Check-in: 23 May 2011

[charamei]

That time again! How's it going? Flying along? Well? Not well? About ready to ram a pencil through your eye and end it all? (Please don't.)

Discussion time: Random generators! Yes, no, only for certain things, never in a million years?

Comments

[jagnikjen]

It's not going yet. It's time to get writing, but none of the prompts are doing anything for me. But I won't have much time tonight to worry about it as I have an errand to run.

I've never used a random generator and tbh I'm not really sure what they are/how they work, so I can't actually answer your question.

[curuchamion]

Random generators are... well, essentially the Internet version of rolling dice to determine character traits, come up with plot twists, or such. For instance *pokes internet* here's a Futuristic Spare Part generator: you click the button and it jumbles together some of the space-age word parts in its memory bank to create a term like "central praepaef gimbal shooter" or "medical gretox matrix of the void grease signal". Very occasionally useful, often fun. ;-)

Seventh Sanctum's generator collection is good for people who actually find them inspiring as story-starters; me, I only use them for silliness or minor details (I'm the sort of person who can actually get stuck trying to come up with a nonsensical name for a piece of random futuristic hardware), so Chaotic Shiny is more to my taste.

[jagnikjen]

Well, then, no...I probably wouldn't use them.

Thanks for the explanation and the links, tho. :)

[linaewen]

I was too busy today to do any fresh writing, but I kept my hand in by posting a chapter -- alas that it wasn't a new chapter. Just an old, old chapter for a fic that I'm posting in a new place. But it made me feel like I was writing. ;-)

I looked at a random generator once, and nothing that was generated appealed to me. I usually have plenty of ideas for writing, just not enough time (or motivation), so I haven't used them.

[jagnikjen]

Posting a chapter is always exciting. :)

Speaking of which, I need to go add a couple more of my fics to the fandom archive.

[l_elfie]

hello, my name is l_elfie and i'm trying to finish a fic for an exchange by the end of this month! XD so i thought i would try this check-in thing.

earlier today i was at the THIS IS NEVER GOING TO WORK part of the story, but now i'm actually feeling pretty good, and with any luck i really can cut about three scenes so that i might actually finish!! also, it will be the longest thing i've ever written, oh gosh. terrifying.

[jagnikjen]

Welcome! Glad you've checked in.

So glad to hear you've gotten past the 'this is never going to work' part of the story. I hope the rest goes well.

[raletha]

Writing has not been going much this week, except for yesterday (I am checking in a day late). I filled in a gap between two parts I had written. It was about 200 words. It's not much, but it is better than nothing. And I always like to fill in those gaps in my drafts. ^^

I don't know which random generators you mean, but no, I've never used anything like that with writing.

[jagnikjen]

It is better than nothing! Just keep on plodding along. You'll get there

[raletha]

Thank you for the encouragement! :D

[curuchamion]

Plot twistiness is plotty and twisty! Which is to say that James took a sudden fit of something-or-other and grew a whole lot of unexpected character development overnight. *happy dancing* Also I broke 30,000 words and am fair optimistic (probably more so than I should be) about writing 20k more in seven days. O_O

I love it when my boys grab the wheel and take the story in totally unexpected directions. I just have to be able to hang on and keep scribbling! ;D

[jagnikjen]

Woo hoo! Way to go!

Keep it up!

[anyssia]

I've been bad, really bad: I haven't written anything since last Friday ^^;; I spent my week-end (and this evening again) enjoying the sun on my balcony ;p

But, I did grabbed my various English dictionaries Saturday (grammar, vocabulary, synonyms, glossaries) because I felt like I was always using the same words and needed to refresh my memory. So, not totally unproductive ;p

As for generators, I poked at it a few times, but I have enough plot bunnies eating my brain, I don't really need that. Plus, I only write fanfics, so names and places are already set.