WIP Challenge Check-in -- Day 23 (Saturday, yay!)

[linaewen]

It's Saturday, hooray!!  And that means it's time for another check-in post.  I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend, and that some lovely writing-related time will be part of it.

Since it's the end of the week, I'm wondering how you are feeling about things in general -- on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best possible happy choice, how do you feel your writing has gone so far this week?  How about this month?

Are any of the following on your list of things to do today?  If your day is already drawing to a close, did any of these actually happen?

    * Writing
    * Editing
    * Sending to beta
    * Posting
    * Procrastinating
    * Planning/Researching
    * Taking a break
    * Something else I will describe in comments

Describe your WIP in 4 words or less __________

Does anyone feel like chatting about fic in general?  Saturday's a good time for that, as well!  Are there any  fic-related things you want to chat about that haven't been covered as yet this week?  Are you looking for a beta? Want to post a snippet of your WIP? Is this community giving you what you need to succeed with your writing?  If not, is there anything we can do better?

Here's something I came across recently that made me laugh:

 

Has it ever happened that in your writing you've been going for one thing and something entirely different (but just as good) ends up being written?  Let the sharing commence!

Comments

[linaewen]

It's early yet where I am, so nothing has happened as far as writing goes. I'm not sure if I'll get anything accomplished, either, as I'm getting ready to go away for a week (a week that will be entirely devoted to writing, I hope!). Even so, I think I'll set a goal to write at least 100 words today!

This week on a scale of 1-10 has probably been a 4. I did get some writing done, but it wasn't enough to put me forward very far. I could have done better if I hadn't been plagued by other people's interruptions and my own procrastinating. ;-)

My fic in 4 words or less: Please, no more interruptions!

[lexicalcrow]

It's like, ten to midnight here BUT I JUST FINISHED ONE OF MY WIPS. 8D 'Glitter' is finished. Barring a revision of the last 5-6 chapters, as they're the newest and in need of the most work, I can finally start posting it. :D

I started this WIP three years ago. Final word count is 51,726 words. Fourteen chapters, plus prologue and epilogue. It's so nice to finally have it finished. :D I've written over 5k today, even though it's been a bit of a scrappy day. Saturdays are always busy for me. But I got there. :D

And now I can work on other things. Bwee. XD

Um, and my writing usually ends up somewhat different than I intend, depending on how badly my characters dislike my original idea. If they're really different, yeah, they hated it. That's usually how I gauge it.

[linaewen]

Whoo hoo, that's awesome to have finished! 5k in one day is also awesome! I shall take this as the encouragement I need to press ahead and finish something as well. I thought my day was going to be scrappy, but it's turned out to be wide open for me, so some writing could definitely happen.

Characters have a way of turning things around on us, don't they? But they are pretty trustworthy in the end, so it's all good.

[littlebutfierce]

Blergh, I feel like my writing this week has been a 3, if that high. I haven't had much brain for the writing of new words, but I haven't had the brain/energy/time to edit many old ones, either. I feel like I am stuck w/a zillion WIPs right now & neither the inspiration nor will to finish any of them. :/ I have written various snippety things this week, but it's been really really draggy. I think this is partly just because I am really stressed w/work & impending move, & maybe partly because I'm just in a bit of a dry patch. I've been in them before! & they have always given way eventually. So I'm trying to have faith that the creative cycle will keep on turning!

[jagnikjen]

Then take a breath and refill that creative well--see movies, listen to music, watch TV, read books!!

Less stress=more creativity. Don't sweat it so much.

[jagnikjen]

Congrats on finishing. It's such a great feeling. Good luck with the revisions.

[jagnikjen]

Just get prepared to write then. And best wishes on a creative, productive week of writing.

[jagnikjen]

Today has been quite busy and I'm sun burned (band booster car wash) and sleepy (up at 6am and then a boring 2 hour meeting after the car wash) so I'm struggling to write, but I'm writing. Not sure how many words as I haven't been really keeping track of daily tallies, only aiming for chapters of a certain length.

As for the discussion question...short answer yes, once or twice, but not all that often, to be honest. Mostly probably because I do little advance planning.

[lexicalcrow]

Yes. :D I'm very happy. There is nothing like that feeling of having finally finished it, you know? Particularly when it's something you've worked on for a long time. Now you've got brain space to work on other things.

Yeah, I might grumble about it, but they do give me good fic in the end. I can't really complain too much. XD

[lexicalcrow]

Thanks. :D I'm very happy it's all done. I'm going to spend today revising, I think. Big cup of tea in front of the fire, with my handy red pen. That sounds about right. <3

[xpaperplanex]

I've done no writing yet today, though I might try to sneak in a few minutes of it before I go to bed. My neighbours kept me up until 4 last night, so I wasn't in a very writey mood today. *shakes fist at overly aggressive men* The past couple days though, I've been rereading the last few chapters of the evil WIP. Kind of forgot what had happened... I was assuming that the characters knew what they were doing and where they were going. Apparently they're just mucking around with no plan still. Sheesh. I know where they're going, shouldn't that be good enough?

But the discussion question... yes, that happens to me all the time. I once thought I would write a silly oneshot crackfic based on a funny warning label on a toy I got. It turned into a 40k-ish word quite serious fic. (Though still cute.) I tried to write ridiculous smut and it turned into a socio-political statement on why breeding sex slaves just won't work out. IDK, it's weird.

[littlebutfierce]

Thank you! It's hard indeed to feel creative when I am so stressed. ;_; Right now my coping mechanisms seem to be more "frittering away time online looking at fandom-related merchandise" than anything actually useful, ahahaha.

[terajk]

I wrote/edited a very little bit today. I'm working on a "roleplay" fill for kink_bingo, and the writing has hit a slow patch. I know I'm thinking about it too hard--I'm not sure if a POV change would help, or if I just need to plow through. Here's what I got so far(Avatar: The Last Airbender, post-series, Azula/Toph, PG-13 for language, 523 words):



"It's like....Teo," Toph says, and even though it will do no good, Azula raises an eyebrow. "Teo goes in and he gives people the guidelines and he answers their questions, because he's the engineer and he has the patience for that crap. But if they don't follow the guidelines, then we go in and, bam!" She punches the palm of her other hand--hard. "Violation, fuckers! Now we light your place on fire!"

Toph does this--says "we" to make herself sound more involved than she actually is. It is one of her less annoying lies. "And this has to do with common thuggery how?" Azula asks.

"It's called a con, Princess, and if it was that common, you wouldn't have screwed it up so bad. Not to mention..." But she doesn't mention it, whatever it is.

"I overthrew the Earth King," Azula says.

"The one who never left the palace in his entire life? Please. His people skills are worse than yours."

"I can get Zuko to do anything I want."

Toph laughs, then--she laughs and laughs and laughs, and Azula doesn't

(kill her where she stands)

say anything because even she knows that manipulating Zuzu is like breathing: everyone does it, often without thinking. Besides, she wants Toph's skill for herself. "Continue with your Teo nonsense."

"What? Oh, screw that. It's your fault for not letting me use a rock metaphor," Toph replies. "The point is, if people think you're harmless, you can come in and take their stuff. Or if they think you're charming. But harmless is easier, especially for you."

It won't help, but Azula rolls her eyes anyway. "And you'll judge by reading my face, I suppose."

Even though Toph isn't facing her, she still sees something crack, just briefly, in her expression. Good. But all Toph says is, "Stand up, student."

Azula stands; Toph says, "No."

"Make up your mind," Azula says.

"Do you always blame your teachers for your incompetence, or what?"

"What do you mean." It is not a question.

"I mean, what kind of stance is that?" Toph snorts. "I said harmless. This ain't firebending practice, Princess."

For a moment--just a moment--Azula is...nonplussed. Then she says, "Weak, you mean." It has been years since she thought of anyone as harmless. If she ever has.

"Whatever floats your boat," says Toph. "Or lights it on fire." Azula shuffles her feet. She feels foolish, and as if she is about to fall over. "Better, I guess. Try looking up at the sky."

"How will you tell?"

"I know you're not doing it now," says Toph.

Azula looks up at the sky.

"Is everything a military drill with you? You don't get red bean cake for looking at the sky harder."

"I have no idea what you're babbling about," Azula says. "Perhaps you're not as [something] a teacher as you think."

"Maybe you're right." Toph answers. "I don't know what to do with someone who doesn't even know what they're doing wrong."

Azula thinks Toph is a pompous bastard and says so, rather more loudly than she'd intended.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” /End