OctNoWriMo 2017 - October All Over

mrsmig · Sep 30, 2017

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I love October - I think it's my favorite month of the year, in my favorite season of the year. I'm hoping that's going to translate into extra energy because I have a LOT of goals to meet this month:

1. Explore NYC with at least two more jaunts to places I've never been - 0 of 2
2. Read five books - 0 of 5
3. Get at least 10k words written on rough draft of Book #5 - currently 3,866
4. Post two "teaser" graphics per week on social media to promote Book #2 - 0 of 10
5. Get pre-order date for Book #2 from publisher and promote accordingly
6. Plan promo for cover reveal of Book #4 on October 23
7. Decide whether to do NaNo in November
8. Move from current sublet to new place at end of month

And what about you?

Mary Love · Sep 30, 2017

Love that Anne of Green Gables quote!!!!

October is going to be a month of finding my ducks and lining them up. :TheWave:

-I have three drafts to read and work revision outlines for. Then I have to pick one to focus on in NaNo and outline heavily (I think I know which one... needs an ending).
-I definitely want to dent my TBR pile, (writing as been absorbing my free time this month).
-I want to beta and make more cp and writing friends.
-Write some music.

arikdiver · Sep 30, 2017

Great goals guys. I'm keeping it simple this month:

1. Finish 4,000 word short story.
2. Finish 1,500 word short story (mystery) for submission
3. Write 1 chapter Sc-fi

That's it for me. I'll still read, but I'm not making it a goal.

Tamlyn · Sep 30, 2017

Hoping to get properly back into things this month!

1. Read six books.
2. Game planning.
3. Edit three chapters.
4. Edit short story.
5. Choose/plan Nano.

At the moment I've start Snow White, Red Handed by Maia Chance. I always want to read more cosy mysteries, but whenever I go into the library and look at the mystery section, I pick up a book and it's number 15 in the series and... But this trip I picked up these Maia Chance ones, discovered there are as yet only three in the series, and the library has them all (number one was in a different branch, but that was fine once I knew it existed). The fairy tale aspect probably means it's a good crossover point for this mostly SFF reader

I really hope to finish the final three chapters this month. That'll finish this pass of the book, and I can let it sit for a while and go out to another reader. It'll probably need another pass, but it's been dragging so long it'll be good to get it down. The short story is a specific one for a deadline I've been vaguely meaning to meet for about... eight months now >> And now it's crept up and is only a month away.

NaNo, I don't do lots of planning, but at the moment the story I'm vaguely thinking of writing has a beginning scene, an end scene, and nothing in between. I need a bit more than that. So I will need to decide if I'm definitely doing that story and if so what the hell happens in it.

Otherwise, game planning, and hopefully actual game.

EMaree · Oct 1, 2017

Lovely quote! October is my favourite month too: it's my birthday, it's Halloween, it's autumn! I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

This month I have a load of things planned: lots of art, so much art, lots of reading and hopefully lots of writing too. Let's start off autumn with an artsy bang!

Creativity:
[3] Take part in the Inktober art challenge. 31 days, 31 drawings.
[ ] Write 10k words
[ ] Write 20k words
[ ] Write the angelpocalypse prequel
[ ] Finish the angelpocalypse rewrite, clearing the slate for a NaNoWriMo shiny new WIP
[ ] September recap blog
[ ] Helsinki trip blogging
[ ] Finish playing any video game

Reading:
[ ] Email about a tardy beta read
[ ] Placeholder for Zero Sum Game reading task
[ ] Read: Running Home by Julie Hutchings
[ ] Read: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
[ ] Read: A closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
[ ] Read: Anatomy of a Story

Health:

[2] Spinning: 9 sessions
[ ] Roller Derby: 4 sessions
[ ] Weight: Get back in the 130s. (Birthdays are haaaard!)
[ ] Weight: Hit -60lbs
[ ] Weight: Hit lowest weight since I was 18.

SianaBlackwood · Oct 1, 2017

Jumping in again, slightly envious of all this pumpkin-related stuff... although you don't actually eat those ones, do you?

Here's my list for October:

* Read 4 books (one is for school, second is a nonfiction one I started last month, the other two are whatever I grab).
* Write 4 blog posts.
* Write 8 poems (2 per week).
* Complete all this month's study-related tasks.
* Make a list of all the projects that aren't entangled in my giant messy one, with notes on which ones I still find interesting.
* Do an archive dive on a few of the most appealing old projects.
* Choose a project to revive.
* Do random activities, exercises etc. with the chosen project to get back into writing and thinking about the characters.

Attempt at an explanation: I have this giant mountain of incomplete and/or abandoned projects, and every time I try to think about editing or rewriting one, I quickly get overwhelmed by all the things I know are wrong. So, I've decided to attack things from the other direction and try to get a firm grasp on what I love about the project before I start diagnosing its flaws. I also decided I really need a break from one particular project, or rather tangle of multiple projects, and so my list of possibilities for October has all the entangled projects removed. That leaves me with 18 possibilities. (Please don't ask how many are on the other list.)

mrsmig · Oct 1, 2017

This is a great start, guys! EMaree, what is the Inktober art challenge?

And yes, SianaBlackwood, I eat ALL the punkins. All of them. They're just giant squashes anyway.

bdwilson · Oct 1, 2017

Okay, time to do better this month

[ ] Finish formatting the eBook I've been stalling on.
[ ] Figure out a title/theme for the reprint short story collection I'm pulling together.
[ ] Finish the change I want to make to one of my novellas (flipping some secondary characters around).
[ ] Prep for NaNoWriMo.
[ ] Read The Martian before book club.
[ ] Do edits on the E shorty story, whenever they come in.

Constant Goals:
[ ] Changing sleep cycle; focus on night.
[ ] Clean my office.
[39] Write 1K words a day (for 52 weeks).

EMaree · Oct 4, 2017

mrsmig said:
This is a great start, guys! EMaree, what is the Inktober art challenge?

And yes, SianaBlackwood, I eat ALL the punkins. All of them. They're just giant squashes anyway.

You get a prompt for every day of the month and draw a picture based on that prompt. It should be 'inked', which basically means any form of black lines that aren't a pencil sketch: ballpoint pen art, Indian inks, digitally inked art etc.
You're allowed to do a sketch, ink it, then erase the undersketch if you like.

The official prompt list is here, and there's a ton of fun unofficial prompt lists like this monster one.

I picked up a new digital art tool for my birthday so it's helping me practice digital inking.

The hashtag is a lot of fun to browse, and the official Inktober Twitter is retweeting some great pieces too.

Damoclian · Oct 4, 2017

I'mma set the bar low this month to make SURE I do the THING!

[ ] Finish revising "The Angry Magic War" before NaNo starts. That's it, that's all. And it's only sixty chapters of words and things to edit and beautify and make stable so I can also finish my damnable story! :rant:

(They're technically short chapters, but I's a slow readererer...)

Anyway, g'luck y'all!!!

I hope to see each and every one of you do the best you can at all the things and then brag about it and stuff. Maybe if I see awesome people doing awesome schtuff, it will rub off on me as well? :Huh:

OliverCrown · Oct 4, 2017

My October list:

[X] Write Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness
[ ] Post Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness
[ ] Set up Twitter Polls for NaNoMadness round 1: (zero of 4)
[ ] Write extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Post extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Set up Twitter Polls for second round of NNM
[ ] Plot finalists for NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Select & post images for finalists of NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Set up Twitter Poll for finals of NNM
[ ] Game Plan for winner of NNM
[X] Reserve blog/space for non-victorious NNM stories

Seems like a daunting list now that I've typed it up . . .

OliverCrown · Oct 5, 2017

[X] Write Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness
[/ ] Post Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness (1 of 4)
[/ ] Set up Twitter Polls for NaNoMadness round 1: (1 of 4)
[ ] Write extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Post extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Set up Twitter Polls for second round of NNM
[ ] Plot finalists for NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Select & post images for finalists of NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Set up Twitter Poll for finals of NNM
[ ] Game Plan for winner of NNM
[X] Reserve blog/space for non-victorious NNM stories
[ ] Write four1,500 word short stories for warm up (zero of 4)
[ ] Post two short stories on my blog (zero of 2)
[ ] Write 500 words per day for a 10 day period

I need to get some writing in there. Had a great chat on the phone with another author who reminded me of a bunch of stories that would make for great practice - allowing me to stretch my mind and work toward the habit of writing daily again.

mrsmig · Oct 7, 2017

Here we are at the end of the first week of October (wow, that went fast!). I'm back to NYC and the boredom/terror of my understudy work - only 12 weeks left, but who's counting?

I'm almost finished with the first of this month's books (Oliver Sacks' THE MIND'S EYE), but I haven't been reading as much because I started playing Twilight Princess on my Wii again and it's an utter time suck (but a FUN time suck). Actually wrote a bit this week, too. Posted my teaser graphics for Book #2 for the week and nudged my publisher on the pre-order date. Good thing I did because she'd forgotten to send me the galleys so I had to drop everything for two days last week and review those (just how I wanted to spend the last two days of my vacation). The pre-order date should be coming pretty soon.

Moving plans continue apace. I've arranged to move the bulk of my stuff over to the new sublet on October 30th (it's my day off and I do NOT want to move during the madness that is Hallowe'en in midtown Manhattan). I can't actually take possession of the place until the morning of November 1st, and the owner of my current sublet wants to move back in that morning as well - so the timetable will be tight. Because of the move, I'm still on the fence about doing NaNo.

How productive was your week?

1. Explore NYC with at least two more jaunts to places I've never been - 0 of 2
2. Read five books - 0 of 5
3. Get at least 10k words written on rough draft of Book #5 - currently 4,090
4. Post two "teaser" graphics per week on social media to promote Book #2 - 2 of 10
5. Get pre-order date for Book #2 from publisher and promote accordingly - in progress
6. Plan promo for cover reveal of Book #3 on October 23 - in progress
7. Decide whether to do NaNo in November - in progress
8. Move from current sublet to new place at end of month

Tamlyn · Oct 7, 2017

I'm not sure this really counts as an update since I haven't finished any parts yet. But I've made small progress!

I have done some game planning and I've figured out a way that might make my game go a little more smoothly. I've also made pretty maps. I like pretty pictures and I like maps so this was always going to happen, but it's even more of a time sink for me than video games >> Still, I'm enjoying myself, which is the important thing. I might start on another one today.

I did spend so much time doing maps I didn't do editing I was meant to do on Wednesday (my 'writing' day). I made up for that yesterday and I've made some good progress into the first chapter now. I've also done a bunch of transcribing or scanning of old stuff (writing or creative from when I was a child and teen) in preparation for my interstate move at the end of the year. (The idea being, of course, I won't need the paper copies anymore.) Done a bit of WIP writing, I think I'm on the home stretch now where I know everything that's going to happen. Hopefully I can get it down before NaNo.

Still reading Snow White, Red Handed. I'm enjoying very much when I pick it up, but I've found myself zombie-ing on the train rather than picking it up a bit of late. I shall have to work on that.

1. Read six books. 0/6
2. Game planning. Yes.
3. Edit three chapters. 0/3
4. Edit short story. 0/1
5. Choose/plan Nano. Not yet.
6. Edit 2 pages or write 500 words a day. Apparently I forgot to put this one on the list, but yes so far!

OliverCrown · Oct 10, 2017

[X] Write Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness
[X] Post Blurbs for first round of NaNoMadness (3 of 4)
[/ ] Set up Twitter Polls for NaNoMadness round 1: (3 of 4)
[ ] Write extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Post extended Blurbs for second round of NNM (zero of 4)
[ ] Set up Twitter Polls for second round of NNM
[ ] Plot finalists for NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Select & post images for finalists of NNM (zero of 2)
[ ] Set up Twitter Poll for finals of NNM
[ ] Game Plan for winner of NNM
[X] Reserve blog/space for non-victorious NNM stories
[ ] Write four1,500 word short stories for warm up (zero of 4)
[ ] Post two short stories on my blog (zero of 2)
[ ] Write 500 words per day for a 10 day period

Aaaaand I may start doing the voice to text option to have a chance at my writing goals. But I did have a neat idea run across my brain I'll explore to help me with my short story goal, so there's that.

I just need to make sure I get some sleep eventually . . .

bdwilson · Oct 10, 2017

[ ] Finish formatting the eBook I've been stalling on.
[X] ~~Figure out a title/theme for the reprint short story collection I'm pulling together.~~

We'll see if that holds once I've pulled everything together, but at least I have an idea now.

[ ] Finish the change I want to make to one of my novellas (flipping some secondary characters around).
[--] Prep for NaNoWriMo.

Started!

[X] ~~Read The Martian before book club.~~
[ ] Do edits on the E shorty story, whenever they come in.

Constant Goals:
[ ] Changing sleep cycle; focus on night.

Is it possible to make negative progress? I've slipped about an hour or two.

[ ] Clean my office.
[40] Write 1K words a day (for 52 weeks).

Damoclian · Oct 11, 2017

Okay, you guys, I need a kick in the ~~teeth~~ BUTT, and some encouragement too, so I'm gonna make a list of things I have already accomplished this fine month of misery and madness (aka October) to see if that'll put a cheer in my in-studio audience:

[X] Work out how to be a good ML for NaNo and actually use the regional calendar to make events instead of relying on my wondrous co-MLs for assistance.
[X] Prepare the venues and the hosts for NaNo Come Write-In so the upcoming NaNo can be done with pomp and pizzazz, as is proper.
[X] Submit a short story to a PRO market. (Yep, I did that, haven't heard back yet, but I did it and now it's done and can't be undone and THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!

)
[X] Write dem werdz in the manuscript I am revising to fill in the GINORMOUS gaps and holes that needed just a bit of mudding to hide.

[...] Actually revise any significant portion of my story in preparation for the oncoming storm of words I am determined to make NaNoWriMo be this year!!! D:

*crickets chirp in the distance*

mrsmig · Oct 12, 2017

:

ats Dammy on the head::

Congratulations on submitting your short story! It's something I make myself do every couple of months - sort of a "nothing ventured, nothing gained" activity. I sent one out last month for an anthology; not expecting anything back but a rejection but it's a good exercise, if nothing else.

And also congratulations on volunteering to be a Municipal Liaison for NaNo. We who may be about to NaNo salute you.

mrsmig · Oct 14, 2017

Well, my world went a bit haywire this week: our leading lady's hip situation finally got the better of her, and our closing has been moved up from December 30 to November 5th. This not only means I'll be out of work right before the holidays, but my sublet situation is completely screwed. I have to get out of my current place on November 1st, but since I can't take my new place for the full two months I'd contracted for, the owner sublet it to someone else. I got only a small part of my deposit back, and I still have to hunt down a place to live for the remaining five days of the show's run. I'm too old to sleep on someone's sofa, and hotels are ruinous, so I'm exploring AirB&B options right now. I may lose my mind before this episode of my life is all over.

Needless to say, no writing happened this week. I finished two books: Oliver Sacks' THE MIND'S EYE, and M.L. Stedman's THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS. The first was pretty good; the latter a disappointment. Still playing Twilight Princess on my Wii. Did my teaser graphics for Book #2 for the week and had my agent nudge my publisher on the pre-order date ("this weekend maybe" was the best he could get out of her. Jebus).

The one goal that did get accomplished this week: I've decided to do NaNo. I may fail, but I know I'm going to need something to focus on once this show is over.

1. Explore NYC with at least two more jaunts to places I've never been - 0 of 2
2. Read five books - 2 of 5
3. Get at least 10k words written on rough draft of Book #5 - currently 4,090
4. Post two "teaser" graphics per week on social media to promote Book #2 - 4 of 10
5. Get pre-order date for Book #2 from publisher and promote accordingly - in progress
6. Plan promo for cover reveal of Book #3 on October 23 - in progress
7. Decide whether to do NaNo in November - DONE - I'm in
~~8. Move from current sublet to new place at end of month~~
8. Figure out where I'm going to live for the first 5 days of November - in progress

bdwilson · Oct 16, 2017

Weekly check-in!

[ ] Finish formatting the eBook I've been stalling on.
[X] ~~Figure out a title/theme for the reprint short story collection I'm pulling together.~~

We'll see if that holds once I've pulled everything together, but at least I have an idea now.

[ ] Finish the change I want to make to one of my novellas (flipping some secondary characters around).
[--] Prep for NaNoWriMo.

Still working on this.

[X] ~~Read The Martian before book club.~~
[ ] Do edits on the E shorty story, whenever they come in.

Constant Goals:
[--] Changing sleep cycle; focus on night.

I have admitted I'm not going to need more drastic measures on this one. I've scheduled a computer shutdown to boot my butt off when I'm supposed to be getting ready for bed. Hopefully that helps.

[--] Clean my office.

Actually made progress here! I've gone through the stack of random things and sorted them into keep, toss, and donate piles. It's opened up floor space in the office, which is good. I'm going to try and keep that momentum going.

[41] Write 1K words a day (for 52 weeks).

bdwilson · Oct 16, 2017

mrsmig, that sucks

I hope you can find a place soon!

mrsmig · Oct 16, 2017

bdwilson said:
mrsmig, that sucks I hope you can find a place soon!

Thanks. Company management helped me get a discounted rate at a hotel in the same block as the theatre, so at least now I have someplace to lay my head. I'll be getting a refund of my security deposit on my sublet, so that will ease the pain somewhat.

Tamlyn · Oct 19, 2017

@mrsmig - ouch on the issues, but glad you've got the hotel and deposit sorted at least.

More small progress for me. Given we're almost three quarters of the way through the month, I suspect I'm going to end up with lots of unfinished goals.

Game session went much more smoothly so I was very happy about that. And it was by necessity a short one, so I've still got plenty for the next few sessions planned and can devote myself to pretty maps for a while longer

I completed a chapter! Actually completed! Yay! Again, I skipped the mid-week day that was meant to be for writing (maps, man, then appointments) so will have to try hard on Saturday. The only other thing I have happening then is in the evening. Otherwise I decided I should think about NaNo, a couple of supporting characters popped into my head and still no plot, but it locked the book in. I have come up with a few more notes since then thankfully. Writing on my WIP is going well - it's mostly what has fulfilling goal 6, which I'm quite happy with. I might actually get it done by the end of the month.

Finished Snow White Red Handed and am now reading the second in the series, Cinderella Six Feet Under. Still very much enjoying, despite my slow progress.

1. Read six books. 1/6
2. Game planning. Yes.
3. Edit three chapters. 1/3
4. Edit short story. 0/1
5. Choose/plan Nano. Yes.
6. Edit 2 pages or write 500 words a day. Yes.

mrsmig · Oct 21, 2017

Counting down the days until the end of October, the start of NaNo, the end of the run of my show and my return home. Weirdly, this is not inspiring me to write - I only want to do mindless things like surf the internet and go fishing in Twilight Princess. Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I did get a few things done this week: wrote a blog about the five books I read in 2017 that I liked best, read two books (Katherine Arden's THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE and Roddy Doyle's THE COMMITMENTS - enjoyed both), did my teaser stuff for Book #2 and promoted the hell out of it when my pre-order links went live. Still no writing accomplished. I sent out another short story for an anthology submission call (really should have made that a goal this month), re-upped my subscription to Duotrope and started Philip Pullman's THE GOLDEN COMPASS. I've sworn to finish reading OSLO (a play) by R.T. Rogers by Sunday - I've been partway through it for months now.

1. Explore NYC with at least two more jaunts to places I've never been - 0 of 2
2. Read five books - 4 of 5
3. Get at least 10k words written on rough draft of Book #5 - currently 4,090
4. Post two "teaser" graphics per week on social media to promote Book #2 - 6 of 10
5. Get pre-order date for Book #2 from publisher and promote accordingly - DONE
6. Plan promo for cover reveal of Book #3 on October 23 - in progress
7. Decide whether to do NaNo in November - DONE - I'm in
~~8. Move from current sublet to new place at end of month~~
8. Figure out where I'm going to live for the first 5 days of November - DONE; hotel reservations made
9. Write a half dozen blog posts for FISKUR's virtual book tour - 0 of 6

ETA: To add Goal #9 to the list.

Damoclian · Oct 23, 2017

You guys are some tough cookies right here: doing all these things, achieving all this schtuff, surviving and thriving in all this hardship and inconvenience. And then there's me, getting a new 8-week old puppy on Thursday right before my parents leave for the weekend and with NaNo starting imminently. I am simultaneously eager and anxious for the obvious reasons. I just hope my bigger dog likes my new littler dog... (which she should because my current hound, Sophie, is a total sweetheart! <3

) I fear the new pup may make writing more difficult than it already is for me right now, so I'mma try'n get as many words in as I can, and as much editing as I can, before the puppy lands in home.

Goals for the next week:
[ ] Finish MOONSWAY's edits, yo!
[ ] Finish reading a book, any book, before the end of the month... yo!
[ ] Prepare for the puppy (her name will be Topaz!

) so she can be comfortable and safe in the house.
[ ] Make a new outline for the (rebel within me's) final part of my Trilogy of One Book(s) so I know what to do during NaNo! yo... <<

OctNoWriMo 2017 - October All Over

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Making magic with words

fish skeleton

a demon for tea

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Dedicated Lurker

a demon for tea

Fragile Bunny

Puttin' daydreams to paper

Puttin' daydreams to paper

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

fish skeleton

Puttin' daydreams to paper

Dedicated Lurker

Fragile Bunny

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Dedicated Lurker

Dedicated Lurker

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

fish skeleton

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Fragile Bunny