We're mad!, Jules this is all your fault! Options

[Imogen]

I've got to confess, I'm feeling pretty excited about this. I've started plotting my story out now and I can't wait to get going on it.

It's morphed a lot from the idea I was first thinking about, and it's turning into a novel for adults rather than teenagers. That's going to be quite a change for me because I've never written anything much for adults at all.

I've got one of the characters, Claire, fairly clear in my head and I'm going to be spending a while working on the others this week. I've kind of borrowed a moment from a short story I wrote last year and something that happened to me in real life, and I'm letting the plot bunnies spiral out from there.

I'm also pretty nervous. I think I'm one of the slowest writers in the world, so having to write at this speed is pretty scary. I'm having to reassure myself that it's only going to be a draft and no one will expect it to be the same as my usual posted stuff.

How's everyone else feeling right now?

Imogen

[b4zookajules]

I'm really, REALLY looking forward to it. I've had an idea which I'll probably end up using, and most of that is slowly but surely getting planned out in my mind. Even if I don't use that plot, I'm definitely using these characters. ^_^ I've thought up two so far; Lorna and Adam, and they're almost perfectly clear in my mind already.

My only worry really, is that when I'm not in a writing mood, I can't spin *anything* out. When I'm in a good mood though, I tend to get a LOT done... I've just gotta hope that I'm in a good mood most of the time, and blitz it when I am.

*bounces in excitement*

-Jules. xxx

[nome]

I have a setting I'd really like to try, but no set plot. I do have an idea that'd set things going off in all directions, what I want, but I'm not sure if it's the best plot. One character, Jameson, is getting very real in my head, followed closely by two others.

The fun thing is that the setting is that it's sort of a self-contained world: A long countryside road, Lane Avenue, with six manors. The interaction between everybody is very tightly-woven, in their own complex social structure. Now all of this creates very interesting character interaction and all that, but it also means that each person in this "small world" is an inseperable part of this web, and plays a specific role in relation to everybody else.

I *definitely* must be mad.

For the moment, in my head, I've dubbed the story "Avenue".

Nome

[percival]

I've never written anything longer than a short story before, so this is a truly MAD challenge. But it's going to be good! I'm already planning the story ... it's going to be the tale of a massage therapist who's just starting out in her first year of training. The thing will be massively structured and probably very stilted as a result. But hey ...

The inspiration is very simple - if my interview on Aug 15 goes well, I'll be training as a massage therapist from October onwards.

For those of you who don't know me: I'm perceval on
Livejournal.

cheerio,

percival

[b4zookajules]

Sounding good, guys. Your idea's good Perceval - if you get stuck you can just take a long, hard look in the mirror.

I had yet MORE ideas for the story last night in bed; I seem to be making a habit of it. XD My grandma bought me a notebook as part of my birthday present, and it's already half full of ideas and short scenes for this damned thing. But, it can only be a good thing.

Only 3 months to go!

-Jules. xxx

[Aibhinn]

OK. I've written novels before (my fic on GT is about 70,000 words already), but I'm not great at plotting unless a plot bunny bites me HARD.

So I'm going to write a Stupid Smut Novel ™. Set in Tacoma, Washington, which is where I live, and mostly PWP, unless I manage to get some sort of plot in there somewhere.

I know. I know. I should come up with something better. But it's 50K in a month; I've got to start somewhere. <g>

NOt quite panicked, not yet... in fact, I'm doing some planning, which I generally don't do; I like to let my characters take over for me. But I think there'll be some outlining going on in the next couple months!

Aibhinn

[Imogen]

I've been doing a bit of research today as well ~ on the cheerful topic of how people grieve. It all makes a lot of sense, but now I've got to flesh out my characters a bit to see how they would react to what I've got planned for them. I'm feeling guilty already and I don't even know who they all are yet! LOL.

The plan for the rest of this week is to think of the characters and their situations. Are they married? Kids? Single? City or country? I know I want a varied group of people converging together, so it's going to take a lot of planning to get this right.

Maybe I'm too ambitious.

Love the sound of the simple smutfic!

Imogen

[allie kiwi]

Well I'm going to do a romance that starts off online in a fandom about a TV show (they do say 'write what you know' after all *grin*). One problem - I have to invent said TV show

Pretty much when I get the fandom sorted out I think I'll be all right - got the general outline of the story plotted - just need to work out specifics on a chapter by chapter basis.

I've never written anything very long before - about 4,000 words has ben my limit, unles you add on sequels when I get up to around 10,000

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

Allie

[Sockie]

Bleh, yes Julsey, you got me onto this!

My story is set in a different time/world. I know I want the characters to be mid-teens, around my age, because like Allie said, write what you know.

I have a basic plotline, and 3 characters semi-planned out so far. My sister says it sounds like a good story line, but I really don't know until I plan more.

I'm in a fix for names right now, so I was wondering if any of you out there had a link to a latin translator or something like that, I'd be much obliged.

Thanks!

Kara

[nome]

I think the website is http://www.freetranslation.com/ for a half-decent latin translation.

Imogen, do you have any particularily good tidbits to share? I've been researching the same thing!

Nome

[Enna]

I participated in NaNoWriMo last year, but didn't get very far - a week in, my school dumped a whole load of exams on me, and I completely lost it. ¬_¬ This year I'm planning earlier than I did last time, and sorting as much as I can out in my head before I begin writing. Hopefully I won't lose track.

I've always been a little insecure about my writing. I never seem to be happy with what I've written and to be honest, if I wasn't me, I wouldn't dream of reading it. I really just write because it makes me feel good, and I feel like it gets something out of me which nothing else can. I don't expect anyone to get into it, but I guess you can only get better at something if you work at it.

Write what you know? Sounds good. However, I'm going to be writing about a fairy/elf boy in his late teens.

I hope I'll do okay.

-Enna, thanking Jules for linking her here...

[Imogen]

This is the English/Latin translator I use. Seems to be quite a decent one because it gives you a few options so you can choose your word in context.

Nome, this is what I'm working from - not sure if it'll help for you:

QUOTE

Stroebe and Stroebe  describe the symptoms of grief as follows: Affective symptoms, to include depression, anxiety, guilt, anger and hostility, anhedonia, and loneliness. Behavioral symptoms, including agitation, fatigue, and crying. Attitudes toward the self, the deceased and the environment, including self-reproach, low self-esteem, helplessness and hopelessness, sense of unreality, suspiciousness, interpersonal problems, and attitudes including yearning toward, imitation of, idealization of, ambivalence toward, images of and preoccupation with the deceased. Cognitive impairment reflected in thought retardation and difficulties in concentration. Physiologic changes and bodily complaints, including loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, energy loss, bodily complaints (including a wide spectrum of "psychosomatic" complaints), complaints of physical symptoms similar to those experienced by the deceased prior to death, changes in drug use (increased use of prescription or illegal substances, as well as alcohol or tobacco), and susceptibility to illness and disease, particularly infections and stress-related diseases.

Great so see everyone here BTW - is this forum ok for us, or do we want/need anything else?

Imogen

[b4zookajules]

I think this'll do us great - at least at the moment while we're in the planning stages.

But the 'write what you know' thing is something I haven't really thought about. Hmmm. :/ My two main characters are about mid-to-late teens, although the way that they've been brought up gives them no real sense of age. Children and adults are all sent to do the same jobs, no matter what their age, so they don't really 'count' it as such. But I know exactly how they act to their ages, and to me they act like mature teenagers who have never known childhood. Which is what they've had, really.

Now. I've known childhood, but I think basically the way that Lorna (one of my mains) thinks. Stubborn. I think I'll be all right, but thanks for pointing that out! When it comes to the major plot bits, I'll have to make sure I put things like that in there. I've already thought of one scene, which is totally inspired by one of my friends (including a small chest and a blow-up bra. The only difference is that my friend *wanted* to wear one, whereas my character will fight tooth and nail not to. XD).

But still. I'm SOOOOO looking forward to this now! *major huggles to everyone!*

-Jules. xxx

[nome]

You know, another advantage to this group is that if anybody wants to know how they're doing on making ages believable, there's probably someone of that age here.

We run from the midteens up to the thirties, no?

[Shimmer]

*takes deep breath*

I know that for me this is really silly, but I decided that I'm going to try and do this NaNoWriMo thing too! I never elaborate enough and I always make things too short, so I think writing something full length will be quite the challenge for me! Oh well, it should be fun to try anyway! Wish me luck!

Shimmer