNoWriMo. I plan to continue to try to write the 1.7k the rest of the month, but I’ll rest easier knowing I hit the monthly goal.

I think I’m going to go pass out in bed now. G’night everyone. :sleeping:

7 Likes
179

Congrats!

180

Well done!!!