Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Sun Dec 18 2011, 03:43pm
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
I actually wrote something today! Hurrah for finally starting! :P
On the 2nd of December, I wrote 2016 words of a partial draft, and today I wrote 1025 words, which turns out to be most of the prologue. Here's an excerpt from the very start:
[ligne][/ligne]
I opened my eyes and was momentarily blinded by a white light shining directly into my face. I screwed my eyes shut against the brightness as it caused a sharp ache to coil through my skull, though the light still shone red through my eyelids. I expected the heat from the light to be strong, comforting, yet none reached my skin. There was nothing but cold air nestled against my face.
Keeping my eyes closed, I slowly tensed the muscles of my arms and legs. My muscles were tired, my limbs heavy. I felt as if I’d run for kilometres; as if I were in a dream where the need to run was critical, yet no amount of willpower could make my sand-filled legs settle into flight. So uselessly heavy, yet at the same time fireseed light. Totally inadequate either way. I tried to stretch out, but felt resistance. Strange sensations were sluggishly travelling over my skin, a creeping trickling feeling of dread, and I realised that the supposed cold I had felt earlier was nothing more than unfeeling. Numbness. Why is a state of nothingness associated with temperature? Why cold? Why do I feel cold? The thoughts drifted lightly through my mind like a neighbour passing by a house, waving a greeting for a moment, yet forgotten as they move out of sight. This is so cracked.
I felt as if different parts of my body were regaining consciousness at different times. As the ice that was my skin melted, became conscious and feeling, I became aware of bands fixed tightly around my arms and legs. Two each around my wrists, ankles, thighs. I inhaled deeply and felt the large band spread over my chest constrict as my lungs expanded. My head was free, though trying to move it revealed that the muscles in my neck provided as much support as those of a newborn babe. My head lolled, and as I managed to gain control and turn to one side, the redness caused by the light faded unevenly. A shadow had been created by my nose, shielding my left eye. After a moment of indecision, I opened my left eye, screwing the right one more tightly closed in the process, and looked down at my body.
[ligne][/ligne]
I'm thinking maybe I should change my goal to just more than I did last year, so I'd be aiming at at least 26 000 words, but I'm not sure. Maybe I should just write and be happy with whatever I end up with? :-/
Edit: A second page! O_O :P
Mystic Guilden
12 years ago
Mystic Guilden
Mage
W00t! for being on a roll (at least, that what it sounds like)! A second page is always cause for celebration :)
I cant' help with your goal issue, though I think pushing yourself to outdo last years goal might put you off...so to speak.
Wow, great intro! I love the way you wrote that, Kaede, and want to know more!
I'm still learning my way around Obernet, and can see I'm going to need to check the OberNoWriSu thread more often (rather than just looking when I see someone's comment in the Recent Posts list), because the stuff everyone's coming out with is amazing! I'm jealous!
Love it, Kaede!! Very mysterious and really want to know what happens next. Keep at it, well done!!
^ That was my favourite bit too, it was in such a character-specific language. :P
The description in the snippet was so specific and detailed, the flow of the story worked well with it. There was heaps of your character's personality in there too, the thoughts segueing with events very nicely. Great work, I want to know more! :D
As for the word goal, I think that's up to you to decide as you go along. Personally I set my goals as a guideline, a target to reach. If I get there, great; if I don't, at least I tried. :D Keep at it though, you're making huge progress! ^^;
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it :P
I've made no progress so far. I'm about to go to work, but I have Saturday afternoon, Sunday AND Monday off (two days in a row off is unheard of!) so I really really need to write something. If I don't post some progress by Monday afternoon, can someone please yell at me?
To avoid yelling at you tomorrow, which I'm sure none of us want to do, here's a little motivational post: hope the writing's flowing! Go, Kaede! :)
Ditto - feel much positive energy and encouragement!! Put pen to paper! :P We don't wish to yell at the lovely Kaede!! :P
Ashlings' guildleader
12 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
Let's go Kaede! Let's go! [act]clap[/act] [act]clap[/act]
Let's go Kaede! Let's go! [act]clap[/act] [act]clap[/act]
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Kaede's gonna write and there's no doubt about it!
It's now Monday, Kaede.
Okay, so it only just became Monday, but my I'm preparing my vocal chords for a yelling.
Well, it's not Monday where I am yet, so there's still time!! Admittedly, not much but still :P And you've got until the afternoon as well :nods: Go, go, go! :D
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Well, I've made some mental progress... :$
I've edited the prologue and have written about another 400 words of the first chapter which I am completely unhappy with. I think the problem is that my world building hasn't been tight enough. I like the idea for the plot of my overall story, but I have yet to create a world I'm happy for it to occur in. So, I'm going to waste more time not writing and do some more planning! :P
And in all my recent thinking (let's face it, most of the time my mind is blank :P), I've come up with another story idea :D So I'm also going to flesh that out some more and maybe come up with a plan for that.
Have I said what my story was called yet? I don't know. Anyway, it's called Rain Touched, and this new idea can have the working title of Possession, just so it's easier to refer to both of them.
Thanks so much for all the encouragement! At least some writerly thoughts occurred in my brain! :P
Writerly thoughts - yay! That's more than enough for me - need for yelling at Kaede: gone :). Enjoy your day off.
This is acceptable, Kaede, writerly thoughts. :P Though I was psyching myself up to yell... ^^; Jokes.. :P
Mental progress is important. Some people are lucky enough to write and create as they go or know that they will find the right inspiration to fit the story. Other people, myself included, need to plan their stories so that they not only know where this will all lead to but also so they can clearly see the world/their characters/the consequences of what happens/is happening in their work. I'm not quite so detailed as to have a story board - though I do like the idea of having a big cork board with note cards pinned to it.. :P
Anyway, jolly well done for your mental progress and keep it up! I stared off into space at the gym yesterday, planning and plotting for my stories! :P And I LOVE the names you've chosen for your titles, working and currently fixed. Very intriguing! ^^; Good luck and keep us updated! :)
Hmm, I must admit I'm still half tempted to yell, but then I would have to yell at myself as well. HURRAH for writerly thoughts it is then! :D
And your titles are certainly intriguing. I always find it almost impossible to come up with a title for my projects, so congrats on being able to stick to something ;)
Yay! Writerly thoughts is good :D We'll let you off on the yelling. And planning is good too, it still consists of some writing, right? :P
Also, ditto to what everyone else has said about the titles, they sound very interesting, especially Rain Touched. I really want to know what that's about now :)
Ashlings' guildleader
12 years ago
Ashlings' guildleader
Dreamscape Artist
Well done Kaede! It doesn't matter whether you like the 400 words you wrote or not, sometimes it's easier to turn out something your happy with while editing than while getting it down for the first time, so the important thing is to get something down so that you can come back to it.
Remember, a story of a thousand pages begins with a single sentence :nods:
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Thanks everyone! :) Sionainn, I kind of feel like I still deserve a bit of a yelling because I was hoping to hit at least 1000 good words out, not sit around thinking for hours, but oh well...
When I got home from a friend's late last night (we're currently working our way through the extended LotR films), I wrote 694 words of notes for a new story idea, which is neither Rain Touched, nor Possession. I don't know where this sudden new idea came from. I don't really know how I feel about it either. While I enjoy planning things and I know the research and world building for this particular idea is going to be enjoyable, I wish I could stick to a single piece of work. But anyway, I guess I'll just go with whatever compels me.
I think that's a good idea, Kaede. It's good to have lots of options because then if while writing one story you get a bit stuck for inspiration, you can wander off and have a crack at another.
Wanderer Ward
12 years ago
Wanderer Ward
Dreamscape Artist
Wrote another 999 words today, admittedly just more world-building notes, but they're still words damn it! :P I decided I should read more science writing so I bought myself an Australasian Science magazine and after flicking through it, I came up with two more ideas that I can weave into my world. They're just little things, but hopefully the world will seem more 3D because of their inclusion.
Well world building notes is an upgrade from writerly thoughts--and I love that your source from science writings. It's currently one of the best things about being at Uni at the moment: unlimited recources to such things!!
Words are words, and you can't have a story without a plan. Well done!
Words are awesome, whatever they are! Getting ideas from a science magazine sounds really good as well. I'm intrigued to know what kind of science-y things you have incorporated into your world :)
