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[Sappho]

Today I got a message from the person I thought would help with my research. She has decided she doesn't have time for me. So no research. I'll have to make everything up. It makes me surprisingly nervous. It's very easy for me to pour out words when I already know what I'm writing. When I can see the place in my head, discuss the details of it with someone. To make the whole thing up from scratch, that's going to be much more difficult. I'm constantly worried that I'm writing something inaccurate, that I'm making continuity errors, that the people who read it (many of whom live in the area I'll be describing) will say "that's completely wrong" and slam the book shut in anger.

I'm considering taking a day trip to that village on a weekend, just to see it with my own eyes. But then I'll feel strange. My friend grew up there, her parents still live there. What if she happens to be there when I visit? I don't intend to tell her I'm going. She's been very unreliable and has let me down several times and I'd prefer to just take a break from her for now. I feel like I'll be invading her space. She's not a very open person. She might be refusing to help me just because she doesn't want to share anything about her life with me.

It's day 4 and I'm already having massive interference from life issues.

I haven't been feeling good today. I'm afraid I won't have it in me to make my word count, and I know myself: once I miss a single day, I'll allow myself to miss more and more. I have to find a way to pound out the words, even if I just write random nonsense that I can fix up later.

[Darkmere]

It's day 4 and I'm already having massive interference from life issues.

I haven't been feeling good today. I'm afraid I won't have it in me to make my word count, and I know myself: once I miss a single day, I'll allow myself to miss more and more. I have to find a way to pound out the words, even if I just write random nonsense that I can fix up later.

I say if you need research, go and do it. Don't worry about what might or might not happen if you might see someone. As for the quality concerns, I've kinda had the same concerns, but if it helps at all so does Neil Gaiman. Just keep writing and the rest will sort itself out in time.

[Sappho]

Neil Gaiman always has all the answers. That man is not only my very favorite author of all time, he's also my primary source of inspiration. If not for his words, I don't think I would have bothered to start this. I certainly wouldn't have the drive to keep going.

I am, as he says, putting one word after another today. If I do take a trip to that village, I won't just be saying my research is important. I'll be saying my research for some small details in a novel is so important to me that I'm willing to risk throwing a very large monkey wrench into several long-term personal relationships in order to get it. And the funny thing is, I think that is actually true.

I should just have this video playing on a loop in the background whenever I'm writing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drMuQqLLEe0

[Digital Hellhound]

Even if you don't like Gaiman's actual work, he's a marvel just as a source of writing inspiration. It's always deceptively simple, too.

1602 words today, so far. It's actually above my 'this is what you need to finish on time', which is around the 1400s, but I'm gonna aim for around 3000 on most days.

[Sappho]

Two green bars! I got up to exactly 7000 words. Now to put on a movie and relax at last.

[Aqizzar]

Two green bars! I got up to exactly 7000 words. Now to put on a movie and relax at last.

One-seventh done after one-seventh of the month.  You have to maintain that just to finish, and I haven't even started yet.  Sure, 2000 a day from this point.  I can probably do three thousand a day for a week or two, but I think I've already blown it.

[Caz]

Keeping up to par, aww yea.

I'm rapidly running out of plot, though. May have to slow down to consider where I'm actually going with this.

[inEQUALITY]

I'm rapidly running out of plot, though. May have to slow down to consider where I'm actually going with this.

Don't take this the wrong way, but...

Whut. What's your word count that you're running out of plot on Day 4? Either you've written a whole lot fast, or you really do need to pace your scenes more. I'm only now starting my fourth chapter, and I haven't even kicked my plot into full gear yet. It's barely shifted into second gear, really. I'm so ready to get to the meaty parts of my story.

You can do it though! Remember, even attempting NaNoWriMo means...

[Sappho]

Yeah, I'm still filling in the background of my story before I get into the real adventure part. Getting right up to the edge now, though. Major plot point coming up tomorrow, I think.

Also, I'm pretty sure this book is gonna need to be more than 50,000 words long, though I'll be happy if I make that word count at the end of the month.

[Caz]

Don't take this the wrong way, but...

Whut. What's your word count that you're running out of plot on Day 4? Either you've written a whole lot fast, or you really do need to pace your scenes more. I'm only now starting my fourth chapter, and I haven't even kicked my plot into full gear yet. It's barely shifted into second gear, really. I'm so ready to get to the meaty parts of my story.

I didn't really come up with much of a plan. More of a spur of the moment idea. I have a vague idea of a few things that'll happen, but no clue on the ending or all of the scenes that'll take me to those places.

[Aqizzar]

I have the frame of a character-motivation plot in mind.  I'm making up the background and the characters as I go.  There's only five distinct personalities yet and only the antagonist has a name.  I'm debating whether the protagonist should have one at all.

500 hundred words in 45 minutes, 25 days left in the month.  If this is any kind of benchmark, I'll need to devote an average of four hours a day to have a hope of reaching the minimum word count.

Guess I'm not having any other projects this month.

EDIT: Goddammit, Jefmajor just posted fourteen hours of himself playing Kerbal Space Program, I shouldn't even have looked.  I need that kind of dedication, not distraction!

[WillowLuman]

Alright, got my main character out of the house, he finds a hobo digging through the trash. I think I'm getting somewhere. At about 600 words...

[Doomblade187]

526 words, but I have a solid idea now.

[Aqizzar]

I actually started my story with the phrase "Once upon a time".  I already done goofed.

Sure it's supposed to be ironic, but damn Aq, what is wrong with you?

[Darkmere]

6400 words and my primary antagonist arrives. I need to pick up my pace, but today was a good day.