A Healthy Dose of PMS ~#

[Nefas Fatum]

*shoves encouragement your way*  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

Why, thank you! =D  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

I need to revive this piece of crap.

Watch this space. ninja  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Monday 9th April, 2012.

Dear god it's been a long time. I'm sorry! I really should have kept up with this journal because I think it's actually been one of my best movitational tools over the last few years. However, the fact that I ditched it probably explains why my writing is going so badly lately. sweatdrop

In any case, a lot has happened since I actually wrote a proper entry. For starters, a lot of my time has been sucked away by the demons that are my American friends. I've been studying abroad in Chapel Hill, North Carolina since August of last year, and now we're on the countdown to going home I'm finally coming to my senses. I feel like this year has been one crazy whirl-wind experience, and I don't know how to describe it or keep track. Originally while I was out here I kept a hand-written journal, but that lasted less than a month and then real life got in the way. It's remarkably difficult to keep up with a journal of that magnitude when you're busy making new friends, getting acquainted with a new culture, studying new things and reading new books, getting acquainted with a new way of studying, volunteering at the local animal shelter... The list goes on!

Needless to say, it's not really been a year for writing. Essentially, I took part in NaNoWriMo as usual, but even that was half-hearted, and although I hit the 50k I didn't get anywhere near finishing the novel. Having said that, this year has been fantastic in terms of writing ammunition. For example, I now know what it's like to fire a real gun (which is something I'd never just be able to do in the woods at home! - and shotguns are so powerful omg) and what it's like to totally dislocate yourself from everything you know. It's fascinating. So whilst the writing has been slim-pickings this year, I feel like my life-experience points have trebbled. XD

So, what am I working on at the moment, you ask? Well, a couple of things really. Firstly I have to get through finals unscathed, and at UNC this is no mean feat I can tell you. Secondly, I have a couple of writing projects on the go - although for now, nothing large.

A few days ago I started a 365 day challenge, which is essentially all about writing something - it doesn't matter how small - every day. This is something that I thought I could really benefit from, and by the time I'm home again I'll have a solid month of daily writing under my belt, so hopefully I'll have the motivation to start something larger when I'm back in England.

As for this 'something larger', I have a couple of things in mind. I would like to go back to my 2010 NaNoWriMo novel, because recently my boyfriend helped me work out what it was that was bothering me. Hopefully now I'll be able to go back over the damn thing, fill in the holes, and successfully complete the last 25k or so of the plot. That's my first goal for the summer.

I'd also like to re-start a novel I began last summer, with an edited plot and characters; I suppose this will be largely what I'm working on between June and September.

Finally, I have a creative writing dissertation to work on. I won't say too much about this, since it's very complicated and still very much in its research stages (i.e. I've not even really started researching yet because I have too much other academic crap on my plate) - but it'll be really interesting in the end. Promise. *fingers crossed*

Anyway, sorry for the gigantic post about my life, but I do keep these journal posts mostly because I enjoy reading back over the different writing phases I've had. But feel free to comment anyway! [[P.S. I'm so glad we're getting this guild off the ground again; it's one of my favourite places on the internet. whee ]]

Words written today: 64. A couple of haikus. TRYINGNEWTHINGS. YEAH.

Overall challenge word count: 1,416 [Day 4]

Overall [novel] word count: N/A  

[Kita-Ysabell]

I have to say, my first reaction was "holy crap you're on this continent I should drive to North Carolina like, now, so that I can say that I know writer people in REAL LIFE" but this was an incredibly stupid thing to think. While we are on the same continent, I'm on the other side of said continent, and driving cross country in the truck in so not feasible in so many ways.

ANYWAYS. Racking up experiences: yup. Definitely important to being able to write. And it's not something that just happens. You have to be paying attention to record in your memory all the important details that make it most valuable for writing.

Good luck on your finals and dissertation!  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

Why didn't I see this before now? I'm sorry for the delayed response. sweatdrop

Haha, it's funny, because since coming to America I've had that stupid thought several times. In England, I don't have the same thoughts, but since flying out here I realised I was suddenly on the same continent as a bunch of my online friends, and my mind was blown. rofl Having said that, I did fly up to Canada to spend Christmas with a friend I met on Gaia many years ago (3 years ago she came to England to visit me, so I was returning the favour!) ... Anyway. That makes me sound weird... >_>

I know what you mean about having to be consciously recording everything in memory. I think looking back I'll wish I was paying more attention on several occasions - but whenever I felt like something big was happening I made sure to pay attention from an author's POV as well. My friends think I'm crazy. rolleyes

Thanks for the luck! ^_^  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Thursday 11th October, 2012.

Now playing: Just Give Me A Reason - P!nk

Your head is running wild again, my dear we still have everything, and its all in your mind...

Another long time gone!

Once again, I'm not dead, just busy. The 356 Challenge sort of fell by the wayside, but I kind of suspected that it might once I got home from America. Since I got home I've had loads on my plate, including a ridiculous amount of work/worrying/thinking for my dissertation project (mentioned above).

Today I came up with a plot for NaNoWriMo this year. It's going to be fun, I think. Perhaps I'll aim to post in this thread more regularly during November, though I'm not sure how many of you are really interested in my epic ramblings. X3

In any case, here is the summary I have for NaNo:

Quote:

One cold December night, Florence Tanner receives an invitation to a party. Lo has no friends, no enemies, no family; so who would invite her and why? She decides to take the chance, compelled by some unrealised fear to change her life for the better. What she finds instead is a hulking mansion, and eight other people she has never met.

And their host has an interesting proposition for his guests. Stop the Night King and regain their rightful places as ministers in the cabinet of the Wren Court. The problem is, Lo has never heard of the Night King, or the Wren Court; and she certainly doesn't have the skills required to stage a political coup.

Oh, and there's another problem. Their host will not let them leave until they have made a decision.

If I can get the first draft of my creative writing dissertation written by the end of October, then I think this semester will go a little easier. ... Speaking of which, I should really get on that.

Words written today: 0

You used to lie so close to me, there's nothing more than empty sheets between our love, our love

 

[Kita-Ysabell]

That premise does sound like a lot of fun!

I would read your epic ramblings... Epic ramblings are my specialty, both reading them and writing them.

Good luck with your dissertation project.  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

Thanks! So far I'm really struggling, but I am getting somewhere I think so all is not lost. 3nodding

I'm really excited to work on The Night King. I feel like it's something I need to allow myself to do.  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Sunday 28th April, 2013.

Now playing: The House that Built Me - Miranda Lambert

This year has been crazy for me. My final year at university has thrown some really interesting challenges, plus trying to cram in last-minute socialisation is slowing everything else down. I'm making a pact with myself to try and get my a** online a bit more often. After all, soon I'll have graduated and I'll be writing much more and I'll probably need to keep some kind of journal. Might as well keep it here!

Anyway. I'm working on a new project at the moment. It's a bit tentative right now, but it should be worth something if I can keep at it. It's about superheroes. =D I have one more exam on May 9th, and then I should be free to write more (except for the new puppy my family is getting, which might be a bit distracting! haha).

Wish me luck, y'all!

Words written today: 388 so far!

Overall word count: 2,905

Favourite line from today/so far:
Her right foot hit the ground first. She felt the burning heat of the tarmac in her feet and imagined briefly that she was a phoenix, springing free and fresh from the fire and ashes of her previous life. She knew in reality that the people around her saw nothing more than a dusty barefoot orphan with wild hair and sunburn.

“Alright,” she whispered to herself, looking around her. The crowd was beginning to swell towards the Pantheon, and she did not want to get stranded six blocks out like two years ago. She slipped her shoes on and set her gaze ahead. “Let’s do this.”  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Sunday 27th September, 2020.

Now playing: She Used To Be Mine - Sara Bareilles

I know this journal has been dead for... seven years (omg), but tonight I was having a scroll through the old entries and I've come to realise how much I relied on keeping a progress journal and a place to cheer myself on! It doesn't matter to me that nobody comes here any more, I think I've decided I would like to start making entries here again in the hopes that it will give me something to motivate myself.

So... a lot has happened in seven years but I'm now a published author (!!!) and working on my third book. My deadline with my publisher is March 2021, so my plan is currently to see if I can get a finished first draft done by the end of October. That means, in theory, writing about 2.5k a day between now and then. I'm on annual leave this week so my plan was to try to hit 3k a day but I've been feeling super drained. I only managed 1k yesterday. I'm hoping I can manage a little more tonight and maybe even hit 2.5k. I've got a lot of practicing to do since I haven't written a fresh draft of something in a while.

Anyway, putting it down here that I'm going to do my best to hit my goals and we'll see if the journal helps. If it does I might update here fairly regularly. Not every day or anything, but maybe on days when I'm writing or need a little more motivation.

Fingers crossed!

Words written today: 1,061 so far!

Overall word count: 9,891

Favourite line from today/so far:
The lighthouse looms above, its light cutting through the darkness like a silver knife. The cottage is still and dark, just as Lucas and I left it when we headed back down to the beach with the wood. How long ago was that? We didn’t hurry. Memories of Lucas’ face pressed against mine, a wall against my back, a few moments stolen from the others in the darkness…  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Monday 28th September, 2020.

Now playing: Small Town Hypocrite - Caylee Hammack

Today was a bit slow writing-wise. I didn't actually get started until like 11pm? I told myself I was going to write earlier but I'm soooo baaad at writing during the day lol. Instead I faffed around reading and stuff. Tomorrow I'm actually going to try harder to get writing done earlier, mostly because I'm meant to be going out with my dad and my sister for dinner.

I do feel like I'm finally slipping back into the writing groove though. Tonight the words haven't felt quite so much like pulling teeth and I think it's partly because I left it until later and partly just because I'm more in the right head space. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same and I can get even more words down.

It's an interesting experience writing this novel because I'm not actually writing my own story. It's something my publisher have paid me to write. I mean, it's still my story in many ways; I'm developing it in a way I want to, the characters are mine to a certain extent, and how the plot progresses is soooort of mine, but I do have an overarching plot to adhere to. In some ways that makes it easier because I haven't had to work out the plot, but in other ways it makes it harder. I'm worry about disappointing my editor, worried about the plot vs the word count and whether I've got the pace right... Lots of things to think about. But at the end of the day all I can do is write the draft that I have in my heart and my head and see what she thinks. I'm perfectly willing to go through some edits with her, but I am hoping they're not super-duper intense. sweatdrop

Anyway, I think I'm going to call it a night since it's now later than I wanted to be awake. Will try again tomorrow!

Words written today: 1,208

Overall word count: 12,174

Favourite line from today/so far:
Fear worms inside me as we head back out into the wind, rain now stinging our faces as we pull our coats tighter and head back towards the path. I don’t know what we’re heading towards but I’m glad to leave the cabin behind.  

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Sunday 4th October, 2020.

Now playing: First Time - Carly Rae Jepsen

It's been a few days since I updated and I've been quite busy. Hit my goal on quite a few days and had a couple of days where I didn't make it, but that's okay!! Overall I think it's been quite a successful week of annual leave and my project is coming along nicely. I changed my goal part way through the week so that I have a little bit more room to be kind to myself, so now I only need to write 1.5k a day to finish by about November 24th, which is usually when my motivation drops right off because it gets super busy at work.

I was originally planning to be done with this book in time to start something new for NaNo but honestly I think I'm not being realistic about my ability to jump straight from one book to the next. I might be able to bolster my word count during NaNo by playing around with another project for "fun" alongside this, but I'll probably just end up writing the 1667 for NaNo as part of finishing this book.

Anyway things are going okay. I'm into the meat of the book now, with characters having drama and fun s**t happening, so while it never FEELS like it's excting enough I'm sure I'll be able to amp up the tension and the levels of spooky once I've written the draft and I know more what I'm doing with various characters etc. In any case it feels like a good start, and I'm already over 1/5 of the way there. Whoo!

Words written today: 2,207

Overall word count: 20,421

Favourite line from today/so far:
Today I'm torn between two:

Quote:

Gathered like this, huddled against the elements, it’s easy to forget what happened last night, easier still to forget the tension between us all this morning. This is how it should be, even though nothing so far this weekend seems to have gone to plan. At least we have this.

Quote:

We move off more quietly, still comfortable with each other but there’s a hint again of that tension, that lack of cohesion that we’ve never had before. It’s striking and I wonder what it is. Is it Genevieve, disrupting the balance we have always had? Is it James, wandering off last night without an explanation and his obvious question-dodging today? Or is it the island itself, the lighthouse, the ghosts that permeate the air even if they’re only folklore?

 

[Psychotic Maniacal Sanity]

~Tuesday 6th October, 2020.

Now playing: Body Language - Carly Rae Jepsen

Another couple of pretty productive days! I joined a new discord chat with people who are doing writing sprints and it's a busy enough server that I've nearly always had people to push me to write. I forgot how useful it is to write in sprints like that and how effective it is for me personally. I really do thrive with bloody deadlines, even little ones I set myself!

Words written today: 2,141

Overall word count: 24,153

Favourite line from today/so far:
I feel the same chill from earlier building in me. I know the ghost stories I told Jess aren’t real, but it would be so easy to believe them now. The rain lashes down outside, the fire flickers in the grate casting shadows that are long and spindly like spider legs, and Jess turns her full attention towards choosing her character for the game as though she can feel it too. It feels a little bit like we’re intruding in somebody else’s home.