Checking in

[in_lighter_ink]

Happy Day 10, writers all! I'm in_lighter_ink and I shall be your checker-inner for the next week. How's the ficcing going today?

Alas, I am not a paid user, so I can't do polls...



How are you doing on your chosen fic(s) for the month so far?
*On track for my goals
*Ahead of schedule
*Behind schedule
*Too early to tell

And what did you do today, fic-wise?
*Wrote
*Researched
*Edited
*Procrastinated
*Sent to beta
*Posted the finished fic
*Something else I'll clarify in the comments

If you wrote any words today, how many did you write?
*1-249
*250-499
*500-749
*750-999
*1000 or more

In three words or less, how are you feeling about the fic(s) right now?

Comments

[eggcrack]

- On track with my goals, though goals themselves are still undefined at the moment.
- Wrote! \o/ A decent-sized bit too, though it wasn't for any "official" project of mine. Still, it was something so my creative writing muscle got some exercise.
- 750-999.

Three words: Must focus harder!

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for writing!!! I know it's been tough for you to keep up w/this b/c you've had so much other stuff to deal w/right now, so... this is really awesome to see. \o/ Long may it continue!

[in_lighter_ink]

Wooo! Writing is writing, and I think progress, even if it is "unofficial."

[linaewen]

The other day I thought I was going to actually be able to sit down and get some words written for my Big Bang, which is what I'm trying to work on because I have to report on my progress (*gulp*) in the next couple days.

But no. I began, but immediately ran into a snag -- that snag being a fact of canon I had forgotten about in planning my story that affects everything if I don't figure out a way around it. I can't just ignore it, or make something up -- in spite of the fact that this is an AU I'm writing, I'm still anal about the background facts fitting canon, even if I do change other things like characters and the way events happen. ;-)

Anyway, my response was to avoid the story for a few days, but that didn't help, so I'm doing research today to try to figure how I will proceed. I'm feeling good about it now, rather than dismayed -- this has happened before, and I always find my answer; sometimes an even better story comes out of it in the process! Hopefully, the research will jog some words out of my brain as well as helping my find my work-around answer to my snag!

So basically, I'm behind schedule, spending the day researching -- and hopefully writing at least 1,000 words before the end of the day!

[linaewen]

In three words -- Research, then write!!!

[in_lighter_ink]

That happened to me not long ago, as well! I agree -- figuring out how to work around those pesky canon snags is actually kind of fun, in a doing-rewarding-brainwork kind of way (if that makes any sense).

And hey, doing research is still progress -- have fun, and good luck!

[littlebutfierce]

I really really hate those sudden canon stumbling blocks! But I agree, sometimes something better comes out--so I'm glad you're feeling positive! \o/

[curuchamion]

Clearing out my WIP folder, with much editing and posting and such. Total posted since Friday evening (when I started): 2153 words. That's... I'm a drabbler, more or less. That's a lot. :D

[littlebutfierce]

That is a lot! Go you! As a fellow short fic-writer, I am impressed. ;) (Although I seem to be morphing slightly into slightly-longer-fic territory, ahaha.)

[in_lighter_ink]

That's fantastic! As another short-fic person (with a WIP folder that wants clearing!), I am also suitably impressed. :D

[littlebutfierce]

I did a tiny bit of editing today on the rough first draft of my help_japan fic. I'm just so relieved that there IS a draft, & not an abandoned file of words. Usually I need a few days off before going back for serious editing, although I really am in the mood to move forward again w/this fic now! Except when I try to I keep flitting off & doing something else--I think my brain is trying to tell me I really do need that break.

Three words: DON'T STOP NOW!

[in_lighter_ink]

Go you! Being excited about what you're working on and in the mood to press on is half the battle, I think, so that's great to hear! I hope it keeps up for you, even if you end up taking that break. :D

[littlebutfierce]

Thank you!! Yeah, I was struggling to get the excitement--I was pushing ahead w/writing & just thinking, ugh, none of this feels right. I didn't have that click moment where I knew I was on the right track until recently. Phew!

[in_lighter_ink]

Phew indeed! It's such a relief, that sort of validation-y type feeling of it finally coming together.

[lacygrey]

Hi in_lighter_ink

My goals - I don't know whether I'm online with my goals as my aim is to finish the fics, and they don't have a set word count. It will just take as many as it takes...and I'm not there yet.

Today I - reread/ enjoyed the pictures in half a volume of the (Hikago) canon and wrote about 200w of description based on said pictures.

Not much, but still moving forward. Cleaned the fridge too :(

[in_lighter_ink]

Hello!

Yeah, that's about as far as I've gotten where actually specifying goals is concerned, too. :)

But it sounds like you've made progress today -- a little bit of forward motion is still forward motion, and that's a fantastic thing!

(Ew, fridge-cleaning. Worst chore ever.)

[lacygrey]

I find that cleaning virtually anything can made bearable by audiofic.

[littlebutfierce]

Rereading Hikago sounds like a nice thing to do (aw, now I want to rewatch all the anime, heh). Hey, it's refreshing canon!!

I find it hard to judge whether I'm on track for my fic goals, too. Good luck w/yours--as you said, it just takes as many words as you need to get there.

[lacygrey]

Its been a long time since I looked at these chapters. Its in the final arc that the art is the best, even though this part of the story is the most mundane.

I was really reading to remind myself about how the main characters looked when they are slightly older - something the manga does better than the anime. But I discovered something I'd missed before, not something I was looking for. There's a minor character (Amano, the journalist) who disapears between volumes 18 and 19, with no further explanation than that the replacement had to step in quickly.

I can see how they need the replacement for the story - he's a bit green and some of thie things he says are import and for the plot. But still, I think there's a story to be found in that question.

Fic goals, hmm? Not missing the remix deadline or expecting miracles of the beta at the 11th hour. Oh and not inciting the wrath of the original author^^

[in_lighter_ink]

I have been horribly anti-social the last couple of weeks (and that includes not even wanting to hang out with words), and am correspondingly horribly far behind on everything (including a set of comments for charamei... I haven't forgotten, really!). However, I've had a decently productive last couple of days, and that's given me some encouraging momentum to keep working on catching up. So not all is lost.

As far as today goes... I've written! About 800 words that probably won't ever see the light of day, but were good for fleshing out some characterization details for a queer_fest fic that's in its infancy.

Three words: Don't lose hope!

[littlebutfierce]

Sometimes everyone needs to be anti-social--hopefully it was a good restful period, or at least a necessary break! Good luck getting back in the swing of things!

I am definitely in favor of lots of words that won't see the light of day, b/c they sometimes do end up bringing out some other details that could be used, like you said.

Don't lose hope indeed!! \o/

[curuchamion]

'I am definitely in favor of lots of words that won't see the light of day, b/c they sometimes do end up bringing out some other details that could be used, like you said.'

Oh gosh, yes. I think 80% of everything I write is just scribbling - planning, meta, working on ideas that don't go anywhere, getting to know characters...

[in_lighter_ink]

Thanks! That's the thing about breaks... they're good while they last, but I always have trouble starting up again.

Oh, me too -- that's yet another thing I like about 750 words. Even on the days where I'm just rambling about nothing, I'll sometimes go back and find a phrase or an idea that sparks something useful.

[lacygrey]

That sounds like a productive day.
Things don't necessarily get written in the order we want them to. But it must be a good feeling to be moving forward.

[chibifukurou]

Behind schedule (by around 10,000 words)The last WIP I was working on ended up being longer than I had planned. So my writing time ended up going to that project. Thankfully the rough draft is finished now, so I can move on to the next WIP in my list.

Planning/Procrastinating. I'm trying to convince my muses that we really can't jump ahead to another fandom.

1-249

Paging StarTrek Muse

[in_lighter_ink]

Congrats on finishing the draft! And good luck keeping those pesky muses in line. ;)

[dbskyler]

I have words! Planning for the fic isn't over yet, but I have officially begun writing!

So I'm going to say I'm still on schedule. :D

[in_lighter_ink]

Yay for words! And yeah, I'll often start writing before I'm done planning -- sometimes it helps plans come together.

[curuchamion]

Okay, fic_rush (on LJ) is over. My word count has not increased since my last comment, but I've sorted out a few more to-do things, and found another stalled WIP that is much more viable than I'd thought! Go me! :D

[in_lighter_ink]

Figuring out what actually needs doing is important progress! And yay for viable WIPs! :D

(By the way, your icon made me giggle. Hooray for Ravelry!)