|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
Okay, this is a little daunting for me this year. I have a novella-shaped thing I've been working on; the first draft is technically done (a chapter in the middle is conspicuously missing). My goal for this month is to complete a second draft with no missing chapters and without the odor of manure that the first draft has. Of course, this may end up being a little trickier to track than a clear-cut #words-per-day, but if I march through chapter by chapter, this might still work out.
So...
Working Title: A Fool's Fish-Tale
Work Type: Original Fiction (Technically an AU fanfic for Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but the crucial difference is that no one is alive who can sue me.)
Summary: As a court jester, Tristram always hides behind a joke and a smile. But when a mysterious mute girl shows up who has her eyes on the prince, Tristram soon realizes two things: she is a princess, and she needs his help. Can he help make an oblivious prince see what's under his nose, or will he only make a fool of himself?
Chapters Done: 2 / 19
Current Word-Count: 23,625
Last edited by Queen of the Capes; 10/13/25 09:28 PM. Reason: Updates! :D
~•~
|
|
1 member likes this:
blg1987 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
Current Progress:
I've got a version of chapter 1 that I'm mostly happy with now.
I'm part-way through 2, which has been...daunting.
~•~
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
|
|
Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
Awesome! That sounds like a fun story, I'd love to read it!
And that's an entirely acceptable goal, even though it's less able to be quantified. The real point isn't quantification, it's writing progress!
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 82
Boards Chief Administrator Pulitzer
|
|
Boards Chief Administrator Pulitzer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 82 |
Oooh go you! You can do it!!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 1,043 Likes: 52
Top Banana
|
|
Top Banana
Joined: Oct 2022
Posts: 1,043 Likes: 52 |
Woohoo!!!
I know I'm not like most people, but I do love editing!! You can do it!!! 🎉🎉🎉
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 274 Likes: 47
Hack from Nowheresville
|
|
Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 274 Likes: 47 |
I love new versions of old fairytales. Sounds like fun.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,016 Likes: 99
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,016 Likes: 99 |
This sounds like fun! Go, Queenie!
Last edited by bakasi; 10/05/25 03:29 AM.
It's never too dark to be cool. 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 82
Boards Chief Administrator Pulitzer
|
|
Boards Chief Administrator Pulitzer
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,236 Likes: 82 |
We'd love an update next time you have the interwebs!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 78 Likes: 12
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 78 Likes: 12 |
Sounds like a great project, hope the challenge helps get you in the zone! 😊
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
So...progress... I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to turn this sow's ear of a chapter into a silk purse of plot and character development. I jotted notes. I consulted the outline. I tried deleting and rewriting it. I tried yelling at it. Nothing.
It was pretty crushing. I started to realize that it wasn't just the chapter, but the whole story was crap. Why was I fixated on these characters, anyway? What if I'm just not cut out to be a writer at all? Maybe this whole thing was pointless...
Finally, I was visited in the night by the spirits of NanoWriMo Past, Present, and Yet to Come, and they told me to quit fussing around and just get on with it.
To humor them, I left chapter 2 and started re-reading chapter 3. I realized that I'm not a terrible writer; it's just that one stupid chapter that sucks! So...I'm probably going to delete the whole thing. Its only justification is a scene that's probably movable.
My main concern, and why I've humored it for so long, is that I have difficulty sometimes with putting Enough information into my stories. People praise my "ability" to keep things short (which is much like a fish's ability to breathe water, try making it do the opposite and see how impressive the results are), but one of my writer flaws is a tendency to leave too much out, which can result in reader confusion.
So...that's the update for now. Hopefully more to report soon.
~•~
|
|
1 member likes this:
blg1987 |
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 78 Likes: 12
Freelance Reporter
|
|
Freelance Reporter
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 78 Likes: 12 |
Really identify with the 'this is all crap' mental process. It's usually never right though 😅 I've only ever once had to scrap a chapter completely, and i've still kept it because I kept wondering if it was just wrong for THAT story and meant for another.
Glad you found your way back in again!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
|
|
Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
Aww, hugs Queenie. I'm sad that you were stuck in that mental loop. *I* don't think your writing is crap, and I'm so proud of you for pursuing your dream of writing an original novel!
And I'm proud of those spirits for kicking you out of the funk! Hahaha. Definitely sounded like you need to move out of that chapter and maybe come back later.
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
Finally got the second chapter done! It used to be chapter 4, but then some demolition happened. Short thing is now shorter. I also put the word count up in the first post. Now to figure out what's happening to chapter 3...
~•~
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
|
|
Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
23,625 words in 2 chapters?? That's not a short thing, that's fantastic! Wohoo!
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
|
|
Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
23,625 words in 2 chapters?? That's not a short thing, that's fantastic! Wohoo! Oh no no; the whole thing altogether is 23k words. I'm doing the rewrite pass.
~•~
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
|
|
Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
Oh, you mean your entire rough draft of the original fiction story you've been working on is done? *That's* truly fantastic. Congratulations =)
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 844 Likes: 17
Features Writer
|
|
Features Writer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 844 Likes: 17 |
Spike: "There's a hole in the world...feels like we ought to have known."
-Angel
|
|
|
|
|
