The Kidlit Gang's Support and Accountability Thread

Britwriter

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I finished my PB today! It needs to sit for a while, but now I have a version that I really like. I have about ten previous versions too, but this is the first one I don't feel frustrated with.

Does anyone else find names difficult? I can find names for important characters, but a throwaway name just takes me forever to find. In this, I just need an Aunt name. All the aunt does is give one line of parenting advice. It's funny, and implies that she's smug, so she needs a name that fits. But not a name that takes attention from her line, nor should it be difficult for a kid to read. Nor should it look odd on the page.

Ideas? So far the best I can come up with is Aunt Ann, which I really dislike! I want something about 4- 6 letters, can't start with P or J. Ordinary, but a name that you could picture belonging to a smug-know-it-all aunt.............

But at least the story is down on paper, not still floating around in my head, where it has been for the past six months. :)
 

Ferret

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Okay, I didn't manage 500 words, but I did write. I'll do better tomorrow, I swear!
 

Laura J

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Spiral, sorry to hear about your fire. Was everyone okay? We are just moving home after a fire that burned about a sixth of our house. We've been home a month. The fire was Oct of 2010. Hope everything is getting better. Ironically, I never would have starting writing if we hadn't had our fire. My home business closed, so I had free time and finally time to write. Take care.

Britwriter, how about Aunt Doris or the classic Aunt Martha (Leave it to Beaver). I always think that older characters should have names that older people had when I was young like Maude or Betty. But, these kids have older people in their lives with much younger names.

And think about this, someday, there will be retirement homes full of Heathers, Tiffanys, Ambers, Jessicas. Those will be the old people names. (line from Designing Women) And many of them will have tattoos and piercings. Funny.

Back to names. Naming characters is one of my favorite things to do. I printed a list of popular names and then I go through it until I hit one I like. I tend to stay away from the top 20 because the names could be trendy. Some are classics like Emily or Jacob (okay that one could be trendy now).

I hang out with a very crunchy granola group of homeschoolers and they name their kids things like Rhythm, Clastill, Groove, Sequoia. I had to add those to my list of names.

Sorry, got off track with the name thing. Getting ready to start. Changing my writing time to the AM is going to help. Good luck everybody.
 

Amarie

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Good timing for this thread! Starting Monday, I have a goal of writing 1000 words a day. Maybe the incentive to report here will keep me going.
 

sissybaby

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Spiral - I'm so glad that you are ready to start back with your writing. You hang in there, sweetie.

Britwriter. All I could come up with is Prudence, and it violates both your rules. Sorry I'm no help. What about Agnes?
 

Britwriter

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Oh, I love Aunt Mona!!

Thanks. :)

I kept coming back to Prudence, or Prue, but the MC is Polly, so I don't want another P name. Mona is perfect, so apt. :)
 

JoyMC

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Britwriter, for future, I love baby name sites for finding character names. I especially like Nymbler.com, which lets you enter in names you like that give a general feel for what you're looking for, and the website generates related name suggestions.
 

Britwriter

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I love this thread. Maybe just to read how everyone else is doing, but maybe also to make my own goals. I haven't written a single word since the end of February, since the fire. However, I will say that I will try to write 500 words this weekend. I have to start somewhere, right?

Yes! You can do it!

I firmly believe that even if writers are not actually writing, these experiences are being logged and will enrich their writing in the future. I'm not wishing a disaster on anyone, and not wanting to be like my mother, who called every disaster in life 'character-building', but, you may find that the fire experience emerges in your work in some amazing way in the future.

Just start writing, and see where it takes you! What seemed important before the fire might not seem important now, but you won't know until you start.

You can do it!
 

Britwriter

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Britwriter, for future, I love baby name sites for finding character names. I especially like Nymbler.com, which lets you enter in names you like that give a general feel for what you're looking for, and the website generates related name suggestions.

I've not heard of Nymbler. I'll check it out. I look at lists of baby names, which can be useful if you are trying to get a character name for a specific age group, demographic, when I tend to pick a name from somewhere in the middle of the 100 most popular lists. Kids names I find fairly easy, but older people's names are more difficult. Maybe because I know so many people, and almost every name conjures up an image, good or bad, of a real person!

I love Aunt Mona right now, but it may change. We'll see. But I'm excited to have the actual characters down on paper at last. :)
 

Morrell

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I love Nymbler too.

1711 words today. Going out for Greek food tonight, and then to the movies to see Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. :)
 

Marzipan

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Hi guys. I know I've been gone a while, but many things have happened in the last few months. I'm happy to see you all again, and hope to cheer each of you on for your word goals. Congrats on all the accomplishments!

My word goal starting today is 500 words a day, with a goal to finish my MG novel by the end of June.
 

Laura J

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I also like the name Mona. Though I have been watching Pretty Little Liars, so the name is sticking funny with me. But, Aunt Mona is great.

Done. 502 words. It was a push. New blood pressure meds are not supportive of writing brain. But, thanks to this thread, I made myself do it. But, I'm done. Good luck and congrats.
 

Ferret

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I use baby name sites all the time. I like http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/ because it lets you look by meaning, popularity, year, etc.

Okay, I haven't written a single word in my WIP today, and I might not tomorrow, but I have a good excuse. I got notes on another book and the synopses for its sequels, and I need to work on that first. But Sunday--500 words--I promise. Probably.
 

Smish

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I'm glad to see so many people in this thread! I thought maybe I was the only one who needed a little accountability... but apparently not. :D

Remember, we do have monthly prompts, if anyone needs a little inspiration. I posted the June prompt just a few minutes ago.
 

MsJudy

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19 first grade report cards finished, only 9 kinder ones to go.

It feels weird to NOT be writing on a Friday night. Usually I do a little bit because it's the night my boys go their dad's house and I have some peace and quiet. Then when I wake up on Saturday, the ideas are flowing and even if I haven't accomplished much during the week, I can hammer out my goal by noon on Sunday when the boys come back.

But this week--I'm letting the WIP sit. I'm not going to touch it until school is out and I'm back from my camping trip. So... it feels like I've forgotten to do something really, really important.

We'll see if I wake up tomorrow itching to start on something else...
 

Amarie

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re: Names

Someone may have already posted this, but you can find the most popular birth names by year in the U.S. for at least 100 years back. That way, if you have an older character, figure out the year they were born and then go to that list to make sure you have picked an appropriate name. Here's the link: http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

there's a U.K. site too, I think
 

JoyMC

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middle grade WIP: 13,600
YA WIP: 3600

My goal was 3000 words by Wednesday, but I have actually met that goal already! I've written 3340 words since making that goal, bringing my current word counts to:

middle grade WIP: 15320
YA WIP: 5220

So, I am going to revise my goal, and am pleased to now have a proper Sunday-Sunday goal week. ;) I'm going to say 5000 words in the next week on the combined WIPs.

Anyone else making weekend progress?
 

Laura J

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I'm done. I'm glad I picked only 500. I'm struggling to get that in right now. But, I know if I hadn't found this thread, I wouldn't have written anything. Done for the day. 506 words.
 

playground

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My goal was 3000 words by Wednesday, but I have actually met that goal already! I've written 3340 words since making that goal, bringing my current word counts to:

middle grade WIP: 15320
YA WIP: 5220

So, I am going to revise my goal, and am pleased to now have a proper Sunday-Sunday goal week. ;) I'm going to say 5000 words in the next week on the combined WIPs.

Anyone else making weekend progress?



Going through my first edit of my first draft and editing my query for it. I plan to start my next novel probably later this week.
 

MsJudy

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Report cards done. Feeling weird not to be writing anything...
 

Laura J

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Okay, ya know what sucks? Having a great few hundred words and then having Word shut down. I save like crazy normally, but must have typed really fast and outran autosave. I had an awesome paragraph or two in there. Grr. Then it locked me out. Now I have to start over. Now, I'm only at 4 words today. Grrr. Must have chocolate.
 

Morrell

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Poor Laura. You must feel like :Hammer:

I've been moving sloooowly yesterday and today. I have been thinking and rethinking my story, though... probably a good thing in the long run.

Life is changing around here. Oldest son has MOVED OUT. This is the child who announced at age 3 that he would never grow up and leave home; he was going to live with us forever. I was starting to think he meant it. He's sharing a house with a couple of buddies. We went by yesterday, and he was cooking a pot of lentils and talking about cleaning the stove. Gosh--maybe some of my attempts to prepare him for real life actually "took".

Also, we're all going to our favorite Indian restaurant tonight to celebrate youngest daughter's high school graduation.
 

sissybaby

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Well, I'm glad so many are having good results from this.

Smish - I can't thank you enough. I have left my WIP alone for so long that it was beginning to feel like I'd never get back to it. But thanks to your thread I managed 800 words today. The rest of the gang went to the movies and I begged off.

I feel rejuvenated! invigorated!

Now if I can rinse and repeat tomorrow, I'll feel recharged.

Thank you, again.