Writing Spaces

Where do you like to write?

When I'm at school, I usually do my writing on my plugged-in laptop on my desk. I've heard some people like to turn out the lights so nothing else in the room distracts them, but that's a big no for me. A glowing screen in the dark makes my eyes hurt (and may be part of the reason movies give me headaches). Just above the shelf I have my radio/iHome/alarm clock, whose writing use I have explained earlier. My phone is nearby in its weird little stand, though that's not a big deal because I rarely text people, and they rarely call me. I sit sort of slumped back in my vaguely-cushy rocking chair with a foot on the weird low shelf inside my desk.

Given my schedule and my need to do homework during gaps in the day, I do most of my writing in the evenings. Say, 16:00–16:50 (when I leave for supper) and then off and on until 21:40 (when I do my Bible study). Of course, I do things in the evenings on occasion, mostly Scribes meetings and dorm events, but most of it is writing or reading or poking about Neopets and some of the rest of the Internet.

I have done some writing after 22:00 or during the school day, but that's only on special occasions, usually when the end of a chapter is close enough. I can fuss with typing after my Bible study, but my brain doesn't function that well once it gets that late, and I'll turn in soon afterwards, so I usually won't bother starting something I can't finish. I think the only time I've stayed up significantly late writing was when I was doing chapter 48 of The Rules. My roommate was quite surprised to find me up.

At home, I do most of my writing with the laptop unplugged in my little corner of the couch. It's my attempt to be sort of sociable around my parents (and I don't get good Wi-Fi reception in my room). Given the lack of classes, I'll type anytime then.

I did have to stretch myself for NaNo. I brought a lined journal and jotted down things before classes, waiting for an omelette to cook (at someone else's hands! I'd burn the place down), and on one occasion during a basketball game on my phone (this is not recommended under any normal conditions). When it's that urgent, I can block out all of the people a bit better, but for the most part it's just distracting. If I'm in the throes of writer's block, I might try to type with other people chatting around me. I actually did that for the last chapter of Unsurvivable, and a joke somehow led to a friend (the same boy who elaborated on the zombie restaurant idea, incidentally) typing enough of the chapter for me to get back with it.

I am guilty of distracting myself with the Internet while I type. I'll drag some of my (Neopets) Habitarium P3's into their homes to rest, or check my email, or look at some recent reviews. I feel like I do these things so often it hurts my productivity, but it's difficult to stop. I can't even up and switch the Internet off, or I'll lose what I'm typing on (fanfiction.net's) Doc Editor, and I'm too OCD to type up my fan fictions elsewhere.

(And, yes, I've decided to start putting more links in my posts. Why not?)

Pitchapalooza

I'm interested in the NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza. There's an incredibly slim chance my pitch would be picked at random, and an even lower chance it would win, given that I've never written a pitch before.

It seems like a great opportunity, though, and I feel like I could use the practice even if mine personally won't come to anything. Despite the odds, the reward of an "introduction to an agent or publisher" seems like something from which I shouldn't just up and shy away.

I'm a bit torn as to whether I should try a pitch for The Winding Road or for Mayflies. At this point, The Winding Road has a lot more to it, and I'm slowing down Mayflies to keep my progress in sync with my online course. On the other hand, I just watched Warm Bodies, and it has a shocking number of elements exactly like The Winding Road. Certainly it's not the same, but the major points of my idea weren't nearly as original as I had thought.

There are some writing tips on the site, but, as someone who's never written more than however many characters fanfiction.net allows in a summary, I'm still not sure how to actually do this 250-word thing. If anyone has experience with this, please share.

I seem to have the rest of the month to finish this, but this week is going to be terribly busy. I'll put all of my writing into Break Out, I think, and leave this for another time. Maybe I'll have figured out something about it by then.

NaNoWriMo and Other Extreme Sports

I'm wondering whether or not I should do NaNoWriMo again this year.

The 2YN program I'm doing allots writing time during November, so it's compatible there.

I have no idea what my workload will be as far as education goes.

I'm not sure if writing 1,667 words a day for a month straight will be particularly useful. There are certainly other reasons I didn't like how last year's NaNo came out, but I already have a rather negative opinion of my normal writing, and I'd like to actually feel able to reread and edit what I write for Mayflies. I'm not sure what kind of writing schedule the 2YN recommends, but if it's under 1,667, I'm not sure I'll do NaNo.

It was certainly an experience; however, I more or less only undertook it to finally finish an original novel. Now that I have done that, I don't feel very motivated to participate this November.

I'm still not sure, but I do have time to decide.