Comments | hannah_nutwood: "but that vestal light, it burns out with the night"

hannah_nutwood

"but that vestal light, it burns out with the night"

Nov 22, 2006 01:22

30,177 words! this makes me infinitely happy as i told myself i would try to make it to 29,000 words before going to sleep tonight. then inspiration, long-winded description and a riveting action sequence blasted me well into a cozy 30,000 ( Read more... )

writing, the male species, goals, odd...

Comments 44

observing_ego November 22 2006, 16:23:48 UTC

I wish I understood the significance of word counts for anything other than a newspaper article where you're paid by the word.

In a blog, the more words you use, the less likely it is that anyone will read what you've written.

hannah_nutwood November 23 2006, 05:55:31 UTC

don't get me wrong, wordcounts usually mean nothing to me. but for this month only, the exercise is to spout out as many words as one possibly can. it's an exercise in getting past writer's block and testing one's limits. my inner editor is perched on my shoulder, shaking her head and saying i have been way too wordy and i could have said the same thing elegantly in half the space i used, but that's not what nanowrimo is about. i'll work on the refining in december... or maybe i'll just keep going and banish my inner editor until i type the words "the end." it seems that editing just discourages me if i haven't finished the piece i'm writing. but now i'm just rambling and this is probably too long-winded a comment for anyone to want to read.

observing_ego November 23 2006, 16:21:54 UTC

I understand. Rambling can be important to the creative process ( ... )

hannah_nutwood November 24 2006, 03:29:07 UTC

y'see, i never used to ramble before this month with my writing because, strangely enough, i was afraid to. that inner editor had her thumb on me way too long. it's therapeutic to know that it doesn't matter about the quality of the writing because it can be revised later.

i'm torn between wanting to produce a lengthy novel or something that could potentially become a graphic novel. stardust by neil gaiman and illustrated by charles vess was a very agreeable compromise of words and pictures for me but sometimes i want more pictures and less "he said, she said" blocks of writing. there are only so many synonyms one can use instead of "said" and that is what has been bothering me the most about this story so far. i think i would do the graphic novel style for conversations between the characters but scatter illustrated pages throughout that are all text and maybe just one relevant illustration in the background. in any event, i think the book i write would have to be profusely illustrated. i've come to terms with the fact that i ( ... )

Thread 38

oftherain November 22 2006, 17:09:05 UTC

Congrats. Good luck with the new conjurings!

hannah_nutwood November 23 2006, 05:59:13 UTC

thanks!

have you conjured up any more words yet? *poke*

oftherain November 23 2006, 14:29:59 UTC

No I took a break last weekend. Maybe this weekend. I'm not going to be able to get to 50,000 I don't think. That's okay. I am still excited about finishing this story but I'll do it at my own pace.

hannah_nutwood November 24 2006, 03:32:28 UTC

i'm glad you'll be keeping up with it. just make sure you don't get so wrapped up in daily life that you dismiss your writer self to the farther recesses of your mind when the month is over.

ideas cometh anonymous November 22 2006, 18:40:47 UTC

That's amazing. I'll pray for inspiration. You have a wonderful imagination. You'll do it.

Glad you are just exhausted, not sick. Are you feeling better?

It might snow on (or around) my birthday!

Re: ideas cometh hannah_nutwood November 23 2006, 05:58:10 UTC

gaw, thanks mum!

i am indeed feeling better. i substituted those lozenges (that s----- consumed during her last cold) for lemon green tea and honey at work.

hurrah for snow! it had better snow over there on Christmas eve too! o_O